‘Larry rang me today. Alice has already created havoc up at Georgie’s new school and Georgie has now been asked to leave. Apparently that social worker bird popped round the O’Haras’ earlier to inform them that Georgie has to attend school to comply with the custody agreement and she told Larry it was mayhem round there. She’s written another report and Larry’s gonna appeal against them pikey shitbags getting custody. Once Jed and Jimmy are propping up the A13 in one of Freddie’s newly built flyovers, Alice ain’t got a cat in hell’s chance of getting her hands on them kids.’

‘So, what’s the plan now? How and when exactly are we gonna strike?’ Raymond asked.

‘Stu’s clocked the route Jed and Jimmy use on the way back from Southall. They drive past my old house, so the plan is that two of us wait in a motor a mile or two down the lane.’

‘Me and Ricky can do that. We know what their horse-box looks like,’ Gary said immediately.

‘OK, then as soon as you spot ’em, follow ’em, but keep way back, and ring us when they’re a couple of minutes away. We’re gonna be parked up in that layby between my old gaff and Jimmy’s. Me and Raymondo will hide in the back of the van and Stu can be in the driver’s seat. Jimmy and Jed have no idea what Stu looks like, and I’m gonna put some butcher stickers down the side of the van and dress Stu up to look like a fucking mobile butcher. If he pretends the van’s broken down, them drunken pricks will have no option but to get out and give him a push. They won’t be able to get the horse-box past, so they’re gonna have to help out. When they do, we’ll bundle ’em in the back of the van and take ’em to meet their maker.’

All five men fell silent as they thought over the plan. Ridding the earth of four men in the space of three days was a big risk and they all knew that. Ten minutes later, Ricky muttered the words that everybody had been waiting for.

‘He’s just walked out the club.’

Eddie Mitchell pushed Ricky out of the way and stared at the thin, dark-haired geezer who was standing at the entrance with a snooker-cue case in his hand. He was laughing and chatting to two older blokes.

‘You sure he’ll walk home alone?’ Eddie asked anxiously.

‘Yep. He stands at the door talking to them geezers every week. They walk the opposite way to him and Carroll gets a takeaway from that Chinese I pointed out to you earlier.’

‘Well, let’s hope the cunt’s hungry tonight, ’cause if he ain’t, and walks along with them two, we’re fucked,’ Eddie said frankly.