Milton shook his head again and sipped at his tea, deep in thought. He really believed his lies; after the first five minutes he was there, in among the action and reliving it, so to speak. He was the joke of the building trade. One of his most spectacular stories was how he had been out in the Falklands as a mercenary. An Irish mercenary, of course. The men accepted him and played along with him and he lightened many a dull dinner-hour or tea-break. One thing in Milton’s favour, he was a demon of a worker, knew all there was to know about building and could have been a foreman if he hadn’t such a reputation as a joker. Like most liars, Milton never gave himself credit for what he did achieve, only what he wished he could achieve.

Paddy’s mobile phone rang and he took it out of his shirt pocket nonchalantly. His initial embarrassment at using it in front of the men was long gone.

‘Hello, Paddy Donovon here.’

He listened for a while and the men all stared at him as he swore under his breath.

‘Jesus fucking cross of Christ! Are you sure?’

He listened once more and then, shutting the phone off, got up quickly.

‘Everything all right, Paddy?’ Milton voiced everyone’s thoughts.

‘Yeah, fine, fine. Listen, can you lot get on with the work without me for a while? I have to go somewhere.’

The men all nodded.

‘What’s up, Paddy? You look in a right two and eight.’ Del Boy’s voice was concerned.

Paddy waved a hand at them. ‘I have to go see Mrs Brunos. Listen, if she comes back here, make her wait for me. And if she arrives while I’m gone, ring me on me mobile. It’s important, very important I speak to her, all right? Del Boy, get in the main office and sit by the phone. If she rings in, tell her to sit tight until I get to her . . . On second thoughts, tell her to come here. Make her come here. Then ring me. Make sure you ring only me or Stephen.’

‘All right, Paddy, keep your hair on.’

Paddy practically ran from the Portakabin across the site to his car.

‘What was all that about then?’ Tommy Gibbons’s voice was amazed.

Milton nodded his head sagely. ‘I know, but I can’t say.’

Del Boy, worried by Paddy’s obvious confusion, said nastily: ‘Why don’t you go and lie on another site, Milton? Ain’t we had enough porkies from you for one day?’

Milton sipped his tea in silence, looking for all the world like a man with a secret. To his chagrin, no one asked him what it was.