Once inside, Emily was very complimentary about my shitty flat, which was kind of her. Most visitors took great joy in telling me what a dump it was. I made a fuss of finding my sleeping bag and swapping it for the duvet on the bed.

‘You can have the bed. It’s probably best if I use the duvet – it might be a bit muggy.’

She yawned apologetically and then gave me a wholehearted hug. Her hair smelt of marzipan and freshly dug soil, pleasant enough but definitely due a wash.

‘Do you mind if I go straight to bed?’ she asked. ‘I think there’s a chance I might get my first decent night’s sleep for three days.’

‘Fill your boots,’ I replied as she slowly yawned her way into the bedroom.

I didn’t sleep well that night. I kept thinking that Tommy might arrive at the door any minute. It was also very distracting having the girl of your dreams under the same roof but beyond your reach. The sounds outside were different from the back part of the flat – more traffic noise, more human activity and an owl occasionally hooting somewhere in the distance. Worst of all, Emily had left the light on in the bathroom, meaning the electrical air vent was whining away like a faulty strimmer. I didn’t have the heart or the courage to knock on her door.

At around 2am I made myself a hot Bovril for the avoidance of caffeine and to receive its meaty punch. As I sipped on it the thought occurred to me that I should delete the references to Emily contained in the dongle. Only Brendan knew what was in the document and he was dead. My reading of things was that Emily must have been an innocent participant in the shenanigans, unaware of the greater scheme at play.

I crept outside in my dressing gown to retrieve the dongle from its muddy tomb, and as I emerged from the stairwell and took a few steps across the paving, I noticed a lone figure leaning on a tree by the low fence, staring intently into the play area. They were holding a lighted candle in one hand while shielding the flame with the other. It wasn’t particularly dark – the street and estate lights provided a dusky glow across the area – but because of the shadow of the tree it was hard to make out the cut and identity of the midnight creeper.