‘I was sat at the train station in my usual spot when I saw Frankie out the corner of my eye. He didn’t see me, so I hid while I was watching. I don’t know why but I thought I would follow him. I wasn’t doing anything else, was I?’

Ged was caught up in the story, his eyes wide open as he urged her to continue.

‘He’d got off the train from Blackpool, so I followed him. He never seen me; he was walking along on his phone all the time. I could hear him talking from where I was. He was chatting to somebody called Wes.’

Ged punched his fist into the sofa sending a cloud of dust flying into the air. ‘That’s Wes from down this end. He’s a prick, I don’t like him he’s always got something to say for himself. Apparently he was grafting in the same area as me.’

Nancy raised her voice. ‘Shut up, will you, I’ve not got to the best part yet. I kept listening and what he said next made me want to puke. He’s a rat, a snake just like I told you. I heard him say well done for sorting Ged out. He called you a muppet, just sat laughing with Wes telling him how you had to pay the money back. Ged, he set you up just because you told him you wanted out. I knew he was a wrong ’un. He was never your friend, he just used you and then had you over. You don’t owe him anything. He’s got the gear he got those kids to take off you and he’s got you down to work off the debt at the same time.’

Ged was white as a sheet. He had to get some air.

Kevin waited til Ged had gone outside, then started to interrogate Nancy. ‘So, tell me more about where I can find this Wes and Frankie. I heard a bit about Frankie when our Ged come to see me in jail and he sounded like an alright lad.’

Nancy shook her head. ‘Honest, he would cause trouble in an empty room. He knows how to charm people, sure. But it’s all front. He’s never liked me, and it was him who told Ged to get rid of me. I told Ged he wasn’t to be trusted but he never listened to me. He thought the sun shone out of his arse.’ Nancy gave Kevin a bit more information before Ged came back into the room.

‘Are you alright?’ Kevin asked him.

‘Yeah, I think it’s these antibiotics knocking me for six.’