‘I didn’t know at the time, but I later found out it was for robbing a jeweller’s. I was seven when George went in and fourteen when he got out. Prison changed him. He was a bitter man and I was on the wrong end of his anger on a regular basis.’

‘He beat you up?’ Jane asked, genuinely shocked.

He nodded, clearly disturbed by the memory. ‘Usually with a leather belt and sometimes his hands . . . It stopped when I was about eighteen, but the verbal abuse didn’t.’

‘Did your mother know what he was doing to you?’

‘Yes, but he also knocked her about, just not as often. She told him to stop or she would leave – but in the end she likes the good life too much: nice car, big house and plenty of money.’

‘Does he hit your sister?’

‘God, no, he treats her like a princess. What Tina wants, Tina gets.’

‘If he was in prison how did he end up doing so well for himself?’

‘I don’t know, and I definitely don’t ask. George likes to make out he’s the bad boy done good, but once a criminal, always a criminal, I reckon. He sells high-end second-hand cars like Jags, Mercs and BMWs. I’m pretty sure Smudge clocks the mileage. I’ve seen people hand over cash when they buy them.’

Jane wondered if other criminals were laundering the proceeds of their crimes by paying cash for George’s cars.

The waitress served them their set meal of chilli beef, chicken with cashew nuts, stir-fried vegetables and egg fried rice. The food was so good they didn’t talk much as they ate. Jane was already convinced that Carl was nothing to do with the robbery or part of the ‘gang’. He clearly suspected the Ripley brothers and Smudge were still committing crime, but for his own self-preservation turned a blind eye to it and didn’t ask questions. She wanted to probe Carl more and ask about Tommy’s snooker hall to see if he knew anything about Aidan O’Reilly, but worried she might be pushing her luck and making him suspicious.

Jane changed the subject to daily life, and as they spoke about films and sports they liked she realised they had a lot in common. They had another drink and spent nearly two hours in the restaurant. He seemed much more relaxed when he wasn’t speaking about his family, and had a sharp sense of humour. When the waitress gave Carl the bill, he insisted on paying and wouldn’t take no for an answer.

‘Would you like to go for a drink somewhere?’

‘I’d love to, but I’ve got to be up early and be at the cafe by seven.’

‘How are you getting home?’

‘On the Tube from Charing Cross.’

‘I’ll walk you to the station.’