‘No, not until tomorrow but don’t let the kid out of the room, either of you.’ Pete’s eyes swept over them both. Lewis understood the menace in his voice.

When the van pulled away, Lewis looked at his mother. He didn’t need to ask – she knew what he wanted. Sally put her hands on her hips and frowned. ‘He’s not to come down again. It’s more trouble than it’s worth.’

In a way she was right but Lewis still wanted to see his friend. ‘He’ll be starving though. Can I take him some cereal and juice?’ he asked.

‘Okay, but not too much. It’ll probably have to last us another two days.’

Lewis tipped some cornflakes into a chipped bowl, splashed milk over them and poured orange juice into a mug which he carried carefully upstairs.

When Danny heard Lewis’s footsteps he ran to the door. ‘I heard them leave,’ Danny said. ‘How are you?’ He looked at Lewis’s head wound; it was red and swollen.

‘It’s nothing, I’ve had worse.’

‘It looks pretty bad. You should get stitches.’

‘Yeah and who’s gonna take me?’ He shrugged and held out the bowl and mug for Danny.

‘Thanks... have you had something?’

‘I ate earlier with Mum.’

A few moments of silence followed while Danny ate hungrily. Even cereal tasted good when he was hungry and the orange juice was pure nectar. When he finished, he turned to Lewis. ‘Did they say anything – about me?’ Danny wanted to know, yet perversely didn’t want to know.

‘Pete was boiling mad that you’d been out of the room, but he’ll get over it. When he gets the rest of the money in his hands, he’ll be happy again.’

‘But I’ve seen them now. It makes me a threat, doesn’t it?’

‘Nah, don’t worry – they’ll be off somewhere tonight getting drunk now they’ve money to spend. Pete won’t be worrying about you.’ Lewis didn’t sound very convincing.

There was a catch in Danny’s voice as he considered his following words. ‘I think they’ll kill me. They went to great lengths to stop me from seeing them and now that I have – I, I’ll be able to identify them.’

Lewis didn’t answer. He sniffed and wiped his nose on his sleeve.

Eventually, Danny spoke again. ‘Why doesn’t your mum leave Pete? He’s such a horrid man – she could find someone much better who’d take care of you both.’

‘Oh yeah, and which fairy stories have you been reading?’ Lewis attempted a smile, trying to cajole Danny into a better mood.

‘She’s my only hope now.’ Danny was deadly serious. ‘If she has a key we need it. If I don’t get away, they’ll kill me.’

‘And if she hasn’t a key?’