The Great British Fake Housing Crisis, Part 2

Mickey is badly hurt. He was attacked by a gang of thugs on Christmas Eve and he stood no chance. If he hadn't been rescued - but he was, dragged off the pavement by a woman he hardly knew, taken into her tenth-floor apartment and looked after while he tried to recover. Six weeks passed. Mickey has never been a victim, but he was assaulted and now he can hardly walk. When Melia phones - out of the blue - announcing it's St Valentine's night and she wants to take him out, he has to refuse. Unfortunately Melia catches sight of Melia's landlady and cuts the video call, hurt and confused. She didn't recognise Romla, didn't realise that Mickey's Angel was a woman she knows, used to work with, years before. They could have talked. They had so much in common.

Unfortunately, the other thing that Mickey and Melia have in common also divides them. Mickey's Dad. He has appeared, popped out of nowhere, and wants to resume communications with his son. Not bad for a father who ran out on his family when Mickey could hardly walk. Now, when that is true again, he is as useless as ever. Mickey can't stand him and makes every possible excuse to avoid him.

Meanwhile, the Housing Crisis goes on. The feud between local building firms, which Mickey walked into, and is the direct cause of his injuries, has not gone away. The many sides try to woo Mickey, bring him back into the game. If only he could - but he needs carrying everywhere. Even when he gets called to the local hospital in Manchester, they can't help him. But maybe a miracle worker can. Mickey has been asked to play nursemaid to a young man in trouble with the Law. Fortunately or unfortunately he has a large and growing following. They believe he is some kind of prophet and Healer. He works his magic on Mickey.

Mickey is like a stallion coming out of the starting gate at a racecourse, but he can't get back onto the track. Britain is in Lock-down. A strange virus has been brought in from the East and everyone has been told to 'Stay Home', not go out, not travel. That's exactly what Mickey has been doing! Two months is too long. He does his best to stick to the Guidelines but there are Mysteries to be solved, questions to be put and answers to be sought. With Romla's continuing help, Mickey drags his damaged body around the city, turning over stones and refusing to be fobbed off.

If only people didn't continue to get murdered! And the biggest surprise of all is that the lastest victim is somone uncomfortably close to home.