Jimmy strolled over to where Eddie was trussed up. He bent down and ran his fingers across the scar on Ed’s left cheek. It was the one he’d put there back in 1970. ‘If you thought I left you with a reminder of what I was all about then, Mitchell, that’s nothing compared to what I’m gonna do to ya now.’

Eddie sniffed, collected whatever phlegm he could from the back of his throat and gobbed it into Jimmy’s face. ‘Mug,’ he said forcing a grin.

Absolutely seething, Jimmy wiped his face with his sleeve, then grabbed Ricky by his lifeless neck. He knew what it felt like to lose a son and now Eddie would know what it felt like, too.

‘Where am I?’ Ricky mumbled. He was in cloud cuckoo land.

When Jimmy grabbed the gun off Jed and put it to Ricky’s head, Eddie shut his eyes. He’s all but dead, anyway, and at least he won’t be suffering no more, he tried to convince himself.

‘Fucking pikey cunts,’ he heard Gary scream as the gun went off.

Eddie opened his eyes again. His wonderful son was lying on the floor with the left-hand side of his head blown away. His eyes were still open, so was his mouth and he had a look of shock on his face rather than one of peace. Images of Ricky’s childhood flooded through Eddie’s mind and he quickly shut his eyes again.

Gary was crying, not out loud, but Ed was aware of his pain.

‘Snap out of it,’ he mumbled, before Jed and Jimmy dragged him across the concrete floor.

Jed smirked as his father perched Eddie on top of the two tyres they were using as their execution chair. After all these years, it was the perfect time for him to reveal his little secret. He crouched down in front of Eddie and grinned at him.

‘I think it’s high time I spilt the beans. Would you like to know the real reason why your Frankie tried to kill me, ya mug?’

‘What’s he going on about?’ Gary whispered to Raymond.

Raymond said nothing. He was too upset to speak. All he could think about was Polly and Chelsea. His beautiful daughter was so looking forward to the big party he and Polly had planned for her seventh birthday and now he wouldn’t even be alive to celebrate it with her.

Eddie focused his eyes firmly to his right. Ricky was lying to his left and if he looked at his dead son’s body, he was worried he’d crumble.

‘I said, do you wanna know why Frankie tried to kill me?’ Jed screamed, punching Eddie in the face.

‘Because she thought you was a cock,’ Eddie replied sarcastically.