‘I never asked you to go out,’ muttered Lilith, ‘and folk won’t pay full price when they know the stuff’s been nicked.’

‘It has not been nicked,’ seethed Callum. ‘I don’t break into anyone’s house, I find the stuff fair and square when I’m checkin’ to make sure no one’s trapped beneath the rubble …’ He closed his eyes as the memory of one of the houses he had been looting entered his mind. He had thought he was alone, when he had heard a noise coming from another room. At first he had suspected another looter, so he had gone to warn them off his patch. He had cautiously entered the next room, a brick raised above his head ready to clout whoever it was should they try to put up a fight, but to his surprise the room appeared empty. Suspecting it to be a cat or some other animal, he let the brick fall from his fingers and was about to leave the room when he heard movement from under some rubble.

‘Hello?’ he said, his voice full of anticipation.

Again, he heard movement. Bending down, he squinted into the darkness and nearly screamed when he saw an eye looking back at him from under the rubble. The lid blinked slowly. Leaning forward, he peered at the person who lay trapped beneath the debris. A tear had escaped and was carving a clean path down their cheek as they gazed back at him. They were alive, they needed help. He paused. They had seen his face quite clearly. Standing up, he ran his fingers through his hair as he weighed up the options. He could rescue the person from beneath the rubble and be hailed a hero, because no one could prove he was there for any other reason than to look for victims trapped in their homes. But people knew the Haggartys of old, they wouldn’t believe him for a moment, they would accuse him of looting, and that might raise a few questions. Some people – the scuffers in particular – might start poking their noses into his affairs; they might find out a few truths which Callum would rather keep secret. On the other hand, the person beneath the rubble had seen him, but had they recognised him? It was likely – he had delivered coal around this area for years, most people knew him by sight. Swallowing hard, he came to a decision. Taking a brick, he placed it over the gap where the person still stared out at him. He heard a soft whimper of objection, so he took another brick then another and placed them over the hole until he heard no more.