They clinked glasses, and Charlie drained his, then quickly refilled it.

‘I drink to forget,’ he announced gleefully.

‘Forget what?’

‘Something or other. Who cares? Why do you drink?’

‘I’m trying to nerve myself to confront a dragon. Otherwise she might eat me.’

‘Ah, a female dragon. They’re the worst. But you’ll slay her.’

‘I don’t think this lady is easily intimidated.’

‘You just tell her you’re not standing for any nonsense,’ Charlie advised. ‘That’s the way to deal with women.’

So now he had two pieces of advice for dealing with the situation-use his non-existent charm, or try to impose what this naïve boy fondly imagined to be ‘masculine authority’.

They passed on to the next bar, and then the next, until it began to feel like time to go home.

Suddenly they heard a shout from the next street, then the sound of a child crying and an animal squealing and suddenly a crowd of young men came stumbling out of the shadows. The one in front was carrying a puppy that was squirming to escape. With them was a boy of about twelve, who continually tried to rescue his pet, but was thwarted as the lout tossed the puppy to one of the others.

‘Bastardi!’ Charlie exclaimed violently.

‘I couldn’t agree more,’ Luke said.

They moved forward together.

The sight of them made the louts pause just long enough for Charlie to seize the puppy. Two of them tried to snatch it back, but Luke occupied them long enough for Charlie to give the animal to the child, who grabbed it and vanished, leaving him free to concentrate on the fight.

Two against four might seem an unequal conquest, but Charlie was furious and Luke was powerful and they managed to stop them chasing the fleeing child until there were further sounds from the narrow alleys, shouts, sirens, and all six were surrounded and carted off to the nearest police station.

The knock on the door could only be Mamma Netta Pepino. Nobody else knocked in exactly that pattern and Minnie was smiling as she went to answer it.