‘No . . . no . . . Not always. Some days the sun shone. Or there was bread. But Old Ma Scrope broke my arm once and I still had to work and it bloody hurt, I can tell you, and . . .’ He pulled himself up. ‘It’s easier for everyone if I don’t talk about it, but mostly . . . yeah . . . it was shit.’

He seemed to withdraw back into himself.

‘Can I ask a question?’ said Jane.

‘Just don’t put your hand up,’ said Luke.

‘Does it bother you, being back in London?’ she said. ‘You know, because you were here as a child?’

Matthew nodded. ‘Grit Lane – where I lived – isn’t that far from here. On the other side of the river, but not far.’

‘It still exists?’

‘Yeah. I went back once. It’s all flats and a trendy wine bar now but if I stand very still and listen . . . I can hear the echoes.’ He stared at his drink.

‘And then your dad found you.’

‘Yeah – with the Time Police.’

‘Then what?’

‘I had a bit of schooling here – because the bloke who took me was still around – and then there was a bloody awful row between St Mary’s and the Time Police. Don’t ask me about what because I never found out, and I went back to St Mary’s.’ He grinned. ‘A great place to grow up, trust me. Then I came back here.’

There was more silence, then Jane said, ‘Didn’t you want to live with your parents?’

‘I see them a lot.’

‘When you have your hair cut.’

‘Yeah.’ He seemed uneasy.

Luke pounced. ‘What aren’t you telling us?’

It was an effort, but he grinned. ‘Many things.’

Luke moved his drink out of the way, leaned across the table, fixed Matthew with a penetrating stare and said, compellingly, ‘Tell us the most important thing you don’t want us to know.’

Matthew stared at him in bafflement. ‘Did you actually do the interrogation module?’

‘Course I did. I thought it lacked subtlety – didn’t you?’

Matthew shook his head. ‘You don’t need to be subtle when you have the truth cuff.’

Luke grinned. ‘Do I need to go and get it?’

Matthew sighed and played with his glass. ‘There’s somebody at St Mary’s.’

‘Aha.’ Luke sat back, satisfied. Jane continued to look puzzled. He sighed. ‘Girlfriend, Jane.’

‘Oh.’ It was a lowering thought to know that even Matthew had a girlfriend. And Luke had his blonde in Logistics while she had . . . She looked up and saw Luke watching her. She flashed him a small smile and he lifted his glass. ‘Thanks for the drink.’

She nodded. ‘You’re welcome.’

He turned back to Matthew. ‘So tell us about this girlfriend.’

‘Well . . .’ He looked around although no one was within earshot and the room was noisy anyway. ‘She and her brother are on the list.’

Jane was puzzled. ‘What list?’

‘Our list.’