Bunty looked at him with open animosity. ‘What do you know about it all? My Harry had to lay his arse on the line tonight to stop that bitch down the road from being hassled. She knows a lot more than she’s letting on, Stephen. You’d better find out just how much she does know. Ask Georgio what he’s told her. She has us all over a barrel at the moment.’

Stephen stood up. ‘I’ll sort it all out, OK? I just said I would, didn’t I?’ His teeth were gritted. ‘Once I have seen Candy and the man I’ll have everything sorted and we can get back to normal. By the New Year most of the operation will be in Germany and France anyway. Relax, stop worrying, and most of all, play the game. No one would suspect you two. As for this Danny Kilbride, he’s working for Lewis or my name’s Jack Nicholson. It’s just another fright for Georgio, that’s all. Lewis is trying it on to make Georgio pay him the money. If we keep cool heads, we’ll be home and dry in no time at all. Now I’d better get round to Donna and do my concerned brother-in-law bit.’

Harry watched Stephen as he left the house.

‘What do you think, Bunty? Should we take a dive now? Pass it all over to Georgio and Stephen?’

Bunty made a very unladylike snorting noise with her lips.

‘Don’t talk out of your rectum, Harry, you know it annoys me. We could make a blasted fortune in the next twelve months. Look how much we’ve already earned.’ She flopped down on to the sofa beside her husband and laughed gently.

‘We’ll give it one more year, then me and you can retire with Daddy and do all the things we ever wanted to do without ever having to worry where the money’s coming from.’

Harry closed his eyes.

After tonight, the prospect of the money didn’t seem so appealing to him. They were involved in something so big, the very thought of it scared him, and caused him sleepless nights. His wife, who as a woman should have been against what they were doing, was getting greedier and greedier by the day. He wished he had never met Georgio Brunos, wished he had never been tempted to get involved in any of it.

In fact, he wished he had never met Bunty, her father, or any of them.

‘What are you thinking about, Harry?’

Bunty’s voice was harsh. The nasal twang grated on Harry’s ears.

‘What am I thinking about? You actually, darling.’

He saw the absurd look of pleasure on her face and sighed again.

He was trapped, and he knew it.

Donna watched as Stephen nailed down the floorboards and relaid the carpets. He tutted loudly.