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Clairmont, Norma Craig and their glitzy mates out on the terrace dancing, drinking my nan’s cocktails, and diving into the pool. But all the time I kept thinking about the murder and seeing one-eyed skulls forming in the shadows. I went back to the cellar, lit a couple more candles and started laying out the food I’d brought. As I shoved Yuri’s old coat to one side I felt something hard and heavy bump the side of the workbench. Glancing round, I dipped my hand in the pocket and pulled out the old Oxo tin I’d seen the first time I came. Holding my breath, I rubbed the dried mud off the hinges and pried back the lid.
    Blimey, Yuri. Where’d you get this lot?
    It was full of jewels. Poking my fingers through the glittering stash, I separated a diamond-studded tie-clip with matching cufflinks, and a necklace, earrings and bracelet all made of big green stones. If they were real emeralds they had to be worth a mint.
    The thump of Yuri’s feet in the hall jerked my jaw shut and my brain back into gear, but I only just got the tin back in his coat before he limped in, buttoning up one of his new shirts. I stopped feeling like Santa and started feeling more like Baron Frankenstein watching his monster rise from the slab. Scrubbed up, Yuri looked almost human and he smelled of Doreen’s lavender soap. He sat on the mattress, letting Oz climb up next to him, while I put a new bandage on his leg. The wound was still disgusting, and the red had taken on a nasty greenish tinge.
    â€˜How did you do this?’ I asked.
    â€˜They take me to forest to kill me. I fight with driver and car turn over. Everyone is hurt and I get away.’
    â€˜Who’s they ?’
    He spat on the floor. ‘Bad people.’
    I could see he was getting angry so I changed the subject quick.
    â€˜Any luck with your phone call?’ I said.
    â€˜I leave many messages. I tell him they try to kill me. He no call back.’
    He’d switched from angry to upset. To cheer him up I handed him the mini cheesecake I’d nicked from one of Doreen’s fridges. He shoved the whole thing in hismouth, chewed for a bit then frowned at me.
    â€˜Why you live with your aunt?’
    I was amazed he’d remembered. ‘My mum . . . she . . . died in a car crash.’
    â€˜When?’
    â€˜Couple of . . . weeks ago.’
    I could feel my eyes welling up. I snatched up his smelly blanket, turned away and started shaking out the dog hairs so he wouldn’t see me cry. The tears kept coming and I kept flapping that blanket like a crazy bullfighter.
    Yuri’s strong, bony hands caught my shoulders and swung me round to face him.
    â€˜When you think of her, it hurt bad. Yes?’
    Shut up! Shut up! I don’t wanna talk about it!
    â€˜This hurt is good,’ he said.
    Angry now, I pulled away, wiping my eyes. ‘How d’you make that out?’
    He thumped his chest with his fist. ‘It keep her alive in your heart.’
    I stared at him for the longest time, totally thrown by what he’d said. But I tell you one thing, it made a change from the usual garbage people come out with when you tell them your mum’s just died.
    It wasn’t the crash dream that woke me next morning. It was George, coming in to say goodbye before he left for Germany. He’d been really decent about that money and I was sorry he was going.
    â€˜I want you to do your best to keep your aunt happy while I’m gone,’ he said.
    â€˜I’ll try.’ I picked at the duvet cover. ‘Did you think of any jobs for me to do? I really want to pay you back for . . . you know, what I took.’
    â€˜Don’t worry about it, Joe. But if you really want to help me out there is one thing you could do. Do you like cars?’
    â€˜Kind of.’
    I didn’t tell him that round Farm Street, ‘liking’ cars meant nicking old bangers, taking them