We wait for a few minutes, but there’s no sign of torchlight, or shadows moving. I’m disappointed, worried he’ll think I’m making the whole thing up for a bit of attention.

He moves away from the window. ‘I’m going over there,’ he says, the determined look I recognize on his face.

‘Wait! What?’

He holds up a hand and I see the teacher in him. ‘You stay here and watch. I’ll take a torch. If I need your help I’ll flash it three times.’

‘No! You could get hurt.’ This isn’t what I expected from Rory. ‘Don’t try to play the hero.’

His jaw sets hard. ‘I’m not. But you’re afraid and you have been for weeks. If it’s a squatter, they won’t hurt me.’

Before I can say anything else he’s off down the hallway, poking his head into the shoe cupboard for our torch. I race into the kitchen and take a knife from the knife block. ‘Here,’ I say, catching up with him by the door. He opens his mouth to tell me no but I insist. ‘Take it. Just put it into your pocket. Please. If anything happened to you because of me and this story …’

‘I’ll be fine,’ he says. ‘But keep watch, okay? And if I flash the torch three times, call the police because it means I’m in danger.’

My mouth is dry. I can’t believe he’s going to do this. ‘Should we just call the police anyway?’

He shakes his mop of dark hair. ‘No. Not yet. We don’t want to waste their time. It could be a homeless person or they might have moved on. Nothing to worry about. I’ll go over and see.’

I hug him to me, not wanting to let him go. He’s tall, over six foot, but he’s slim built. He cycles a lot but he’s never been to the gym. Would he be able to protect himself in a fight?

He pulls away. ‘Hey. I grew up with two older brothers. I’ll be fine,’ he says, as if reading my mind. ‘Now, keep watch.’

He slips out of the door and I run back to the bedroom. I watch as he crosses the street. He’s wearing his big padded coat and I can see he’s got his hand in his pocket where the knife is. When he gets to the door he stops and fiddles with something for what seems an age. Then, eventually, the door swings open. He turns to me and gives me the thumbs-up. And then he disappears into the building.

Chapter 44

44

Margot