The Locksmith by Linda Calvey (reading in the dark .TXT) 📕

Ruby nodded, though she was alert to every word this man said. Charlie had advised her never to shout, never to get agitated or cross, and instead to listen, to be slow to speak, to threaten using a soft voice and never to show weakness. None of this had been new to Ruby, and her natural manner used all those ways of dealing with people, but she felt shored up, protected by the crime boss’s advice.

‘Go on,’ she murmured, staring directly at Marcus, who smiled a wolf-like grin back at her. She knew he liked her, and she also knew that she wasn’t interested. He was too upper class, too privileged to ever understand the path she and Bobby had taken in life. No, she’d shut down any thoughts of attraction to him a long time ago, though Marcus clearly hadn’t.

He looked back at her and only her, his deep brown eyes staring into hers, but Ruby was only interested in the job he was proposing. She returned his gaze coolly, with just the right amount of interest, making it clear she was in the mood for business – and only business.

Charlie had noticed Marcus’s attraction and he looked amused at how Ruby was handling it, his respect for her growing by the day.

‘Go on, I want to enjoy this champagne before the bubbles die,’ Bobby said, winking at Ruby. Even though her brother had been reluctant to take the crooked path, he looked better than he ever had. His skills were in demand, and it was a good feeling for him. He was a respected key-man now, the go-to man for safe-breaking, and Ruby could see he walked taller these days.

Their bond, if anything, had grown stronger now that they were in this venture together. Ruby never made a decision without discussing it with him. He might be the kind of bloke who preferred a pint in the pub to a glass of bubbly, but he was her right-hand man, the only person she really trusted, because family was everything to them both.

Just then the baby monitor announced that George was waking up from his afternoon nap. Bobby stood up. ‘You carry on, I’ll see to him.’

‘Thanks, Bobby,’ Ruby said gratefully. ‘So, gentlemen, let’s get down to business.’

Marcus adjusted his glasses and leaned towards her. ‘I’ve got a very wealthy Arab client. He has a vast collection of pieces, many of which the Louvre or the Met would bite his hand off for. He wants two paintings, both Impressionist, both worth a lot of money, and both currently sold to a new private collector who has come late into his cash and doesn’t have – how should I say it – the required security . . .’

‘And you want us to steal them,’ Ruby finished for him, arching her eyebrows. ‘We can consider that when we know who this private collector is, where they live and why they don’t have the right set-up, oh, and the money, of course. The money has to be right or my Bobby won’t do it.’

Marcus smiled but his eyes didn’t twinkle. Ruby had ruffled him. His suave charm disappeared instantly, replaced by a serious tone as he leaned in to the circle and, with a low voice, explained the details.

‘The private collector I hope we will steal the paintings from inherited a great deal of money from an obscure relative. He lives in South Africa, but one of the first things he did with this new wealth was to buy a huge apartment in Marylebone, and start buying artworks.’

‘I see, and so what ’appens to the pictures once they’re stolen from him?’ Ruby was curious about all aspects of this type of business. Her hunger for knowledge meant she asked questions perhaps others wouldn’t. The art world meant nothing to her parents or grandparents. It was an exclusive club that only the most privileged or educated could enjoy. It fascinated Ruby, but only as a means to an end. They could make big money here, or so she hoped.

‘Well, in this case, my Arab associate will probably keep them hidden in his underground vaults, far away from the public eye,’ Marcus replied.

‘Seems a shame though don’t it?’ Ruby said almost sadly. ‘Why would you want to steal somethin’ so beautiful in order to hide it?’

Marcus paused for a second. ‘Because my clients desire beauty above all things, and they are greedy for it. They’re prepared to pay large amounts of money to acquire something that only their eyes will see. That’s the worth to them – the knowledge that they, and they alone, have access to these paintings.’

‘If we can continue?’ Charlie coughed, breaking the spell of Marcus’s words. Ruby understood the desire to own beauty, to hide it away, even. It was an interesting insight, and one she stored away in her mind.

She smiled. ‘Do carry on.’

‘It’ll be harder to access the flat without being seen, but once inside there won’t be anything to cause you any trouble.’ Marcus sounded incredibly relaxed about what he was suggesting; an audacious heist that would make international headlines. These paintings were world-class objects, pictures that were known, and loved. Stealing them would be like robbing the Queen of her crown, almost an act against God.

‘How much are these pictures worth?’ Ruby said, straight to the point.

‘If I’m honest, I negotiated the sale of them myself and it ran into several million pounds. They’ll be taken to the London apartment for one night only before they’re shipped off to Africa. That’s our chance. I’m offering to pay you a vast sum of money to disable the alarm system. Again, I’ll get my own contacts to do the actual robbery. I just need a key-man to let them in then lock up again. I’m willing to pay Bobby a cool two hundred K to do just that. Don’t forget I have large expenses. Doing this type of