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The ever-present scaffolding on its front gave the impression it was about to fall down at any moment. I made my way up the stairs to the cafe. It was quiet at this time of night. Sarah was sitting in the corner, nursing a cup of tea. I made my way over to her and asked how Don was doing.
    ‘They’ve moved him to a ward, so he’s settled for the night.’
    ‘What happened?’
    ‘I don’t really know. It seems his neighbour heard a lot noise, arguing, and knocked on his door. Whoever was in there ran straight out and fled. She called an ambulance and then me. That’s all I’ve been able to find out. I can’t speak to him until the morning.’
    There was nothing more we could do for now. ‘Where’s Lauren?’ I asked.
    ‘I got a friend to look after her. She’s happy to wait until I get home.’
    ‘Good.’
    I told her that Connor had taken the cigarettes.
    ‘Does Niall know?’
    ‘He can’t know. It’d destroy him.’
    ‘It’s not healthy to keep secrets.’
    ‘I haven’t got a choice.’
    She nodded her head in agreement, complicit in my decision. ‘If you think it’s for the best.’
    I said it was.
    Sarah took a notebook out of her coat pocket. ‘I’ve been working, too.’ She passed me her notes. ‘Here’s some more on the Palmer family. I decided to have a dig around.’
    I skimmed through the notes. Sarah told me about Alan Palmer. ‘He also worked with George Sutherland, back in the day.’
    ‘Keeping it in the family.’
    ‘When he wasn’t in prison, obviously. Alan’s got a history.’
    ‘What about Carl?’
    ‘He’s not been to prison yet, but that’s more through luck than judgement.’
    Witnesses changing their minds about what they’d seen. It was a familiar story. I passed her the notebook back. ‘He’s dangerous, then.’
    ‘In a nutshell.’
    We sat in silence for a few moments before I told her there was nothing more we could do here for the time being. ‘You should try and get some sleep. Keep things normal for Lauren.’ Working for clients was one thing, but it’s a different thing altogether when it happens on your own doorstep. At least Don wasn’t in any immediate danger. I told her I’d walk her home. She was still shaken. ‘I’ll sleep on your settee tonight.
     
     

CHAPTER FOUR
     
    I left Sarah’s house early. My night’s sleep on her settee had been uncomfortable and disjointed, not least because I was thinking about what had happened to Don. Sarah had woken me with a cup of coffee and toast. She didn’t want Lauren to see me lying there. I understood what she was saying. Lauren was preparing to move up to senior school, so it was an important time for her. I’d quickly got myself dressed and on the move. As I walked back towards my flat to collect my car, I knew I had to help Don. I’d told Sarah that much. It was the least I could do. He’d gone the extra mile for me in the past. It was time for me to repay the favour.
     
    I couldn’t lose sight of my other problems, though. My call to Connor went straight to voicemail. I told him to call me back immediately. By the time I’d reached my flat, he’d returned my call. Connor hadn’t wanted to give me Milo’s work address, but he knew he had no choice in the matter. He sounded resigned to giving me the details. I could find it out. All he would be doing was saving me time. And, as I pointed out to him, time was what we didn’t have a lot of.
    Milo worked for his father’s business, a public relations agency based on Priory Park. I negotiated my way through the maze of car dealerships which dominated the area and found the new-build offices at the back of the development. The reception area was light and airy, no doubt designed to put you at ease when you walked in. The walls were decorated with boards and posters promoting the developing green technology sector around the Humber. I could see similar boards promoting the new City Planand City of Culturebid. Above the reception desk was the