Jamie sensed that the man was about to cut him off. He panicked. ‘I need you to help me.’

‘This isn’t the Samaritans.’

‘No.’ Jamie spoke quickly. ‘I know who you are. You’re Charlie. I need you to help me deal with someone.’

There was a long pause at the other end. Jamie could hear the sound of machinery in the background; drills and JCBs, men talking, cars rushing by. Jamie thought he had been cut off, but then the man said, ‘Who is this? How did you get this number?’

‘A friend gave it to me.’

‘What friend?’

‘I can’t tell you.’

He heard the man suck in air through his teeth. ‘Put the phone down and I’ll call you back.’

‘But–’

The line went dead. Jamie waited. Five minutes passed – five long, long minutes of dread – before the phone rang. Jamie grabbed it, almost hitting himself in the face with it.

‘What do you mean “deal with”?’ the man asked. The background noise had gone. Jamie guessed the man had gone inside somewhere. He imagined him sitting in a car, or a portakabin in a scrap yard. His head was full of movie images: the safe world of movie violence, vicarious thrills for those who lived far from danger. Jamie felt himself to be part of that world now. It was more terrifying than he had ever suspected.

‘I want somebody hurt. Scared.’

A low chuckle. ‘That’s all?’

Jamie realised he was asking if he wanted someone killed. ‘God, no. I mean yes. I mean hurt, but not killed. Frightened off.’

‘What’s your name?’

Jamie hesitated.

‘If you don’t tell me your name you can fuck off right now.’

Jamie paused. ‘It’s James.’

There was silence at the other end. He realised that the man had put his hand over the mouthpiece and was talking to someone else. Mike’s other friend. He wondered if either of them was actually called Charlie. He doubted it. He strained to hear what they were saying, but couldn’t make out anything but the low drone of voices.

‘Give me the details.’

Jamie took a deep breath. ‘OK. It’s my neighbours. There are two of them. They’ve made my life hell and I want them scared off. I want them to know that I’m not going to put up with it any more.’

‘So we’re talking about a warning?’

‘Yes. A warning.’

He heard the man say something to his friend but, again, couldn’t make it out. ‘What the fuck makes you think we’d do something like that? Who told you?’