I parked and walked towards the police line. A cop said, ‘No passage here Sir, please go round.’

‘That’s my home.’

Standing a piece further down was Noble, the flames reflecting off his face, making it glow. He was wearing the grubby raincoat, turned to greet me, ‘Mr Cooper, come through.’

As if I had a choice. He said, ‘What rotten luck eh, the decorators are hardly out the door. You’re covered I presume.’

‘With wot?’

‘Insurance man! Good heavens, you are insured?’

‘Of course, I’m a citizen.’

‘You’ll be devastated all the same, I can read it in your face.’

His smirk was blatant.

‘As long as it gives heat to the neighbours, can we really call it a total loss.’

He took my arm, whispered, ‘It’s too early to say for sure but it might be deliberate.’

I shook his hand off, said, ‘Don’t be daft.’

‘Ah Mr Cooper, I have many shortcomings, that’s not one I’m prone to.’

‘Who’d torch my house, Noble.’

‘I was hoping you’d answer that.’

‘No idea.’

‘I must say I admire your stoicism. Most people, they’d be in a highly emotional state.’

‘I must be in shock, wouldn’t you say. Drawing on your vast well of human experience, don’t you think.’

‘But the basics. Where will you stay?’

‘Don’t worry about me Noble.’

He moved right into my face, I could smell mints, ‘But I do – you’re almost family, what with the amount of time I think about you.’

‘I’m touched.’

‘And if not now, you will be. You’ll be sorry to hear our Sergeant Quinn had an accident. Come now Mr Cooper, you can’t have forgotten him. I know he thinks of you, if not fondly, at least persistently.’

‘Car accident was it?’

‘Sporting mishap actually.’

‘What?’

‘Yeah, two sports with baseball bats did a number on his legs. What you might term – a bad break.’