Visiting hours in here are pretty relaxed, but there isn’t any sort of official visits area. You just have to grab a bit of privacy wherever you can, so just before dinner time on the Tuesday, me and Tim Banks found a couple of chairs in the music room. Jamilah was already in there reading a magazine and she was clearly earwigging, so I just gave her evils for a few minutes until she pissed off. As soon as she’d left us alone, Lauren stuck her head round the door and asked Banksy if he wanted to hear her song.

He said that he was busy.

She told him it was a really good one.

He said maybe another time.

She told him he was a cunt and then closed the door.

‘Nice.’ He looked at me. ‘So, how you doing, Al?’

Tim’s probably the most regular visitor I’ve had. Mum and Dad have been down a couple of times, but it usually means a night for them in some hotel and it’s never pleasant because they get so upset. Sophie came in once, which was nice, but she was a bit freaked out by Tony (the postcard incident) so I don’t think she’s in a hurry to come back. We text and talk on WhatsApp, so it’s all good. She tells me how boring her new flatmate Camilla is, even though she’s apparently a lot tidier than I was.

I was never boring to live with, nobody could ever say that.

Banksy’s been great, though. He understands. Yeah, it pisses me off that nobody else from work has been in, all those people I’d thought were mates, but I get it. I’m damaged goods, aren’t I?

I told Banksy I was fine. He said I was looking well.

‘Relative though, isn’t it?’ I smiled. I knew I looked like death warmed up.

‘Better than last time, anyway,’ he said. ‘Colour in your cheeks.’

‘So, come on then.’

‘Give me a bloody chance.’ He dug into his pocket and brought out a notebook. He’d made notes, God bless him. Like I said, he’s someone I know I can count on.

A bloody good copper, Banksy is.

On top of which, he was Johnno’s best mate.

I’d called him two days before, on the Sunday night, after I’d talked to Seddon. I’d brought him up to speed, told him to do some digging and asked him how soon he could get in to see me. Like I said, it wasn’t our team working this, but I knew he’d be able to ask around and call in a few favours. I knew he could find out something.

‘What’s the story, then?’

He was flipping through the pages of his notebook. ‘Can’t remember the last time I saw you this fired up,’ he said.