Eddie Mitchell was in total disbelief when Larry told him the grim news. ‘So, you’re telling me, after running away in search of their mother, Georgie and Harry both sat in that courtroom and said they didn’t wanna see her?’

‘That’s correct and I’m positive that was what swung it, Ed. If the children had said differently, I’m sure they would have been allowed to visit Frankie. It looked to me like their father had preplanned their answers for them, but the judge was obviously fooled. As for Jed sounding uneducated and not coming across very well, he came across completely the opposite, I’m afraid.’

Eddie slammed the phone down and walked over to the drinks cabinet.

‘Are you OK, love?’ Gina asked, guessing full well that he wasn’t, but not knowing what else to say.

Ed turned to her. He’d already had the day from hell: the Old Bill had rung him and said they were ready to release his brothers’ bodies, so he’d spent the whole morning sorting out funeral arrangements, and now he had this shit to deal with on top of all that. Knocking back a large Scotch, Ed immediately poured himself another and turned to his fiancée. ‘I wanna speak to Stuart alone and make some phone alls. Go and sit upstairs for a bit,’ he ordered.

When Gina closed the living-room door, Ed turned to Stuart. ‘That’s it now: I’ve fucking had enough of them O’Haras. I’m gonna arrange a meet with the boys for tomorrow and end this once and for all.’

After leaving the court, Larry drove straight up to Holloway Prison as previously arranged. He was now sitting in a room waiting to speak to Frankie face to face. Telling Eddie hadn’t been quite as bad as Larry had predicted. He had sort of expected Ed to blame him and Carol for failing to deliver, but he’d been relatively polite, considering what had happened.

Larry twiddled his thumbs as he waited for Frankie to appear. Telling her that she’d lost the case was going to be awful, and Ed had rung him back to tell him not to be too honest with his daughter.

‘Whatever you say, do not tell Frankie that Georgie and Harry told the judge they didn’t want to visit her. Tell her any old bollocks, but not that, Lal, as that will fucking destroy her soul,’ Ed insisted.

When Frankie was finally led into the room, Larry was expecting hysterics as he relayed the events of the hearing. Her reaction could not have surprised him more. Frankie did not cry, scream, shout or anything. All she did was sit opposite him with a look of hatred on her face and mutter two sentences.