‘Anyway, all that aside, I’ll tell Nick on the quiet that it’s true. I’ll tell him everything, and that will be for our good as well because Nick will go after JoJo and Jack Coyne like a maniac. He hates them. He will hate Georgio for putting him in the position he is in. Helping him, knowing he’s a nonsense - that will send Nick into a mental the likes of which you couldn’t even imagine. Consequently, when Georgio reaches Liverpool, Nick will either be waiting for him with a twelve-bore sawn-off shotgun, or your hubby will arrive up there to fuck-all help. No safe house, no safe passage, nothing.

‘If I was you I’d pin your hopes on the former. Because one thing you must understand: Georgio will have to die. If he doesn’t, me and you are in more trouble than you realise. Especially you, because he’ll find out you went to Sri Lanka and he’ll know you put the fuck on him.’

Donna listened to Alan in wonderment. Everything was like a nightmare. Her life was in danger, her whole world was collapsing around her, and instead of running from it all, running from Georgio, she still wanted to fight him.

‘Ring Nick Carvello now. I’ll wait until the jump’s over. But I warn you, Alan, if he gets to Ireland, I go to the Old Bill and I tell them everything I know. And I don’t care if they lock us all up and throw away the key, I’ll see my day with that bastard I married.’

Alan nodded, stifling an urge to throttle the woman before him, without whom none of this would be happening. Yet even as he raged, he had to admire her. Donna Brunos had more scruples than anyone he had ever met in his life.

She would fight for what she wanted.

He hoped to Christ she finally got it.

Lewis smiled at Sadie as she sipped at her small scotch and water.

‘So, Sadie, what’s this big story you want to tell me?’

Sadie looked at Donald Lewis and took a deep breath.

‘Did you know I was deaf until I was sixteen, Mr Lewis?’

Donald shook his head. ‘How the fuck would I know that? Why would I be interested in that?’

Sadie licked her lips nervously.

‘Well, I lipread till then - you know the life I had, Donald, everyone does. I suffered from what’s known as glue ear. I was as deaf as a post. Anyway, I still lipread, even now.’

She saw Donald’s eyes narrow and sipped once more at her whisky before finishing what she had to say.

‘I lipread something tonight I think you ought to know about, Mr Lewis.’

Donald Lewis looked through slitted eyes at Sadie and said gently, ‘Go ahead, love, tell me what’s on your mind.’