‘I think you’re missing the point, Max. The money you pay us is to stop other firms muscling in,’ said Peter. ‘We’re not a fuckin’ babysitting service! You’ve got your own bouncers to sort out any run-of-the-mill problems. If you don’t pay us what you owe us, you’ll have even bigger problems than you could ever fuckin’ imagine!’

‘I don’t know,’ Max sighed, looking dejected. ‘I think I’m just getting too bleedin’ old for all this aggro. Maybe it’s time I packed it in and sold the place.’

Peter’s eyes opened wide in alarm. That was the last thing he wanted. Max Bell’s place was one of his biggest earners and he couldn’t risk any new owners having their own protection.

‘Let’s not be hasty, Max,’ he said. ‘Who are you thinking of selling to?’

‘I haven’t got that far yet. It’s just a thought but I don’t know how much longer I can go on like this. I’m not as young as I used to be, y’know, Pete.’ He took another gulp of his whisky, his hand trembling as he raised the glass.

Peter sniffed. ‘It’s a pity I haven’t got the cash,’ he said. ‘I wouldn’t mind running a place like this myself. I know of a few handy fellas I could put on the doors. They’d soon fuckin’ sort things out.’

Max looked at him for a few seconds. He appeared to be mulling something over. Just when Peter was about to tell him to come out with it, he said, ‘There might be a way round things.’

‘What d’you mean?’ demanded Peter.

‘Well, what about a percentage? You could buy into it and put a stop to all the aggro while you’re at it.’

Max had become more animated, as though he was warming to the idea now he had thought of it. Peter also liked the sound of it. His own nightclub, brilliant! Why hadn’t he thought of that? A buzz of excitement zipped through him but he put on his poker face. He’d play it cool, tell Max he was thinking about it. That way he’d be able to drive a harder bargain.

‘What sort of percentage were you thinking?’ he asked, impassively.

‘Depends what you can afford,’ said Max.

Peter noticed the strain on Max’s face again. The man was desperate! It was obvious. He’d had his day and he couldn’t wait to jack it in.

‘Well, I’ve got a bit of a cash-flow problem at the moment. I’ve just forked out for a sunbed salon. But I should be getting some cash in soon. How about we start small and see how it goes? Then I could buy a bigger share as time goes on. How much would a 10 per cent share cost to start with?’