I wait for him to say more, heart pounding, and don’t hear anything for ages. There’s a rush of rapidly moving feet, like someone’s slapping tarmac, the noise echoing from walls and paving slabs. I get to my feet and climb downstairs into old Mr Fallon’s flat, into the communal corridor and into our flat, snicking the door shut. Sherwin’s calling for help in a desperate, raw voice. I couldn’t tell from the roof but in my flat it’s loud, obvious. There’s shuffling on the steps outside my window. Sherwin hears it too, because he stops calling. A minute later the building door opens and shuts, then the flat door opens and shuts, and Danny’s home.

‘What’s going on?’ he says, face pale, eyes bright. He’s holding a white plastic bag.

‘Nothing …’ I know I won’t get away with that, put a hand to my head, and play with my hair. ‘I went for a smoke and that guy from this morning, I think he saw me. He was shouting …’

Danny mouths something harsh, shakes his head. ‘So now he knows we’re here.’

‘He doesn’t. He didn’t see anything.’

‘He saw me.’

I push my lips together: he has a point. Danny hisses between his teeth and pulls something from the plastic bag. For a moment I swear it’s a human limb and then I realise it’s not, it’s just a joint of meat. The sides shine in the candlelight. He slams it on the kitchen counter. I wince.

‘Dunno whether we should have it for dinner or use it for self-defence.’

I laugh on cue. He’s looking at the meat, not smiling.

‘Beef?’ I say, going over to the counter.

‘Lamb,’ he replies. ‘You know we have to do Sherwin, right?’

He has no expression. I don’t either, I know because I’m holding it in like my basement tears. The thrum of the pipes is louder than ever.

‘Why?’

‘He’s gonna get us killed. Shouting like that. There’s kill parties everywhere, if they hear him it’s over.’

‘I’ll talk to him.’

‘He won’t listen.’

‘He will, if I tell him we’re serious. You can’t, not now. After all this time.’

Danny sighs, looks away. I grasp his hand, I know what that means.

‘It’s not like I want to.’

‘I know.’

‘It’s just I don’t want to lose you.’

‘Me neither,’ I say. I kiss him, feeling his cold lips against mine.

‘It’s freezing out,’ he says, watching me.

‘Well, we only have to go downstairs.’