Reggie shook the hand that was stretched out to him and then smiled diffidently. He wasn’t in the mood for small talk and he let this be known. Smithson came straight to the point, as Reggie had hoped he would. He passed a brown envelope over to Reggie which, when he opened it, he saw was full of glossy eight-by-ten photos. He looked at a couple of them and made a disgusted face.

‘I’m assuming these weren’t developed in Boots,’ he said, trying to lighten the situation.

Smithson didn’t answer and Reggie saw that the man was genuinely terrified of the photographs and what they could mean for him and his career.

Reggie shook his head, as he said quietly, ‘Fuck me, but you are one ugly bloke. And she’s not just young enough to be your daughter.’

Smithson still said nothing. He didn’t know what to say.

‘Where were these taken?’ Reggie decided not to torture him just yet; there was plenty of time in the future for that.

Smithson finally spoke. ‘At a house in King’s Cross.’

Reggie’s ears pricked up. ‘The Carter twins’ old place?’

The man nodded.

‘What do they want from you?’

Smithson looked into his face and said dramatically, ‘They want you. Or, to be more specific, they want Jack Johnson.’

Reggie was frowning now. ‘What? Terry? He wouldn’t fucking dare!’

Smithson shrugged. ‘It ain’t him you need to be worried about, Reg. It’s that cunt Frank Barber. He walked in and demanded it as his right. Reckons he had an understanding with the Carters. He’s been shouting about how you and Lenny took them out.’

Reggie was quiet. He needed to think. Putting the photographs in his inside pocket, he said seriously, ‘Leave this with me. I will be in touch.’

Smithson was scared. ‘What do I say? What do I do?’

Reggie rolled his eyes in exasperation, as he said nastily, ‘What do you want me to do, you gormless cunt? Hold your fucking hand? Use your loaf for once in your fucking life.’

With that, he got in his car and drove away.

Chapter Sixty-Five

Lenny was amazed at the story that was unfolding. But he could see Jack’s point of view all right, and he said as much.

‘So your sister’s child was Frank’s?’