He thanked me for the biotics and waddled away back to his work. As I watched him I noticed the bald bloke and another man exit the stairwell and drive away in the red BMW. I no longer had my excuse to avoid calling on Satsuma.

I climbed the stairwell and knocked on her door. It was easy to identify it as her flat because one of the wheels from her Where’s Wally? bike was propped up against the wall next to the door. It was adorned with garish plastic flowers in the spokes.

As soon as she opened the door and saw me, she pushed by me and stared over the walkway wall. I presumed this was to check that baldy had left the estate.

‘You again. What are you doing here?’ she asked with a slight smile on her face that suggested she wasn’t completely against the idea of my visit.

‘I just wanted to see you, check that you were alright, see if you were managing okay without the bike, but mainly just see you. Oh, and to finally give you your book back. Yes, so, how are you?’ She took the book off me.

‘I’m fine, thanks. I suppose you’re really here to ask about me giving you an alibi, aren’t you?’

‘No, not at all, I promise. That has all gone away.’

We stood in silence for a moment. I couldn’t maintain eye contact, though I could sense her staring straight down the barrel of my boring face.

‘I like your plastic flowers,’ I offered in order to break the silence. ‘They have a lovely sheen to them that you only get with plastic. Low maintenance, too, like a non-stick pan. Did you pick them yourself?’

Again, a little hint of a smile, but her body language indicated that my time was probably up. She turned around and made her way back to the front door. ‘I’ll be seeing you, then. Take care,’ she said as she turned to close the door on me.

‘Wait,’ I said. ‘I wrote my address and telephone number inside the book. Please call me if you ever need a friendly chat or fancy a light-hearted drink down the pub.’

‘I might just do that… Cheerio.’

‘Hey, you might even enjoy it.’

‘I know,’ she replied, with just a moment’s hesitation.

And she shut the door.

Back in my car I was as high as a kite just from being in her presence and hearing her speak again. I reckoned I had done good. I hadn’t said anything obviously offensive. I might’ve smelt of dog biscuits, but who’s to say that’s not her thing?

A squirrel jumped on my bonnet and stared at me inquisitively.