Alice saw Jed’s truck pull up outside and breathed a sigh of relief. From the moment she had opened her eyes that morning she’d had one of her feelings of doom and when she’d tried to ring Jed earlier and got no answer, she’d been worried he’d had an accident or something.

‘How’s my Shelby girl?’ Alice said, as she lifted her granddaughter off Lola’s lap.

‘Why did ya keep ringing me, Mum?’ Jed asked.

‘I just wanted to make sure you were all right. Why didn’t you bloody well answer?’

‘’Cause I had me father on the blower. He’s just found us a new horse-box and he wanted to run it past me before he bid the old mush for it. I’m a bit old for you to be checking up on me, ain’t I?’ Jed said, kissing her on the cheek.

‘Had one of me bad feelings today, boy. I ain’t had one of them for a long while. Makes me feel horrible, it do,’ Alice explained.

About to take the piss out of her the way he used to as a boy, Jed opened his mouth and quickly shut it again. His mum had had one of her bad feelings on the day his son Luke had been murdered, and also when Sammy had died, so mocking her was out of the question.

‘Where’s Georgie and Harry?’ he asked, feeling a bit anxious himself.

‘Georgie’s with that Ryan Maloney and Harry went out on the quad bike with that little toerag.’ Alice didn’t like Sonny Adams. He was two years older than Harry, and, in her opinion, was a bad influence on her grandson. It was only since Sonny had moved onto the site that Harry had started thieving, being insolent and bringing home dead bloody chickens.

‘Do you fancy a bite to eat, Alice? I bought a crusty loaf, ham off the bone and some of them Spanish tomatoes,’ Lola asked.

About to reply, Sonny Adams’ frantic yelling stopped Alice from doing so. ‘Some men have took Harry away. I tried to stop them, but they beat me,’ Sonny panted. He’d forgotten about the pain in his groin and had sprinted back to the site as fast as his legs would carry him.

‘Dordi! I knew it. I feel ill,’ Alice screamed.

Jed’s face turned as white as a sheet. ‘What did these men look like? Are you sure it weren’t the gavvers?’ he asked, his voice trembling with fear.

‘No. They were big, bad men and there were five of ’em. I heard one call another one Ray, then they tied Harry boy up and put him in the back of a white van.’

When his mother became completely hysterical, Jed ordered Lola to take her and the baby inside the trailer. He turned back to Sonny. ‘Where did this happen? How long ago was it?’