‘The usual really. I’ve put in my report the names of the dealers, the suppliers, and also some of the addicts. Only the ones we’ll get info from though. Most of them are two sandwiches short of a picnic.’ He paused so Belling could give his perfunctory laugh, then continued. ‘There’s something I’ve found out though, sir, that isn’t in the report. I thought I’d have a word with you about it.’

Belling nodded. ‘Go on.’

‘Well, sir, I’ve picked up a girl. Delia Dowling actually. Well, she’s a known face around the clubs, she can introduce me to a lot of people. Her cousins are the Cavanagh twins and her father is Marcus Dowling.’

He heard the sharp intake of breath from Belling and was gratified.

‘The thing is, while under the influence of LSD, she told me about the death of a certain Jimmy Sellars. It seems her father and the Cavanagh twins murdered him, but they all stuck together to protect them. I get the impression she’s rather out of favour with the family as a consequence of this. I think, reading between the lines, she set Sellars up. It’s definitely preying on her mind. Sellars is, or rather was, her child’s father.’

Belling frowned.

‘I know about that. Limmington is an old crony of mine, we go way back. You did right not to put it in the report, son. Do you think she might spill the beans if pushed? If we had something on her like?’

Sefton grinned. ‘To be honest, I think if you gave her the edge, she’d do anything. She’s one of those people who have to be in the centre of a drama. You know the type. If there ain’t one, she’ll create one. You get the picture. I think she’d grass up her own granny if the price or the time was right.’

‘I’m telling you, Mr Cavanagh, that’s what he said.’

Vince Barlet was frightened of Boysie, but he had to tell the truth, didn’t he? He had to make sure that Boysie knew it wasn’t anything to do with him. He wiped a dew drop from the end of his nose with a grubby fist, and seeing Boysie’s disgust at his action, hastily wiped his hand on the jacket of his mohair suit.

Vince watched the changing expressions on the other man’s face and sighed. Why did he always get the shit jobs?

‘So what you’re saying is, Vince, Pargolis is inching in on our territory. Who’s the stooge?’

‘That’s just it, Mr Cavanagh, I don’t know exactly. But I heard a word on the street that he’s been seen with Mitchell, Davey Mitchell.’

There, it was out, he had said it, and Boysie Cavanagh could do what he liked with the information.