Derek smiled, a wide, amiable smile. ‘Hook, line and fucking sinker.’

‘He’s a slippery cunt Jonny P, and he can smile while he cuts your nuts off, so don’t let your guard down even once, you hear me?’

Derek nodded, exasperated at how careful Phillip could be at times, even as he understood why the man was chary. Jonny P was a force in his own right, but not for much longer.

‘Let him stew a while, and get him onside, then we’ll arrange the final meeting.’

Derek nodded his assent. ‘My thoughts entirely, Phillip. Then we can meet our mutual friend and get the deal done sooner rather than later.’

‘It’s going to cause chaos, you know that, don’t you?’

Derek nodded.

‘You can walk away any time you like, son. This is a dangerous operation, and you have a young family.’

‘I know, mate, but I’m in over me head now, and I feel confident we can pull it off.’

Phillip smiled, one of his rare, real smiles. ‘Good lad. I knew you wouldn’t let me down.’

Chapter Fifty-Three

‘Well, maybe if you took more notice of him he might not be such a fucking strange one, James. If you didn’t snort up that shit like there’s no tomorrow . . .’

Jimmy Tailor looked at his wife and wondered as he often did what she would do if he slapped her across her lovely mouth. He never would, but it didn’t stop him dreaming about it. ‘Shut up, Cynth, for once in your fucking life, just shut up.’

It was evident that she was momentarily shocked at his words, but she recovered her composure in about three seconds. Her shouting could be heard all over the house and, in her bedroom, Gabby put her hands over her ears. She was sick of it, and she was sick of being held prisoner like she had done something wrong. She could hear James Junior next door, kicking the wall as loudly as possible, and wondered at how she wasn’t as mental as him.

She turned her CD player up to drown out the noise of her family’s madness. She lay on her bed and thought about Vincent, which was all she did these days – even her schoolwork was suffering. But he was like a obssession, growing more powerful by the day. She wondered if he would be at the school gates tomorrow? She hadn’t seen him today and it had worried her. Maybe he was fed up with the situation. Who could blame him? It was all her fault. She couldn’t bring herself to use the word mother, or mum. She was just her now, and Gabby hated her.

Downstairs, the shouting was reaching its crescendo.