‘Daniel didn’t only take Alfie and his little boy out, Peter. He also made it his business to take out both of the Menendez brothers, the dealers who were skimming us. He took them out in a pub on Brixton High Street in full view of the regular clientele. He made sure that everyone saw him. From what I’ve heard he was alone, though – none of his lads were with him, so that’s something, I suppose. But fucking hell, Peter! He is one mad bastard.’

Peter was nodding his head, but he knew that they had to do some serious damage limitation, and do it fast. The Menendez brothers were nothing to worry about – they were both fucking accidents waiting to happen. They were going to get murdered eventually, it was just a case of when, where and by whom.

And Alfie Clarke wasn’t exactly popular – no one he knew would be willing to right any wrongs for him, dead or alive. But his little lad was a different kettle of fish. It was a fucking nightmare. Even the Filth would feel honour-bound to solve this one. Once it hit the news, it would cause untold aggravation for everyone.

A shooting was newsworthy enough in itself, but a child being shot? Being part of what was, to all intents and purposes, a hit? That would be national news. It would be the first story before the bongs on News at Ten, make the front page of all the papers. And so it should – it was shocking. This would bring the Filth out in droves, there was no getting away from that. It would cost a small fortune to keep them out of it.

‘This is fucking going to cause ructions, Delroy.’

Delroy shrugged. ‘That, my man, is the understatement of the fucking year.’

Chapter Thirty

Daniel Bailey knew exactly what he had caused, and he was glad. He’d felt that he had to make a fucking splash, and he had done just that. The Menendez brothers were gone, and no one would say a word about that so he was as safe as houses there. It was a genuine grievance that would be understood by everyone in their world; they were a pair of fucking wasters, who had believed that they could scam the very people who had been good enough to give them a fucking good earn in the first place. He shook his head at the utter front of some people.