Pally’s myopic eyes were blinking at Josh’s face from inches away. Slowly, sensing the man’s changing mood, Josh pushed Pally away so that he stood straight. The doorman came in. Josh turned his head, shook it. The doorman didn’t withdraw. Josh was just glad Shauna hadn’t been down here to see Pally lowering the tone, showing them up among the gorgis.

But then, as if some vengeful god had read his mind, there she was, coming out of the ground-floor lounge, walking a couple of steps and then freezing in surprise as she saw the two men there.

‘I can’t help you, Pally. Now go home. Go on,’ said Josh, but it was too late.

Pally had seen Shauna standing there.

He pulled back from Josh and stared at her like she’d arrived in a puff of smoke. For a moment his face was blank; then Josh could see that he was adding things up, working things out. Pally’s eyes swept over Shauna, took in the slight bulge of her pregnancy; then they returned to Josh’s face and his lips trembled with contempt.

‘So that’s the way of it,’ said Pally. ‘This is why Claire cleared out then. You and her. We all wondered where she’d got to, and now we know.’

‘No. That’s not what happened, Pally. Not at all.’

‘You fucking cheat!’ yelled Pally in Josh’s face. ‘God rot you. I hope your bollocks fester, you arsehole. And as for you . . .’

Pally lurched toward Shauna and Josh quickly put himself in between the two of them.

‘You’re nothing but a whore,’ shouted Pally.

‘Fuck off, Pally, before I do something I’ll be sorry for,’ snapped Josh, wrestling the older man to keep him clear of Shauna, who was frozen to the spot.

‘Ah, don’t worry. I’m going,’ said Pally, and Josh released him. ‘My girl was always too good for the likes of you, anyway.’

As he passed her, Pally spat at Shauna’s feet. ‘Slut,’ he muttered, and moved on, out of the swing doors and back into the night.

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