‘Do you know what, Ed, why don’t we just head back to yours and have a beer indoors? That champagne at the restaurant has already made me feel a bit light-headed and I wanna enjoy my first day out. I like a beer and that, but I’ve never been one for getting shit-faced.’

Eddie grinned and headed towards home. Stuart was extremely sensible and with an attitude like that, he would definitely become a valuable asset to the firm.

Since her conversation with Larry, Frankie had felt as though she had the weight of the world on her shoulders. Babs was a great listener and Frankie had just explained to her what had happened earlier.

‘So, what do you think I should do? I mean, if I had evidence, like the tape, I would have told the truth in the first place, but say they don’t believe me? Also, even though me and my dad have fallen out again, I don’t want anything bad to happen to him. If he finds out Jed killed my grandad, he will lose the plot, I know he will.’

Babs hugged her friend. ‘If I was you, sweet child, I would get in touch with Jed and tell him to back off. You tell him if he stops Georgie and Harry from having contact with you, then you are gonna tell everyone, including your dad, what he did to your grandfather. Threatening him should do the trick, I reckon.’

‘I can’t ring him. My dad always told me never to talk about anything untoward on these prison phones and I can’t write to him, ’cause he can barely read.’

‘Well, you’ll have to get a message to him via someone else,’ Babs suggested.

‘But who? I can’t expect Kerry to go round there on her own and, apart from you, she’s the only one that knows the truth.’

‘You can get Kerry to ring him or, if you don’t want to involve her at all, see if that travelling girl in here can get a message to the bastard. She didn’t look like no monster and she was no fan of Jed’s, was she?’

Frankie thought of her chat with Katie and shrugged. ‘She sounded like she hated him, but how do I know I can trust her? I’ve never met a decent traveller yet.’

Babs smiled. ‘You don’t know if you can trust her, but that’s the chance you take. Listen, lots of white people swear that all black people are bad, but not all of us are. The same probably goes for travellers or gypsies, whatever they’re called. There is good and bad in every race, Frankie, and if I were you I would see if that Katie girl can get a message to Jed for you. I mean, if you can’t ask your family or Kerry to do it, what choice do you have?’