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BILL WOKE with a start It was always the sa sleep-in over the weekend Once the sun had risen on Mondaythey would expect him to move on He had slept under the archway of Critchley’s Bank for

Bill would turn up every evening at around seven o’clock to claim his spot Not that anyone else would have dared to occupy his pitch after all these years Over the past decade he had seen theold, some silver and some bronze Most of the bronze ones were only interested in the other kind of gold He had sussed out which hich, and not just by the way they treated him

He glanced up at the clock above the door: ten to six Young Kevin would appear through that door at any h to move on Good lad, Kevin - often slipped him a bob or thich must have been a sacrifice, ith another baby on the way He certainly wouldn’t have been treated with the same consideration by most of the posher ones who came in later

Bill allowed himself a moment to dream He would have liked to have Kevin’s job, dressed in that heavy, warm coat and peaked hat He would still have been on the street, but with a real job and regular pay Some people had all the luck All Kevin had to do was say, ‘Good , sir Hope you had a pleasant weekend’ Didn’t even have to hold the door open since they’d made it automatic

But Bill wasn’t co It hadn’t been too bad a weekend It didn’t rain, and nowadays the police never tried tohis van outside the bank all those years ago That was his ar

He’d et hold of a copy of Friday’s Financial Times and Saturday’s Daily Mail The Financial Times reminded him that he should have invested in Internet companies and kept out of clothesrapidly following the slon in High Street sales He was probably the only person attached to the bank who read the Financial Times from cover to cover, and certainly the only one who then used it as a blanket

He’d picked up the Mail fro what so from a Rolex watch to a packet of condoh clocks in the City without needing another one, and as for the condoms - not much point in those since he’d left the ariven the condoms to Vince, orked the Bank of A about his latest conquests, which seeiven his circuive him the condoms as a Christmas present

The lights were being switched on all over the building, and when Bill glanced through the plate-glasshe spotted Kevin putting on his coat Tis and et Kevin into any trouble, on account of the fact he hoped the lad would soon be getting the promotion he deserved

Bill rolled up his sleeping bag - a present froive it to hientleman, with an eye for the ladies - and who could blao up in the lift late at night, and he doubted if they were seeking advice on their PEPs Perhaps he should have given him the packet of condoms

He folded up his two blankets - one he’d bought with some of the money from the watch sale, the other he’d inherited when Irish died He missed Irish Half a loaf of bread froer to get out of clothes hed He shoved his few possessions into his QC’s bag - another dustbin job, this time from the back of the Old Bailey

Finally, like all good City men, he must check his cash position - always important to be liquid when there are more sellers than buyers He fumbled around in his pocket, the one without a hole, and pulled out a pound, two 10p pieces and a penny Thanks to governs today, let alone his usual pint Unless of course Maisie was behind the bar at The Reaper He would have liked to reap her, he thought, even though he was old enough to be her father

Clocks all over the city were beginning to chime six He tied up the laces of his Reebok trainers - another yuppie reject: the yuppies all wore Nikes now One last glance as Kevin stepped out onto the pave - uard - Kevin would be back honant wife Lucy Lucky man

Kevin watched as Bill shuffled away, disappearing a the early-

ood like that, Bill He would never e his job Then he spotted the penny underneath the arch He picked it up and s After all, wasn’t that what banks were meant to do with your money?

Kevin returned to the front door just as the cleaners were leaving They arrived at three in the , and had to be off the premises by six After four years he knew all of their naave him a smile