Mike took a deep breath. ‘Watch it, Jackie. Don’t be a div.’

The knock at the door killed their conversation stone-dead. It was Brandon Miles, his father’s solicitor. A tall and immaculately dressed man in his late sixties, he’d been the family’s lawyer for decades. Armed with a briefcase and a broad smile, he shook Mike’s hand. ‘Good to see you, Mike. How are you? How’s Ricky?’

‘Yeah, he’s on the mend, Brandon. He should be home very soon. I think the whole incident has had us in bits. I’ll be glad when he’s home and giving me cheek.’

Miles followed Mike through into the dining room, where he locked eyes with Jackie. He’d met her once before at a family gathering and had never thought much of her then. He nodded without a smile and sat opposite her.

He pulled a pen from his top pocket and looked up at Mike. ‘So, do you have the papers?’

Mike smiled. ‘Oh yes, ready and waiting.’

He turned to the side cabinet and retrieved the envelope. Then he slid out the documents and placed them in front of Jackie. ‘Sign there and there.’

She took the pen proffered by Miles and paused, just for effect.

Miles’s eyes bored into hers, but he didn’t say a word. Then he gave Mike a sly wink.

Jackie scribbled her name on all the relevant parts.

Miles pulled out another form for her to sign. ‘And this one too, please,’ he said.

She snatched it from him and signed where the crosses were shown, without reading it. Miles took all the papers and signed as the witness. As soon as he popped them in his briefcase, he then smiled and chuckled, still staring at the woman.

‘’Ere, what’s so funny?’ she spat.

Miles shook his head, still grinning. ‘I love it when I feel like I have taken a small part in revenge. You hurt this family so much, and we all stood back, unable to help, but at least I can walk out of this house knowing that there is nothing you can ever do now to hurt them. You have signed the divorce papers and any claim you have to anything Mike has. You didn’t even read what was in the divorce petition that you signed your name to. Lying, kidnapping your son, stealing, coercion, and fraud. So, Miss Menaces, if you ever try to make a complaint to the police or any authority about Mike, I will show them all the papers and statements that you’ve just signed.’

Jackie’s eyes widened in shock. ‘But you’re a solicitor. You can’t do that.’

‘Yes, I am a solicitor, which means I can do exactly that, and I just have.’

Mike had his hand over his mouth to stop himself from laughing.