Jack smiled at the man he was beginning to think wasn’t as stable as he had first thought. He shook himself mentally. This was Ray Donovan, who was a good worker and who was also a terrific earner.

‘You all right, Jack? You look like you’re sickening for something.’

Jack shook his head and poured them both another glass of Chivas Regal.

Ray noticed that the man’s hands were shaking, and he was nonplussed for a few moments. This was Jack Johnson, the hard man, the London Face. Recently he had not seemed himself, though, and that was getting noticed by others as well. Reggie had said he seemed to be getting frail and Ray thought that was a very accurate description. But looks, as Ray knew better than anyone, could be deceiving.

‘Oh, I nearly forgot, Jack. Here are the Polaroids for the client. Tell him I had that fucker screaming for mercy.’

Jack took the photos but he didn’t look at them; he placed them in a drawer of his desk and shut it firmly.

‘It was a really easy one this time. Bloke didn’t see it coming. He actually got in the car without a murmur. Fucking nonce. I tell you, Jack, I was tempted to do that one as a favour.’

Jack sipped his whisky and watched as Ray chatted. He was always on a high after a kill like this; the man was a natural-born predator. Jack was old-school: a good hiding, or even the removal of someone you needed removed, was part and parcel of their livelihoods. As was extreme violence, but to prove a point, not torture. Violence for the sake of it didn’t appeal to Jack – not on this scale anyway.

Ray was now back on the subject of his family and Jack could hear the genuine adoration in his voice for those boys who he saw as his own. It was funny, but Jack would not have believed a man of Ray’s temperament could be capable of real love. To listen to him, you could be in no doubt that he worshipped his family. Again, Jack was attacked with a stroke of conscience, because when he listened to Ray talking it all sounded wonderful. It was when you looked into his eyes that you realised there was blankness there that was not evident to anyone who didn’t know him very well. It occurred to Jack that Ray was like an actor playing a part and, in fairness, he seemed to be playing this particular part very well. But what would happen when he decided he didn’t want to be the big, benevolent father and husband any more?

Jack was pulled from his reverie by Ray’s words and he said quickly, ‘Say that again, Ray.’

Ray Donovan flashed one of his blinding smiles that made him look very handsome and very easy-going – women loved that smile.