by Linda Calvey
‘To us,’ Ruby murmured, holding in her sigh of relief. She felt instinctively that this crook was taking her seriously.
‘To new business, and to a beautiful woman,’ Charlie smiled, taking a drink, at the same time as shooing away the waiter who had appeared to fill the glass again. ‘I’m drivin’ and I want a clear ’ead as I’ve got more business after this. It’s been a pleasure meetin’ ya, Ruby. From now on, you’re under my protection, until we see how Bobby does.’
Charlie stood up. The meeting was clearly over. Ruby had barely touched a morsel of the delicious dinner. She’d been too nervous to eat, but she was now filled with a new feeling, a buzzing sensation that seemed to stem from her brain down the length of her body. She’d done it. She’d met a man who could’ve destroyed her and her family in seconds, yet she’d warmed to him, even felt that she was now under his wing. She knew that this was the beginning of a new way of life, a new path that had appeared under her feet. She didn’t know where it would lead, but she knew that Charlie Beaumont was going to take her there.
CHAPTER 17
By Thursday afternoon, Ruby had scrubbed the house from top to bottom, ashamed at their humble home. She imagined that Charlie lived in a mansion somewhere flash, with servants and Rolls-Royces, and the sight of her basic home, with its utilitarian furniture and few comforts, made her feel strangely vulnerable. Bobby came in from work, his face like thunder. Ruby arched her eyebrows at him. She didn’t need to speak a word. He got the message and said, ‘All right, Rube, I’ll put a smile on my face. I won’t let ya down, I promise.’
Ruby sighed. ‘I know ya don’t like it, but think of the rewards, think of the money we’ll make with Charlie behind us. And it ain’t just about the cash. With Charlie on our side we’ll be safer. No one will try to mug us off knowin’ we’re in with him.’
‘Listen, Rube, it’s one thing crackin’ a safe, it’s another thing working for the likes of Beaumont. We don’t know nuthin’ about him except he’s a blagger and he runs things round ’ere. We don’t know what we’re gettin’ into.’
Ruby knew her brother was nervous. If she admitted it, she was more than a little anxious herself. Even though they’d met just once, she had the feeling she could work with him, and not just as a minion.
‘He’s kosher, and we’ll be fine, I promise ya. Your talents are wasted on break-ins at offices, Bobby. They should be used to do the really big jobs, the big banks, big warehouses. We could clean up.’
Bobby grimaced. ‘Yeah but the big jobs come with long jail stretches, Rube. It’s riskier.’
‘Maybe, but Charlie’s been at it for years. It could be safer workin’ with a big-time crook who knows what’s what,’ Ruby butted in. ‘I know this is ’ard for you but it’s the only choice we ’ave. Charlie will do right by us.’
‘If we do right by him, you mean,’ Bobby said, but he nodded in agreement anyway.
‘Right, you can take George, while I get changed,’ Ruby said, handing the warm bundle to her brother. Bobby’s face changed instantly. He smiled beatifically down at his little brother’s sweet face and began whispering endearments to him while George chuckled and wriggled in his arms.
Ruby smiled, this time, genuinely. Things were really OK between her and Bobby. He just needed a bit more time to get used to it all. She stood in the doorway for a second watching her soft-hearted brother’s face light up as he talked to the toddler. He was a born father, a family man to the core. She had to tread carefully to keep him happy.
An hour later, Ruby was dressed in a new outfit, a black dress and heels, with a matching jacket. For the first time in her life, she could afford to buy new clothes. It was a nice feeling, and one she didn’t take for granted. Bobby had put George down for the night, crooning over him as he gave him his milk, and had only had time to have a swift wash and change out of his work clothes when the door knocker sounded.
‘That’ll be him,’ Bobby said unnecessarily. Ruby glanced nervously at him, then walked slowly to the door. She stopped, took a breath, then opened it to see Charlie on her front step looking like a king would.
‘Please come inside,’ she said graciously, as if entertaining crime bosses was something they did as a matter of course. She could feel his masculine presence as he followed her down the dark narrow hallway to the front room.
She gestured for him to enter but he said, unexpectedly, ‘I’d prefer to meet in the kitchen. I find a kitchen table is the best place for business, if ya don’t mind, Ruby?’
‘As you wish,’ Ruby murmured and seconds later all three of them were standing around her table.
‘Please take a seat,’ she said as if hosting a banquet. ‘Do you want tea?’
Charlie shook his head. He sat himself down, his impeccable suit and tie, that expensive waft of cologne and his Italian shoes as out of place in their home as it was possible to be.
‘I’m not ’ere to drink tea. Nice place you got ’ere, though,’ he said politely, giving Ruby a nod, which made her blush.
‘It’s home and it’s clean,’ she stated a little defensively.
Charlie turned to look at her and nodded. It was a small gesture to himself, as if to say he understood everything. ‘I was born in a council flat in Poplar near the market. My wife Maureen came from the Isle of Dogs when it was real rough. We know what ’ard times are. D’you know where we live now?’ It was more of a rhetorical question. Bobby just stared at Charlie, hardly able to believe that a kingpin, a man so feared, would be sitting inside his house about to talk business. ‘We live in Chigwell, the posh bit, in a mansion. I’ve got seven bedrooms, three bathrooms, and my wife spends half the year out at our villa in Spain. I’m guessin’ you might like a life like that too.’
Bobby shrugged but his gaze never left Charlie’s face.
As if understanding the locksmith’s reticence, the crime boss nodded.
‘So, you’re the one with the talent,’ he said to Bobby. ‘I’m told you’ve got a way with locks. I’m told you’re the best in the business.’
Bobby shrugged again but this time he smiled at Charlie. ‘All I know is I find it easy, Mr Beaumont—’
‘Call me Charlie. Now, what I need is someone loyal, someone who won’t talk, someone who won’t squeal. Are you that person, Bobby?’
Ruby looked at her brother, willing him to agree. She knew he was reluctant. Would he let her down?
He didn’t. Bobby nodded, ‘I am Mr . . . Charlie. I won’t let ya down. I’m the best there is and I’m loyal.’
With that, Bobby excused himself and left the room, leaving Ruby if not triumphant, then pleased at least.
‘I take it you’re the brains behind the operation.’ It wasn’t a question.
Ruby grinned. ‘I am – but my brother isn’t stupid. He’s smart as they come when it comes to gettin’ into anythin’ or anywhere you might wish.’
She knew that Charlie would be able to spot honest men – or liars – a mile off. You didn’t get to be an underworld boss without instinct. It was hard to believe, but Ruby could tell by looking at Charlie that Bobby had passed the test with just a couple of words and steady demeanour. He knew already from Bobby’s reputation that he was capable, now he knew he’d keep his mouth shut. That’s all Charlie needed to know.
‘Listen, Charlie, we want to go big-time. We want bigger jobs – for bigger rewards.’ Ruby’s eyes glittered in the dim light.
Charlie nodded. ‘I can see you’re ambitious. I like that, especially in a woman. You’ve got a lot to learn, though, Ruby. I’ll take you both on, see if you’re up to it, and if you are . . .’
‘. . . if we are?’ Ruby tried to keep the excitement from her voice.
Charlie chuckled. She didn’t fool him. He could feel her desire to be better, have better than this. If he was being cruel he’d describe their home as a hovel. Well, good. He liked people with nothing to lose, and something about Ruby made him want to help her up the ladder.
‘
We’ll talk more when this job’s done.’
Perhaps it was his fatherly instincts kicking in? He’d lost his only son Michael in a motorcycle accident at the age of nineteen. Neither him nor Maureen had ever got over the loss fully, and here were three orphans, needing direction if they were going to navigate the shark-infested waters of the crime network of East London.
He nodded his head as if he’d communicated all this to her. Charlie had given his consent to the job. He’d sussed out her brother. The interview was over.
Without a word, Ruby stood up. Charlie smiled. There was a connection between them, nothing sexual, but he saw something in this woman. He saw her beauty and her elegant ways, and more than that, he understood the raw anger and ambition that lay beneath her calm exterior. I can use these two. I can take them far, he thought to himself. He brushed off imaginary crumbs, stood up and held out a hand to Bobby, who had reappeared in the doorway.
‘It’s ’appenin’ tomorrow night. Be ready at 11 p.m. Meet my associate at The Anchor and he’ll go with ya. Get in, get the money and get out. If ya can do this then there’s thirty grand in it for ya, half the takin’s. Not bad for a night’s work.’ Charlie’s instructions were for Bobby.
Ruby showed him out. As he left, he handed her a piece of paper with the address. ‘So you can case the joint,’ he smiled.
When she’d shut the door behind him, she moved into the lounge, sinking into their old brown sofa. She looked around, trying to see everything through Charlie’s fierce gaze. She wasn’t impressed. The TV was an old one, too small for even this tiny room. The curtains were old and had a brown floral pattern chosen by Cathy many years ago. She’d always hated them, so dark, so cheap. The sofa itself was in surprisingly good nick considering it’d been around for as long as she could remember but she knew in that glance that none of it was enough for her any more. She wanted nice things, expensive clothes, a beautiful home, but more than that, she wanted a future for them all. They’d been scraping by for too long. Even with the small crooked jobs they’d been doing, they were only covering the basics. Ruby had some new clothes, they had food, and a roof over their heads, but she knew she wanted more. She wanted comfort and ease, and there was only one way people like her could get it.
If there was any doubt still remaining, it went in that moment. I want everythin’ Charlie has – and more, she thought to herself and smiled, imagining the fine leather seats she’d have, the diamond rings on her fingers, the designer clothes for George. She could almost taste the luxury, the refinement. They were only just beginning.
Bobby was pacing the kitchen, his balaclava and black gloves in his bag, his jewellery all removed and hidden away so if he got caught or seen he couldn’t be identified that way. He looked over at the clock. It was almost 11 p.m. and it was time to head down the road, his small holdall containing his twirls. Ruby had insisted on waiting up for him. She nodded as Bobby said, ‘It’s time.’ She watched him head out through the back door, creeping along the alleyway and circling around the houses to get to the end of the street. Bobby usually got a bit nervous before jobs, but as this was the first for Charlie Beaumont, he seemed to be more anxious than usual.
He walked quickly, head down, black holdall gripped in his hand. He walked straight into The Anchor, the meeting place, and saw the landlord had been ‘briefed’. There was only one other customer in the pub.
‘Ready?’ the man said.
Bobby replied, ‘Yes, mate.’
The pair of them headed off.
Bobby and Ruby had already been to the betting shop and sussed it out. Bobby knew the alarm system was one he could handle. They’d gone inside and placed a bet at the time, checking where the locked doors to the back rooms were and getting a feel for the place.
Once inside, Bobby gingerly opened the safe. The other man, whose name Bobby didn’t know, looked inside and whistled softly.
‘What is it?’ Bobby hissed.
‘You don’t want to know,’ the man said, reaching in and bringing out armfuls of notes, which he started to stuff into the black holdall. The man appeared to be doing some mental arithmetic as they worked, but Bobby was too keen to get the hell out of there to take much notice.
‘Done?’ Bobby whispered.
‘Done,’ the man said.
CHAPTER 18
After Bobby left, Ruby made herself a coffee and sat down, flicking absent-mindedly through a magazine. She didn’t read a single word. She was thinking of Bobby, wondering where he was and when he’d be back. It was just past midnight, and she was dozing in her chair when the back door creaked open. She awoke instantly. Bobby walked in, yawned then threw his holdall onto the table.
‘How was it? Did you get the money?’ Ruby searched Bobby’s face as he sat down heavily, placing a large black holdall, stuffed to the gills, on the table.
‘There weren’t sixty grand in there. The safe was massive but it was ’alf empty. I don’t know who gave Charlie the information but they was lyin’.’ Bobby looked anguished.
Their first job for Charlie Beaumont and this had happened. Ruby swallowed hard. Her brain began whirring though she was exhausted, adrenaline kicking in as fear stole through her body.
‘Tell me everythin’,’ she commanded.
‘We got there. I sorted the alarm system no trouble, while the other geezer did the lookout. He knew where the safe was, which is why Charlie had put him on the job. We went inside, found the safe, again, no trouble. Then, I opened it. There was money, but I knew it weren’t as much as he’d said there’d be. We didn’t ’ave time to count it. We stuffed it into the bag then did the usual: he went and checked the exit was clear while I locked the safe up, re-set the alarm and crept out. Charlie told him to give the money to me and so ’ere it is. It was a nifty job, no security, no problems except the bloke I was workin’ with seemed surprised when I opened the safe. I’m thinkin’ there wasn’t as much in there as they thought, which isn’t good news for us.’
‘Oh Christ,’ Ruby swore. She knew if Charlie had set them on the job, it was because it was a big haul, not their usual small robberies of office safes or pub takings.
‘So what do we do, sis?’ Bobby said in a small voice, perhaps already imagining the punishment Charlie Beaumont would mete out on him.
‘We count it,’ said Ruby, firmly. Ruby tipped the contents of the black bag onto the Formica tabletop. Notes scattered and fell on the floor, though most of the money was in wads of one thousand pounds. They spent the next hour counting and re-counting.
‘You were right, Bobby, there’s forty grand. We’re twenty short and my guess is that Charlie will think we’ve pocketed the difference,’ Ruby said slowly.
Bobby stared at her. ‘We’re dead then. No one cheats Charlie Beaumont.’
Ruby sat for a moment, thinking. ‘There’s only one way to handle this, Bobby. We’ve got to tell him straight, and not just that, we’ve got to insist on our fee, the full thirty grand,’ she said at last.
Bobby almost choked.
‘What are you on about? ’Ave ya lost ya marbles?’
‘No, but you’re goin’ to ’ave to trust me.’
Did she have the courage to do what was in her mind? She sat still for a long time after Bobby went up to bed, even though the urge to sleep was almost irresistible. She wanted to be absolutely sure of the next step. Their lives might depend upon it. Did she have the guts to face Charlie, to take the risk? Somewhere, deep down, she knew she did.
The next morning, Ruby picked up a wad of money, and, leaving Bobby to gape after her, little George in his arms, she walked out of her home. ‘If I’m not back by dinner time then take George and get the hell out of London,’ were Ruby’s last words as she closed the door behind her, leaving Bobby, pale and shaken. She wasn’t feeling too good herself. In truth, she had never felt so scared, so unsure of herself, yet she knew what she was going to do – and she knew that whatever happened next would be their making, or their downfall.
&n
bsp; Ruby met Charlie at the agreed place, a greasy spoon café in Old Street. He drew out a chair for her as if they were dining in The Ritz rather than about to sip from mugs with chips in the rim.
Ruby swallowed. ‘I’ve come with the money, but there’s a problem . . .’ Ruby’s throat was bone dry. Every nerve in her body was straining. She felt nauseous, and wondered for a second if she shouldn’t just throw the money at him and run.
‘It’s good to see ya, Ruby,’ Charlie said, stirring a heaped teaspoon of sugar into his cup. His eyes were ice blue as they locked her gaze.
Ruby’s hands shook in her lap. Calm down, it’s just business, just business . . . she tried to soothe herself. Carefully, she placed the bag on the table. ‘There’s ten grand in there,’ she said, looking him full in the eyes.
He leaned forward as if to hear her better, his muscular frame towering over her.
‘Whoever told ya there was more in that safe was lyin’,’ she continued, her voice shaking just a little, though she kept her gaze steady. If he was going to threaten her or hurt her, now was the moment, though perhaps it would be worse than that. Perhaps she would end up buried in concrete, or her body dumped on local wasteland. She swallowed again.
Charlie looked down at the bag then up at her. Her gaze was defiant, strong now.
‘There was only forty grand in that safe, and we agreed thirty for doin’ the job, so if my maths is correct, then that leaves you with this. A deal’s a deal.’ Ruby felt her skin prickle with sweat. She could hardly believe she was saying this to a man who could kill her as easily as look at her.
Charlie stared down at the bag. His face was harsh, lined and scarred, but he was still a handsome man. If he chose not to believe her then he’d demand all the money, leaving them thirty grand down and with a formidable enemy. Had she played this right? The next few seconds would tell. Ruby knew with one word in the right person’s ear, she’d be dead before tonight.
Eventually, Charlie looked up at her, his face expressionless. She stared back, refusing to drop her eyes, refusing to submit to this dangerous man. She knew they’d done nothing wrong. She only prayed he’d realise it.
