Harry thought carefully before answering. He knew that he used to love his mum very much, but due to his young age, his memories of being with her were fading rapidly. ‘I miss Mummy a tiny bit. Do you still miss her?’

Georgie mused over her reply also. Being older than Harry, her memories of her mother were a lot clearer than her brother’s, but she wasn’t sure if she missed her any more or not. ‘I think I still love Mummy and want to visit her, but I don’t wanna live with her no more. I wanna stay with Daddy, Nanny Alice and Grandad Jimmy for ever and ever.’

Harry grinned. ‘I wanna stay here for ever and ever too.’

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Chapter Seventeen

1994

Beverley’s funeral was arranged for the first week in January and on the morning in question, Eddie got ready early and sat downstairs flicking through some old photo albums.

Christmas and New Year had been a morbid affair and Eddie was as pleased as punch to see the back of 1993. What with his brothers being murdered, Beverley snuffing it, Frankie being banged up, and his grandkids being placed in the care of the O’Haras, it had been a poxy year overall.

Staring at the picture of his two brothers sitting in a restaurant with his father, Eddie slammed the album shut and picked up the other one. The police still had no idea who had killed Ronny and Paulie and, because of this, were refusing to release their bodies. Consumed by guilt because of his own involvement in their deaths, Eddie couldn’t wait to get their funerals over and done with. The least he owed them was a lavish send-off, and once they were finally at peace, he would find out who had cut their throats and make sure the cunt who had done it had his cut, too.

‘You all right, love?’ Gina asked, as she sat next to Ed on the sofa and put her head on his shoulder.

Eddie nodded and pointed to a photograph of a pretty, dark-haired woman. ‘That’s Beverley not long after we got married. That’s Gary she’s holding; he was only about a month old there, I think.’

‘She was very beautiful,’ Gina replied honestly.

Remembering the state of his first wife the last time he had seen her, Ed shook his head sadly. ‘You’d never have recognised her if you’d have seen her recently. When we split up she turned to booze and binge-eating. I think she went up to about eighteen stone at one time. Gary and Ricky had a poxy childhood living with her. She used to let ’em run riot when they were nippers and play in the streets till all hours. I used to have ’em every weekend, but I’ll never forgive her for being such an awful mother.’