‘Then you should love me, Donald, old chap, because I just won, and I didn’t cheat either. Want a cup of Rosie Lee?’

Lewis nodded slowly.

As Georgio walked away to get the teas Lewis watched him through half-closed eyes.

Georgio Brunos was getting too big for his boots. There was something about the way he was acting, like a kid with a big secret. It was almost as if Georgio knew Lewis was on his way out. Knew that he was going to be usurped in some way. And the only way he would know that, was if he was to be the usurper. He seemed to spend a lot of time with big Ricky and Chopper just lately. Donald Lewis smiled to himself.

He would keep his eyes and ears open and at the first hint of a mutiny, the three of them would be wiped off the face of the earth. His money was important to him, but not as important as his reputation. That was of the utmost importance to him.

It was what kept him alive.

He decided to arm himself and his henchmen well. Insurance was always worth taking out, especially in these troubled times.

Little Dicky sat with his usual white rum and sipped it slowly before answering Nick’s questions.

‘Come on, Dicky, spit it out. I ain’t paying you for fuck all.’

‘The word on the street down south is that an Irishman called Paddy is asking around about the jump you’re organising. It seems he has a personal interest in it. He also asks a lot about Alan Cox and his association with a certain Donna Brunos. I get the impression he thinks Cox is knocking around with her. I know he isn’t. She is being used as a go-between, I sussed that one from the off.

‘I also hear that Donald Lewis is making waves about Georgio Brunos, saying he’s a beast. He’s making sure this gets out to all quarters. It has a grain of truth in it, but not anything I can give specifically. I know his brother is a whoremaster, but that’s beasting on a respectable level as you know yourself. The said Donna Brunos has disappeared, and I now find out that this Paddy is hunting high and low for her. The word is she is on holiday somewhere. Now it doesn’t take me long to get to the bottom of all this. Can I speak frankly to you, Nick?’

He nodded, respect and admiration for the old man welling inside him.

‘Of course you can. I own you, so to speak; you can say what you want, Dicky.’

Dicky swallowed down his white rum nervously and poured himself another before resuming his talk.

‘You’re organising the jump of Georgio Brunos, Georgio owes a lot of money to Lewis, and Lewis is putting out the word that Brunos is beasting.