‘Oh, I’m sorry, my son, it’s just that I’m a bit lost and can’t find the church. I’m the stand-in priest and supposed to be taking the service in fifteen minutes.’

Archie noticed he was wearing a dog collar, and carrying a Bible and rosary beads in one hand and a map in the other.

‘What’s the church you’re looking for, Father?’

‘St Leonard’s in Shoreditch High Street.’ He showed him the map.

‘Are you in a car?’

‘No, I’m walking.’

‘You need to go up Curtain Road, then turn right into Bateman’s Row and keep going until you come to the T-junction and the church is up on the left. It’s about a five-minute walk.’

Harry could see Archie was talking to a priest and giving him directions. He got up and put the kettle on.

‘Bless you, my son, you’re a guiding angel to be sure.’

‘My pleasure, Father. I’ll let you out.’

The priest held up the Bible and started to open it. Archie thought the old man was going to read a passage and bless him. It was only when he felt the gun pressed against his stomach that he realised the Bible had concealed a gun.

‘One fuckin’ wrong move and you’re a dead man, ya understand me?’

Archie nodded. The priest made him walk to the entry door to the building and stood close to him with the gun in his back. Archie entered the key code, opened the door and the priest put a small wooden wedge in it so it didn’t close. They walked up the stairs, then, as Archie opened the control room door, the priest smashed him over the back of the head with the gun and let him fall to the ground. On seeing the gun, Harry instantly stuck his hands in the air and backed off. As Archie sat up groggily the priest got a thick roll of duct tape from his inside jacket pocket and threw it down on his lap.

‘Tape his hands, legs and eyes, then gag him.’

With the gun pointed at Harry, the priest told him to lie face down on the floor and put his hands behind his back. When Archie had finished, the priest kept the gun pointed at him while he checked that the tape was secure.

‘Open the gate,’ he told Archie.