Freddie Jackson was an ungrateful cunt and he knew Jimmy was having trouble with him, but Ozzy was sure Jimmy could handle it. It had grieved Ozzy though that once on the outside Freddie had reverted to type. He had been well treated in stir and, in fairness, Freddie had his creds. He could handle himself, and he was not frightened of anyone or anything.

So why he let it all go to the wayside Ozzy didn't understand. But he did know that Freddie was cunting Jimmy up hill and down dale, to all and sundry, and he was not going to let that happen for much longer. If he cunted Jimmy, he was cunting him, Ozzy, because Jimmy was his front to the world. He was also aware of Freddie's light-fingered forays, and he was not impressed. He was nicking off his own, and that was a definite fucking no no.

As Jimmy walked over to him, Ozzy was smiling, that easy, friendly smile that denoted a man without anything bad on his mind.

Ozzy stood up and they hugged for long moments. Ozzy had never hugged anyone in his life until Jimmy and he felt like he knew this boy better than he knew himself.

'All right, Oz?'

Ozzy smiled again as they sat down together. 'Fine, Jim, yourself?'

This was always how they started the visit, it was mundane and it was boring but it was heartfelt.

'Fucking kicking, Oz, everything is lovely jubbly!'

They both laughed.

As always, another inmate brought them over their teas and their Kit Kats. Once that was out of the way, the serious business of the day began.

'What the fuck has happened to your Little Freddie, Jackie?'

Lena's voice was harsh but jovial as she made one of her endless cups of tea. She watched her daughter drinking what was supposed to be a can of Coca-Cola but what was actually a vodka and Coke. She was drinking all day now and it was taking its toll on her.

Jackie was thrilled at her mother's words and she gulped at her can before saying loudly, and not a little drunkenly, 'He is my baby, Mum. I fucking love him.'

She was slurring her words and Lena closed her eyes in distress. When pissed, Jackie started off loving everyone, but by lunchtime they would all be arseholes and wankers, her son included.

'Since my Freddie has taken him in hand he is a changed boy!'

Lena smiled as best she could and said as happily as she could manage, given the circumstances, 'You're telling me! He has been round a lot lately and if Jimmy Junior's here he plays with him, helps him do things. Fuck me, Jack, I thought he'd had a personality transplant.'

Jackie was almost bursting with drunken pride. 'Now the girls are gone, more or less, he is getting a lot of one-to-one attention. He is also coming to terms with any feelings he has, feelings that he needs to express more-'

'Oh, that's lovely.' Lena was regretting asking her daughter anything now, she sounded like a fucking social worker when she spouted that crap. She knew from experience that this kind of talk could go on for hours and she wasn't in the mood today. 'How are you, anyway?'

Jackie knew she had been cut off mid-sentence and she swallowed down her annoyance. If Maggie had been sitting here talking intelligently they would all be hanging on her every word. Freddie was right in what he said, they mugged her off.

'How's the wedding plans going?' Lena asked, trying to start a different conversation.

'All right. It's not till next year, so why they have to fucking keep on about it I don't know.'

Lena swallowed down the retort that had sprung to her lips, and changed the subject once again. 'How's Big Freddie?'

'He's fine. Why are you asking about him?' Jackie's voice was now full of suspicion and the underlying anger that was always close to the surface.

'Oh, for fuck's sake, Jack, I am making what is commonly known as conversation. But with you that's a fucking impossibility. Relax and have a natter, will you, girl?'

Jackie was mortally offended and it showed, which made Lena so angry she bellowed, 'You are such hard work, Jackie, do you know that? You are always on your fucking dignity, always looking for an insult or a slight. I am fucked if I know why you even bother to come round here.'

Jackie felt like crying. It was always the same, she did her best to chat and she tried her hardest to be nice, and her mum always ended up having a go at her. Maggie was the golden girl, she was the fucking queen of this house, and her little boy was the little darling, the prince, which meant her and her kids were relegated to second position. It hurt, it really hurt her at times.

Lena saw the tears in her daughter's eyes and felt awful for shouting at her as per usual, but talking to Jackie was like trying to make conversation with a Pakistani Dutchman. Nigh on fucking impossible. If her daughter wasn't always half pissed she might get a decent chat out of her, and she might also relax long enough to let the self-pity go for a few minutes, Jackie's drinking and her fucking stupid way of carrying on worried Lena. She could see the toll the drink was taking on her eldest daughter, and she didn't know what to do to make it all right, to make it better.

Patricia was seriously worried, and Freddie was not making her feel any easier. In fact, he was starting to annoy her. If he didn't stop going on about Jimmy and how he was mugging him off, she was going to scream.

'Have you listened to one word I've said, Freddie?'

He nodded. ''Course I have.'

'Well, then, what do you think I should do?'

Freddie was fucked now because he had not been listening to her for ages. Instead, he had been watching one of the new girls through the doorway and she was just his cup of Rosie Lee.

'What do you think you should do?' He was pleased that he had years of experience with Jackie to fall back on, because he had not listened to her since before their honeymoon.

Patricia said, softly, and with an underlying malice, 'My brother has requested that I bring all the books up to date and then give them to Jimmy, and you ask me what I think I should do?'

Freddie was quiet.

'Funny how you can fucking go on about Jimmy for hours and when I mention him you don't even take it on board. Yet I am expected to take the books that denote my livelihood and pass them to him without a fucking murmur.'

She closed the door because she had also caught sight of the new girl. If she wanted some serious answers from Freddie, that meant no distractions whatsoever. She knew him too well, and if he wasn't such a good fuck she would have crowned him.

'Has Jimmy said anything to you? Why would my brother suddenly ask me to do that, give the books over to what is in effect a fucking stranger, when I have run his houses single-handedly for years?'

Freddie felt as if his head was going to explode. 'Did he say anything to you about it the last time you saw him, Pat?'

She shook her head, glad that she finally had his full attention. 'Not a fucking dicky bird. It was the usual. I told him what we were making and he seemed happy enough, and then we chatted as we always do.'

She didn't let on that she grassed up everyone and anyone she could, Freddie included. It was through her that Ozzy knew Freddie had lightened more than a few money bags. Jimmy was so close with things like that he was like a fucking statue, and she knew how to earn her Brownie points.

Freddie looked her in the eyes and said carefully, 'Are you creaming anything off, Pat?'

'How dare you? You can fucking talk! You're the one who keeps taking dips out of everyone's fucking bunce, not me.'

Freddie waved his arms to shut her up. She was so livid at his words, that alone told him he was on the right track. 'I don't give a fuck what you do, you silly mare. I am trying to help you out here. If you are scamming him, sister or no sister, he won't put up with it. He hates anyone trying to take what he sees as his. That is why him and Jimmy get on so well; Jimmy would haunt you over a fucking pound.'