He ran to the passenger side as Julius slid into a bucket seat.

‘I’ll rip your arms off,’ Collins yelled, tugging the door. ‘Get out!’

‘Need to talk, cuz,’ Julius said as he slid the gun out of the backpack between his legs. ‘If you run, or yell, I’ll shoot ten holes through this fancy car.’

Collins bunched fists and the tendons in his huge neck went rigid. ‘Do you think you’ll get away with this?’

Julius ignored the question. Guns were lethal and noisy, so he kept one hand close to a stun stick hooked to his belt.

‘Take a deep breath,’ Julius urged. ‘Walk around the front and get in.’

There was a smell of armpits as Collins’s torso hit the driver’s seat.

‘Close the door, start the engine.’

‘If I don’t?’ Collins sneered.

‘I loved Duke,’ Julius said coldly. ‘You think I won’t shoot you?’

Julius imagined blasting his cousin’s brains over the Bengal-red leather. It was a satisfying mental image, but he had a job to do.

‘There’s too many people around here,’ he said. ‘I’ve found a spot a few blocks from here.’

There was a blast of rap music as Collins pushed the engine start button. He was impulsive and not very smart, so Julius saw short odds on Collins trying something rash as they rolled out of the school grounds.

It was the lull between school traffic and rush hour. Roads were clear as they drove a kilometre to a row of empty spaces behind a dental surgery that had moved to bigger premises. Duke’s scooter was locked to a sign advertising tooth whitening.

‘Now what?’ Collins asked. ‘If you kill me, my dad will hunt you down.’

‘SJ won’t let anyone in to see him,’ Julius explained. ‘He’s stopped taking my calls, so I need you to phone him.’

Collins’s iPhone was linked to the coupe’s Bluetooth. Julius watched him use buttons on the steering wheel to dial his dad.

‘Uncle?’ Julius said, gesturing for Collins to keep quiet as the call got answered.

‘Who is speaking?’ SJ asked suspiciously. ‘What are you doing with my son’s phone?’

‘Collins is here,’ Julius said.

‘Who is this?’ SJ repeated.

‘Your favourite nephew, Julius. I’m sat in a very nice Mercedes with a gun pointed at Collins. Say hello, Collins.’

‘Dad, he made me drive,’ Collins blurted. ‘I’m at—’

Julius jabbed his cousin with the stun stick.

‘Oh, God, God, God,’ Collins yelled frantically. ‘Dad, send all your guys to Smile Kleen Dental on—’

Julius squeezed the orange trigger, delivering another 250,000-volt spark.

‘Shut your mouth,’ Julius ordered. Then to his uncle, ‘I’ll be gone before anyone gets here. But your future will be a lot brighter if you listen to me for two minutes, right now.’