He never got to finish. ‘Fucking Blackpool? What kind of drop-offs were you doing? Don’t think I don’t know how these things work just because I’ve been off the streets for a bit. You mean to tell me you was up and down the country supplying drugs? Are you fucking right in the head? If you would have got caught you would have had a four-year stretch, you daft cunt.’

Ged fidgeted. ‘Frankie told me that I’ll have to work the debt off and pay back what was lost.’

‘So how much are you in the hole for? Are we talking weed here or what?’

Ged dropped his head in shame. ‘No Dad, heroin, crack, cocaine.’

Kevin’s mouth swung open and he swallowed great gulps of air trying to get his breathing together. He rammed his finger into the side of his son’s head. ‘What fucking planet are you on? Fucking dealing smack, you daft muppet.’

Ged was getting riled too now. ‘Yeah, I know, but come on where did you expect us to get money from? You’ve been in jail for years so you can’t talk. I done what I done to survive, to keep our heads above water. So, don’t fucking judge me when you know shit about what we’ve been going through. We had bills to pay, food to buy. I couldn’t see you sending any money to us so shut the fuck up.’

Kevin was livid. ‘You could have spoken to me. Told me how bad things really were. I could have sorted something out, got a borrow or something. You’re a kid, a fucking stupid bastard kid who could have gone to jail.’

Kevin stood up and walked towards the back door. They both needed to calm down. What was the point in shouting and screaming now it had already happened? ‘I’m going to get a bit of fresh air. Ged, you’ve shocked me, knocked me for six. I’m gutted, heartbroken in fact. How could you have been so stupid? I’m no saint but I thought you were too smart to repeat my mistakes.’

Ged closed his eyes; he’d let his old man down and he knew it. ‘Dad, I’ll fix this. I’ll just sell weed to work off the debt.’

‘Over my fucking dead body you will. Give me a few minutes to get my head around this and we will sort it out. No lad of mine will be getting done over, trust me.’

Kevin stormed into the garden leaving Ged with his head in his hands.

Clare sat chewing on her Snickers and played with the wrapper in her hand. She flicked her eyes one way then another. Had she missed something here or what? Since she’d got back from the shop Kevin was deathly quiet and Ged was barely saying a word.