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until the evenings when they got together for dates.

Heā€™d have to put that notion firmly to bed if she brought it up.

She got in beside him, her phone screen still alight. ā€œCome on. We need to be quick. Joeā€™s already been out to the pigs with Ted and Felix, donā€™t forget, and I just got him out of bed.ā€

Jason bristled. ā€œItā€™s what he does, what heā€™s chosen to do even though Lennyā€™s dead.ā€

Joe had agreed to take the mince as a form of paying Lenny back when Jess had been snatched and her killer had been dealt withā€”except he hadnā€™t. Lenny had got the wrong bloke, hadnā€™t heā€”not such a top-notch fella after allā€”and Jason felt all kinds of down about that because Lenny had been a hero to him when heā€™d been young, someone heā€™d looked up to, a man who could do no wrong. To find out heā€™d fucked up by killing The Mechanicā€¦

With Lenny dead, Joeā€™s debt was paid, but his wife, Lou, wanted the mince to keep coming. Something about her getting satisfaction from it, pretending it was Jessā€™ real killer being fed to their animals again and again. Vance Johnson was the real killer, some paedo whoā€™d travelled the country abducting kids and offing them. Heā€™d lived on the Barrington when younger, then fucked off, scared Lenny would find him, returning a while after his mam, Wanda, had died. Then Brenda had come along to fleece him of his inheritance, and the truth had come out.

It had a habit of doing that, and Jason needed to be careful the truth of the Jade shit didnā€™t reveal itself. He couldnā€™t hack being killed, leaving Mam all by herself.

ā€˜Then you should have thought it through better, you little prick,ā€™ his fatherā€™s voice said, the words flowing through Jasonā€™s mind, swirling around and around as if heading towards the plughole.

God, he hated being called a prick, it set him off every time. That was why heā€™d killed Richie Prince, nowt to do with him selling drugs on Lennyā€™s patch. Angry at just thinking of the word, he gunned the engine and shot off, turning to speed down the road the same as heā€™d done when heā€™d been here earlier.

ā€œFucking hold your horses,ā€ Cassie snapped. ā€œWeā€™re not out to win a sodding race.ā€

He eased his foot off the accelerator and tried to dampen his temper, put the flames out. ā€œI want tonight over with, thatā€™s all. Iā€™m tired.ā€

ā€œYou and me both, but we keep going until everythingā€™s done. Thereā€™s the pigs to feed, then back to the factory to clean the box, then I was thinking of calling round to the laundrette, knocking the manager up, not to mention me burning the clothes and the towels in the furnace at the squat.ā€

Jason glanced at the clock. It was well late, and Jack Danielā€™s called his name, a sirenā€™s song, luring him with the need for the burn of alcohol. He sighed. It was no good saying he wouldnā€™t help. Sheā€™d use that as an excuse to rip him a new one. ā€œRight.ā€

He drove towards Handel Farm, thinking of what he could say to steer her away from the Jade business, although that would be difficult, seeing as that was why they were out at shitty oā€™clock. Coming up empty, he made the firm decision to go with his other plan. Rob it himself. That cemented in his mind, he smiled across at her. ā€œShall we try that date tomorrow night then?ā€

ā€œMight do. Itā€™ll give me a chance to show my new hair off.ā€

ā€œWhat new hair?ā€

ā€œIā€™m fed up of it being straight. Iā€™m getting a wave put in. And anyroad, the hairdresser Iā€™m using works in the salon on the other side of The Donny. I want to see if anyone worked late tonight and saw people hanging around.ā€

She really wasnā€™t going to let it go, was she.

For Peteā€™s sake. ā€œSounds like a plan.ā€ But one of the kids I used to tell people to leave the street is the salon ownerā€™s son. What if she talks about Cassie going there when she gets home tomorrow and the boy hears? He might tell her his part in it.

Jason didnā€™t think he could kill a lad, so heā€™d have to be content heā€™d been in disguise when heā€™d approached them at the park. The kid hadnā€™t realised it was him, so he wouldnā€™t have owt incriminating to say if Cassie questioned him.

He turned off the road onto a track. The farmhouse stood in complete blackness apart from a light on beneath the porch overhang above the front door. As usual, he drove around the back, and the kitchen light spilt out onto the grass. Joe stood at the door in wellies and a thick padded coat, Lou beside him, bundled up in a dressing gown, a tartan throw blanket over her shoulders.

ā€œWhatā€™s she doing up?ā€ Jason hadnā€™t meant to say that out loud.

Cassie dragged her palms down her face. ā€œShe likes to watch the pigs eating nowadays.ā€

ā€œEach to their own.ā€

Privately, he thought Lou was a fucking weirdo, moping around the way she did. Jess had been killed twenty-three years ago, so surely the silly cow should be over it by now, but no, there she was, face like a slapped arse, her body so skinny it was a wonder she managed to stay upright.

Jason parked, about to cut the engine, but Joe and Lou came over and got into the back seat.

ā€œAll right?ā€ Joe asked. ā€œItā€™s easier to drive across to the pig barn. Lugging that box wouldnā€™t be pleasant.ā€

Jason hadnā€™t thought of that, yet he knew damn well the mince was heavy and the barn was couple of hundred metres away. He drove off, annoyed at himself.

ā€œSorry to wake you up,ā€ Cassie said.

ā€œOh, get away with you,ā€ Lou said. ā€œI was

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