Jeremy stared at the boy for a moment before looking around and biting his lip.

‘Is that what this has been all about?’ he asked, utter disappointment in his tone. ‘Extortion?’

‘I really don’t like that word,’ said Achilles, frowning. ‘And I’m sure you’re a nice guy, other than the obvious paedophiliac tendencies, but let’s face it, why would I be interested in you? You’re old enough to be my dad. And I barely give him the time of day.’

‘Your dad is dead.’

‘Oh yeah.’

‘Your dad is dead, isn’t he?’

Achilles shrugged. He hadn’t intended to get this deep into things. ‘Does it matter?’

‘Is anything you’ve told me the truth? Is your name even Nick?’

Achilles thought about it. ‘The tortoise story was true,’ he said. ‘Most of it. And my advice about the After Eights. They’re what killed the little bastard. Keep them away from your cockatoo or whatever it was.’

‘Cockapoo.’

‘I don’t know much about birds, but I do like a cockatoo, am I right?’ said Achilles, laughing, and Jeremy’s face turned into an angry sneer.

‘You little shit,’ he said.

‘We can sit here trading insults if you want,’ said Achilles. ‘Or we can just get on with our business. I get my five thousand pounds and you get my silence. After you pay me off, you won’t ever hear from me again. I don’t go back to the same well twice. What do you say?’

Jeremy looked down at the table and tapped his fingers against the woodwork. ‘It doesn’t feel as if you’re leaving me much choice,’ he said.

‘Probably not, no.’

‘It’s a lot of money.’

‘It could be a lot more.’

‘How soon would you want it?’

Achilles thought about it. ‘Tomorrow,’ he said. ‘Six o’clock.’

‘All right,’ said Jeremy, sounding defeated. ‘And then you won’t contact me again?’

Achilles made the shape of a cross over his heart. ‘Scout’s honour,’ he said.

Jeremy shook his head. ‘Were you ever a Scout?’ he asked.

‘Oh, Jeremy,’ said Achilles, laughing a little. ‘That hurts me. It really does. I’m wounded.’

A DEATH IN THE FAMILY

It was almost 10 p.m. when Beverley returned home, exhausted from her day. The house was in darkness and she went straight into the living room, kicked off her shoes and poured herself a large whisky. On the table in front of her, a copy of that day’s Evening Standard was lying folded in half and she picked it up, only to be confronted by her husband’s face.

TV CLEVERLEY IN FRESH SCANDAL!

screamed the headline, and she closed her eyes, wondering whether she would ever be given some respite from her family’s dramas. She felt something damp licking at her toes and looked down to see Ustym Karmaliuk standing on the carpet next to her feet, and smiled. Reaching down, she picked him up and placed him on her lap, stroking his shell tenderly.