‘Oh, yeah? Start a general exodus, why don’t you? The less the brasses know the better. They’ve got mouths like the parish ovens. It’d be all over the smoke by tonight. “Briony and Tommy have got trouble. Big trouble.” Once word like that hits the pavements every little ponce with dreams of the big time will be out mob-handed. We’ve gotta play this one close to our chests, wait and see what develops. If it was a loony, say a bloke with a grudge, he wouldn’t have had her delivered to the house, would he? That was personal.’

‘Did it ever occur to you that it could be a customer? A bloke who’s got a grudge all right. It’s all right for you, ain’t it? You ain’t gotta go round and give Ginelle’s mother the bad news, have you? You ain’t gotta go round and tell her that her daughter’s died. I’ve got to make up a story that she had an accident or something. How can I tell the woman that her daughter, her main bread winner, was cut up like a fucking piece of meat on a butcher’s slab!’

Briony stared at Tommy hard then. Something in what she’d said had sparked off a train of thought. Now it had gone. Disappeared as quickly as it had come.

‘What’s the matter, Bri?’

‘Just then something came to me mind, and went again.’

Tommy got up from his seat and walked around the table to her. Putting an arm around her, he pulled her to him.

‘Look, love, just try and relax. As soon as we get word, whoever it was is history.’

Briony nodded sagely.

‘Oh, they’ll be that all right, Tommy. I’m gonna pay this one back myself. Personally.’

He held her close. Never had he seen her so intent on anything in her life. It was as if Ginelle’s death was a personal affront. As if the girl was a daughter or a sister. Tommy would never realise the feelings Briony had for her girls. She loved them. Each and every one.

‘It had to come now, didn’t it, when we was branching out? I’m supposed to be seeing Nellie Deakins this afternoon. If word’s got to her ear then I’ll be a laughing stock.’

Tommy kissed her cheek, a wet smacking kiss.

‘Nellie’s an old has-been, Bri. Christ, I used to work for her meself when I was a boy. No one will hear anything about any of this, I guarantee that. We have to sit on it, just be patient. Then once we know what we’re dealing with, everything will come right. OK?’

She nodded. But the thought of Ginelle wouldn’t let her rest.