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work,' Carl told him, sat in the passenger seat with a sheaf of papers on his lap. He was back in a suit again, looking every inch the dynamic businessman. 'We tend to take the girls out in Molly's Range Rover. That's a bit more practical for families.'
    'What about the Aston Martin?' asked Sam.
    Carl laughed heartily.
    'That's my toy. I jump in that when I want to race round the countryside pretending I'm twenty again.'
    Sam smiled. He thought Carl and him were going to get along just fine.
    'Business must be good, then? What with the house and cars?'
    Carl didn't reply. Sam glanced over at him. His new employer was gazing absent-mindedly out of the side window. It was the same distracted look Sam had seen yesterday, when he had asked Carl about his family being threatened.
    'Carl?'
    'Oh yeah, sorry,' said Carl, snapping out of his malaise. 'I was miles away. Yeah, business is okay. Up and down, you know the way it is. Anyway, what about you? All we've talked about is me. Are you married? Kids?'
    Sam felt that pang in his chest again. All it had taken was one simple question.
    'No,' he answered flatly, trying to think of something else to talk about. They were on the other side of Bursleigh now, driving through an area Sam wasn't familiar with. He asked Carl to direct him the rest of the way. As Carl set up the SatNav for him to follow, Sam spotted a large housing estate off to one side in the distance. It looked tired and decrepit, in marked contrast to the rural scenery that made up most of Bursleigh.
    'What's that place over there?' he asked. 'It looks a bit out of place round here.'
    'That's the Withdean Estate,' replied Carl. 'It's a right rough-hole.'
    His next line threw Sam totally.
    'It's also where I grew up.'
    With a wry smile, Carl explained how he spent his formative years on the Withdean, not moving away until he was in his mid-twenties, when he and Molly got their own place together.
    'Yep, rough and ready is the best way I'd describe it, although it did make me the person I am today. A place like that teaches you more about life than any school, Sam. If you can survive there, you can get by anywhere.'
    'So where did you get the posh accent from? Not there, I take it?'
    When Carl failed to answer, Sam looked across at him, wondering if he was deep in thought again. He wasn't. He was looking slightly embarrassed.
    'I, er, had elocution lessons.'
    'Really?' said Sam, curious to hear more. He checked the SatNav. They were only a mile from the factory.
    'I'll tell you something about Bursleigh, Sam,' said Carl. 'It's divided into two. The Withdean has high unemployment, broken families, high crime rate. Everybody in Bursleigh thinks people on the Withdean are scum. But if you live on the estate, you're brought up to believe the rest of Bursleigh is full of snobby, rich country bumpkins. And, to an extent, they're both right.'
    They passed a sign indicating DR Garments was farther up the road. Sam couldn't see any physical sign of the factory yet.
    'So,' continued Carl, 'when I started this business, I knew I was going to face some prejudice...from other business people, at least.'
    'And that's when you decided to have the lessons?'
    Carl sighed and shuffled the paperwork he was holding.
    'It wasn't about sounding posh for the sake of it. It was about getting on in business and making a better life for me and Molly. You understand that, don't you?'
    'Yeah, I get it,' replied Sam, feeling as though Carl was looking for his approval. 'And from what I've seen, everything you've done has worked for you.'
    'I'll do anything for my family, Sam,' announced Carl, his voice suddenly full of defiance. 'Anything that needs to be done.'
    Sam gave him a quick glance. He saw a man with his jaw firmly set and a steely look in his eyes. Sam believed he had just witnessed the tiniest glimpse of Carl Renshaw's inner psyche. The toughness that had driven him on to where he was today.

Chapter 8
    The factory was tucked away behind a