They lapsed into silence again. Percy hoped Les might sleep, but his eyes didn’t fall shut. He just stared blank-eyed into space. The only way Percy knew he was still in there was the way his grip on Percy’s hand tightened when Percy shifted.
Eventually there was a knock on the door.
“That’s them,” Percy said. “I need to go and let them in.”
Les slowly relaxed his fingers and Percy took back his hand and stood up. Les turned his head the other way so that he was facing the wall again.
“I won’t be a moment,” Percy said, helplessly.
Les didn’t reply.
* * * *
Adrian was all practicality as he stepped back and ushered his friend into the flat. She was tall, as tall as Adrian and a bit shorter than Percy, a thin woman with glasses and a trouser suit, dark hair cut in a sharp bob tied up
