Beverley lived literally five minutes away from the Barge Aground. The house still belonged to Eddie, and because she was the mother of two of his children, he’d let Beverley live there rent-free for years.

‘Shall we break a window or kick the door in?’ Ricky asked, as he and Gary pulled up outside. Seeing the nosy old bat next door peering through the curtains, Gary stuck two fingers up at her. He’d knocked at a few of the neighbours’, including her, earlier to ask if they’d seen his mum and they’d all been extremely unhelpful.

‘Let’s try and kick the door in; we can always put another lock on for her,’ Gary said.

Kicking the door repeatedly with the sole of his shoe, Gary couldn’t get it to budge. ‘Let’s walk back a few yards and when I count to three, boot it with me,’ Gary ordered. ‘One, two, three.’

As the door flew open, Ricky vomited and Gary staggered backwards overpowered by the rancid smell of death.

After explaining to Joanie, Vi and Reg that Harry’s grave had been vandalised by mindless yobs, Eddie dropped Joey at his apparently pissed grandmother’s house. Joycie’s mates had rung Joey and, sitting at home now, being comforted by Gina, Ed wished he was as pissed as Joycie as well.

‘Pour us another Scotch, babe,’ he said to Gina.

As Gina stood up the phone rang.

‘If that’s for me, tell whoever it is I ain’t in. I’m not in the mood for talking to no cunt today,’ Eddie shouted out. He was stressed, angry and upset, and the more he thought about the state of his father’s grave, the more he thought about the O’Haras. They had something to do with the vandalism and his father’s death, he’d convinced himself of that.

Gina walked back into the room with her hand over the mouthpiece of the phone. ‘It’s Gary. He says it’s urgent,’ she whispered.

‘I ain’t in,’ Eddie mouthed, waving his hands in annoyance.

‘He’s really upset, I think something has happened to him,’ Gina whispered again.

Eddie snatched the phone angrily out of Gina’s hands. ‘Whatever it is, make it fucking quick,’ he spat.

‘It’s Mum. She’s dead.’

Chapter Sixteen

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Jimmy O’Hara woke up in a foul mood on Christmas morning for two reasons. Firstly, his grandkids had woken him at 6 a.m. with that awful Mr Blobby record and, secondly, he’d had some news yesterday that had made his blood boil to an extremely high temperature.

Bobby Berkley had been avoiding Jimmy’s calls, so Jimmy had spent the previous day tracking him down. He’d finally found him in a boozer in Crays Hill and had demanded to know what was going on.