‘Where do you go to school then?’ He was keen to change the subject.

‘Don’t go to school much if I can help it. We’ve moved around a lot and I usually start at a school then find out they’re a bunch of idiots, so I don’t go no more.’

Danny instinctively wanted to correct his grammar but wisely kept quiet. Lewis appeared to know more than he did about some things, yet he didn’t go to school.

‘What if Pete and Neil don’t come back? If we can’t get out we’ll die.’ This was a very real fear to Danny but apparently not to Lewis who laughed at the thought.

‘Don’t be such a wimp. They’ll come back for you once they’ve got the money and then we can all go home.’

‘But if they don’t get the money, what then?’

‘They’ll probably just let you go. Y’ve not seen them so can’t tell the police what they look like, eh?’ Lewis didn’t sound too convinced of this himself and Danny didn’t believe it either.

‘Have you done this sort of thing before?’

‘Nah. But I’ve earned money from Pete before, doing little jobs, y’know?’

‘No, I don’t know. Do you mean illegal jobs?’

‘Look, I don’t ask no questions. The smart thing is to do what I’m told. Perhaps you should do the same. If Pete’s in a good mood he’ll hand out some cash, if not – well, I keep outta his way. Don’t tell me you’ve never nicked anything before, a bit of shoplifting or something?’

‘No, never.’ Danny was surprised Lewis assumed such a thing.

‘S’pose you can afford to buy whatever you want then, being rich an’ all.’ Lewis didn’t say this in a malicious way – it was simply a statement, the way things were. He seemed to have a better understanding of Danny’s life than Danny had of his.

Danny was trying to think rationally. He was a prisoner in this cold dirty house, supposedly guarded by Lewis and his mother. But they were prisoners too yet couldn’t see it, especially if they were locked in as Lewis said. Or maybe he was lying and he or his mother did have a key. Danny thought desperately of what he could do as he watched Lewis finish off his bread. This strange boy led a different life to his own, but money was important to him.

‘How much are they giving you for doing this?’ Danny asked.

‘Dunno really. Mum’ll get it and I’ll have to get it off her quick before she spends it all on booze or dope. We’ll be lucky to get a few hundred I suppose. Pete’s not very generous.’