They went up another flight to Brian’s front door. Brian unlocked the door and they went inside. There was a strong smell of fresh coffee, which was one of Jamie’s favourite smells in the world. As if he had seen Jamie’s nostrils twitching with pleasure, Brian said, ‘Coffee?’

‘That would be great.’

‘The computer’s in there, if you want to take a look.’

‘OK. Is Linda not in?’

‘No, she works Saturdays.’

‘In Boots.’

‘That’s right.’

Jamie went into the room Brian had pointed out. Brian and Linda’s flat was slightly bigger than Jamie’s. It had a larger second bedroom, which Brian had converted into a study. As he stepped into the room, Jamie caught his breath. ‘Bloody hell.’

It was like stepping in to a vampire’s crypt – or a gothic teenager’s bedroom. The walls were painted black, and a black blind was pulled down over the window, blocking out all light. Dyed-black fisherman’s netting was strung across the ceiling. Statuettes of gargoyles sat on dark wood cabinets. Packets of tarot cards lay among piles of books; fat candles protruded from elaborate candleholders, their bases encrusted with dried rivulets of wax. There were pictures of ghosts and witches and demons all over the walls. Jamie quickly realised these were the reproductions of the covers of Brian’s books. One showed a child being held over a cauldron by a green-faced witch. Another showed a vampire bending over a sleeping girl.

‘Boo!’ said Brian, coming into the room behind Jamie. For the second time in five minutes, Jamie jumped.

‘I was just admiring the decor,’ he said nervously waiting for his heartbeat to slow down.

Brian laughed. ‘Atmospheric, isn’t it? I have to keep it this way to make sure I’m in the right mood when I’m writing.’ He picked up a book off a pile on his desk. It was called The Creature in the Cradle. The cover showed a pair of red eyes peering out of a cot, and a clawed hand reaching out towards the reader.

‘That was one of my early books, before the latest craze for vampires started.’

‘Wow. I’d have loved this stuff when I was a kid. I was really into monsters and make-believe. I remember watching Doctor Who with a cushion over my face.’

‘At least you weren’t behind the sofa. You can have that if you like.’

‘Are you sure? Thanks. Now, let’s have a look at this problem of yours.’

He booted up the PC and sat down in front of the monitor. ‘It’s a nice system. Must have set you back a fair whack. But you’re having problems with the internet? Is it the router, I wonder?’ He mumbled to himself.

He checked the phone line then pressed a few keys. Within a few minutes he had solved the problem. The router was working fine.

‘What was wrong?’