And so it had come as something of a surprise to Joe when a crowd of press reporters had appeared at the front gate. Held at bay by hastily drafted uniformed security. Fifteen of them, all print media from the look of it. No news cameras yet. ‘Give it time though,’ he’d muttered through clenched teeth.

Richard counselled him to ignore them. Calm as you like. Urbane, even. But then it wasn’t his name on the front pages.

‘Once it rains they’ll soon get bored. Give them time, there’ll be another story for them to chase. Look at this royal thing, for example. There’s plenty of juice in that. All it takes is for that idiot to take another piss on the family reputation and you’re tomorrow’s chip wrapper.’

Eddie had been inclined to agree with Richard, when considering the day in his bathtub that evening. Joe’s response to his innocent enough remark had indeed been a little unkind.

‘Yesterday’s chip wrapper, Richard? In case you hadn’t noticed, I’m today’s fucking headline news.’

He’d crossed the room, putting his face six inches from his lawyer’s. Removing the need to raise his voice. Joe having long known that speaking quietly was way more threatening. Close enough that Richard looked properly unnerved. His employer explaining the error of his ways at knife-fighting range. Social distancing clearly not on his list of priorities. His demeanour that deceptive uber-calm that was when he was at his most dangerous.

‘This, Richard, could put me out of business. All it takes is for another crew to decide I’m ripe for taking and they’ll all be on me. Like something out of an Attenborough show. Hyenas on a wounded lion. And I’m forced to reflect that this is pretty much all down to you. Isn’t it?’

He waited for a moment while Richard’s brow had creased. The smooth-suited lawyer momentarily lost for words. Trying to work out how he was at the root of the attack.

‘You don’t get it, do you?’ Joe turned away. Shaking his head in evident frustration. ‘When you suggested I tone down the punishments, I did. When you advised me not to draw attention to my activities, I followed your advice. And when you said I might be better off finding different ways to communicate my displeasure to those of my people who failed me, I tried to do so.’

Eddie wasn’t sure he’d done any of those things. But Eddie wasn’t about to interject with Joe quite so white with anger.

He walked away to the kitchen window, staring through the blinds at the cluster of people gathered at his front gate.