Eddie nodded. Shame it wasn’t his own fucking money he was getting pissed on, he thought, anger rising inside him. He turned back to Alan. ‘His mother’s a mate of my Auntie Joan. Apparently, the lovely Michael has been knocking her about for his beer money. She’s seventy-odd, his poor old mum, Al. He needs a little wake-up call, don’t you think?’

Alan nodded. ‘Be my guest, Eddie. I don’t like the bloke and he’s a fuckin’ nuisance in here at times.’

Eddie finished his drink. ‘Thanks, Al. I’ll take him outside and speak to him. Take care, mate, and have a nice Christmas.’

Michael Jenkins didn’t like the look of the man who approached him and he certainly didn’t fancy going outside with him.

‘Do as I say, else I’ll break your fucking legs,’ Eddie whispered in his ear.

‘I can’t go anywhere, I’ve gotta meet me mate in a minute,’ Michael pleaded.

Eddie’s eyes clouded over. ‘If you don’t walk outside now and get in the Land Cruiser, I swear I will come back with a gun and blow your fucking brains out.’

Like a lamb being led to the slaughter, Michael Jenkins did as he was told.

Eddie started the engine. ‘Where are you taking me? What am I supposed to have done?’ Michael said nervously.

Eddie said nothing. He knew of a dead-end turning a few streets away that was always deserted. Reaching his destination, Eddie opened both doors. ‘Get out,’he ordered Michael.

Petrified, Michael started to flinch. ‘What am I meant to have done? You’ve got the wrong person. I swear it’s not me. You’re Eddie Mitchell, aren’t you?’

Eddie dragged Michael into the alleyway. Pulling a knife out of his pocket, he pointed it at him. ‘You are one piece of fucking shit. And if I ever find out you’ve laid one finger on your mother again, I will personally fucking kill you. You leave her be, you keep away from her. Do you get my meaning, cunt?’

‘I promise I won’t go near her again. She offered me money, she gave it to me,’ Michael said sobbing.

Despite his odd fib to Jessica, Eddie hated liars. Unable to control his temper, he threw Michael to the floor and stood on his wrist. ‘You lying fucking scumbag,’ he said, as he positioned the knife on his thumb. Hacking away, Ed realised that the job wasn’t complete and the thumb was hanging on by a thread of skin. Determined to chop the bastard thing off, he brought the knife down once again.

Eddie kicked the thumb down the alleyway. Smiling, he left Michael screaming and wriggling and walked back to his motor. ‘You say one word or mention my name to anyone, then I’ll come back and chop your cock off,’ he shouted to his victim.