In her imagination, John Paul was better at everything. It took him ages to find the pen drive, and he squealed and jumped about throughout the process. ‘Why do I have to do this bit? This wasn’t part of the deal. That’s. Oh my God. That is not a dog shit. The animal that did this eats dogs as bar snacks. There are very large beasts in this park, Mary, very large.’

John Paul finally managed to find and clean the pen drive but would not let up about its contents.

‘What’s on it? Tell me, tell me. What’s on it. What’s on the pen drive?’ He’d almost broken into song.

‘None of your business. And if you look, I’ll murder you.’

‘You will not.’

‘With my Bosch 18v.’

‘Your Bosch 18v?’

‘Mm-hm.’

‘What’s Derek McLaverty done to you, exactly, to warrant this high level of top-secret intervention?’

Mary wished she was on coke too. She was on the brink of asking him if he had any to spare; or a joint. She’d kill for a spliff. Would she ever feel free to get Johnny round again; to smoke out the window each night and feel good? ‘Is this a deal or not?’

‘It’s a deal, and I thank you for the opportunity of it. I can repay my debts and be a free man. I can start afresh, I can move to Johnstone.’ John Paul extended his hand, which had shit on it.

‘Let’s not shake on it just now, eh? This is the address.’ She handed him a slip of paper. ‘Memorise and destroy it.’

‘Ha ha; memorise and destroy it.’ He leaned in and whispered, ‘The red fox trots quietly at midnight.’

It took John Paul a moment to realise Mary had slapped his face.

‘Fuck’s sake.’

‘Save the files on this pen drive onto the silver MacBook on the dining table in the living room. It’s the flat with the small pot plant out front. 2/2, second floor and on the right. Leave the snub on the door unlocked so it looks shut but is open, and then return the pen drive to me. And whatever you do, do not look at the files. It’s financial stuff, top secret. You wouldn’t understand it anyway.’

‘I was good at economics.’

‘You did economics?’

‘No, but I was good at it. At Lowfield they called me The Bank of Saint John.’

‘The Bank of Saint John, if you don’t focus, I will shoot you.’

‘With your Bosch 18c?’

‘18v.’

‘Sounds like a power tool to me.’

‘Drill.’

He decided not to push it. ‘So, it’s the flat on your left if you’re facing up the way, or down the way?’

‘Facing up the way, it’s the one on your right.’