I get back to my apartment fifty-five minutes after calling him, weary from lugging my bags and just plain unwell. I tried to walk fast but my legs could not handle the effort and as my battery died on my phone, I couldn’t even alert him to the fact I was moving slowly. I have a low fever which I know will spike to knock me on my back soon enough and just need to get in and lie down as soon as earthly possible.

I pause by the black four-by-four in the street, parked on the edge of the pavement, and look around because it is so out of...