‘I couldn’t find out a great deal at first, to be honest. All the police would tell me was there had been an incident at the house and nobody was aware of the current whereabouts of the family. I then got on to an old pal of mine who’s as bent as a nine-bob note to make a couple of phone calls. He called me back and reckons, due to the amount of blood found in the horse-box and on the driveway, the police are positive they are dealing with a murder inquiry, although they are yet to find a body.’

‘Yet to find a body! That’s fucking insane! Surely the O’Haras ain’t driven off with their dead son’s body in the boot? No one could do that, could they?’

Larry shrugged. ‘Your guess is as good as mine, Eddie. The local hospitals have all been checked and apparently nobody’s been admitted in the past few days with gunshot wounds. Perhaps they’ve buried Jed themselves or something. I personally don’t know a great deal about the travelling community, but from what you’ve told me, I wouldn’t put anything past them.’

The men stopped their conversation as Gina walked into the room with a tray of bacon sandwiches and two mugs of coffee. ‘If you need anything else, just shout,’ she said, as she diplomatically closed the door behind her.

‘So, have the Old Bill said if anything’s missing inside the house?’ Ed asked, wondering if they’d taken any of the kids’ clothes and toys.

‘I don’t think there is. It just sounds like they left in a real hurry. Both Jed’s and Jimmy’s motors are gone and obviously the police have put a trace out on the registration numbers.’

Eddie was bemused. ‘They ain’t gonna do a runner and not change their fucking number plates, are they? In fact, they’re probably driving about in new motors as we speak. What I can’t understand, though, is that house is worth a fortune and is in Jimmy’s name, or I think it is. Surely he ain’t just gonna wipe his mouth of that, is he?’

‘I can’t understand their way of thinking either, I really can’t. Why wouldn’t they have reported their own son’s murder? It really doesn’t make sense,’ Larry replied.

‘They’re brainless cunts, that’s why. Anyway, getting the kids back is all I’m bothered about at this moment in time, so what we gonna do to find ’em?’