JoJo snorted. ‘Did they fuck! That ponce is probably having them dipped in gold and made into a necklace. But I promise you this much: once Georgio is out, I’ll pay back the lot of them, him included. He was behind all this from the off. He’s letting us know that he don’t trust us. Well, if he wants his money from the deal, he’d better start showing me a bit of respect. I never wanted to get involved, it was his idea and now he’s trying to keep my trap shut, and yours as well, in case we blow the lid while he’s banged up - and banged up with Lewis of all people. Lewis wouldn’t touch a deal like this one - he thought he was going into property, the stupid fucker! Well, I’ve lost more than my fingers now. I’ve lost face and respect and Georgio has to be made to realise he can’t do that to me.’

Jack shifted once more in the chair.

‘Will you keep fucking still?’ The patient complained irritably. ‘You’re giving me the heebie-jeebies.’

Jack rolled his eyes at the ceiling. ‘I don’t want any part of this any more. It’s all blown up in our faces. We should never have got involved in it. Whatever way you look at it, it’s all wrong, JoJo.’

JoJo couldn’t meet the other man’s eyes, but he said quietly, ‘Wrong it may be, mate, but at the end of the day it’s the biggest moneyspinner in the world at the moment and we are in at ground level. Once we make a killing we can walk away from it all richer than we ever believed. And it’s very nearly legal.’

Jack shook his head miserably. ‘I still don’t like it, JoJo, I never did. I should never have listened to you about it all.’

JoJo started to get worried. In all their dealings, Jack had calmly done whatever he asked. It wasn’t Jack talking now, it was that skinny wife of his.

‘Listen,’ he told him now, ‘all we ever did was put up the money. The distribution was down to Georgio. He’ll take the flak from it all once it hits the streets. No one is to know that we put up money unless Georgio tells them, and he wouldn’t do that. He second guessed us on this, knew that once he was banged up we would get worried. That’s what my hand’s all about. Nick Carvello must know something because he was quick enough to blast me. So don’t worry on that score. Once Georgio’s out he can pick up the reins from wherever he is. This stuff travels through the air, boy, you can distribute it from anywhere in the world.’