Alan began talking. Donna was amazed at the way he didn’t take any notice of the people around him. He seemed at home with them.

‘I need a fishing boat, but one that can shift, know what I mean? I need a house to hole up in just in case we don’t make it to the boat in time. I need a good crew, trustworthy, who can keep stumm. I also want a chart for getting over to Ireland. That’s where the parcel is gonna be landing first off.’

Nick nodded. ‘This ain’t nothing to do with the Irish, is it?’ His voice was hesitant.

‘In a way. He’s half-Irish and we’re gonna spring him.’ He nodded towards Donna as he spoke.

Nick grinned. ‘I get it - old Georgio is for the off! In that case I’ll work you out a good deal, Alan. A mate’s a mate after all, and in my game you can do with as many of them as possible.’

He held up his glass in a toast and swallowed down the rest of his rum and Coke. ‘Another round, Albie dear, if you don’t mind.’

Albie smiled and went to the bar once more.

‘He’s very quiet, isn’t he?’

Nick laughed gently. ‘So would you be, love, if someone cut your tongue out.’

Donna wasn’t sure whether it was a sick joke. She looked askance at Alan who nodded his head slowly.

Nick carried on talking. ‘He was a rent boy with me years ago, before I came into my present occupation. A punter done it because he didn’t like the blow job. I’ve looked after him ever since. I found him and I kept him. I’ve got a thing about strays.’ His voice was once more pure camp and Donna knew it was to hide the sadness behind his words.

Inexplicably she felt tears come into her eyes and Nick, seeing this, held her small hand in his large scarlet-nailed one. ‘Sad, love, I know. But he’s all right now. I give him a good life, dear. You’re too chicken-hearted. I’m the same. I cry at Lassie films.’

Alan watched the incongruous twosome and shook his head in defeat.

Donna was holding her own and making friends wherever they went. It could only augur well for the future and Georgio’s jump. He smiled at her, watching her beautiful face as she stared into Nick’s heavily made-up eyes.

She had passed the test, she had held her own, and Alan realised that in a lot of ways she was an asset to the operation. Everyone had always wondered about Georgio’s wife; Brunos was into so much more than Donna would ever be able to comprehend. She was an enigma to people, for she was interesting, and she looked and acted shrewd.