Eddie had put a load of cold beers in a black dustbin in the garden and filled it with blocks of ice. ‘I dunno what’s in there. I’ll have a look for you,’ he said.

Ronny raced towards the bin in his wheelchair. ‘I’ll have the Stella. Five point two, that is,’ he said snatching two cans.

Eddie sat back down. He and Paulie had just been discussing their father’s murder.

‘So, where do we go from here? I’ve chased up Dad’s old contacts in the filth and they still reckon they ain’t got nothing. They said they never found as much as a fingerprint,’ Paulie said.

Eddie felt the usual fire in his belly as he discussed his father’s death. He had spoken to every underworld contact he knew ten times over, and no one had heard anything. The Old Bill still reckoned it was something to do with the kids that had been hanging around the area, being a nuisance, but Eddie wasn’t so sure. How could a bunch of kids bludgeon to death a gangland legend and not leave a fucking clue?

Eddie swallowed his beer in one go. ‘I’ll pop round to see all Dad’s neighbours again this week. I’ll knock on every door for miles if I have to. Some cunt must know, or at least have heard something.’

Paulie nodded. ‘It just don’t seem fucking feasible, none of it, does it?’

Eddie stood up. He needed a refill. The conversation was making him thirsty. Face etched with anger, he faced his brother. ‘Don’t worry, Paulie. I’ll find out who did it and, when I get me hands on the cunt, I will torture him for weeks. I’ll starve him, burn him, cut him, then pull all his teeth and fingernails out, one by one. By the time I’ve finished, whoever did it will wish they’d never been born!’

Jessica was sweating in the dress she had on. She went upstairs to get changed into a vest top and shorts. She would have liked to have put on her bikini and jumped into the swimming pool, but didn’t feel comfortable in front of Eddie’s family. She had noticed Ronny leering at her in the past, and was sure he was a pervert.

Vicki giggled as Jessica sat down next to her. She had mixed them up some cocktails and they had been having a right old laugh at the expense of Eddie’s family. ‘Shut your legs, Jess. Quick, the pervert’s looking over,’ Vicki said laughing.

Jessica glanced at Ronny out of the corner of her eye. She had dark sunglasses on, so he couldn’t see her looking at him. ‘I never liked him when I first got with Eddie. He was really jealous of our relationship,’ she told Vicki.

‘Is his wife here?’ Vicki asked.