‘We’re trying to check, but he’s pretty certain. The time on Andy’s breathing apparatus runs out in a few minutes so he’s got to come out, but we’re going to lower Bill in next. If we’re lucky, he can grab a few samples, but everything depends on the temperature.’

‘Do whatever you can, please. We have to find out who’s responsible for this. Rosa Feldman nearly died. Now we’ve now got two confirmed deaths and—’

‘What’s going on?’ Indra was striding towards us, yelling. ‘What’s he found? Is my husband in there?’

‘I’m sorry. I can’t confirm anything until we’ve made a formal ID.’

‘But someone is definitely dead?’ Her green eyes were pools of tears. ‘It’s Simas, isn’t it? I knew it as soon as I got the call.’ Her hand was clasped over her mouth as she stifled sobs. ‘Was it the gas?’ Suddenly, Indra winced with pain and clamped her hand to her belly. ‘We had cylinders . . . in the . . . ’ She grabbed hold of her sister’s arm, let out an agonised scream and fell to the ground like a dropped towel.

‘Help,’ Marta shouted. ‘Paramedics. Over here.’

Indra lay on the pavement, her slender frame writhing in agony, her face a deathly white.

Marta was kneeling at her sister’s side, leaning over, her hand on Indra’s forehead. ‘Hurry. She’s pregnant.’

Maya, 5.30 p.m.

Maya, 5.30 p.m.

Minutes later, Indra was in an ambulance. The vehicle rattled out of Brick Lane, siren shrieking into the evening air, blue lights slicing through the darkness.

‘I hope she’s OK.’ I was standing with Dan and Simon.

‘And the baby,’ Dan added as I marched over to Chapel. I had to fill him in on what Indra had said about gas cylinders in the shop.

His demeanour tightened. ‘Did she say where?’

‘No. Just “we had gas cylinders”. That was it.’

‘Shit. That means we could have an explosion. Oh Christ. The whole street could go up.’ He grabbed hold of his radio and sprang into action. ‘Right. Emergency procedures.’ Chapel pointed away from the soup shop. ‘Both of you,’ he said to Dan and me, ‘start moving people back. We need to extend the cordon a further five shops. Tell everyone who isn’t family to go home as soon as they’ve spoken to the police.’ He began shouting clipped instructions into his radio to the lift operator. ‘Gas alert. Get Andy down from the platform and over to us as quick as you can. Repeat. Get Andy down.’ He switched channels on his radio. ‘All crew. All crew. Gas alert. All crew away from the building. Repeat. Gas alert. All crew to me at the front of the barber’s shop. Prepare for emergency evacuation procedures. Over.’

Within seconds, fire officers reported in to their crew leader and Simon filled them in.