Babs shook her head. ‘I think Katie is genuine, and I’m sure you got her all wrong. Why would she help you by getting the messages to Jed if she were on his side?’

‘I ain’t got her wrong at all. Them travellers stick together like glue, mate, and do you know what? I bet that lying cow ain’t even got a cousin called Danny. I bet she’s ringing Jed up herself.’

Babs looked at Frankie with an incredulous expression plastered across her face. ‘Really?’

Frankie nodded. She was Eddie Mitchell’s daughter and had been bred by the finest when it came to being clued-up about people. She linked arms with Babs. ‘I know exactly what’s going on and, mark my words, I’m right.’

Jed and Sammy were sat in the White Hart in Rainham. After yesterday’s court case, Jed had gone to a nearby boozer with his parents and children and had rung his cousin to urge him to celebrate with them. Sammy had turned up within the hour with two grams of coke in his pocket. Jed had got the flavour, sent the kids home with his parents, and then he and Sammy had gone off on one of their jaunts. They’d ended up in the Church Elm pub in Dagenham where they’d pulled two birds and stayed the night at theirs in some nearby flats called the Mall.

‘So, what was your one like? Did you shag her?’ Sammy asked his cousin.

‘Nah, I’d had too much booze,’ Jed lied. For once, the girl he’d pulled would not let him have his wicked way with her and Jed rather respected her for that. Her name was Amanda and the closest he’d got to the deed was a finger and a wank. ‘I thought mine was quite pretty, as it goes. I took her number and I might ring her in a few days. What about yours? Did you give her one?’ Jed asked.

Sammy grinned. ‘She was a right goer. Stuck her finger up me arse and all sorts.’

Jed chuckled then quietly sipped his beer. On the journey to the pub, Sammy had informed him that Sally had been laid to rest that morning and even though towards the end of their relationship he had had few feelings for Sally, the news had sort of messed with his head.

‘What’s up? You thinking of Sally?’ Sammy asked.

Jed’s mood had been as bouncy as a trampoline until half an hour ago when Sammy had mentioned her funeral. ‘Nah, not really. I suppose it’s just brought memories of Lukey boy back to me,’ Jed said. He’d never been one to admit his feelings.