‘‘What? You can’t be serious. This is where I live, where I work.’’ Icy cold panic grips my throat as I realise he does mean to send me off.

‘‘Not anymore.’’ He stops pacing and comes to rest with those empty eyes on mine, no hint of humour. Just the palest grey, rimmed with a black outer edge that never fails to penetrate my mind. He’s deadly serious.

Tears bite my eyes despite trying to remain composed, and pain lurches through my chest like a heavy ...