Lenny Scott was waiting outside Reggie’s house and he watched warily as Reggie climbed into the passenger seat of his BMW. He noticed that the house was already looking better – tidier at least. Janey Dornan waved in a friendly manner but Lenny didn’t bother to acknowledge her. She wasn’t in the least put out and that made him stifle a smile. She really was a piece of work. He drove away quickly. Reggie didn’t even say a good morning, just sat beside him quietly, waiting to see his reaction to the events of the night before. Lenny felt that was a good move.

He glanced at the man beside him quickly. He was good-looking, with thick, dark hair and piercing eyes. They had a look of each other in some ways. Both were big, muscular and dark. He could smell Reggie’s aftershave and underneath that was the smell of his fresh sweat. It was heady stuff for him suddenly. It was as if now Lenny was acknowledging this other nature he had, his eyes had opened to everything about Reggie Dornan he felt attracted to.

Lenny took a deep breath before saying, ‘So, come on then. Explain what all that was about last night.’

Reggie laughed quietly. Then, lighting up two cigarettes, he passed one to Lenny.

It was the intimacy of the act that threw Lenny. A part of him knew he should be putting the cigarette out on Reggie’s face, not accepting it without a second’s thought. But he pulled on it deeply as he waited for Reggie to explain to him. He was in a quandary because this was so far away from his usual behaviour – he wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do, how he was supposed to act, to be.

‘Look, Lenny, you know as well as I do what was happening last night. And I think somewhere inside you have known since we first met what was going to happen at some point.’

Lenny didn’t answer; he manoeuvred the car on to the A13 and drove out towards Essex.

‘Where are we going?’

Reggie sounded nervous. And so he should; he had no idea what Lenny might think, say or even do in the cold light of day.

‘Southend. I have to see a bloke about a debt that Jack needs pulled in. As I told you, Jason Prior has opened the floodgates. Debts that were once liable to be written off are now seen as viable again. That is good news for Jack, ergo, that is good news for us.’