That caused them to start laughing, but they were all aware it was a nervous laughter. It occurred to Joseph that his men were even more nervous than he was, and he knew he had no choice but to show a true hand to them tonight. Then maybe, just maybe, it might go some way to making them see him as one of them after all. The thought pleased him, and he was glad now that this was happening; it might be just the thing he needed to ensure his place in this London black boy society. All of the men were well versed in the art of fighting, both with their fists and with weapons. And none of them were in the least frightened of guns – they’d been around them for the best part of their lives.

Joseph realised he had been worrying about nothing – in fact he could already taste his victory as he drove into his depot in Croydon. This was where he kept the majority of his arms, this was where he was safest, because only a few people knew he even owned it. That was another thing; he liked to keep his private dealings private, and that could only hold him in good stead at times like these. Only four people knew about this depot, and they were all in this car.

Linford jumped out and opened the gates, unlocking the huge padlock. Joseph looked around the yard and smiled grimly at its sameness. As they drove in, he saw Linford opening the door of the Portakabin that served as his offices. He had a good bottle of Irish whiskey in there, and he was going to pour himself a large glass before setting off for the festivities.

There was still two hours to the deadline, to the meeting with Jonny Parker that would determine the rest of his life. As he put his foot out of the car, it suddenly occurred to him that neither of his other men had moved, but it was only when he felt a boot shove him in the back and saw the dirt floor of the yard coming up to meet him that he realised something was amiss.

Then Jonny Parker was standing over him with a machete that made his own look like a penknife.

‘Sorry, Joe, but you didn’t honestly think I was going to negotiate, did you?’

The first blow took off the top of Joseph’s head; the other blows were entirely unnecessary, but the brutality of the attack was what made the statement for Jonny Parker. When word got out about Joseph’s demise, and get out it would, he would be seen in a new and entirely different light, and that is exactly what this whole exercise was about.