‘Be glad when it’s over,’ she shouts at him.

‘So will I,’ Will says, grinning, but she doesn’t hear.

‘Can’t find Leavers or Simon.’

‘Quelle surprise!’ Will says, realizing he can’t shout in a French accent.

‘Yeah, well I need them. Kids smoking up in the staff car park.’

‘Just ciggies?’

‘Weed. Can’t leave it, Will. We’re supposed to be keeping some sort of order here.’

‘Want me to go?’

‘Would you?’

‘Bunch of stoned children? Think I’ll manage.’ He’s far from certain he will, but darts off regardless.

In the cool and relative quiet of the corridor, it occurs to him that his phone has been vibrating non-stop. ‘Later,’ he snaps, seeing the missed call total from Danny now stands at twenty-eight. Not to mention the scores of unread texts.

The snow creaks under Will’s feet but the group of six pay no attention to his approach. They stand in a tight circle, wearing baseball caps or with hoods pulled forward. Snowflakes settle on the backs of their heads. None of them – four boys, two girls – look to have reached puberty. The sweet bonfirey smell reminds him of the inside of Alfie’s car and he enjoys the memory.

Twenty metres away, a group of older teens climb over the perimeter fence, dashing across the grounds towards the building. More gatecrashers emerge from behind the sports hall. Will thinks better of intervening, focusing his attention on the smokers.

‘Sorry, guys,’ Will says.

There are sniggers from the group. ‘Why, what you done?’ a girl asks.

‘Come on, this is obviously against the rules.’

‘Call the police, then,’ an unbroken male voice says, breaking into a giggle halfway through.

‘Want a toke, bruv?’ asks another.

A curl of dense smoke passes Will’s face. It puts him in mind of that crazy night on the speedboat. He actually does want a toke, not that he’s about to accept the offer. Right now, he needs to be assertive, as unnatural as that may be.

‘Don’t rip the piss, all right. This is school property. You’re well aware this is bang out of order.’ The blanketed snow makes his voice seem muffled, robbing it of authority.

‘Not doing no one no harm, bruv. Just smoking a bit of ting.’

Will breaks the circle open. Despite their youth, a bunch of kids like this would’ve scared the shit out of him a few months ago. But up close he can see them for what they are – bored children trying everything out till something makes sense. ‘Take your ting, and piss off somewhere you can’t be seen, or smelt for that matter. Understood?’

There are grunts and giggles as they reluctantly turn to leave.