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he’d heard about me when he arrived and felt threatened by the quick friendship I’d struck up with Min.
    My instinct also told me Min wouldn’t put up with his mauling her if they weren’t intimate.
    I was off balance. I had to be honest with myself: the whole thing was making me deeply uncomfortable and jealous as hell. Thoughts of Carole and Tony surfaced, and I pushed them back down.
    At some point during the evening Danny sat next to me and started chatting in a friendly way. He was a pleasant young man of eighteen or nineteen, about ten years younger than Will, whom he talked about as if he were some kind of film star.
    That irritated me, but I understood hero worship. I remembered feeling exactly the same way about Tony when I was struggling to stay focused long enough to graduate from university, while he’d already joined his family business and was enjoying early success as a young property developer.
    Will sat on the other side of Danny. Out of the corner of my eye I saw him lean in to murmur something in Danny’s ear and couldn’t help but notice the stiffening of the boy’s shoulders and the sideways glance he nearly gave me. I ignored what was going on. Will whispered more to the lad, grinned at nothing and went to dance with Min.
    Danny didn’t move away immediately, but his attitude towards me turned noticeably cooler. I decided to win him round, not only because I liked him and wanted to be liked, but also to thwart Will’s game.
    The man himself came and stood beside me while I was talking with Andrew. He waited until there was a lull in our conversation.
    “You’re a builder, then?”
    I met his eyes and paused before answering. I hated to admit it, even to myself, but his voice was melodic and pleasant. I couldn’t quite place his accent, which sounded like a mix of West Country and maybe some Irish. Possibly some Romany too.
    “And you’re a magician.” I kept my voice cool.
    “You’re going to do up the theatre for us. Out of the goodness of your heart. And we’re supposed to believe you.”
    I eyed him down to the ground and back up again, feeling the familiar brain fog creeping back. “Believe what you want, and don’t bother with your Vulcan mind-meld shit. It doesn’t work on me.”
    Andrew watched Will walk away. “He’s a firebrand, that one. Give him time.”
    I nodded but decided to call time on myself. The evening was spoiled.
    Later, lying on my camp bed, I tried to resist the disappointment that crowded in on me. Most of the insiders had been friendly, and I had no reason to think that would change.
    Will was jealous, and he didn’t trust me. He didn’t believe my motives. But mainly he was jealous of me and Min, and he was just one man. Sod him.
    I wasn’t worried about the dancers’ cool treatment of me, because they didn’t mix with anyone. But I couldn’t stop Will from getting under my skin, and I didn’t try to fool myself that my sensitivity had nothing to do with my jealousy over his relationship with Min.
    I tried not to imagine what they might be doing together at that moment.

    Hiding in a dark city alleyway, buried under a stinking pile of food scraps and domestic waste, ignoring the rats that shove around me and nuzzle against my nose and tightly closed eyes, hearing only my own heartbeat hammering in my throat and ears, I know the monster is coming to kill me. A heavy shuffle sounds close by, and the rats of the midden heap fall instantly still and silent. A terrible grip takes me by the scruff of my neck and hauls me out, and I peer into the terrifying face of my nemesis, my final thought a silent thanksgiving for my lover’s safety.

    A deep boom vibrated through the building and woke me up with a start at eight o’clock. By the time my feet hit the floor I recognised the familiar crashes, bangs and hydraulic squeals coming from the road outside. The skip was being delivered.
    I wasn’t the only person disturbed by all the noise. On my way to