‘So, she could still be there? It’s not even a week ago,’ he says, bouncing a little on his heels.

‘This was a mistake.’ I get up and begin to walk down the road.

‘No, wait. We should go round there.’

‘Really, should we?’ I say. ‘Does that sound like something we should do?’ The tone in my voice isn’t one I recognise. I’ve never liked sarcasm.

‘Yes. We should. If she’s dead we could definitely find out whether she’s still there.’

‘How?’ I say, stopping.

‘The smell,’ he says. ‘Six days rotting – we did this in biology. That place will be stinking.’ He scrunches his nose.

‘She’s not in there. I think some men came by and took the body.’

‘Then at least let’s see if we can find her name out,’ he says.

‘How?’ I say. ‘I can’t go anywhere near the place.’

‘Trust me,’ he says. ‘I’ll do it. You wouldn’t even have to be there.’

‘No. It’s too dangerous,’ I say, and hold him by the shoulders to underline the point.

He turns on his heel and faces the other way. ‘I’m going anyway,’ he says. ‘42B, isn’t it?’

Before I can answer, he has jogged away.

When I catch up with him he is already on Farm Street, scanning the doors for numbers. I reach him just as he is about to walk through the gate to the main house.

‘Amit, no,’ I say to him in a heavy whisper. The darkness bathing the house disguises his expression so I don’t know how he has reacted.

‘Okay,’ he says at last, and follows me back to the pavement.

‘Xander?’ he says after a moment.

‘Yes?’

‘If I were you …’

‘If you were me what?’

‘I’d hide.’ Before I can stop him he has run back to the house and has pointed a finger at the bell. He turns towards me in the darkness and waves me away with his other hand. Then before I can react, he presses.

I have time only to notice that there is a second new lock on the door. A legacy from hearing about my second attempted visit from the police, no doubt. Amit has now turned to the door, and panic grips me as I scramble for a place to hide. I hurry across the road and find a car I can crouch behind. I reach it and quickly duck out of view. My heart is racing. I peek my head up over the bonnet and make out Amit still waiting at the door. I hope nobody is in.

My heart counts the seconds as they thud by. With each passing one, I begin to relax. Ebadi must be out. Then I see a crack of light outline the doorway, growing until it has turned Amit into silhouette.