When Jessica had left Eddie that time, Stanley had stuck to his guns. He hadn’t spoken to Eddie for nine months, nor visited the house. He had eventually given in. He had missed Jess and the twins terribly and Joyce’s constant moaning had forced him to change his mind. Since then, a happy medium had been met. He was polite to Eddie for the sake of his family, though inwardly he still hated him.

‘We’re gonna have to go now. I’ve gotta pick the kids up in an hour,’ Jessica informed her parents.

Joyce stood up and cuddled her daughter. ‘So will we see you before Christmas?’

‘Of course, it’s weeks away,’ Jessica said smiling. ‘I’ll pop over next week. You and Dad will stay for a few days at Christmas, won’t you? If you come over Christmas Eve in the afternoon, you can go home the day after Boxing Day.’

Joyce looked at Stanley. ‘It all depends if Jock’s around to feed the pigeons. If not, we can still stay, but I’ll have to pop back to see to them every day,’ Stanley said.

Joyce raised her eyebrows. ‘Stanley’s cock will be the death of me.’

Roaring with laughter, Jessica and Vicki left the house.

Eddie drove past the gypsy site and hid the Land Cruiser as best as he could down the end of a dirt track. It was two weeks since he’d found out where Dickie Pearce was actually living and he’d had him watched ever since.

Unfortunately for Eddie, he had no chance of getting his money back. Dickie had a gambling problem and was up to his eyeballs in debt. Eddie wasn’t overly bothered about the dosh. He was cakeo and fifteen grand was peanuts to him. What Eddie was annoyed about was the fucking liberty Pearcey had taken. No one messed with the Mitchells, and Eddie couldn’t be seen to be lapsing in his old age. Dickie had bragged to a lot of people that he’d knocked Eddie for the dough and, because of that, Ed had no option but to take the silly man out.

‘It’s gone six o’clock. What time did you say he was due?’ Paulie asked.

Eddie knew that Dickie had been making ends meet by selling flowers from the roadside. He also knew that he drove a white Escort van down this road at approximately six o’clock every evening.

‘He’ll be here any minute,’ Eddie told his brother.

‘Can’t you turn on the engine so we can have some heating? I’m freezing me bollocks off here,’Paulie moaned.

Eddie glared at him. Paulie had turned into Ronny, he was sure he had.

‘Shall I put the music on as well? We can dance and have a party, then everyone will know we’re here, you soppy cunt.’