‘This time, there was a problem over the price of some stuff he’d sold for them. He’d put it in an auction for them and whatever it was – he wouldn’t tell me − didn’t reach the expected price. They’re after Nick for the difference.’

‘That’s not fair,’ I objected. ‘It’s not his fault.’

‘I don’t think fair comes into their vocabulary.’

‘Probably not,’ I agreed. ‘What’s he going to do?’

‘Pay up and get them off his back, he says. He’s going to set up a meeting. I offered to be there as security. They’re not likely to turn violent if he’s got a witness.’

‘I want to be there too.’

I heard Paul laugh down the phone. ‘You might scare them off! I wish I’d been there this morning, I hear you were a sight to see.’

‘I don’t know about that,’ I muttered, embarrassed.

‘By the way, you didn’t notice their car this morning, did you?’

‘No. Why?’

‘It’s probably just coincidence. There was a black BMW parked down the street this evening, I noticed it when I came out of Nick’s. There were two men sitting in it. When I walked down the street in their direction they drove away, pretty sharp.’

‘Did you get a look at them?’

‘Not really. It was too dark. When I got in my van, I drove around the block a few times in case they’d come back, but they didn’t. Like I say, it was probably just coincidence.’

‘Let’s hope so.’

Paul yawned. ‘Well, I’m off to bed. Try not to antagonise any more dangerous thugs if you can help it.’

I remembered Vlad standing at the foot of Nick’s stairs, glaring at me and drawing his finger across his throat. ‘I’ll try,’ I promised.

Next morning, I popped into the bazaar and gave a mournful Pat a quick lesson in how to make earrings. The ones I’d made the night before hung in rows on an old photo frame I’d padded with black velvet and turned into a display stand.

‘Juno, they’re lovely!’ she cried.

‘Shove over, then, cos I’m going to show you how to make them.’

It was, as I told her, dead easy, once she’d mastered the knack of bending the top of the earring pin over into a loop with the pliers. The real skill came in choosing the beads, putting colours and shapes together. Judging from the pretty baby clothes she’d knitted, I reckoned Pat would be good at that, and she was. Her big, bony hands worked with surprising dexterity.

‘I must pay you for all these beads and things,’ she said, looking anxious.