She placed her hands on her hips, like her mother did when she got cross with them. ‘Oh, I don’t know. Perhaps the little thing about wanting me to help you peddle your pathetic drugs. I thought you wanted to come to London to spend time with me. Away from Tilby. But no … no, of course not. You just want me to join your … empire,’ she spat.

He lowered his voice so that the couple next to them couldn’t hear. ‘Speedy has a good contact here. Said he’ll give them to me on the cheap.’ He walked towards her with the arrogant swagger she used to find so attractive, but now repellent. ‘Come on, babe. You’re sixteen. You could come with me when the fair moves on … There’s good money to be had from this, if we play our cards right.’

‘What a great future you’re offering me.’ She couldn’t help the sarcasm that dripped from her tongue. ‘A Bonnie and Clyde future.’

He laughed, but his eyes darted about nervously. She was getting loud and he was worried who could hear. ‘I’m not suggesting we kill anyone.’

‘Aren’t you?’

He stepped forward and tried to encircle her with his arms. ‘Babe. You like it. I know you do. I saw how you were when you snorted that coke the other night … but you don’t have to take drugs. Just help me sell them.’ His eyes clouded. ‘I owe Speedy and his brother Clive money, babe. I need to do this. I can’t mess with them.’

She pulled away from him. ‘It’s wrong. I don’t want any part of it.’ She’d felt out of control at the party the other night and she hadn’t liked it. She’d looked around at the crowd she was with, most of whom were off their heads on some substance or other, and she’d been disgusted by them all.

Dylan’s expression became more alarmed and he moved away from her. ‘I thought you were cool.’

‘Maybe I’m not. I want a career. I don’t want to be a drugs pusher or an addict.’

He laughed nastily. ‘You’re a baby. Just like your sister. A fucking prissy small-town girl with no ambition.’

‘No ambition!’ she shrieked, causing the couple in front of them to turn to look at her. ‘I’ve got more ambition than you. Heather was right about you.’