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of car parts I was slower than the man and the dogs so I didn’t get too close. But I heard the Kawasaki start up – varoom – and I saw its tail-light disappear round the corner.
    The dogs were excited. They crowded me against the fence, jumping up and snatching at my jacket. I shouted them down. But when they were calmer I made a fuss of them. They had done their job.
    We went back to the place where the bother had begun. The fence was in perfect nick, but the man had dropped a set of wire-cutters on the pavement outside. I brought them in. I was pleased with myself. Chalk up one more success to Armour Protection.
    There was music coming from the Static. I had forgotten about Goldie, but I picked up the shopping and went in.
    â€˜Haven’t you got anything but Metalica and Bonnie Raitt?’ she said. ‘What was all the noise about?’
    She was playing Real Man and she’d nicked one of my black Guns N’ Roses sweatshirts. It came nearly down to her knees and looked nice.
    â€˜Intruder,’ I said and started to unpack the shopping on the counter. ‘We saw him off.’
    I found myself wanting to tell her about it but she took the soap and shampoo and shimmied away to the bathroom.
    When she was all clean and shiny she came back and made asparagus soup, and it was really nice sitting there by torchlight, just the two of us. I fixed a new gas cylinder to the fire so that she could dry her hair. She did not seem inclined to talk, so I had to prod her.
    â€˜It’s a long story,’ she said.
    â€˜I don’t mind,’ I said, and it’s true. I like stories.
    â€˜I left home about this time last year,’ she told me. ‘I was having trouble with my father. Well, you know what fathers are like.’
    Actually, I don’t. If there’s one thing I know nothing about, it’s fathers, but I didn’t say anything.
    â€˜I was sharing a flat with a couple of other girls. I wanted to be amodel, and I did get some work, you know, catalogues and things but it was never enough. So I did waitressing and reception, all that stuff where they just need a face. But I was always behind with the rent. The other girls were the same. It’s awful. By the time you’ve bought the clothes and make-up you need, there’s never enough for the electricity bill. In the end they cut off the phone and the power and the landlord got really nasty. So we did a flit.’
    She sighed. ‘The other two gave up and went home,’ she said. ‘But I was too proud or something.’ She sighed again. ‘Too stupid I suppose. While I was in that reception job, I met a guy who worked for a record company. So I moved in with him. And he got me a couple of gigs on pop promos. But I couldn’t really sing or dance. Just a face again. So I thought I’d better get some lessons.
    â€˜It was okay for a couple of months. But the guy I was living with, he was in the music business, and there were lots of parties. And there were the lessons. I was supposed to be sharing the rent, and I did give him something, I really did. But he chucked me out.’
    She looked ever so sad. I said, ‘Did you love him?’
    â€˜It’s not that. It’s just funny. You live with a guy, and you sleep with him and all that, and then he chucks you out because you’re behind with the rent.’
    I didn’t know what to say. She seemed such a baby. But it was weird too, listening to her story. I mean, I never would have thought girls like her had to pay the rent. Someone always looked after them. Right? And why not? Beauty is something you pay for, isn’t it?
    â€˜How old are you?’ I asked.
    â€˜Twenty.’
    â€˜What happened then?’ I asked. ‘How did you get mixed up with the Lord of the Trousers, whatsisname, Calvin?’
    â€˜Who?’
    â€˜Calvin?’
    â€˜He’s really going to be somebody,’ she said proudly. ‘You