‘Go on,’ Carl said. ‘I’ll keep an eye out. You hear me whistle and you leg it, OK?’

James followed Davo around the side of the house. There was a gate but it was unlocked. Davo shook his head.

‘People make it easy for you, they really do,’ he whispered. ‘They deserve whatever they get.’

He walked slowly along the length of the wall, then peeked around the corner. He looked at James and gave a thumbs up, then beckoned him to follow.

They stepped out on to a wide patio. The window cleaner was working on the patio doors, his back to them.

They watched as he slowed. He looked at their reflections in the window and turned to them.

‘All right, lads,’ he said. He had neat grey hair and glasses and small, precise features.

‘All right,’ Davo said. ‘You can make this easy or hard, mate. I know you’ve got money, so hand it over.’

‘I haven’t,’ the window cleaner said. He was calm. ‘I’ve got about forty quid on me. It’s not worth it.’

‘You’ve got more than that,’ Davo said. ‘You must have. You’ve been at it all day.’

The window cleaner laughed. ‘I don’t get cash, mate. This is the twenty-first century. I use apps. You think I want to walk around with a load of cash when there’s scum like you about? So why don’t we call this a day? You leave me to my job and go on with your life, and no hard feelings?’

Davo shook his head. ‘We’ll take the forty quid,’ he said. ‘And whatever else you’re hiding.’ He took a step towards the window cleaner. ‘Hand it over.’

James did not have much experience with this kind of thing, but he knew he wasn’t supposed to stand behind his friend – accomplice – doing nothing. He stepped forward.

The window cleaner shook his head.

‘Don’t do this, boys,’ he said. ‘It’s really not a good idea.’

Davo twitched. ‘Now,’ he said.

The window cleaner held up his hands. ‘Don’t say I didn’t warn you.’

Five minutes later they were on their way back to the flat.

James’s throat was agony, but all in all he’d got off lightly. Davo was hobbling, his face green.

They were also penniless.

The window cleaner had turned out to be some kind of ex-soldier and, before he and Davo could move, he had kicked Davo hard in the balls – it had made a kind of crunching sound that James could still hear – and then elbowed James in the throat.

He stood, watching them writhe in agony.

Fucking idiots, he said. Get out of here before I decide to hurt you properly.

They did. They scuttled around the house and on to the street where Carl was waiting.