‘Erm, yes. The boys are at school and Vinny’s at work. Brenda’s with Viv and Lenny. But it’ll have to be a quick chat as Albie could come home at any time.’

Freddie smiled. ‘A quick chat is all I need, Queen. I won’t chew your ear off again, I promise.

Back at Macca’s flat, Vinny felt more chilled than he had in weeks. Their shopping trip had been fun and he’d come home with some real good clobber. Macca had even treated him to a classy shirt.

It had felt weird sitting in a posh restaurant in the West End, eating steak and drinking wine. The wine had tasted far worse than the beers Macca had given him, but Vinny had sipped his slowly and it had made him feel good about life. Macca was right. Who wanted to end up in prison? It was far easier talking shit to perverts, male or female.

Knowing he had Vinny in the palm of his hand now, Macca suggested they have a beer and sit on his bed and have a man-to-man chat.

‘Yeah, OK,’ Vinny grinned. He’d had a wonderful day, didn’t really want it to end. Sometimes when he woke up of a morning, he had reservations about what he was doing. But when he thought of the early starts he’d had to roll out those barrows for peanuts and the dosh he was currently earning, in his heart he knew he was doing the right thing. His mum had ordered a new carpet for the front room with the dosh he’d given her so far.

‘You ever smoked cannabis, Vinny?’ asked Macca.

‘Erm, no.’

‘You need to try some. That’s what I smoke when I go to my aunt’s parties. It chills you out, makes everything you do seem far easier. It makes you feel horny an’ all.’

Suddenly feeling uncomfortable again, Vinny stood up. ‘Best I be going now, mate. My mum sometimes needs me to look after me brothers and sisters. Thanks for me shirt and the meal though.’

The son of infamous bank-robber Teddy McCartney, Macca wasn’t stupid. He’d done his homework on Vinny, he’d had to in case his old man was a villain or he had older brothers who were liable to turn nasty if the truth came out. ‘We need to talk, mate. Sit back down.’

Feeling anxious, Vinny did as he was asked.

Macca turned to his prey. ‘I know you lied about your age, Vin. You’re fourteen, aren’t you? Not sixteen.’

Feeling stupid, Vinny put his head in his hands. ‘I’m sorry I lied, but I really needed this job to help me mum out. She works so hard herself and we struggle to pay the bills most weeks. My dad’s useless. He earns peanuts and most of that he gambles or drinks away. I’m the oldest son, so it’s me who should help out. I’m the only one that can.’

Macca put a hand on Vinny’s back. ‘It’s OK. I understand. But my aunt wouldn’t. She’d go mad if I told her, would sack you on the spot. She won’t employ underage boys, says it’s asking for trouble.’