‘Bad crowd’, I said. ‘Bad example for an impressionable lad.’

‘It’s not the bad example I’m worried about. Those three are police informers.’

‘Right’

‘And steerers!’

He meant agents provocateurs, and he was right again Catchpole survived by steering men into gaol. Dottie did the same with women and she had a sideline as a drugs provider and procurer. I knew Catchpole had had some connection with Glebe in days gone by, but the details eluded me. I knew of no one who trusted him-not the crims he associated with nor the policemen he provided with information. He was almost, but not quite, a pariah. Tiny’s muscle helped to make people civil to him some of the time.

‘Do you have any idea what’s going on?’ I asked. ‘Has the boy had police trouble?’

He shook his head emphatically. ‘Never. I’d have to say he’s moody and stubborn-but honest as the day. And he’s not lazy-worked like a bastard on the boats. In my experience it’s the work-shy that run into trouble first. Ray’s not work-shy.’ Now that he had it all out in the open, he was determined to convince me. ‘Look, Hardy, you know your way around. I’ve seen you in action and Roberta speaks very highly of you. She’s a good judge of character, though you mightn’t think it. I want you to take this on. Find Ray, talk to him. Find out what’s going on. Get between him and that slime somehow, before he goes wrong.’

‘He might have gone wrong already.’

‘I know it. I’m prepared for that. But I’m sure Ray’s basically solid. There’s something… what do the kids say?… bugging him. I know it doesn’t take long to go off the tracks. All the more reason to step in. Will you do it?’

It didn’t take much thinking about. I liked Guthrie, and the few times I’d seen Liam Catchpole up close I’d wanted to go and have a shower. Youth is worth saving. It sounded like a more worthwhile way to make money than some of the things I’d been doing lately.