“I can’t…” Mal’s voice cracked, and Lee’s perspective on the conversation swung wildly as she realized how upset Mal was. She’d been bottling up just like she used to, with everyone except Lee. “Straight ahead, through the car park. Inside.”

“Mal…” But immediate concerns steamrollered her personal ones. “This is a Post Office.”

“In, Lee, in! Run!”

And she did. Khan had been looking over her shoulder, eyes wide, and she almost went over as Lee yanked her arm. Then the two of them dashed towards the Mount Pleasant Mail Centre, pelting down the ranks of parked vehicles. Briefly Lee saw someone waiting there: a big, hairy man in a filthy coat, a broad face, half child, half murderer. He didn’t react as they ran past him, but seemed to be bracing himself for action.

“No, not the main building. Fire exit, left, left!” Mal yelled at her from the phone.

An unassuming door was flung open ahead of her. A handful of people were spilling from it, and she registered the keening of a fire alarm. Their invasion of the building played out like clockwork: a gaggle of tourists scattered into the sunlight, blinking, followed by a smartly dressed pair with name tags who must be staff. Lee and the doctor slipped inside behind them.

They pelted down a stairway into the almost solid shriek of the alarm, with Mal exhorting them to keep going.

“Can we stop running about like headless chickens, love? I’m fucking bushed,” Khan said in her other ear. “No, wait, fuck, someone’s after us!”

“Run!” Lee said, but “No, wait!” came from Mal.

And then there was an agonizing pause as the alarm scraped at their ears. And at any moment a gunman might burst in, and maybe this time they’d have given up on keeping anyone alive.

“Help is coming,” said Mal.

Someone bounded down the stairs towards them: not a lean thug like Gym Bro Cop but the man from outside, who’d been with Mal in Camden.

“Bloody hell.” Khan stepped back, staring.

“It’s cool, it’s cool.” Lee had the phone pressed to her ear because the alarm was eating up all available sound—and the static on the line was reaching some kind of high-tide mark. She just made out Mal saying, “He’s my friend.”

“Really your friend?” Lee was backing off, too. The man had stopped three steps up and had his hands out, a big smile on his big face showing massive teeth. He reminded her of someone trying to get close to a skittish animal, maybe to help—maybe to finish it off.

“Lee, this is Stig—say hello to Stig,” came Mal’s failing voice.

“Stig?” she demanded.

“Well, it’s kind of something like Urstegranokut,” Mal said over the alarm’s monotonous howl. “But I…” She was gone, the noise overwhelming the signal.

“Hello, Stig,” Lee said.