“Where are we exactly?” I follow closely, a sense that this neighbourhood isn’t the safest area to be in, and I almost walk right into the back of him at the top of the steps as he fishes in his bag for keys.

“My first home. Where it all began.” He replies, getting the creaky outer door open and heads in, gesturing me to follow with a nod into the dark interior. He holds the door open with his elbow so I can duck inside the gloomy hallway of an apartment building.

I ...