Richard’s face turned bright scarlet and then chalky white as Neil’s words hit him. I felt a cold stab of shock in my own stomach as I shared his moment of bitter disappointment. “You’ve got to be joking,” Richard said in an icy voice.

Neil laughed. “Quite a surprise, isn’t it? I’d have thought he’d have gone for a specialist. Someone like you,” he added, twisting the knife. “But Kevin wanted me. He insisted.” He shrugged disarmingly. “So what could I say? After all, Kevin’s an old friend. And he’s the boss. I mean, nobody manages a top act like Jett a dozen years without knowing what’s right for the boy, do they?”

Richard said nothing. He turned on his heel and pushed his way through the growing crowd round the bar. I tried to follow, but Neil stood in my way. “I don’t know what’s rattled his cage, but why don’t you just let him cool down,” he said smoothly. “Stay and tell me all about yourself.”

Ignoring him, I moved away and headed towards Jett. I could no longer see Richard’s dark head, but I guessed that’s where he’d be. I reached Jett’s couch in time to hear Richard’s angry voice saying, “You as good as promised me. The guy’s a wasted space. What the hell were you thinking?”

The adulatory crowd that had been eagerly congratulating Jett and trying to touch the hem of his garment had fallen back under the force of Richard’s onslaught. He was towering threateningly above Jett, whose Fiona looked thrilled to bits by the encounter.

Jett himself looked upset. His honey-sweet voice sounded strained. “Richard, Richard. Listen to me. I wanted you to do the book. I said that all along. Then out of the blue, Kevin dumps this guy on me and tells me I have to play ball, that he knows who’s the

Richard had listened in silence, his face a tight mask of anger. I’d never seen him so upset before, not even when his ex-wife was being difficult about his access to Davy. I reached his side and gripped his right arm. I know what he’s like when he’s angry. The holes in the plasterboard walls of his hall bear eloquent testimony to his frustrations. I didn’t think he’d hit Jett, but I didn’t want to risk it.

He stood and stared at Jett for what seemed like an eternity. Then he spoke slowly and bitterly. “And I thought you were a man,” was all he said. He tore his arm out of my grip and plunged into the crowd towards the door. Only then was I aware that the room had fallen silent, every ear in the place tuned in to their conversation. I glared around, and slowly the buzz of conversation built again, even louder than before.