‘Oh,’ she said, sounding put out. For a few seconds she sat there gaping at him.

‘Come on, I haven’t got all day. It’s important,’ he said.

‘Oh, be like that, then,’ she said, getting up and grabbing her coat.

She walked up to him and pouted, waiting for him to respond. He quickly planted a kiss on her lips, hoping it would get rid of her.

‘When will I see you again?’ she asked.

Peter cringed at the cliché. ‘I’ll call you,’ he said. But, of course, he knew he wouldn’t.

He was glad when he finally let her out of the front door so he could go and find out what was troubling Glynn and Mike.

‘What is it?’ he asked once he had joined them in the dining room.

Glynn came straight to the point. ‘Sam’s done the shit on us.’

When Peter gazed at him, incredulous, Glynn and Mike filled him in on what had happened at the George and Dragon pub.

‘So much for his fuckin’ family holiday,’ said Peter, cynically. ‘Jesus Christ! I can’t believe it. Not Sam. I never thought he’d do anything like this.’

‘Well, he fuckin’ has,’ said Mike.

‘Who’s he working for? Do you know?’ Peter asked, ignoring Mike’s caustic comment.

Glynn and Mike both shook their heads.

‘Right,’ said Peter. ‘I want you both to do some sniffing around. I need to know who he’s working with and what the fuck’s going on.’

‘What d’you want us to do about Sam?’ asked Glynn.

‘Find out what you can first,’ Peter replied. ‘Then we’ll deal with Sam. Don’t worry; he isn’t gonna fuckin’ get away with this.’

*

It was Friday night and Adele was having a well-earned drink after work in the club. She’d been doing the books for two weeks now and, although there was still a hell of a lot to do before she got the accounts fully in order, at least she was starting to make some progress. She’d worked late nearly every night this week so she welcomed the chance to unwind with a glass of wine.

Peter had been sitting with her chatting at the bar but he’d been called away to tend to something so she was currently on her own. It didn’t bother her, though; in the couple of weeks that she’d worked there Adele was getting to know the bar staff. She felt quite at home as she sat sipping her wine, people watching and tapping her foot to ‘Pump Up the Jam’.