‘Don’t you ever mug me off again, you ponce! Not ever! Now, you’re going to tell me who’s backing Bolger or I’ll drown you in your own piss. Believe me when I say you’ve pushed me too fucking far. Out with it. I want a name and I want it now!’

The man looked up with fear in his eyes. In all his years of knowing Tommy, he had never seen him like this. It began to dawn on him that he had written Tommy Lane off too soon. The boy, and he was still a boy for all his grown-up looks, was a person he should not have underestimated. Like the Cavanagh girl, he was part of the new breed, and the prospect of what they could be capable of was frightening. All Bolger’s big talk was suddenly forgotten in the face of this boy’s wrath.

‘Tommy, leave go of me! Let’s talk.’

He laughed low.

‘I’ve had it with talking, you short-arsed runt! Now tell me who Bolger’s new friends are, and me and you will get on a lot better.’

‘I don’t know, I swear. All I know is that Bolger came to me and a few others with a proposition. He has a lot of money at his disposal, and a lot of manpower has been bought and paid for. Believe me, Tommy, it was nothing personal, just business. But I swear to you I don’t know who’s behind him. He said once it was a businessman, a big businessman. That’s all. He won’t let on who it is to anyone.’

‘You expect me to believe that and all, don’t you?’

Tommy’s voice held an incredulity that was forced. Dubronsky would save his daughter’s arse if not his own. But he had to be sure the man didn’t know.

‘Tommy, listen to me, I don’t know. Before God, I swear to you I have no idea...’

He let go of the man’s face. Livid white fingermarks were indented upon it. Tommy wiped his wet hand on the man’s shirt.

‘Where will I find him? He ain’t been seen in his drum for a while so where’s he hiding out?’

The little man squinted. Without his glasses he was nearly blind.

‘He’s staying with the Olds brothers down by Upton Park. But I warn you, Tommy, he’s well protected.’

‘How much muscle has he bought? Who are they?’

Dubronsky coughed and spat the mucus out on to the ground before answering.

‘The Olds, the Campbells, the Dennings. Not to mention a lot of the Jewish muscle as well as Maltese. The Marianos are considering his offer and I tell you now, he’s spending money like water.’