After a moment Noor held down her hand to Bish, and greedy, needy fool that he was, he let her help him up, his fingers lingering in hers like those of the two adolescents in Violette’s photograph. He chanced a look at her and saw the flare of something in her eyes. A salve to the emptiness that sometimes threatened to suffocate him.

Friday morning, Layla steps into Algiers Street Food, inhaling the smell of coffee and baked eggs. Bilal is behind the espresso machine talking to a customer. He looks up and his eyes send her to the door leading to the kitchen.

It feels strange, not putting on a suit and going to work, but it isn’t as if she has nothing to do while searching for a job. Jemima has made sure of that. Layla only realised last night that there was more camaraderie at Silvey and Grayson than she had given credit for. Every woman there had stored her makeup bag in the toilets so she didn’t have to carry it across the office and hear someone say, ‘Off to apply some lippy, eh?’ At times Layla had wanted to say, ‘Off to have a wank, eh?’ Her stash in the bathroom was simple – a Jocelyn rule – perfume, mascara, lip gloss, a brush. Four items that fitted in a pencil case. Too small for the large M & S bag Jemima handed over. She may have been sent in to clean out Layla’s office and find evidence that she’d been compromising the firm, but Jemima held onto a manila folder labelled ‘Skipton’ from Layla’s drawer.

In the kitchen, staff are arguing and music blares from someone’s iPod. Jimmy is at a table in the corner with Violette and Eddie, his head bent low as they talk. The kids are hanging off his every word.

Violette is the first to notice her standing there. Once, Layla was Violette’s favourite babysitter, but teenage Violette is a different story. She has a dismissive, disdainful look that could send the best of them into the foetal position. Nevertheless, she stands and kisses Layla on both cheeks.

‘Eddie, this is Layla,’ Violette says.

The boy has a mouthful of bread and can respond only with a few mumbles and a nod.

When Bilal walks in to speak to one of the chefs, Violette excuses herself and goes after him. Eddie follows with his plate.

‘Well, Violette seems ecstatic to see me after all these years,’ Layla says.

Jimmy holds out a hand and leads her outside. In the courtyard they stand in silence. She puts a hand to his face. He’s tense.

‘Talk to me, Jimmy.’

‘I can’t call the copper on them. I can’t.’

‘They can stay with me.’

‘Violette won’t stay put. Noor thinks she’ll head up to the place Etienne died, but I don’t know. She’s telling me nothing, and in about an hour I won’t have any control over the situation.’