‘Nathan, yes, come in, son. Fancy a drink?’

Nathan nodded as he sat in the chair opposite, sinking into the old leather. Taking off his coat, he put it over the arm of the chair as Tommy poured him a whisky – he hoped it might dull the effects of the copious amount of Charlie he’d been snorting all night. Although Tommy was not usually one for drinking so early in the morning. In fact, his phone call to Nathan had been odd in many ways. It made Nathan suspicious.

‘You been here all night, Tommy?’

Tommy nodded as he ran his hand over his chin. His day-old stubble making an unfamiliar rasping sound under his calloused hands. ‘Never mind me. How are things, Nathan?’

‘All good, mate.’

‘And Grace? Jake?’

‘Yeah, they’re fine.’

‘The pub doing well?’

‘I suppose so. Look, Tommy, I know you didn’t ask me here this early in the morning to make fucking small talk, what’s this really about?’

Tommy shifted uncomfortably in his seat. ‘All right, if you want me to get to the point, I will. I’ve been hearing some things, Nathan.’

‘Such as?’

‘Such as you doing your own thing, having me off, cutting my gear with all kinds of shit to make it go further, and then keeping the extra profit for yourself.’

‘And just who the fuck has told you that, Tommy?’ Nathan snapped.

‘That doesn’t matter right now, what matters is whether it’s true. I will kill the fucker who told me myself if it isn’t, but is it true?’

Nathan thought about his response. He could have gone on feigning his outrage and anger, but if he was honest, he couldn’t be arsed anymore. And anyway, what would be the point? Someone had sold him out, and even if he denied it, it was only a matter of time before it all came out. Tommy would be watching him now, like a fat man watching a hot dog. He wouldn’t be able to move in future. And God knew who else had been told about his indiscretions. He’d always earned a little extra on the side doing this and that, but he’d started making some serious money during the past twelve months. The stuff they’d been importing was good quality. A bit too good for the likes of people around there, in Nathan’s opinion.