‘Well, you reacted like a complete bastard.’

They both laughed.

Paul pulled a face. ‘I guess I had a bit of brain damage.’

‘What? Impossible! There’s nothing there to damage.’

They laughed more, still standing there at the top of the Newtons’ steps. Paul looked serious for a second. ‘I do feel different though, Jamie. And, well, there’s something I’ve decided to do. Something I need to talk to you about. I was going to call on you after I’d been to see Chris. In fact – just in case you feel second-best and get all sensitive – I did call on you first but you were out.’

‘OK. Let’s go inside.’

As Jamie took his keys out of his pocket, he heard the door slam at the bottom of the steps. He jumped, then went rigid. Footfall sounded on the steps and, before he could react, Chris appeared.

‘Alright mate,’ Paul said to Chris.

Chris smiled at him, ‘Haven’t you cleared off yet?’ Then he turned to Jamie. ‘Hello Jamie.’

Jamie’s heart was beating so fast and loud it almost drowned out Chris’s voice. It was the first time Chris had spoken to him for a long time. He expected to feel hatred. He had fantasised about hurting this man, about doing him damage. But instead of hatred or anger, he felt fear, and confusion. Most of all, confusion.

‘Hi,’ he managed to croak.

‘You alright?’ He was talking to him as if nothing bad had ever passed between them. As if there had been no letters or CDs; no threats; no virus. As if they were simply neighbours who exchanged a friendly hello whenever their paths crossed.

‘I’m–’ Jamie broke off, unable to speak.

‘You don’t look too good, mate,’ Chris said, and he stretched out his hand to touch Jamie’s arm.

Jamie leapt backwards as if a bullet had torn into him. Chris and Paul both looked shocked. Jamie instantly felt ridiculous, foolish. He tried to compose himself. He stood up straight, coughed, ran a hand through his hair.

‘I’m fine,’ he said.

Chris gave him a strange look – the kind of look you might give to a patient in a mental hospital; a potentially dangerous patient who you didn’t want to upset. ‘Good. That’s good.’ He turned to Paul. ‘Anyway, I must get on. Got that business meeting to attend. Good luck and all that.’

‘Thanks.’

They shook hands, then Chris walked off and got into his car.

Paul turned back to Jamie, who was shaking as if he’d been in a car crash. ‘Wow, you really don’t like him, do you? I don’t understand what your problem is. He’s a good bloke.’

Jamie was speechless.

‘Come on,’ Paul said, ‘let’s go in.’