Frankie’s lip trembled, so she bit it to stop herself from crying. The truth did hurt, but if she admitted what had really happened, it would cause absolute bloody mayhem. ‘I’ve told you the truth already. There is nothing else to add,’ Frankie lied.

Disappointed at his client’s lack of co-operation, Larry stood up. He was sick of trying to help people who had no intention of trying to help themselves. ‘Goodbye Frankie, and if I were you, I’d think very deeply about admitting the truth. You can be your own worst enemy at times and in the end that could cost you severely.’

To lighten his mood, Jed O’Hara had taken the kids and his parents out for lunch to a boozer in Basildon that had a children’s play area.

‘So, tell me everything that old whore said again,’ Alice asked as she sipped her Guinness. She and Jimmy had been out food shopping when Carol Cullen had dropped by, and Alice wished she had been at home, so she could have given the stuck-up tart a piece of her mind.

Jed repeated word for word what Carol had said. ‘If Frankie gets visiting rights, I’m gonna fuck off somewhere and take Georgie girl and Harry with me. No court in the land is gonna tell me what’s best for my chavvies and if they can’t protect them from their shitcunt of a mother, then I will.’

Alice nudged Jimmy. ‘If he goes, then we’re going with him.’

Jimmy nodded, then smiled as he spotted Harry thump some little boy. He had been teaching Harry how to box earlier in the week and his efforts had obviously paid off. ‘He’s shaping up a bit, Harry boy, ain’t he?’ he stated.

Jed and Alice both chuckled as the little boy hit Harry back and Harry retaliated once more.

‘Yeah, he’s becoming a proper little bruiser now. He used to spend too much time with Frankie and she used to baby him. He would have turned out to be a right nancy boy if I hadn’t split with her.’

‘Harry, come over here,’ Jed shouted.

Harry ran towards his father and was surprised to receive a cuddle. ‘What happened with that boy?’ Jed asked him.

‘He hit Georgie, so I hit him,’ Harry replied.

Jed smiled and kissed his son on the forehead. Since Lukey had died, Jed had grown fonder of Harry with every day that passed. ‘For being such a good boy, Daddy will take you to the toy shop when we leave here and buy you whatever you want.’

‘Can I have Mr Blobby?’ Harry asked excitedly.

Jed laughed. He was desperate to turn Harry into a proper little travelling lad and the cost of that didn’t matter. ‘You can choose whatever you want, boy.’