‘It weren’t my fault. O’Hara shot through the lights, so did Stuart, and the motor in front of me stopped dead. What was I meant to do? Shunt him off the road?’

‘Just put your fucking foot down and drive. He can’t have got far,’ Eddie shouted.

‘There’s a sign saying Moodiesburn. Shall I go that way?’ Ricky asked.

‘I don’t care which way you go, just find the pikey cunts,’ Eddie yelled.

‘I’ll ring Tel’s number and make sure him and Stu are still tailing ’em,’ Gary said, trying to take the onus off his brother’s mistake.

‘When he answers, pass me the phone,’ Ed ordered.

‘There’s no answer,’ Gary said seconds later.

‘Ring Stu then, just keep trying the fucking pair of ’em,’ Eddie screamed in annoyance.

‘Stu’s phone’s on answerphone, so is Tel’s now. They must be somewhere where there’s no signal,’ Gary said anxiously. He knew his father was about to blow his top and that was never a pleasant sight.

Ricky drove along aimlessly for another six or seven minutes, then finally his father’s phone rang.

‘Did you stay with ’em, Tel?’ Ed asked immediately. He listened to what Baldwin had to say, ended the call and smirked.

‘We’ve got ’em. Tel said they’re living on what looks like a private bit of land off the A80, which is the road that runs between Glasgow and Stirling. First thing tomorrow morning, we’ll head down there and grab the kids.’

Chapter Thirty-Six

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

Frankie didn’t know if she was coming or going the following day. Her dad had rung her late the previous night to tell her what had happened, and, even though she had been sure that Katie was telling the truth, the realisation that Jed was definitely still alive filled her with dread.

‘I made you a coffee, Frankie, and you must eat some food today. Brett’s been crying again, he say he wanna go a school with Kelvin,’ Babs said, as Frankie came down the stairs.

‘I wish he could go to school, but I daren’t go against what my dad told me to do.’

Babs shrugged. ‘I don’t see what the O’Haras are gonna do if they in Scotland, and Brett gotta go back to school sometime. Why don’t you have a word with his teacher? Tell her to be extra vigilant.’

Frankie shook her head. ‘I think my dad’s worried that the O’Haras might know what area I’m living in and what school Brett goes to. It doesn’t matter if they’re in Scotland, mate, they’ll still have contacts locally, and if my dad snatches Georgie and Harry, they might have Brett abducted so they can get them back again.’