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

our side of the bargain was kept. Now we wait and see what Archie has to say for himself.’ Her eyes narrowed. Bobby hadn’t come that close to being caught in a long time. If there was any whiff of Archie lying to them, she’d know.

When Archie arrived, Ruby gave him a frosty greeting, making the gangster arch his eyebrows in response.

‘’Ave I upset ya, Ruby?’ he said as they walked into her sun-filled kitchen. Even though it was early autumn, the light flooded the pleasant space. Bobby sat at the table with little George, watching as Ruby dealt with Archie.

‘Bobby was almost caught last night. Your information was wrong. Bobby got inside the pub to find the landlord still in there. He tells me we can trust you but if you were muggin’ us off . . .’

Archie looked stunned. ‘What d’ya mean? I had it on good authority he was out with the boys last night.’

Ruby stood facing the man she had been in danger of falling for, her long red nails on her hips, eyes flashing with anger.

She studied his face. His puzzlement looked genuine.

‘My Bobby had to creep into the office while the landlord was . . . busy . . . with a girl he’d pulled.’

‘Bloody hell,’ exclaimed Archie, whistling through his teeth. ‘Jesus Christ, what ’appened Bob?’

‘Mind your language, please, in front of my George,’ Ruby said, her voice thawing just a little.

‘Sorry, Ruby. Bobby, I ’ave to know what ’appened. Did you get out OK? Were ya seen? I’ll make this right, I promise ya.’

‘It’s fine, Archie, me and your mate disabled the alarm. He stayed outside to keep watch while I went in. It was all goin’ swimmingly when I ’eard a noise.’ Bobby grinned. ‘The geezer was gruntin’. I thought, “Oi, oi, what’s this?” and then I heard a woman goin’, “Oh, oh, oh” . . .’

Archie looked at Bobby’s face, which was alight with humour, and over at Ruby’s stony expression, her arms now folded, and burst into laughter.

‘Sorry, Ruby, I can’t ’elp it. Bobby, mate, you’re a diamond.’

Ruby sighed. She was still angry at Archie so she refused to smile at him, but she had to admit, they’d still pulled off the robbery. Bobby’s holdall was stuffed with cash, which she’d counted and halved, as per their agreement.

‘The cash is all there,’ she said spikily. ‘Fifty-fifty split as we agreed.’

Archie smiled over at her. ‘Nah, don’t worry, you keep it all. It sounds like Bobby needed danger money for that job!’ At which point both men doubled up with laughter.

‘I never did it for the money, Ruby,’ Archie said. ‘All I wanted was to hear that geezer screamin’, and he will be when he realises. I wanted revenge, not cash. He did my dad over years ago, before he knew what was what, and I’ve waited a long time to mug him off.’

Ruby stared at him. She didn’t judge him. She knew how she’d felt when Freddie Harris mugged them off, and knew that she was just as capable of wreaking revenge, though she wished then and there she’d never have to.

The next morning Bobby whistled a jaunty tune as George spooned his Weetabix into his mouth, making happy hungry noises as he ate. Ruby smiled over at them. Today, the world felt good. They’d had a lucrative night, and her brother had got back safe and sound. There was plenty to be grateful for.

The sound of the letterbox being opened heralded the arrival of the postman. There was a thud as the post hit the carpet.

‘I’ll get that,’ Ruby said, carrying her cup of coffee to the front door. There was an array of bills, but one letter stood out. It was scrawled with her name, the handwriting like that of a child’s.

She frowned. Who could this be?

She opened it, scanning the single page and saw her friend’s name at the end. ‘Oh Sarah, what’s ’appened now?’ she muttered to herself, knowing this couldn’t be good news.

Ruby read the lines as best she could, though the words were barely legible. Sarah was banged up in Holloway Prison – just like her mother had been so often over the years. She’d got six months for shoplifting and needed a tracksuit and essential supplies. Seemed her mum and friends couldn’t be relied on, so could Ruby help?

Inside the envelope was a VO, a Visiting Order, and so, without hesitation, Ruby rang the number and booked her visit.

Within a week, she was standing in the queue, grateful for her decision to leave George with Maureen for the day as she watched the line of families waiting to see loved ones. The woman in front of her was a downtrodden looking lady with scruffy clothes that could do with a clean, and two young children who were asking how much longer they had to wait before seeing their mum. Ruby felt desperately sorry for them. She was dressed modestly, though in stark contrast to the other visitors, in beautiful clothes, all black and without flashy labels showing, but worth more than these people might ever spend on themselves in a lifetime. Never had she seen so starkly how far she’d come – and how high the stakes were. Her life was a risky one. Her deals were getting larger and larger, with more and more money changing hands. She shivered, hating the austere gloom of the place.

‘Takes ages to get in, babe, and the way they search us, you’d think we was all criminals,’ the woman turned and said to her.

Ruby laughed but it felt hollow. This was the distinctly unglamorous side to their business – the risk of ending up in here. The thought made her sweat under her expensive clothing.

‘You look a bit posh to be in ’ere,’ the woman said, her grandchildren both hanging off her worn cardigan.

Ruby didn’t reply. She felt rattled and, in truth, was dreading seeing her friend brought so low.

Once she’d been searched, Ruby was directed to a table. She