He’ll think about this moment a lot in the days to come. He’ll wish he’d been harder to find, or that he’d told Janice to go and find Mick Touch instead – because it was his problem that Will was being invited to wade into. He jogs through the bar area, keeping Janice’s bouncing mass of corkscrew hair in sight. In a low-ceilinged annex at the back of the pub, he steps into a load of trouble.

‘Here comes the cavalry,’ a red-faced man says, sniffing noisily and dragging his sleeve across his face. ‘Big fucker, aren’t you? How you doing, cock?’

‘OK, thanks,’ Will says, caught off guard and unable to forget his manners despite the tone of the question.

The room is open at one end into the bar, the other three walls forming a passage around the snooker table, which dominates the space. One guy stands in the corner, his cue gripped upright in his fist, his clenched jaw chewing at an invisible piece of gum. The guy who’s speaking is shorter than his mate. He’s perched on the far cushion of the table with his legs crossed. His disproportionally large bottom bulges over the edge on to the baize as if it’s going to explode through the central seam of his trousers any second. Meera stands backed into the corner, hugging a stack of empty pint glasses to her chest.

Janice talks hurriedly to Will, moving her lips excessively as she speaks.

‘Meera was collecting their glasses. The short one starts asking her to take drugs with them. Keeps trying to make her go to the disabled toilet with him.’ She’s talking quietly but Will’s sure they’re close enough to be overheard. ‘The pair of them are off their faces on God knows what. Said some really disgusting things to Meera.’ Janice looks round and flashes a dirty look in the guy’s direction. ‘Filthy things,’ she whispers.

Will nods. He’s aware that the two men and Meera are all looking at him. He’s confused. Why the hell are you telling me? is what he wants to ask. What on earth has this got to do with me?

‘Meera asked them to leave,’ Janice continues.

Will looks at her blankly.

‘She asked them to leave, Will, and they won’t. And they’re being abusive.’

For the first time since this morning, Will’s suddenly aware of his uniform, with its ankle swingers and silly striped waistcoat.

‘Shall I call the police?’ he whispers back, petrified he’ll be heard. He’s heard there are people who’ll kill a man for reporting them to the law.

‘Just get them out,’ Janice says, shaking her head.