‘At the garage. Something about a part not arriving until tomorrow. Brakes I think.’ I’m amazed at how quickly I’m thinking. I feel fierce. Protective.

‘You’re lying. You’re trying to cover for her aren’t you, you little shit? Alan, bring him here.’

Alan, leaning in the doorway, shrugs slightly, flashes me a weak smile, then grabs me by the scruff of my jumper and pulls me outside. I almost trip over the doorstep, and stumble clumsily into the bonnet of the car. Alan brings a firm hand down on the back of my head and the vibrations of the engine make my jaw rattle as I’m held against the warm metal.

‘If she’s in there, and you’re lying, then I won’t just stop at that immigrant friend of yours. I’ll do you too. The same way. And her as well. Now, tell me. Is Dana in there?’

‘No, it’s my mum. I promise.’

‘And what if I checked?’

I shake my head free enough of Alan’s grip to get the words out. ‘Then you’d see my mum in the shower, and if you’re trying to keep a low profile at the moment, you don’t want the police called, do you?’

‘Fuck do you mean?’ Carl deflates, but only slightly. I’m amazed at my own confidence, and when I feel Alan’s grip ease slightly, I yank myself free, stand up and continue

‘You can’t walk in on a middle-aged woman in the shower and expect her not to scream, right? Or call the police? Or do you want to blow our cover and ruin this plan we’ve all been working towards? Remember, that’s why we’re doing this. The immigrant’s not my friend. I’m doing my job.’ The words stab as I say them. I try to summon up the old fire, the one that coursed through my veins like battery acid at the end of last year. But all I can find is the surface of it. It will have to be enough just to act it. ‘Why aren’t you out there doing yours?’

Carl is momentarily speechless. He didn’t expect this reaction. I press my advantage, however flimsy it may be.

‘What Dana knows and doesn’t know about what’s going on isn’t my problem, it’s yours. If you’ve told her too much, you need to deal with it. Any idiot can see she’s unstable. Always has been. She can’t be trusted. You’re supposed to be some kind of leader, right? So why can’t you control some little girl who’s half your age and stop fucking around making it my problem?’ I try, as much as I can, to sound like his superior officer.

‘Careful,’ Carl’s voice is low, quiet. I think I may have gone too far. ‘Be very careful.’