‘Don’t be ridiculous. He doesn’t even know I know you. Please just get back in the car. This is my neighbourhood. What do you—’

‘Alexis? Alexis, is that you?’

I looked up. Fuck. Rochelle was standing on the pavement. Leopard-skin coat and wedge trainers. Shopping bags in her hands. Mouth agape.

Johnnie’s arm was still on mine. I shook it off.

‘Rochelle. Hi. How are you? I’m just back from a work event.’

She looked up at Johnnie. ‘And where exactly do you work again? Hi, Johnnie. Big fan. Alexis and I know each other from nursery. Our daughters are great friends, aren’t they, Alexis?’

Johnnie turned to me. ‘You . . . You have a kid?’ His jaw clenched. I guess friends are meant to tell each other stuff like that.

He nodded at Rochelle. ‘Nice to meet you. I have to go.’ He grabbed me by the shoulders and gave me a hard kiss on the lips. ‘Goodbye, Lex.’

Thanks, Johnnie.

He disappeared into his car.

I tried a laugh. ‘Oh, those music types. Always so affectionate.’

‘How do you know him? You’re clearly very close. Did you know him before he was famous? Do you think he’d open the school fair for us?’

‘We’ve known each other years. We, err . . .’ I pulled my phone out my pocket. ‘Oh, I’d better take this,’ I said to the blank screen. ‘See you, Rochelle.’ I put the phone to my ear as I walked off at a fast pace.

I checked my watch. I had just enough time to pick up Gigi and meet with Frederick. With any luck the fact Rochelle was laden with shopping bags meant she was leaving pick-up to her nanny. I couldn’t face a further interrogation at the school gates. I looked back over my shoulder. Rochelle was still standing there, watching Johnnie’s limousine drive away. She was clearly going to enjoy telling all of Chiswick about my questionable relationship with a world-famous rockstar.

This mission was too close to home in every sense.

It was unnerving knowing the Ghosts were out there, poised to strike. Waiting for the order. How could we protect ourselves when we didn’t know how many there were? Or even who they were?

We usually had the whole might of Platform Eight behind us. But now our unit was alone. There would be no one else coming if we needed back-up. We were out here solo. A pack gave us protection. Now we were exposed. And easy to pick off. One by one.

I walked through the park towards the nursery. Three men in T-shirts and paint-splattered jeans were on a bench, drinking cans of beer. Further up ahead two women were pushing prams. A man in a suit. A jogger. A couple of dog walkers.

Just people going about their life.

Or incoming threats.