‘That’s the truth, the coon’s sitting on the settee with Aunt Kerry. Something is happening here, Mum, and I don’t know what. But me and Boysie will find out in about one minute.’ He motioned to Boysie with his head. ‘Come on, round the back. You sit in the car and wait. We’ll open the front door when everything’s sorted.’

Briony bridled.

‘Excuse me, Danny ...’

‘Mum, please do as we ask - there’s a shooter in there. Danny and me will sort it. Now sit in the car and wait.’

He took the Beretta from his coat and checked to see it was loaded.

Briony snatched the gun from him.

‘Listen to me, you two will do as I say for once. I mean it. Get around the back. I’m going in the front. I’ll sort out the geek with the gun once I’m in there.’

Boysie shook his head.

‘Oh, leave it out, Mum...’

‘No! You leave it out. That’s my sister in there, and something’s not kosher. Don’t let’s argue amongst ourselves out here. They’ll let me in. I’ll pretend I’ve come because of Liselle, because she’s so upset. You two come in in five minutes, right? I don’t want to hear any more about it.’

With that she walked away from them and up the pathway towards the front door. She turned and motioned to them to go around the back. As they disappeared down the alleyway that separated the house from the one next-door, she put her own Beretta into the pocket of her fox fur coat and knocked loudly on the door. Inside, everyone stood stock still as the hammering on the door reverberated through the house.

Skip slid off the table and picked up the gun.

‘Stay here, I’ll deal with this.’ Pushing the gun into the waistband of his trousers and covering it with his jacket, he went out into the cold hallway. He opened the door to a tiny redhead and breathed a sigh of relief.

‘Is my sister still here? My niece came home in a terrible state. Is Kerry here...’ Briony walked into the house without a by your leave, pushing past the man to walk into the lounge.

Kerry’s face and Evander’s frightened eyes told her everything.

Turning to the man who had answered the door, she said in a shocked voice: ‘What the hell is going on here?’

The man walked towards her, smiling nastily. As he opened his mouth to speak, Briony moved so fast he didn’t have time to think. Nobody did. In a split second she was behind him with the Beretta digging into his kidneys.