Page 74 of Endgame

‘Was Louisa in Milan when you broke up with her?’

‘Yeah. I’d had enough and I needed to do it there and then.’

‘Fine. How did she take it?’

‘She said she understood and that I could keep the Tesla and stay as long as I needed to until I found somewhere else to live.’

‘Lou is as sensitive as a toilet seat. Tim?’ I get the nod and Tim drains his half pint.

‘Van’s outside,’ he says, slamming down the glass. There is still some beer left in it.

‘What?’ Jack asks.

‘We’re going to Lou’s and we’re getting all your shit. You’re moving in with me tonight.’

‘Thanks, mate,’ Tim says, standing, his keys already in hand. ‘I’ve been on him for the last week. He wouldn’t be told, and Em is not helping – she thinks Lou will be reasonable.’

I don’t give Jack the opportunity to argue, I just follow Tim out of the pub. Jack eventually catches up. We get into the two front passenger seats of Tim’s van and head to Knightsbridge. When we finally manage to get through the London traffic and arrive at Lou’s building, our suspicions are confirmed before we set foot in the property. We are asked by the guard from the car park to go through the front.

‘Good evening, Patrick,’ Jack calls to the usually friendly doorman as we follow him in.

‘I’m sorry, sir, but we have been told by Miss Gabrielli not to allow anyone into the apartment aside from you.’

‘Patrick, I’m just getting some things.’

‘We’ve also been instructed not to allow you to remove anything from the apartment, sir.’

‘Come on, Patrick. I’m just getting some of my clothes.’

‘I’m sorry, sir. You’re welcome to go up, but you may not remove anything and your guests must stay here.’

‘Guys, what the fuck?’ Jack turns to us, distressed. ‘She’s not back for weeks!’

Something in Jack’s voice has made Patrick’s hard mask slip. He knows. Of course he knows. Doormen know everything.

‘You know,’ I confront him as I walk up to him. ‘You know what’s going on.’

‘It is not my job to interfere. Sadly, I can only adhere to Miss Gabrielli’s instructions, as the owner of the apartment. As I must adhere to the instructions ofanyother resident.’ Patrick’s inflection on the word any is all we need. I turn to Jack.

‘Jack. Your neighbours. Please tell me you get along with at least one other person in this building that can invite us in.’

‘I play squash with Ahmed sometimes.’

‘Call him now. You’re going to have to tell him what’s going on. Can you do that?’

Jack unlocks his phone and dials. Within ten minutes, and after making us promise Jack will take just his clothes, shoes and laptop, Ahmed is downstairs vouching for us to get into the building. The second issue is posed by Louisa’s front door camera. To avoid it, we camp at Ahmed’s as Jack fits all he can into three suitcases and brings it to his neighbour’s apartment. That way, he is technically not leaving the building with all his belongings.

‘Jack, have you got everything you need? You can’t come back,’ Tim reminds him, putting a comforting hand on Jack’s shoulder.

He nods silently.

Jack exits the building through the front with his daily personal effects. Ahmed, Tim and I take the lift directly to the car park with the rest of his stuff. When we’ve loaded the cases into the back, Ahmed instructs the security guard to allow Tim’s van to exit. As soon as Jack join us, Ahmed invites us to visit him in Dubai, before going back into the building.

Suddenly, we see the lights of the Tesla come on.

‘Jack! What are you doing?’

‘She said I could keep the Tesla.’

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