What no one knew about Sadie though was that until the age of sixteen she had been deaf. After an operation that gave her back fifty per cent of her hearing, Sadie still lipread when talking to people. She was now taking in Lewis’s conversation with Wally and relaying it back to Timmy, word for word.

Timmy’s attitude was that Lewis was a man you’d best be a jump ahead of - two jumps if possible. He had no intention of warning Brunos about the attack intended for his wife - that was between him and Lewis - but if the latter had any intention of firing the cell, smoking it, or leaving a welcoming committee, then Timmy wanted to know. It was hard enough doing your time without the added hag of someone else’s troubles landing on your doorstep, so to speak.

He gently put his arm across Sadie’s shoulders. ‘Well done, Sadie, me old meat pie. You keep your eye out and about for any titbits you think might be of interest to me.’

She smiled up into Timmy’s moon face. ‘Fancy going back to my cell for a while? We’ll have a bit of time to ourselves before the others come in.’

Timmy nodded and the two strolled back inside arm in arm. The screws watched them with amusement. In all truth they should cell them up together, but it was much more fun watching their furtive attempts at sex in odd places and at odd times.

It took the monotony out of the days, and God knew, that in itself was enough of a reason to keep the lovers apart for a while longer.

Georgio was reading a letter from Donna. He smiled to himself as she filled him in on her days. He felt much more relaxed now that Davey and Stephen had taken over the running of the main businesses. He was amazed, though, at how effectively Donna had slipped on the mantle of boss on the sites. Davey had told him how well she was doing. Even Big Paddy Donovon had been impressed with how quickly she had caught on. Georgio looked once more at the photographs Donna had sent in. They were from a holiday they had taken in Barbados a few years previously. Donna, tanned and lithe in a yellow bikini, looked good enough to eat. Another taken in St Tropez showed her topless, eating a large French gâteau. He had expressly asked for that photo. It had really turned him on that day, watching the fresh cream melting on her little breasts. He felt a stirring inside himself and put the photographs on the table.

Timmy laughed. ‘Got the horn, Brunos? Tell them to put more bromide in your tea, mate!’

Georgio laughed back good-naturedly. ‘You’re a dirty-minded swine, Timmy. Not everyone’s got your taste in women so some of us have to do without.’