My thumb hit re-dial on mum's phone and no sooner had I put it to my ear, my phone lit up: it was mum, calling from her work number.

Her phone went to voicemail; I switched it off and answered mine.

"Are you at home daughter?" Asked mum, impatient.

"Yes."

"Good. I think I've left my phone at home, is it on the kitchen table?"

Guilt grabbed me as I lied, "No."

"Bugger! Can you ring it daughter, now?" She sounded flustered.

"Hold on," I said, pretending to dial.

Pausing for an appropriate time, I answered, "No mum, I can't hear your ring tone, are you sure it was on and fully charged?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"You know me daughter, it's always on and charged." She let out a sigh, before she said, "I've definitely lost it, or someone's nicked it from my bag. Can you do me a favour, I'm really busy at work, can you cancel the contract for me?"

"No!"

"What do you mean, no?"

"I mean, don't be too hasty, it might turn up," I said, trying my best to keep the truth of the matter out of my voice.

"Daughter, someone could be making international calls on it as we speak, we can't afford getting mega bills. Cancel it now. My bill's in the draw of my bedside cabinet."
"OK, will do, mum."

Her voice relaxed a little, "Good girl – oh, by the way, I'm meeting Mr Lacey tonight, for a quick drink. I won't be late."

"Ok mum, enjoy, laters!" I said, sounding as cheerful as could be.

###

I folded up mum's phone bill and stuffed it in my bag. I wouldn't, couldn't cancel the contract, as the phone had data on it that could locate Dylan. Although I felt bad for lying to mum, at least I knew that once her phone was safe with me, no one could run up a bill.

###

I had to get out of the house. On the street I phoned Joshua, he answered before it even rang, "Hello." He said, hurried.

"Dylan's alive, he called my mum's phone."

His voice lifted, "Wicked! Come to 12 Paddock Field, that's welcome news for us all, especially his dad."

"I'll be there in ten," I said, taking off.

###

Granny Grace welcomed me in, "Come on in sweetheart, it's lovely to see ya, truly it is," she said. The entrance hall, unlike the narrow dark corridor of its neighbouring property, 13, was wide and bright, with polished wooden floors and gleaming white walls. It was immediately obvious that this dwelling had, had an expensive makeover.

I wasn't sure what do do, or where to go, so I just stood there, waiting for direction.

Granny Grace looked at me, "What ya waiting for, a bus?" She said, sarcastically.

"Erm, where do I go, "Up the stairs, to your right," she said. I pulled the door open and out. It led to a steep narrow staircase with bright light flooding from the top. I ascended them with a slight nervous apprehension.

The stairs led into a large, light open plan room. The three sets of windows on each side made the light bright and my eyes took a moment to focus. "Benita," I was relieved to hear Joshua's voice, from behind me.

He rose from an expensive looking leather sofa, "Where's Clara?" I asked. "She's at my pad, safe and sound." He sat back down and patted the space next to him, "Come, sit with me," he said.

Sitting down, I observed the room. It was clear that all the walls that had made up separate rooms had been knocked, to create what looked and felt like a high-end hotel suite. "This isn't your usual council house estates style dwelling," I observed out loud.

"Affirmative. I gave it a refurbishment. Do you like it?" Asked Joshua. "What's not to like," I said.

Joshua and I sat in what was a lounge like area with couches and a six seater dinning table, while the other half of the room was a sleeping area with a huge king size double bed, with a door that led into an en-suite bathroom.

I sat up when I saw the handle of the bathroom descend and the door slowly open.

A tall man emerged, barefoot and wrapped in a white towelling bathrobe. When he smiled at me, I immediately recognised him, "Wow, you look so much like Dylan," I said.

He rubbed his face, "Really, that's disappointing, we spent a lot of money remodelling this face," he said.

"It's your eyes, they're exactly the same," I countered.

He smiled, "That's alright then." He said, holding his hand out to me.

I took it and he gave me a firm handshake, "Lovely to meet you, Benita, especially as you bring me such welcome news," he said.

Feeling a little overwhelmed, I floundered a little, "Oh yes, Dylan phoned my mother's phone. He told me to let yourself and Polly know he's still alive."

He pulled a seat from the dinning table and sat down, "That makes me so happy, especially as Joshua informed me of the human remains that have been discovered in the place where he was briefly held," he said.

Granny Grace entered from the stairwell, "Cor blimey Josh, you need to sort out a lift for this gaff, them stairs will be the death of me," she said, entering with her stick in hand.

Dylan's dad pulled out a chair and she literally fell on it, "Them remains are probably of that mad white woman, their house keeper, I reckon they wanted rid of her. They've saved me a job, she was on my to do list," she said.

"Reign it in, GG. No more killing while we're looking for Dylan, you get me?"

She rolled her eyes up, "I'll do my best," she said, hitting the crystal knob of her cane into her palm.

Joshua steered the conversation back to Dylan, "Did he give you clues to where he might be?" He asked.

"Yes, he managed to say 'waste-ground' which makes some sense," I said.

His dad's interest piqued, "What relevance has waste-ground?" He asked.

Joshua explained, "We intercepted the man, and rescued Clara on some waste ground, over Peckham way."

Dylan's dad nodded his head, "That makes sense. These large sacrificial ceremonies usually take place in derelict premises. Did the waste ground have any kind of empty warehouse or factory type buildings?" He asked.

Joshua and I glanced questioningly at each other, before Joshua answered, "I can't recall, it was dark and we were focussed on potential fight," he said.

"Likewise," I said.

"Can you youngsters go back, while we still have light and check the place out?" Asked Dylan's dad.

Again, Joshua and I swapped glances before both saying, "Of course," in unison.

###

As we were about to descend the stairs, Dylan's dad said, "Benita, Dylan told me you met with the Big Bad Boss, in the basement of Petal Road, back on Halloween morning."

It took me a while to compute what he meant, but recalling my first meeting with Dylan and the appearance of the man who claimed to be the Devil, I said, "Yes, that's right."

He smiled, "I'm back, to save us all from him," he said, a look of defiance on his face.

###

I found it a little uncomfortable in Dylan's dad's presence; and this coupled with Granny Grace's reference to her killing unsettled me. So, it felt good to be back on the streets with Joshua.

"What did he mean, you met with the Big Bad Boss?" Asked Joshua.

"The Devil, he appeared to me and Dylan, in the early hours of Halloween," I explained.

Joshua let out a spluttering laugh, "Is you sane and serious, sister?" He asked, with a mocking finger and thumb click.

"I'm serious, I saw him with my own eyes."

"Does he look like Lord Voldemort?"

"No, just like a regular guy, a business man," I said.

Joshua doubled up and continued to laugh while I changed the subject, "We better pick up speed, while we still got light," I said, pulling him towards the bus stop.

###

I was deliberately quiet on the bus. Joshua brushed his elbow against mine, "Have I upset you?" He asked.

"No, not at all."

"You sure?"

"I'm sure."

He brushed his shoulder against mine, "Look at me."

I looked at him, "You sure, you're sure?"

"I'm sure."

I remained quiet, not because I was mad, because I was thinking, back to that night in the basement of Petal Road, with Dylan. Joshua interrupted my thoughts with another elbow bump, "Benita."

"What?"

He nodded towards a guy who'd just got on the bus; he was dressed smart, in a suit and tie, "Is he the Devil?" He asked, before bursting out laughing and throwing his head down with his hands protecting his head, in a pretend protective movement. I gently hit his hands, "Stop making fun of me," I said, in jest.

"Help me, I'm being assaulted," he shouted. I put my hand under his head and over his mouth, "Seriously Josh, Behave," I whispered, as people looked over at us. He lifted his head, and I took my hand from his still giggling mouth. He calmed down and his smile diminished, "You called me Josh."

"Did I?"

"You did."

"Is that a problem?" I asked, with some concern.

The corners of his mouth flickered, as if trying to suppress a smile, "Only those closest to me call me Josh."

"And who are they?"

"GG." He answered.

"And who else? That's only one, you said, 'those closest to you' that implies more," I asked, realising I knew nothing of his family.

The smile never materialised, instead I saw a kind of suppressed sadness, "You. You called me Josh, that makes me feel close to you," he said, his eyes darting downwards then back at me, as if he'd said something bad.

I felt weird, but good weird, shy weird, stupid weird; I felt even weirder when I said, "I'd like to continue calling you Josh, if that's alright?"

The smile eventually flourished on his face, along with my shout – "Shit, we've missed our stop!"

We both jumped up as the bus cruised past the alleyway that led to the waste ground. Dylan's distraught voice returned to me – "Save me."

The bus doors snapped open, and Josh and I jumped off, sprinting towards waste ground in search of Dylan...