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‘He did, Mr Coglin. There was nothing fair about it. They followed me and jumped me. They held me down so Jimmy could make a good fist of it, because I don’t think he’d take me on alone. If he had, I doubt I’d be in this state.’

Bert Coglin pushed Jimmy aside, glaring sideways at him. ‘Don’t say another word,’ he threatened. ‘You, Catchlove – why are you here and not at the police?’

‘Because I’m not a dobber. I’ll take my punishment but, you see, your family has set out to hurt someone I care about and I’ve taken real offence at that.’

‘Who’s that then?’

Tom managed a wry smile even though it sent a trill of pain through him as a wound on his lip broke and began to bleed. He dabbed at it unselfconsciously. ‘Fleur Appleby.’

Bert raised his eyebrows. ‘Well, you country lads work fast, don’t you?’

Tom shrugged. ‘That’s not relevant. What is relevant is how you and your cowardly son are going to fix things for Fleur. It’s the least he can do under the circumstances.’ Tom wanted to confront Jimmy over the baby, but this wasn’t the moment. And he knew deep down that he was the intruder, the unwanted one.

Jimmy stepped forward, his bruised knuckles balled tight.

‘Settle down, Jimmy. You achieved nothing with your fists. Let’s use your head now, eh?’ Bert turned his narrow-eyed expression onto Tom again. ‘And what do you suggest?’

‘Henry Appleby has died.’ Tom watched the information land; it clearly came as no surprise. Regardless, they both tried to force sorrow onto their faces.

‘Oh, really? That’s no good. But he wasn’t well, was he?’

‘Mr Coglin, let’s cut the false sympathy. This has come as no shock to you.’

‘No, well . . .’ the father began. ‘According to Mrs Appleby, he’s been ailing and I suppose—’

‘Fleur knows that Irma helped him towards his last breath.’

Bert took a slow moment to blink and perhaps have the time to think about what to say to this remark. But it was Jimmy who looked down guiltily. So it was true. There had been foul play. They didn’t have to say anything to incriminate themselves – it was there to see, plainly written on their faces and in their suddenly awkward body language.

‘I don’t know anything about that,’ Bert said, not at all convincingly.

‘Maybe, maybe not. What about you, Jimmy? You look suddenly uncomfortable.’

Bert whipped his head around but Jimmy couldn’t help himself.

‘I’m not involved in that. I told Dad not to—’

‘Shut your mouth, boy!’ Bert snapped.

Tom returned his gaze to the father. ‘Or what, Bert? You’ll use your fists on him? No point. You either come clean, or I go to the police.’

Bert sneered. ‘I’ve got nothing to say about Irma.’

‘I’m not talking about Irma. I’m talking about me pressing charges against Jimmy and his mates. They’re not going to be happy to be roped into it, but I can remember each of them.’ He reeled off first names that he remembered from the night he was jumped on and dragged off, along with convincing descriptions. ‘I remember them from the dance and so does Fleur. The police officer in charge has encouraged me to press charges. He wants to stamp out this sort of hooligan behaviour, apparently. So, Bert, how do you feel about your boy in prison? I’ll push all the way . . . Are you up for it, Jimmy?’

Jimmy let rip with a string of colourful language and curses. Other workers began sauntering out for smoko and to see what all the fuss was about.

Tom simply shrugged. ‘It’s up to the two of you. I’m leaving, returning north, so, Jimmy, you get what you wanted, but I can’t imagine Fleur would appreciate a husband in gaol. Wouldn’t be good for business, either. So what’s it to be?’

‘What do you want from us?’ Bert demanded.

‘The truth, that’s all. Was Irma helping Henry Appleby to an early death?’ Tom watched Bert draw in a long breath, taking that time to contemplate his answer and its repercussions. ‘She can’t hurt you if you tell the truth. But I will do my utmost to ruin your business if you don’t.’

Bert shook his head. ‘I never wanted any part of this. All I wanted was to get into undertaking. I could have opened my own funeral house.’

‘Why didn’t you?’

‘Irma’s very persuasive, and she offered a shortcut,’ he said, sounding disgusted. ‘And now look where that’s got us.’