As they approached the offices, Petey could hear the animal grunting of Billy Allen and, as they walked up the steps, they saw Noel Bailey in the doorway. He was smiling at them, as if this was just a normal visit between family.

Inside, the place was running blood, and the stench of sweat, blood and urine was overpowering in the confines of the small room. Billy Allen was clearly on his last legs and Petey felt the relief wash over him.

Billy was lying back in the typist chair; one hand was no more than a bloody stump, and his fingers, along with his thumb, were strewn all over the floor by his feet. His right eye was gone – Peter Bailey guessed it had been removed by his brother, probably with one of the teaspoons he usually used when making them a cup of tea. Billy looked like something from a Wes Craven movie, but he was unwilling to admit defeat. He was still fighting it, as he lapsed in and out of consciousness. The amount of blood he had lost would have killed any other normal person by now.

Daniel Bailey looked at his brother and shook his head in a gesture of denial, but Peter could see that he was impressed despite everything that was going on. Billy Allen was intent on playing the hard man, right until the bitter end.

‘We’ll get nothing from him, Pete. I think he’s almost enjoying this – the mad bastard – proving how hard he is.’

Peter knew the man had to be in mortal agony; his brother, when he got started, would have gone for the maximum of pain, especially as this was so personal to him.

Danny said loudly, ‘We need that cunt Terrence. I’ve got everyone out looking for him. Now he is a fucking Grade-A coward. He wouldn’t last a minute, not like this fucking maniac.’

Peter sighed in agreement. ‘I take it he ain’t said nothing?’

Daniel shook his head in consternation. ‘Not a fucking word – forced a few screams out of him, though.’

His brother laughed. ‘No brain, no fucking pain! How many times have we heard that one, eh?’

Daniel nodded. Then he went to his desk and picked up the small blowtorch. ‘Take his shoes and socks off.’