Danny dropped his head into his hands and groaned theatrically. ‘I saw it coming all right, I just didn’t think he would fucking actually do it – he knows how we feel about it.’

Davey lit a cigarette and, pulling on it deeply, he said quietly, ‘Like what we think means anything to him. He battered the fuck out of him. Derek Thomas is now fighting for his life in hospital. All over three grand! Talk about going over the top. I’m fucking sick of it, Danny. He’s out of control again. He acts like he’s in the right, and he ain’t.’

Danny didn’t answer his brother. He knew exactly what was eating at his father; he had been expecting something like this, even though they were all on a good fucking wedge. Daniel Bailey Senior, his father, was still regarded with suspicion by everyone around them and, even though he had tried to regain the ground he had lost over the Clarke debacle, it had never really been an option without Peter’s support. It was a miracle he had not had his collar felt for it, a miracle that Danny suspected had a lot to do with his Uncle Peter’s desire to protect the family business, and the man’s knack for finding the people best placed to do him favours, or to smooth his paths, depending on what he required, and who was available for a fee. His father could never get his head round the fact that friendly negotiations and goodwill were far more lucrative in the end than brute force or intimidation could ever be.

Peter Bailey, on the other hand, had always understood that. Consequently, he had branched out into all sorts of different spheres, and he had also managed, in his own inimitable way, not only to muscle in on other people’s earns, but ensure that the person he went into partnership with actually earned more. Therefore, the people concerned were understandably happy with the new arrangements. Unlike his father, who just took and, in the process, managed to make even more enemies than he already had. And his enemies, as the Bible would say, were fucking legion.

His father was a taker, and that was what was causing so much trouble. Danny had spent a lot of time building up his family’s side of the business. He had painstakingly attempted to make sure that his brothers, as well as himself, were seen as fair, were seen as trustworthy; he treated people with respect, made sure his brothers did too. He was the antithesis of his father in that respect, though his father’s presence in the background made sure the people they dealt with toed the fucking line.