Back at the hospital, Joyce had been treated for shock. Seeing Joey and his father in absolute pieces, Raymond left the room. Their tears were pure and raw and Raymond felt as guilty as hell.

Outside, he punched the wall. He couldn’t live this life any more. He pictured Jessica’s face. It seemed so surreal that he would never see her or hear her infectious laugh ever again. Memories of the past came flooding back to Raymond. He remembered Jess struggling to learn to ride her bike without stabilisers. How she took the piss out of his obsession with Marc Bolan. She’d been so supportive when he’d joined that band, and even stuck up for him when he’d worn eyeliner. Raymond sat on a plastic chair and toyed with his emotions. Grassing Eddie up to the police was a no-go. Many people would have done, but not Raymond – he was too loyal. He knew how much Eddie had loved Jessica. It was an accident, a mistake. Ed’s life would be destroyed after this. It was a pure mishap and Raymond would never tell a soul about the horrendous true happenings. As long as Frankie and Jed kept quiet, the police would just think that Jessica and Eddie had been attacked by somebody else.

Seeing a copper staring at him, Raymond went back inside the hospital. Joey was curled up on the floor like a baby. ‘Get up, Joey, come on, mate,’ Raymond said, crouching down next to him.

‘Leave him alone. This is all your fault, you and that other fucking hoodlum. With the lives you and him led, something like this was always bound to happen and it did, to my beautiful Jessica, who did nothing to deserve it. I hate what you’ve become, Raymond, and I’m ashamed to call you my son. Get out. Go on, get out, I never want to see your face again,’ Stanley shouted, pushing his son towards the door.

Shocked at the venom in his usually mild-mannered father’s voice, Raymond ran from the room.

With no room in the hospital car park, Sammy parked his motor in one of the spaces marked for staff only.

Jed had had his thinking cap on during the journey. He guessed from the police presence at Frankie’s that something sinister had happened, so he had prepared himself a story. ‘If the gavvers say anything, then I’m gonna say that you picked me up from Tilbury at six o’clock this morning. Me dad’ll go mental, ’cause he owns that fucking land. Me truck’s there and it’s registered in his name, so the gavvers are bound to wanna question him. Thank God I burnt them photos yesterday, Sam. Can you imagine the can of worms they could have opened?’

‘Are you sure you burnt ’em properly?’ Sammy asked worried.

‘Positive. I checked,’ Jed replied confidently.