Samuel came into the room panting for breath and said, ‘I gave chase but I lost him down one of the alleys. Are you all right, Sarah?’

‘Yes, I’m fine, just a bit shaken up, but nothing to worry about.’

‘I’ll get that window boarded up for tonight, then I’ll make sure it’s fixed before Mr Terence comes knocking. Mo, get a brush and sweep up the broken glass,’ Samuel instructed.

‘It’s all right, I’ll clean it up,’ Sarah said.

‘We’ve got to get out of here,’ Mo said pleadingly to Samuel. ‘They’re never going to leave us in peace, can’t you see?’

Samuel walked across the room and took Mo into his arms. ‘It’s OK, darling,’ he soothed.

‘But it isn’t! What if it had been worse and they’d put petrol through the letterbox or something? It’s not fair on Sarah and Tommy. My family are putting them at risk too. Please, Sam, we’ve got to move away,’ Mo said, beginning to cry.

‘Sarah, I think you should call the local police,’ Samuel said over Mo’s shoulder.

Sarah stared wide-eyed at Samuel. She had seen the threatening look Ron Lyons had given her, and the last thing she wanted was for him to find out where she lived. ‘No, it’s fine. I doubt they’d do much anyway. You know what they’re like, they shy away from getting involved in family stuff.’

Mo sniffed and pulled away from Samuel. Black blobs of mascara were smudged on her face. ‘She’s right, the police have never bothered to help me before. I was black and blue from a beating my dad gave me, but once I told them who did it, they turned a blind eye.’

‘They can’t get away with this. I won’t allow it. I’ll go and sort them out myself,’ Samuel ground out, his nostrils flaring and his eyes wild with anger.

‘Please don’t go round there, Sam, it’ll only make matters worse and there’s more of them than there are of you. I couldn’t stand the thought of you getting hurt,’ Mo pleaded. ‘Tell him, Sarah. I’m right, ain’t I?’

‘I’m afraid to say I think she is, Sam. I wouldn’t be surprised if this was done to goad you. They’ll probably be waiting for you, so don’t play into their hands. I’d stay well clear if I was you.’

Samuel heaved his shoulders. ‘I refuse to be chased out of my own home by those thugs. We’re not budging, Mo, and that’s an end to any more discussions about it.’

Tommy stirred again, and began to slowly wake up. ‘What’s going on?’ he asked in a drawl.