Back in Tilbury, the bonfire was burning brightly.

‘Do us a favour, Frankie. Most of this wood’s wet. Go and see if you can find some dry bits,’ Jed told her.

Frankie stared at the fire. ‘It’s burning OK. Do I have to, Jed?’ It gave Frankie the heebies where they were staying and she didn’t fancy walking around in the dark on her own.

‘No one’s gonna abduct you, you dinlo. The only reason the fire’s burning is ’cause I cleared some of me dad’s old tut out of that room. I’ve got nothing left to burn now.’

As Frankie walked off, Jed ran into the trailer, grabbed the incriminating photographs and threw them onto the fire. ‘Burn, you bastards,’ he mumbled, prodding them with a stick.

By the time Frankie ran back, the evidence was in ashes. ‘All right? Where’s the wood?’ Jed asked her.

Frankie fell into his arms. ‘I saw a rat and I hate them. It was staring at me, Jed.’

Jed held her tightly. ‘I can’t stand ’em either. Longtails, I call ’em. Evil little bastards, they are.’

‘You don’t think there’s any watching us now?’ Frankie asked him.

‘Look, there’s one there,’ Jed yelled, making Frankie jump out of her skin.

Jed laughed. ‘Come on, let’s go inside and have something to eat. You can tidy up a bit before your mum gets here.’

Two miles down the road, Eddie could feel his adrenalin levels rising. ‘This orange juice is making me feel queasy. Get us a large Scotch, Raymondo. Get yourself one an’ all.’

As Raymond went up to the bar, Eddie gave Gina a call. ‘Well, are they still there?’

‘Yes. They’ve lit a fire outside, so I think they’re settled for the night.’

‘You can pull off now. My colleague will settle up with you tomorrow. I know we agreed on a price, but I’ve stuck a few hundred quid in extra for all your hard work.’

‘Thank you, Mr Smith, that’s very kind of you, but I would rather be taken out for dinner,’ Gina said boldly.

‘I’m very busy at the moment, but as soon as I get a bit of free time, I’ll call you,’ Eddie lied. He had to keep her sweet, as he didn’t want her blabbing. ‘And Gina, not a word to anyone. My friend’s a very violent man and if any of this got out, it would make him very angry,’ Eddie said threateningly.

‘I understand,’ Gina replied.

‘Well, I’ve gotta go now. It’s been a pleasure doing business with you,’ Eddie said, before ending the call.

Raymond handed Eddie his drink. ‘Who was that on the blower?’

‘The private detective. I’ve just sent her home. It’s getting dark now, so I suggest we have a couple more drinks, then make our move.’