‘Fucking old witch,’ Stanley mumbled, as soon as his wife was out of earshot.

Joycie went into the kitchen and put the kettle on. She’d worked him so hard that Stanley had been as stiff as a board as he’d stood up and limped towards the phone. ‘Serves you right, you philandering old goat,’ she chuckled.

Terry Baldwin was not having the best of spying missions. Jed’s Shogun had not been on the drive when he’d arrived earlier and there’d been no sign of the pikey little shit since. To make matters worse, Terry had an upset stomach and had twice had to crap in a nearby bush. Feeling pains shooting through his stomach again, Terry crawled out of his hidey hole. This evening had doom written all over it, so the best thing he could do was go home get an early night, then come back tomorrow nice and refreshed.

Still on a high from torturing the name of his brothers’ killer out of Jamie Carroll then blowing his brains out, Eddie Mitchell was in a rather buoyant mood as he climbed into the back of the white Renault van. The removable number plates had been changed and the stickers had now been replaced: instead of reading ‘Beryl’s Flowers’, the side of the van was now advertising ‘Suzie’s Blinds and Curtains’.

‘Everthing pan out all right? Have you spoken to Flatnose Freddie today?’ Gary asked his father.

Eddie nodded and told Raymond to start driving. ‘I met Freddie at lunchtime, the body’s already gone and the warehouse has been spring-cleaned.’

‘How much extra is he charging us for the use of that warehouse, Dad?’ Ricky asked. Usually Flatnose Freddie just disposed of the bodies, but this time round he’d sorted out a disused warehouse in Aveley for the killings to take place in.

‘Five grand per head, on top of the ten to get rid of the carcasses; it works out sixty, all told.’

When Eddie had killed geezers in the past, he’d do it anywhere that took his fancy, but to top four men in three nights was adventurous, even by his standards and he’d decided to leave the dirty work to Freddie. Old Flatnose was the best clean-up merchant in the business.

To take everybody’s mind off what was about to take place, Ed decided to rib Stuart over his love life. ‘So when you seeing this Emma bird again, Stu? You’ve had that look of love in your eyes since you took her out for lunch. Gina spotted it; she’s going out shopping for a hat tomorrow.’

‘Fuck off. Best you tell Gina to keep the receipt, ’cause no way am I ever getting married,’ Stuart said laughing.

‘Credit where it’s due, Emma’s a right sort,’ Gary added. He’d been with Stuart the night he’d met her.

‘You shagged it yet?’ Ricky asked bluntly.