‘What’s fair in life?’ said Dora. ‘You think mine’s been paved with gold? It fucking hasn’t, I can promise you that.’

‘My heart bleeds for you,’ said Lil, and she walked off.

65

The trial went on until eventually they came to the three-day summing-up point. Then the jury were out, deciding the verdict. After that, Frank Pargeter was called and stood before the court once more, sunlight streaming through the top windows onto his oily waving hair, almost like a blessing. He was wearing his usual expensive bespoke suit, an immaculate shirt and dark tie. The jury foreman, a small man with wiry ginger whiskers and tortoiseshell glasses thick as bottle bottoms, read out the verdict.

‘Guilty,’ he said, and the courtroom erupted as Frank was led back down to the cells without saying a single word or showing a flicker of emotion.

Next day was the sentencing, and it was harsh; the judge handed Frank down thirty years.

As Frank was finally led away to begin his time, he looked across the court at Dora and mouthed some words.

She understood them instantly, and went pale.

Donny Maguire, sitting beside her, saw the exchange. Over the furore in the courtroom, he leaned in to Dora and said: ‘What did he say?’

Dora took a breath. Her heart was beating furiously. Her hands felt clammy.

‘He said “you’re dead”,’ she told him.

Donny drove them back to the flat. The girl who’d been paid to mind the baby was still there.

‘She’s been good as gold,’ she told Dora.

Dora unpinned her hat and went in to the cramped box room that was set up as a bedroom for Dora and a nursery for Angel. She leaned over Angel’s cot. The baby was slumbering peacefully, one tiny fist in her mouth. Dora heard Donny speaking to the girl in the next room, but paid no attention. Here was her miracle. Her living, breathing baby.

Then Donny came in, pushing the door closed behind him. He stood there beside Dora.

‘So what happens now?’ Dora asked him quietly.

Donny looked at her. ‘Now? Nothing.’

‘But Frank’s been convicted. He’s going to jail.’

‘Yeah, and he threatened you right there in the courtroom. You know as well as I do, Dora, that it wouldn’t be an idle threat. People like him – scum like him, they have influence inside and out. He don’t often do his own dirty work, does he? After all, he sent Bruno Graves to get you. And you got lucky. But Frank’ll try again. You can be sure of that. You sent him down. Your evidence did the trick.’

Dora turned toward Donny, not wanting to raise her voice and wake the baby.

‘Look,’ she said in an urgent whisper. ‘It was you who insisted I did that. I didn’t want to. I wouldn’t have said a word, not ever, if you hadn’t forced me.’

Donny gave an ironic lift of one brow. ‘It ain’t me he wants dead, Dora. I didn’t give the evidence that convicted him, you did.’