‘I’ll meet you at noon tomorrow outside Bethnal Green station. Make sure you have your case with you and you’re ready to leave immediately, Yvonne. Only, if you try to dupe me, I will make sure you end up floating down the Thames. Understand?’

‘Erm, yes. Don’t mention this to anyone as I haven’t told my mum and Trevor isn’t going to tell his. We’re just going to leave and then phone home when we get to our destination. Oh, and don’t forget to bring Sparkle with you.’

‘Gladly, dear. Have you spoken to Vinny since I saw you yesterday?’

‘No. He rang the house, then turned up with flowers last night. My mum told him I wasn’t in.’

‘Good. Make sure you avoid all contact with him. I will break the news of your departure to him, gently.’

‘OK.’

‘Oh, and one more thing, Yvonne.’

‘What?’

‘You don’t ever return to this neck of the woods, because if you do I shall tell my Vinny everything. And believe me, when he finds out you traded him in for money that you blackmailed out of me, he will kill you stone dead.’

‘I didn’t blackmail you, Queenie. You offered me money to leave.’

‘No, I didn’t, dear. Vinny’ll believe whatever I want him to believe. Trust me on that one.’

The following morning, Queenie confided in Viv about Yvonne’s imminent departure, but didn’t tell her she’d had to borrow eight hundred quid off Patrick O’Leary. ‘Snapped me hand off for the two hundred quid, Viv. Just shows you how little she thought of my boy. Vinny can do so much better.’

‘You were right all along, Queen. We both were really. I never liked her either. What did you actually say to her to get rid of her?’

Having sworn on her kids’ lives to Jeanie Thomas that she wouldn’t mention her or Trevor, Queenie made up some white lies. ‘I just told her how upset Vinny had been and asked her if she was serious about him. I could tell straight away she wasn’t, her eyes lit up when I offered her the two hundred quid I’d saved. She said she wanted a fresh start away from her mother anyway.’ Queenie wasn’t going to mention the imaginary ex-girlfriend story who ended up dead in the Thames either. Viv might disapprove of that little fable.

‘Where’s she going?’

‘I dunno. Shush, now,’ Queenie said, as Brenda and Lenny ran into the kitchen. Queenie took some shillings out of her purse. ‘Who wants some sweeties?’

Lenny jumped up and down. ‘Me, me, me.’

‘Can I have an ice-cream, Mum?’ asked Brenda.

‘Of course. Off to the shop you go then.’

‘So we’re not going to the Roman today?’ Viv asked, once the kids left.

‘Yeah. We’ll go this afternoon. I’ll get a train to Bethnal Green and meet you at the Roman after I’ve met the gold-digger. But first we need to catch this bleedin’ cat. Vinkle, Vinkle,’ Queenie yelled, in her nicest possible tone.