‘Sam and Mickey? Yeah, course I do. We all used to work together on the bank jobs before Glynn big bollocks joined the firm.’

‘Well, surely they’re not happy about this Glynn being the number two seeing as how they’ve been around longer.’ When David shrugged, Alan continued, ‘You need to arrange to have a word with them, see if you can persuade them to join us. Imagine the inside info they’ll have about Pete’s operation.’

David stared wide-eyed as the realisation dawned on him.

‘If we’re gonna take over security,’ said Alan, ‘then we need to do it the easy way. Why waste our time finding new fuckin’ businesses to hit when we can just take over the ones they’ve got.’

David chuckled, then clinked his glass against Alan’s. ‘Fuckin’ well smart,’ he laughed. ‘You always was a brainy twat.’

Alan laughed with him. ‘Yeah, a brainy twat that won’t be fuckin’ messed with,’ he said.

*

Adele put down her pen and sighed. She had just completed another job application but she doubted that this one would be any more successful than the numerous others she had filled in over the past few weeks.

‘What’s wrong?’ asked Peter as he walked into the room. ‘You look as though you’ve lost a quid and found a fuckin’ penny.’

‘It’s these bloody job applications,’ she complained. ‘I’m sick to death of filling them in. I’m sure most of the firms just put them in the bin as soon as they see I’ve got a prison record.’

‘Don’t tell them then.’

‘I can’t do that. They have ways of finding out. Besides, how do I explain what I’ve been doing for the last few years?’

‘Suit yourself,’ he said. Then he pulled up a chair next to her and flicked through a couple of the application forms. ‘Admin Assistant?’ he asked. ‘I thought you were a qualified accountant.’

‘I am, but needs must.’

‘You don’t have to go through this shit, y’know,’ he said.

Adele braced herself; she knew what he was about to say. ‘I know, you’ve said before. There’s a job for me in your firm. But, to be honest, I don’t want to be there just because I’m your sister.’

It was a weak argument, she knew, but up to now she had hidden the real reason. The truth was she didn’t fancy working with a load of criminals. But how could she tell Peter that without alienating him? And she had no room to talk, when all was said and done. But she had put that life behind her now and she didn’t want to go back to it.

‘I know the real reason you don’t want to work for me, Adele. I’m not stupid!’