‘I won’t say anything to anyone. I promise. I’m just glad we get to hang out.’

Ged couldn’t help grinning, this girl was off her napper, but he liked her, something about her just made him feel better. He looked out of the window and watched the landscape speeding by. They’d be in Blackpool soon and then he could get rid of the gear and start to relax. He’d tell Frankie when he got back that this was a one-off.

Nancy sat eating her way through a Mars bar; she broke a piece off and passed it over to Ged with a smile. The rich, creamy caramel oozed from the chocolate and she thrust it at him.

As they left the station, Ged kept his head down. Frankie had told him to use his eyes, make sure nobody was following him. There were some shady bastards hanging around train stations this time of day. Tramps, drug addicts, prostitutes, traffickers, you never knew who was hiding away in the dark shadows. And then there was the undercover dibble. Fuck, fuck, fuck.

Nancy was at Ged’s side taking it all in her stride. She’d been up here lots of times and seemed to know the place like the back of her hand. As they walked away from the station Ged stayed alert, constantly looking left and right. Frankie had said there would be a white car waiting when he got there, but he couldn’t see one anywhere. This wasn’t good – maybe they’d been arrested and the police were now sat waiting for him to make his move. His heart was beating rapidly and he had started to sweat. Nancy just wanted him to deliver the parcel as soon as possible so they could go and have some fun. But if she was going to help, she needed some details: who, what and where.

‘Who is your man at this end?’

‘Mathew, he’s called. Frankie said he would pick me up from here. Maybe he’s spotted you with me and thinks it’s on top.’ He scratched his head and kept walking up and down.

‘Tell you what. You wait here and I’ll have a walk about and see what I can see. I’ll come back for you once it’s sorted.’

Nancy wasn’t up for being left on her tod. ‘How long are you going to be? Don’t leave me here on my lonesome. I don’t see why I can’t come with you anyway. It’s not like I don’t know what’s going on.’

Ged was insistent. ‘Wow, I’m stressed as it is, don’t you be adding to it too. For fuck’s sake, just chill here for a bit. And stop being annoying.’

‘Just saying,’ she whispered under her breath.