Sharon didn’t laugh quite so heartily at that quip. Sharon didn’t want her sons in the Life, thank you very much. She had great hopes for her boys and being criminals wasn’t one of them.

Reggie, realising he had put his foot in it, changed the subject quickly. ‘So, Jack tells me you need someone to sort out stuff for a cinema room, I believe?’

He could not help feeling the irony of Sharon’s annoyance at her sons’ implied criminality and the fact she expected him to provide stolen goods! But he didn’t say a word.

She nodded happily. ‘Come through, I’ll show you what’s needed. Jack said someone had a load of home-entertainment systems going cheap. It will be wonderful for the boys, obviously.’

He followed her through the house and she opened the door to a large room and beckoned him inside.

‘I’m getting black-out curtains made for the windows. But I don’t know what’s on offer screen-wise. You should decide really; I’m useless with anything electrical.’

He smiled at her as he surveyed the room.

‘So, how was Manchester?’

It was said completely without guile and Reggie looked at her and frowned. ‘What you on about?’ As soon as he spoke he realised he had put Ray right in it, but that was not his fault. If Ray needed a fucking alibi, he should have told him about it.

He saw Sharon’s head snap back quickly and then she composed herself saying, ‘Oh, I probably got the wrong end of the stick. Blame the pregnancy hormones!’

He laughed with her but the damage was done. The sun had gone out of her day and they both knew it. Reggie sighed heavily. He hated personal intrigue – even his sexual encounters were practised well away from his home turf. He would let Ray know he had dropped him in it, but the question had been so unexpected he had no chance. Let him sort his own fucking messes out.

Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Six