‘You’re not my comrade.’ Inside it was dark, with the smell of vagrants and what they had used it for. I started as I felt the younger man’s hand on my back. ‘Sit down.’

‘I can stand,’ I said.

‘Sit down.’

‘Just do it,’ Tibbot muttered.

‘Where have you been today?’

‘Kent,’ Tibbot replied, leaving behind the attempt at a friendly tone.

‘Sergeant, you want to fuck about, you’ll regret it.’ I knew as well as Tibbot that he was probably right.

Tibbot lowered himself on to a backless bench in the middle of the room. He made the Sec wait before he answered. ‘I was investigating a crime.’

‘What crime?’

‘Car theft,’ Tibbot told him.

‘Car theft.’

‘That’s right.’

The Sec pointed to me, then to another bench in the corner, behind Tibbot. His younger colleague took me by the arm and led me over. The older one resumed his questions. ‘And just who reported this theft?’

‘Sorry, that’s between me and them.’

‘Oh, yes?’

‘Police business. Not yours.’

‘Like I said, Sergeant, you fuck me about, you regret it.’

The younger Sec sat beside me. He had a small, pebble-like goitre bulging from the left side of his neck. He leaned in close to me. ‘Your house,’ he said quietly. ‘Must be nice living somewhere big like that.’ I stared dead ahead.

‘Listen,’ Tibbot said to the other man. ‘You’re pushing it and we both know that. Now, I know what you and your mates get up to in the basement of your HQ, but, unless you’ve brought a couple of rubber truncheons with you tonight, I’m going to cross my arms and sit here nice and polite while you piss off.’ The Sec glanced at me. ‘And you had better drop that idea and all, son.’

‘Are you fucking threatening me?’

‘Sounds like it, don’t it?’

‘You’re a long way from home, Sergeant,’ the older Sec told Tibbot, thrusting his face so close they almost touched.

‘So are you,’ Tibbot replied darkly. I was worried how this would end.

‘You want to try, old man?’

‘Been through as much as you.’

‘You haven’t a fucking clue.’ I saw the saliva fly from his mouth.

Tibbot sat back, appraising him. ‘What regiment?’ he asked.

‘One-four-two Commando.’

‘Chindits?’ The Sec nodded. Tibbot paused. ‘And look at you now. Wingate wouldn’t spit on a cunt like you.’

The Sec made eye contact with his colleague, who leaped up, grabbed the collar of Tibbot’s jacket and pulled it down as far as his elbows, trapping his arms. The older man kicked Tibbot in the chest, toppling him backwards. He fell against my legs – if he hadn’t, he would have cracked his head on the concrete floor. I bent down to help but the younger man dragged me back and I sat up again, my legs shaking.

‘Fucking stay down!’ the older man shouted at Tibbot.