‘I don’t have any… I’ve not… wait a moment.’

Abs took out his phone and called a number, listened tensely while it rang and rang. Eventually, his agent came on the line. ‘Vince, it’s Abs.’

‘I knew it was you,’ said the driver in disgust.

‘Vince, I need you to pay my cab fare.’

‘Abs?’ said Vince. ‘What are you—’

‘Give him your bank details. Please, Vince, it’s an emergency.’ He handed the phone to the driver through the partition. ‘My agent is going to pay.’

The driver took the phone but when Abs tried to open the door it was still locked. ‘Let me out.’

‘Wait.’ The driver turned in his seat. ‘Go on, say it, just for me.’

Abs wasn’t in the mood, but he knew it was always easier to give the public what they wanted, so he gave a double thumbs up and grinned. ‘Abs, mate!’

The door unlocked and he trotted down the dark drive.

‘Abs,’ called the driver. ‘Don’t you need your phone back?’

The cab was soon out of sight. Abs could barely see his feet, and was only able to negotiate his way by the faint glow of the moon above the treetops. A car sped past on the road behind him, its headlights sweeping through the trees, sending a brief arc of light racing down the curve of the drive.

And then the hulking mass of Jez’s in-laws’ house appeared against the backdrop of silvery-blue clouds drifting across the black sky. Jez’s car was parked on the gravel drive. The back seat was empty, the tarpaulin containing whatever Jez had brought with him, gone. Despite the chill of the night, Abs felt hot and flustered; he pulled off his jacket and threw it to the ground. The burglar alarm light winked above the front door of the house, and when Abs cupped his hands against the windows, he couldn’t see a single light on inside. Bethany had gone away with her parents for the weekend, he remembered.

He thumped on the door – ‘Jez, you in there?’ – but got no answer.

Abs couldn’t believe he was completely alone in the middle of nowhere. Friday night used to mean a swanky party, or the opening of a new bar or restaurant, late night drinks in a VIP lounge, catsuits and sequins everywhere he looked; Friday nights meant being the centre of attention. Now here he was, stranded out of town – he got the feeling the cab wouldn’t wait for him – and not a soul knew where he was, or even cared. He slipped around the side of the house and ran across the lawn behind the converted stables.