‘OK, so if I ask you to repeat everything I’ve just said, you’ll be able to remember, will you?’

A look of panic crossed Julian’s face and Peter noticed Glynn flash an amused smile. ‘I thought not,’ he said. ‘In any case, it doesn’t matter. Because you’re fuckin’ fired!’

‘You what? How dare you? You can’t do that,’ protested Julian, looking to Max for support.

Max looked as shocked as the rest of the staff but he didn’t say anything.

‘I’ll take you to a tribunal,’ Julian threatened, turning to go, then muttering ‘bastard’ under his breath as he walked away.

‘Eh!’ called Glynn, racing up to Julian, then pulling his arm up his back and marching him to the back door.

Peter laughed as Julian squealed at the vicious way in which Glynn kept a tight hold of him. ‘Let that be a lesson to you all,’ he said, before dismissing the staff and heading to the bar where he helped himself to a double brandy.

*

Glynn opened the back door of the Golden Bell and thrust Julian out into the street where he landed on the ground with a heavy thud.

‘Ouch!’ Julian screeched. ‘That bloody well hurt.’

‘It was fuckin’ meant to!’ said Glynn. ‘Think yourself lucky I’ve not given you a fuckin’ good hiding. Maybe in future you’ll learn not to disrespect the people who pay your wages.’

Glynn eyed Julian as he lay on the ground pouting sulkily and rubbing his knees, but he noted that Julian was wary of making eye contact.

He was just about to lock the back door when he heard Julian speak.

‘Fuckin’ thug!’ he cursed in a low voice.

Glynn wrenched the back door open again and dashed outside, standing over Julian, threateningly. ‘What did you just say?’ he demanded.

‘Nothing,’ mumbled Julian, his eyes now full of fear as he looked up at Glynn.

‘Get up!’ ordered Glynn, grabbing hold of the back of Julian’s shirt collar and hauling him off the ground. Then he shifted his hands around to the front of Julian’s shirt, bunching it up as his fists pressed tightly against Julian’s throat.

‘You fuckin’ queer bastard!’ he bawled. ‘Your sort makes me fuckin’ sick. You’re a cowardly little shit, too. Waiting till I’d gone inside before you said owt. Did you think I wouldn’t fuckin’ hear you?’ he asked.

Julian just shook his head. The cocky pout had now disappeared, replaced by a trembling bottom lip. He looked desperately at Glynn’s face, which was now contorted with rage, and Julian’s tear-filled eyes pleaded for leniency. But that only made Glynn more angry.

Looking at the ridiculous expression on the man’s face, Glynn unleashed a barrage of brutal kicks and punches. Julian crumpled to the ground, curling himself into a ball and screaming out in pain.