Eddie looked at his son’s dead body. It was lying only a couple of feet away from him. The mess they were all in was suddenly getting to him and he felt ill, really ill. How the hell were they meant to clean up after themselves, then burn the place down when only Raymond could fucking walk properly?

‘Look who I found,’ Joey said, as he reappeared with Stuart and Terry by his side.

For the second time that day, Ed thought how his prayers had been answered. He briefly explained to Tel and Stu what had happened, then told them what Larry had said.

‘Come on, mate, let’s get you up,’ Stu said, as he and Terry bent down to help Ed.

‘Tel, you get rid of the gun and any shit in the back of the van. Look near the Portakabin for a knife, ’cause O’Hara’s other son got stabbed. When you’ve done that, go straight back to Frankie’s,’ Eddie instructed.

Terry nodded and ran from the building.

‘Stu, you help Raymondo take Ricky outside, then I want you to take Joey home for me. Say nothing when you get there, not even about Ricky. I’ll do the talking when I get back from the hospital or wherever the cunting Old Bill take me.’

Unable to watch his brother’s body being dragged along the floor like an animal carcuss, Gary half limped and half ran out of the building. Stuart and Raymond picked Ricky up by his arms and legs and, instead of torturing himself by watching, Ed distanced himself by focusing on the hero. Joey had been such a disappointment to Eddie as a child, the runt of the litter, and when Ed had found out his son was gay, he had all but disowned him.

‘Come and sit ’ere, boy,’ Eddie urged him.

Joey did as he was told. As a kid and a teenager, all he had ever wanted was his father’s acceptance, but he hadn’t wanted to gain it this way. He put his head in his hands. ‘I’m still in shock, Dad. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad I saved your life and Gal’s and Ray’s, but I can’t believe that I did what I did. How can I go back and work up the City next Monday? I feel like a different person. As for Dom, we ain’t gonna survive all this, I just know we ain’t.’

Eddie put his arms around his saviour’s shoulders. For years Eddie had wanted to wipe the O’Haras off the face of the earth, and now Joey, the most unlikeliest of heroes had just achieved what Ed had previously failed to do himself. ‘You’ll need to take some time off work to get your head together, but don’t worry about you and Dom, you’ll be absolutely fine. Match made in heaven, yous two.’