‘You don’t mean . . . you’re not saying . . .’ Her expression was one of utter confusion.

Alan nodded, his face hard now. The face Donna had seen when he had attacked Stephen Brunos.

‘That’s the only way out for any of us, Donna. While Georgio is breathing we’re in mortal danger. He’ll hear the whisper about us, and believe me, we will be gossiped about. Especially to Georgio. He’s shrewd, he’ll have sussed everything out before anyone else does. I know him, he’s got someone waiting for him in Ireland, someone who will be amazed and then frightened when he doesn’t arrive, someone who knows a lot more about what’s going on than you ever did.’

Donna nodded. ‘You mean Vida, the mother of his child?’

Her voice was bitter as she spoke and Alan’s eyes opened wide in amazement.

‘I know everything now,’ she whispered. ‘I told you that. Carol filled me in about her, along with everything else.’

‘Well, you’ll know that Vida is the one setting up the final stage of the jump from Ireland. I suspect you were to be left high and dry. I sussed that out at the beginning of all this.’

‘Well, thanks for letting me know,’ she cried. ‘I was under the impression we were friends!’

He shook his head. ‘While you were still all over that Greek ponce I had to keep me peace, didn’t I? He could have fucked Vida off out of it. I didn’t think he would, but that could have been the scenario. I was doing a mate a favour. And with respect, Donna, look where the fuck it’s got me.

‘I now have to make sure the mate - and believe me when I say, for all his faults, Georgio was a mate to me when I needed him - I have to make sure that this mate, this good old mate, stops breathing at the first available opportunity! So don’t sit there like fucking Britannia, all knowing and womanly strength. Remember I am also in this up to my neck and I still have to live in the criminal world afterwards.’

Donna acknowledged that what he said was true.

‘So what is your plan, Alan. What do you want to do?’

‘Nick Carvello is well-known for his hatred of beasts and nonces,’ Alan began. ‘A while ago, Lewis put it about that Georgio was beasting. He obviously knew that it was true because, with Stephen, he was going to try and take the lot from Georgio. Now Nick believed it all: he wanted out of the jump. I was the one who talked him into staying with it, gave him my word it was all bullshit. You see - I thought it was at the time. Everyone did. Georgio the nonce-hater, Georgio the man’s man.