This was reassuring, because he’d been trapped some years ago by a salesman who seemed to think he’d found a soulmate. He’d been working at the council then, so he had spare income and slow old Monica liked wine too. The man had got it wrong, though: he’d phoned Michael and tried to sell him wines that hadn’t been bottled yet, assuring him that the discounts available if he bought three cases would mean that he was paying next to nothing for some special grape from a south-facing valley – and Michael had listened, unable to interrupt except with questions, which invited more and more information.

‘I don’t know,’ he would say. ‘Let me think about that. That sounds good—’

‘It’s a really good deal,’ said the salesman. ‘I did something similar last year.’

‘Did you?’

‘It’s a no-brainer, really. You can’t go wrong, because the wine will be bottled and you get it so much cheaper.’

‘Let me think about it.’

‘Shall I call you tomorrow?’

‘Not tomorrow—’

‘What about the weekend?’

The kitchen designer had pursued him, too, as had the supplier of solid-wood worktops, and even the carpenter who was going to fit them and didn’t seem to have many people needing his services. Everyone worked hard, trying to do business as the profit margins shrank and Michael asked for indefinite thinking time because now he had no money. His phone number had been sold on to so many people: so many new friends, all chasing business. Everyone hoped he’d need this service or that – he tried always to be polite. He could not bring himself to be abrupt, because rudeness was an assault and always left him shaken. His phone network wanted to talk to him about changing his contract, or taking advantage of deals the company was doing because it had seen an opportunity to save him money – why did the company present itself this way? It infantilised everyone, Michael most of all as he sat with the phone clamped to his ear.

‘With the friends-and-family coverage, everybody wins. It’s insurance for you and for your loved ones. I’ve just bought a policy, and I have to say I can’t believe I waited so long. It really does do what it says, you know? And if you take out a direct debit…’

But he couldn’t, for there was no money left.