Donna was taken back by her mother-in-law’s words. ‘I beg your pardon?’

Maeve laughed gently. ‘I’m not so green as I’m cabbage-looking. I know that more went on there than meets the eye. You don’t get accused of all sorts like my Georgio did unless you was on the fringes at least. Did he take the fall for someone bigger than him? It wouldn’t surprise me if he was in it up to his neck! After all, he admitted supplying the cars, didn’t he? So he knew more than he was letting on.’

Donna stared down at the grubby white tablecloth. ‘He never admitted that, Maeve. He admitted selling the cars to Wilson, that’s a different thing altogether.’

‘Wilson had on a posh suit in court. Did he look the type to you to be able to buy two expensive cars for cash? I mean, it seemed fishy to me and I’m Georgio’s mother.’

‘Georgio and Davey sell to anyone with the money, and I myself have dealt with car dealers who look like they’re on the dole and yet have wads of money in their pockets. So, no, it doesn’t seem strange to me at all.’ Donna could hear her voice rising and fought to keep it at an even level.

‘All right, love, calm down, it was just a thought. You’re his wife, and I’m his mother. We’re the two women closest to him. We both know him inside out, but maybe in different ways. Stephen says he stripped the businesses, do you know why?’

Donna stood up and went to her handbag for cigarettes. ‘Look, what is this, Maeve? Am I on trial now along with Georgio? You missed your vocation, you should have joined the CPS.’

Maeve was flabbergasted. Never once, in all the years she had known Donna, had the girl spoken to her like that. But she wasn’t a girl anymore, and Maeve admitted this to herself. She was a woman, a woman of nearly forty who only looked like a girl because she had never been scarred by the trials of childrearing. Only the want of them. They had all looked after Donna and now, after all these months without her husband, it seemed she could look after herself.

‘I’m sorry, Donna, I don’t know what’s wrong with me lately. I apologise for interrogating you like that!’

Donna turned to face her and smiled. ‘I’m sorry too, Maeve. Maybe I’m too touchy. If I could just have the VO . . .’

Maeve jumped from her seat and left the kitchen to find the Visiting Order. ‘Of course, I’ll get it for you.’