Eddie glanced at his watch. It was nearly half-past and there was no sign of Baldwin yet. Wondering if he’d ballsed up and the O’Haras had ended up killing him instead, Ed smirked seconds later as he saw Terry’s Land Cruiser pull into the yard. Ed opened the Portakabin door.

‘Well?’ he asked as Baldwin approached him.

‘Done and dusted,’ Terry replied, grinning.

Ed led him inside and urged him to sit down. ‘Start from the beginning.’

Terry explained exactly what had happened the previous evening.

‘Are you one hundred per cent sure he was dead?’ Eddie asked.

‘Of course I am. I was only about two feet away from him and I blasted him three times in the bonce. I saw his brains splatter all over the windscreen before I ran off. No one can survive that.’

‘What about Jimmy? Did you see him?’

‘No, I ran like a fucking greyhound, but it was definitely Jed and not Jimmy driving. Jimmy must have been with him, as I saw someone in the passenger seat – I saw the silhouette as the horse-box pulled in. You never know, one of my bullets might have gone astray and Jimmy might be dead an’ all.’

‘What about the motorbike you used?’

‘Already ceased to exist. The helmet, leathers, everything’s been torched,’ Terry replied.

‘Good stuff.’

‘So, are we OK now? I’m really sorry about your brothers, Ed, but Luke was my grandson, and I loved him dearly. I know me and you are never gonna be best pals, but I do hope you understand why I had to do what I did.’

Eddie Mitchell ran a hand over his stubble once more. He’d heard of Baldwin in the past. He wasn’t major league like himself, but the more Ed spoke to him, the more taken he was with the guy. Terry Baldwin was fearless, composed and incredibly honest, and in this day and age they were rare qualities to have.

‘Did anybody else, other than Jamie Carroll, know you’d ordered the hit on my brothers?’

‘What do you think? I knew they were your brothers, so I was hardly gonna advertise it, was I?’

Eddie stayed silent for a minute or two. He knew what he wanted to ask Terry, but he also knew if he did, Gary and Ricky would blow a fuse. Deciding to go with his gut instinct, Ed looked Baldwin in the eye.

‘How are you fixed for work at the moment? I reckon I could do with an extra pair of hands working for me.’

Terry stared at Eddie in complete and utter disbelief. For a second he wondered if his hearing had deceived him. Then he wondered if Ed was taking the piss. ‘Is this some kind of joke?’ he asked bluntly.

‘Do I look like a fucking comedian?’ Eddie replied sarcastically.