by Linda Calvey
There was a slight pause, and Ruby, who was sitting away from the men in a soft velvet chair, looked up, her instincts alerted.
‘Of course, our cocaine is the very best on the market. I’m sure we can do business with you and your charming family.’
Saban fiddled with something on his sleeve, and in that small gesture, Ruby knew he was lying. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but something told her not to trust this charming, eloquent man.
She also knew she could do a better deal than the one being struck.
Ruby looked over at Lloyd. He was checking his watch, seemingly with only half an eye on the deal being discussed, but he didn’t fool Ruby. She knew Lloyd was as sharp as it got, and he’d be listening to every word.
Lloyd had been running the drug cartel since he’d left the UK, running coke via a complex web of contacts, but it was Archie and Ruby who were now handling the deals. Lloyd was looking to the future, to a time he might hand over the reins. Ruby saw her husband’s strengths – and weaknesses – just as she seemed to do with others around her. She saw that he was more of a blunt instrument, made to be a blagger or a crime boss, not a drug baron. Archie was tough, there was no doubt about that, he was ruthless, yet he wasn’t a subtle negotiator. He lacked Ruby’s mercurial mind, her way of seeing things from every angle.
‘We require the goods immediately. We have contacts who tell us the market is ready,’ Archie said, at which point Saban gave an exaggerated sigh.
‘Unfortunately, our associates in Guatemala can only get your shipment over here to Spain in a month. We can do no more than that. I am so sorry.’
The stranger smiled, and Archie nodded in response.
‘We appreciate you putting your suppliers forward. I think we can agree this is to our mutual benefit . . .’ Archie said eventually.
Both men stopped talking and stood up, ready to shake hands.
Lloyd looked over at Ruby. It was her turn to speak. The three of them had a natural dynamic, a way of dealing with negotiations. Lloyd would look bored to the point of uninterested, though he heard and saw everything, while Archie did the majority of the chat. It was only at the end that Ruby, as swift and as sharp as an arrow in flight, would enter the conversation, hitting the bull’s eye as she spoke.
Ruby returned Lloyd’s gaze, acknowledging his trust in her, and just as Saban reached out his hand for Archie to shake, she stood up and walked the few paces to the men’s sides.
‘Saban. Am I to understand that your cartel is only willing to supply to Spain, and your only guarantee is in a month?’ Ruby said, holding her head high and meeting the man’s gaze directly.
The Albanian looked to her, and then back at Lloyd and Archie. ‘You did not tell me this woman was part of the negotiations,’ he said coldly, all his previous charm vanishing instantly.
‘You’ll find she’s very much part of it,’ Lloyd replied, looking pointedly at his watch again. Ruby could almost imagine him yawning with boredom right now and she had to smother the urge to laugh out loud. She loved the dance, the game of it. The power battles, the cunning and speed both sides had to employ to get what they wanted – it all enthralled and excited her. She was grateful to her father-in-law for keeping back, for giving her the chance to step up into the role he had retired from.
She spoke again. ‘You need to know that we’ll only do this deal if you can guarantee the shipment reaches our contact in Glasgow. If you deliver to Spain then it’s our problem to smuggle it into Britain and we won’t do that.’ Ruby smiled and pushed her sleek hair back, revealing her delicate neck decorated with a single string of perfect emeralds. She took strength from their brilliance, their toughness, and knew herself to be made of the same stuff.
Ruby continued, ‘I know for a fact that you’ve got a shipment ready to go as I’ve spoken to someone in your warehouse. They left your . . . employ . . . shortly afterwards, a few thousand dollars richer, but the goods are there, so why are you sayin’ they’ll take a month to cross the Atlantic?’ She held his gaze, her eyes now as cold as his. Saban flicked his gaze around the room. He fidgeted, staring back at Lloyd, then Archie and finally Ruby as if trying to work out the new power balance in the room.
Archie smiled over at Ruby, who was dressed in a Prada sundress with Louboutin heels, her huge diamond rock flashing on her ring finger.
‘I don’t believe you’ve met my wife,’ he said, grinning. Archie was clearly enjoying her input, knowing she was going in for the kill, her teeth bared and ready to rip this man to bits.
Ruby smiled. ‘We know you ’ave the capability to deliver to our contacts in Glasgow, in two weeks’ time. We’ve seen it for ourselves. So, I ask you again, will you deliver the shipment to the location we’ve selected for the money we’ve agreed and to the timescale we want?’
The air in the room seemed thicker as she waited for Saban’s answer.
Briefly, he looked like an animal cornered, but the slick smile soon covered his momentary discomfort.
‘We ’ave other suppliers who would be more than happy to deliver what we need, when we need it,’ she added. Her voice was low and soft, just as Charlie had taught her. There was no need to shout, no need to raise her voice even to normal volume. Her manner said it all.
Saban narrowed his eyes. He’d underestimated her quiet presence. He pulled on his Armani sunglasses, and laughed reluctantly, stepping towards Ruby and taking her right hand in his. She saw Archie flinch but there was no need to worry. She knew she had this man hook, line and sinker.
Strangely, even though he was a good-looking wealthy man, she felt her flesh crawl as he touched her and wondered what this meant. She couldn’t look into his eyes as the shades concealed them. That small seed of doubt implanted itself further into her mind.
This one needs watchin’, she thought.
Saban said, finally, ‘OK, OK. Two weeks, you say? You are very well informed. Perhaps you should come and work for me . . .’
All four of them laughed politely, the tension still rising in the room.
‘I will do as you ask. The goods will be at Glasgow Dock when you require them, though I will need to charge you more, dear lady, for transporting. There are dangers . . .’
‘Naturally,’ Ruby murmured, ‘but we’ve set the terms. We will pay what we’ve agreed and you will transport the cocaine to Glasgow.’
Ruby could sense Saban’s anger building, though he gave no outward indication.
‘How can I refuse such beauty?’ he said at last, through teeth that to Ruby looked like they wished to devour her.
Archie stepped closer. He was smiling but she knew he was wary, feeling protective of her.
‘It’s been a pleasure,’ Ruby replied, giving him a wide smile and, at the same time, taking back her hand, feeling the skin burn where he’d held her.
Archie’s instincts were always to protect her, but Ruby knew she could look after herself. With a dazzling smile, she turned to the wine chiller and poured glasses of champagne for them all.
‘To success,’ she said.
‘Success,’ they all chorused back. Without taking a single sip, Saban looked at his watch and made his excuses.
He looked back at Ruby as if to question her.
‘Two weeks,’ was all she said, then turned away.
Lloyd showed Saban out, leaving Archie and Ruby alone in the office.
‘You did it, Ruby.’ He bent his head and kissed her neck softly.
Ruby moved towards him, returning his kiss, the thrill of the adrenaline rush still surging through her veins. Making deals was in her blood.
CHAPTER 32
‘You what? He’s been expelled, again?’ Ruby said, holding the receiver to her ear.
The posh voice at the other end hesitated. ‘We don’t say that he’s expelled, Mrs Willson, but we won’t be accepting your fee for this term – or any other in future.’
‘Same bloody thing!’ Ruby swore. Using bad language was testame
nt to how cross she really was.
‘I am sorry, but the school governors have given this a lot of thought. George won’t be welcomed back to Darlington Grange next term.’
Ruby hung up, her heart pounding.
‘George! Where are ya? We need to talk!’ Ruby burst into his bedroom in their mansion in Chigwell. The family was back in the UK briefly to settle George back into school – and now that wouldn’t be happening.
‘What?’ George said sullenly, his ears covered by headphones, a gaming device in his lap.
‘You can stop playin’ that bloody machine and look at me,’ Ruby shouted. She was at breaking point with him. Being expelled once was unfortunate, she could make believe he’d made a mistake, and could learn from it. Being thrown out a third time, from a very exclusive school that had promised to help him, well, that was another matter.
‘I need ya to listen to me. What the hell were ya playin’ at, dealing weed to your classmates? Why did ya do it?’ she said, starting to calm down. She plonked herself down on his bed feeling grateful that Archie wasn’t there right now, as he’d go mental at this latest trouble from her little brother.
‘For fuck’s sake, Ruby, you’re not my mum, now leave me alone!’ George snarled, looking back to the screen.
‘Please don’t swear at me like that, George. I’ve spent my life tryin’ to help ya. Now tell me what happened. The school says you can’t go back.’
‘Good,’ George said. ‘I hated it there. They thought I was dirt cos they’re all so snooty and up themselves.’
Ruby sighed. She sighed a lot when it came to George. ‘They were tryin’ to help ya. Now, I know I’m not your mum, God knows that’s true, but we’re family and I’ve raised you as my own . . .’
At that point Cathy walked in.
‘I heard shouting . . .’ she said, looking between the pair of them. ‘George, what’s happened?’ She came and sat on the floor next to her uncle, and gently lifted off his headphones. He submitted to her, and Ruby wished, not for the first time, that she had her daughter’s way with him, her gentleness.
‘Look, Cathy, I hated that school, and they hated me. All I did was sell a bit of weed to my mates. They overreacted. Everyone was doin’ it, they just picked on me cos I don’t ’ave a judge for a dad like some of them there.’
There was something in what he was saying.
For a moment, Ruby saw the courtroom when Bobby went down for the robbery she agreed to. Along with the familiar flush of guilt, she remembered the smell of privilege in there, how she could never join that world, never be considered an equal no matter how much money they had.
She looked at her little brother and understood what he was saying but also despaired of him ever fitting in anywhere. ‘Look, so what you do is ya don’t give ’em anythin’ to throw at ya. If they’re lookin’ down on ya, you work to be the best, you don’t give them the rope to hang ya. You’ve got a lot to learn, George. Now you’d better pray my husband takes the news better.’
Ruby glanced down at him, now playing the video game with Cathy who was giggling as they raced cars across impossible terrain. She could see how far he’d shut down his emotions, and she despaired for him.
As predicted, when she broke the news to Archie, he lost the plot. Storming into George’s room, his voice could be heard through the house. ‘Don’t ya know how much that place cost us? We want the best for ya, so why ruin it every single time?’
‘Archie, don’t yell at him,’ Ruby ran to the doorway.
‘Don’t tell me what to do! You’re not my dad!’ George shouted back. Same old argument. George was right. They weren’t his parents, but who else did he have? George barged past Ruby, almost knocking her over. Archie turned and tried to follow him but Ruby barred his way.
‘Cool down. Go for a run or ’ave a shower. We’ll speak to him later, together.’
Archie nodded without saying a word. He ran his fingers through his tousled hair.
‘What are we goin’ to do about him?’ was all he said, and Ruby didn’t really have an answer.
‘George’ll come round. He’s just findin’ his feet. He’ll calm down and we’ll find him a better school. Maybe that place weren’t right for him . . .’ Her voice was soothing though her heart was beating fast. She wasn’t even sure she believed what she was saying, but she had to calm the situation down. She felt agitated and confused. The same old thoughts went round her mind. Was she to blame? Had she done enough for her little brother? Again, there were no easy answers.
Archie looked down at his wife’s face and must’ve read her thoughts because he pulled her towards him. ‘We’ll speak tonight,’ he said, ‘and Ruby . . .’
‘Yes, Archie?’
‘You’ve done nuthin’ wrong. Nuthin’.’
Ruby gave her husband a rueful smile. If only I believed that was true, she thought. If only.
Something was wrong, deeply wrong, with her little brother, and she had no idea how to make it right.
CHAPTER 33
The Albanian deal had come off, and the shipment had long-since arrived in Glasgow, netting Ruby and Archie a cool million. A new deal had been struck on the back of the success of the first one, an even larger shipment, but this time the cocaine would come to Spain to pass on to a Middle Eastern connection.
Ruby and the family had returned to Spain after finding George yet another school. She sincerely hoped that this one was a better place for him. She’d considered bringing him home with them, finding him a local school, but George had been adamant he wanted to stay in England. He didn’t particularly want to go to the new place, but he’d finally relented when he realised the only way he would get to stay was if he went to the school.
With George in England, Cathy at school and Archie out for the day, Ruby had the house to herself for a change. Not one to let a moment go to waste, she figured she would check in with Maria about the family dinner they were planning for next week. Lloyd would be back and she wanted to do something special for him.
Maria was her favourite amongst the staff. Ruby liked to keep an eye on everyone. She wanted her staff to be happy working for her. Perhaps it was her upbringing, the old-fashioned values instilled in her to look after others, or perhaps it was the fact that she didn’t grow up with staff or privilege and so saw her maid as a person rather than just as her worker. After walking through the villa, Ruby tracked Maria to the bedroom where she was hanging some of Ruby’s clothes.
‘Maria, about the menu we discussed, I was thinking instead of mango we could use raspberries. What do you think?’
At the lack of response from Maria, Ruby looked closer at her maid. Maria’s face was tight, her usual joyful expression absent. Whatever was going on, Ruby knew that something wasn’t right.
‘Maria, are you OK?’ Ruby said, fiddling with an earring as she sat in front of her dressing table.
The maid started as if she’d been lost in thought.
‘Yes, I’m . . . I’m fine,’ the woman said but she was avoiding Ruby’s gaze and staring at the floor now.
‘Maria, what’s troublin’ ya? Perhaps I can help. Look, give me a hand with this earring will ya? I can’t seem to untangle it.
The earring was a delicate gold design strung with tiny diamonds.
Maria walked over but she seemed reluctant, not at all her usual friendly, helpful self. ‘Ah yes, I see. It’s got caught on one of the strings. I can fix this for you,’ she said, but as she worked to untangle it, Ruby noticed her hands were shaking.
‘There’s somethin’ wrong, I know there is,’ Ruby said gently. ‘Please let me help ya. Is it your mum?’
Maria had confided in Ruby that her mother was very ill.
‘Mrs Willson,’ she stammered.
‘Call me Ruby,’ she replied, looking back at the woman who had shrunk back from her, the earring still clasped in her hand.
‘What is it, Maria?’ Ruby asked softly. ‘What’s wrong?’
The girl looked terrified now. Still refusing to meet Ruby’s eyes, Maria whispered, ‘I can’t tell you. I can’t. I don’t know what they’ll do to me, or my mother . . .’
Ruby felt the air shift in the room. Every sense was on high alert. ‘Who are ya talkin’ about? You know you can tell me anythin’.’
Maria started to cry. She wiped away the tears almost fiercely.
‘I can’t help ya unless I know what’s goin’ on. Are you in trouble?’
‘I— I— I know something,’ the maid stammered at last.
Ruby blinked. ‘What, Maria? What do you know?’
The Spanish woman ran a hand across her lips, then started to pace up and down the room. ‘I overheard them . . .’
‘Who, Maria? What’s the matter? It’s OK, I promise it’ll all be OK.’ Ruby was really concerned now. Maria was acting very strangely.
‘My boyfriend and his friends, I heard them speaking about you and your family . . . I was cooking supper for them last week in my flat, and they talked. They thought I couldn’t understand because they were talking in their own language but I know much more than they realise.’
‘Which language were they speakin’ in?’ Ruby asked quietly, the thud of intuition now sounding in her mind.
‘Albanian . . .’ Maria replied and burst into fresh sobs.
Ruby felt her skin prickle.
‘We met in a bar a few months ago. He treats me nicely, buys me things, takes me out . . .’ The maid’s voice trailed off, as if she too could suddenly see the light.
Questions were already forming in Ruby’s mind, as she pieced together the information she’d been given.
Had her maid been groomed for information about Ruby and Archie? Had the Albanian only gone for her because he knew she worked for the Willsons? It seemed obvious he had. But what would Maria be able to tell them that was of any value? Ruby treated her staff well, but she didn’t talk openly in front of them.
‘It’s OK, Maria. I’m not angry with ya, and we’ll protect you from any trouble you might be afraid of, but I need to know what you might ’ave told them.’
