‘Promise me you’ll never do anything like that again, Naomi,’ he’d said, as he pulled me close and wrapped himself around me. Right there, nestled in my safe place, I never imagined I would.

Yet here I am, once again, with the weapon’s indentation not yet forgotten, finding myself unable to deny someone in need.

‘Are we still going to rent the flat out?’ I’d mooted to Leon a few weeks ago, when Jacob told me he’d been offered a new job.

‘Yeah, as soon as the concert’s out of the way,’ Leon had said. ‘I’ll look at getting it ready for the summer season. I think it will do well as a holiday rental.’

‘Yes, but that could be unpredictable,’ I’d said. ‘Not to mention hard work for me and you. Wouldn’t it make more sense to rent it out on a six-month contract, or even three? At least we’d know we had that guaranteed income.’

‘I’m not sure there’s anyone around here who would take it on that basis,’ he said, his tone already distracted by something he was looking at on his laptop.

‘Well, one of my clients might be interested,’ I said, turning my back, conscious of what I was plotting being written all over my face.

‘I don’t think that’s a good idea,’ he’d said. ‘Do you not think it would be better to keep your work and the flat separate?’

‘Not when it’s someone as desperate as he is.’

‘He?’ Leon repeated, suddenly giving me his undivided attention. Was that what it took these days?

‘Yes,’ I said, wishing I’d kept Jacob gender neutral.

‘So what’s his story?’ he’d asked, his interest piqued.

‘He’s been abused by his wife for the past ten years and he’s finally had enough,’ I said. ‘Whenever he dares to fall asleep before her, she’ll pour freezing cold water over him or run razors across the soles of his feet. They leave just the tiniest of nicks that can barely be seen by the naked eye, but you try walking on a hundred paper cuts.’

Leon had looked at me with confusion etched across his brow. ‘And you want him to live in our flat?’

I’d nodded.

He’d shaken his head. ‘She sounds like a complete nutter.’

‘She is,’ I’d said, thinking he was finally beginning to understand the need to get Jacob somewhere safe.

‘I don’t think that’s something you should involve yourself in,’ he said. ‘God knows what she’s capable of.’

My heart had sunk. ‘But she won’t know where he is.’

‘Yeah, but still – it’s probably best we stay out of it.’

‘He doesn’t have anywhere else to go,’ I said.

‘Why is that suddenly your problem?’

‘I just want to be able to help, that’s all, and the flat’s sitting there empty . . .’