“Do you want the radio? You can have the radio if you want. Although I can’t stand pop music. I’m more of a jazz man. What kind of music are you into? You look like an intellectual, despite the jacket. You like Radio Four, I suppose. People bashing their heads against walls. Yeah, that’s you, but sitting on the sidelines, watching the world go by, because it can't really touch you, can it? Keep your hands clean. I’ve never had that luxury, but of course I wouldn’t have it any other way. It's made me what I am, right? You've got to try. You've got to get involved. Or you may as well be dead. Don't you see? Only, it's difficult when you look like me. It's difficult to get involved.
“But that's life. You've got to play with the cards you've been dealt. Your brother would say the same thing. Take him back three years and he’d take the exact same path and it would lead him to me and me to him.
“He’s done a good job of protecting you, but that’s no longer necessary. I’m going to take care of everything.
“It’s cold; I’m going to put the heater on again. Do you mind the heat? I’ve never liked the cold. Tell me if it’s too hot. I don’t have any water left, but we’ll be back at yours soon. You can have a wash; rest, sleep, dream ... Everything’s going to be okay.
“I want you to understand now, in case anything happens, that I’m not going to kill Simon, unless he makes me. He’s a smart man. I don't think he’s going to do that. There’s a chance that he's going to see us together and feel upset about that, but I don't think he'll do anything stupid. If he does, well, let’s not think about that. Sometimes you can think about something and it happens. Know what I mean? No. Perhaps not.
“Smile. This could have been much worse, you know. If Sharonne hadn’t found you, I would have got to you first. That might not have been pretty. I was quite upset. I think I've just killed someone. I was getting kind of fed up of chasing you. You might not have been sitting here, comfortable, in the front with me. I might have put you in the back. You don't want that.
“You’ll be back with your brother in under an hour. That’s what you wanted, isn’t it? It’s on my terms, but at least it’s going to happen, right? In return for that, I expect you to co-operate. I don’t expect much. You follow where I lead; that’s all I ask. If I say move, you move. That’s all. Like Simon. Ultimately, he does as his told.
“We all do.
“You don’t talk much, do you? Gives me room to think. You don’t need to talk. Rest. We’ve got a lot to do.
“Are you sure you don’t want the radio on? When you hire a van like this, it seems a shame not to try the radio.”
She was staring out of the passenger window.
“Fuck it.” He pushed the 'on' button. It was national radio; too loud, too jolly. “Good,” he said. “That's better.”