They could clearly see the pub from where they were parked, but were far enough away to avoid suspicion. Having said that, a few locals had given them the odd glance earlier.

Eddie looked through his binoculars. ‘Nah, that’s some old boy. Hang on a minute, this might be Jimmy following him out, I think. Yep, he’s walked over to the Shogun. Right, lads, get in the other van and you pull away before us.’

‘Is Jed with him?’ Raymond asked Eddie.

‘Not sure, someone’s just followed him out, but I can’t see who, he’s got his back to me now.’

When Jimmy switched the lights of the Shogun on, Eddie jumped in the back and waited for Stuart to drive past. ‘Go, Ricky, and whatever you do, don’t lose the cunt.’

Oblivious to the fact they were being followed, Jimmy and Jed were in an inebriated, jolly frame of mind.

‘I love my Lola, you know. Never messed her about, Dad, not once since the day I met the girl,’ Jed slurred.

Jimmy chuckled. He was glad Jed had found happiness, but he’d only been with Lola for three years, and he doubted his son’s abstinence from other women would last for ever. ‘The thing with us travelling men, Jed, is poking the same hole for years on end gets boring, boy. I mean, good luck to ya if you can do it, but if you can you’re a better man than most.’

‘I wanna be a good role model to my chavvies and their partners. Georgie’s found herself a good ’un with that Ryan Maloney, and I’m gonna have a man-to-man chat with him now they’ve got serious. I won’t let him mess her around, Dad. If he does, I’ll beat the granny out of him.’

‘You can’t be beating the granny out of Ryan, Jed. He’s Mickey’s boy and we don’t wanna upset him, do we now? Anyway, our Georgie’s too young to be getting overly serious with lads. Your mother nearly had a cardiac when she spotted that ring on her finger.’

‘My Georgie’s mature for her age. She knows what she wants and she won’t open her legs to get it. I bet her and Ryan get hitched as soon as she’s sixteen. I don’t worry about Georgie at all, Harry worries me more. Proper little fucker he is lately, he’ll chore anything that ain’t nailed down. I don’t mind him choring, but I don’t wanna see him getting nicked.’

‘With me and you as role models, what do you expect?’ Jimmy said seriously.

Seeing the funny side of Jimmy’s comment, both men laughed.

* * *

Eddie Mitchell was anything but happy as he clambered into the front seat. ‘You fucking idiot,’ he said, clouting Ricky around the side of his head.