The fly in the ointment, as far as Peter was concerned, was his youngest, Jack. Something was up with him, but Peter wasn’t quite sure what yet. As the youngest, Jack had grown up a bit of an attention seeker. He had plenty of swagger and with his looks had no problem attracting women. He was a natural for the business and Peter had been happy to give him free rein at running his drinking clubs. But Jack had been working less and less recently. Peter’s eyes and ears at the clubs reported that he disappeared for long periods and he was very secretive about where he’d been.

Peter suspected that Petey and Liam were protecting him at the moment. But he was convinced that wouldn’t last – eventually they would have to confide in him. That was the nature of the game they all played – nothing stayed a secret for long, not from Peter Bailey anyway.

Chapter Seventy-Three

Tania was watching her mum and her Auntie Ria. They were both very quiet and, as usual, her nana was doing most of the talking. Tania sat with her dollies as quietly as possible – she knew that if they remembered she was in the room, she would be sent out. When they spoke angrily like this or if they spoke to each other very quietly, she was always sent out of the room. So she sat by the side of the sofa as still as a statue, her ears on red alert as she listened to what they were saying.

‘Dear God, are you sure this is true?’ Lena’s voice was hushed, little more than a whisper.

Theresa nodded, her face serious, showing every line she had accumulated over the years, making her look old suddenly. When she was smiling, laughing, you forgot her age – now even Tania could see how different she looked and it frightened her. Lena was watching Ria as the words sank into her brain.

‘My Jack? Are you sure that this is about my Jack?’

Theresa was heart-sorry for the burden she was planting on her daughter-in-law, but she knew that the only person who could deliver this kind of news to Peter was his wife. She would go with Ria of course, but only Ria’s presence could keep him from doing something he would regret for the rest of his days.

‘Jack is at my house and Tommy’s there with him. He came to me because he didn’t know where else to go, Ria. He knew he had fucked up, but he also had the nous to know that he couldn’t sort this out by himself, that this would have a terrible impact on the family if it got out. Now get your Peter on the blower, and make him come to my house, OK? And then we can sort it out from there.’