‘He needs locking up,’ the Asian man spat, ‘don’t you, blood? Fucking nutter.’

I recognised him from the party; the man who had waited for Hadi Kattan by the door, now dressed in combats and a vest in place of the shiny suit he’d worn last night, a faded tattoo of a star and moon on his upper bicep. He pulled the black guy up by the hands and then dropped him again heavily so his face hit the gravel.

‘Don’t!’ I shouted, wincing as I felt the thud of his torso smacking the ground. ‘Please.’

Callendar moved between me and the two men, his jaw set rigid.

‘Zack, take him up to the house.’ From the corner of my eye, I saw him boot the man on the floor in the ribs.

‘My pleasure.’ Zack pushed the man’s face into the gravel again. I winced.

‘Your neck.’ Callendar reached an arm out to me and I tried not to flinch. ‘You’re bleeding.’ He held his sleeve against the welts that were already rising there. For the first time, I felt frightened of this man.

‘I’m fine.’ I felt the pressure of his arm on my skin.

‘Get it seen to, I would.’ He stepped back now.

‘But I think … ‘ I began rather helplessly. I didn’t know what to think, that was the truth.

‘Don’t think,’ Danny said quietly, reading my mind. I saw blood on his sleeve. My blood – or older, darker – drying blood? ‘Please, Mrs Miller, just get in your car, and go.’

‘But …’ I stammered. ‘I’m more worried about him.’

‘It’s family business, love,’ the man called Zack said over his shoulder, as he hauled the black guy to his feet and marched him towards the house, scooping up some tool box he had evidently been carrying under one arm. The black man’s face was bleeding from the gravel, blood and stones speckling his face like some kind of unholy pox.

‘Call the police,’ he groaned. ‘Call ‘em before it’s too late.’

‘Shut it, you,’ Zack snapped, giving the man a shove so he stumbled. Zack grabbed his wrist before he hit the floor again and manoeuvred him up the front steps.

‘Danny …’ I’d never said his name before. It sounded oddly intimate. ‘Please, what’s going on here?’

‘Don’t worry about it.’ He pushed me inside the car again. ‘It’s not your concern.’

‘Is that meant to reassure me?’ I said.

Danny shrugged. ‘Not really. Remember, Mrs Miller, too much poking around can make Rose a very dull girl.’ His face was grim. ‘Understand, pet?’

He shut my car door hard, and walked towards the house.

I sat there for a minute, my hands clammy on the wheel, watching as Danny Callendar disappeared into the house behind the other two men. I sat there, absolutely impotent, angry and shaken, unsure what to do. I cursed myself for ever coming here.