Theresa thought about it for a few moments before she answered her granddaughter. ‘I did, at first. But my father once called your Uncle Peter a sunburned Irishman and, after that, if they had ever tried to get in contact – which they didn’t – I wouldn’t have wanted anything to do with them anyway. My baby boy was everything to me, you see – he was my blood.’

Tania felt an enormous sadness for her nana; she had been alone from such a young age, and that must have been so hard.

Theresa kissed the girl’s soft hand; she saw the nails bitten down to the quick, and the sadness that was in her lovely face. This was a young girl who had far too much to cope with, and who was far too young for what life had dished out. ‘Listen to me, Tania. You’re all over the place at the moment. You’ve had a terrible shock to your system, and you’re vulnerable. You keep that in mind, my little darling, and please don’t do anything you might regret. There’re a lot of men like your cousin Petey out there in the big wide world, and they are only out for themselves – don’t you ever forget that. They should have a government health warning stamped across their arses!’

Tania looked at her nana and, smiling slightly, she said quietly, ‘I’m nearly eighteen, Nana, I’m not a child.’

Theresa nodded in agreement. ‘I know that, but you’re still a child to me. I just don’t want to see you get hurt, that’s all.’

Tania sensed her nana had her suspicions, and she wondered how she would react if she told her outright that her advice had come just a little bit too late.

Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-Four

Danny and Davey were in a private drinking club in Soho. The family had taken the place over a couple of years before in lieu of a debt they were owed by another crew. The money borrowed had been used to purchase drugs – unfortunately, the river police had got wind of the daring escapade and put paid to the new business venture. The debt still had to be honoured though – that was the harsh reality of the Life. There was no insurance in their game, so the crew had signed this place over to the Baileys. They had refurbished it, reopened it, and it was now a popular haunt for minor celebrities and London Faces. It had been a good money-spinner for them, and it was legitimate. They could launder money through there too – another handy advantage.

As they sat in the small office, drinking expensive coffee, they were chatting about their father and his behaviour.