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

‘For you from Freddie,’ he winked. ‘He said he could either give it to his bird, or to you, so he chose you. Told ya he was kosher. Now let’s get some shut-eye. George’ll be up in a few hours and I need my beauty sleep.’

Ruby glanced at the slim, black velvet box.

‘I’ll look at it in the morning,’ she said. ‘I’m beat. Thank God it all went well. I was worried, I’ll admit it, and you were right, Bobby.’

Her brother nodded to register her apology.

He yawned again. ‘Freddie’ll be ’ere in the mornin’ with the cash. Let’s get some rest, eh Rube.’

Ruby followed Bobby up the stairs leaving the long, thin jewellery box untouched on the table.

CHAPTER 27

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Ruby woke up abruptly. It sounded again. Her alarm clock showed it was 5 a.m.

Christ, what’s goin’ on? They’ll wake George. Stupidly, her first thought was for her little brother rather than the immediate problem that someone was trying to break in – loudly.

‘POLICE! OPEN UP!’ Ruby sprang out of bed. She raced into George’s nursery, and pulled him, still sleeping, out of his cot. She ran to the top of the stairs in time to see Bobby lurch to open the door.

‘GET DOWN! NOW!’ A black-clad officer screamed as the door was pushed open. Three coppers carrying guns were pointing their weapons at her brother.

‘Oh God, oh God,’ Ruby choked, not knowing what to do or whether to run for it. Bobby seemed just as thunderstruck.

He dropped to his knees, holding his hands in the air.

‘Are you Bobby Murphy?’ the officer shouted as he stood over Bobby, while the other two Old Bill started to search the house. One ran straight upstairs on seeing Ruby, who was holding George, quickly checked the rooms, then gestured for her to go down to kneel next to her brother in the hallway.

‘Shit, shit, shit.’ Bobby rarely swore but he had his head down and was shaking his head as he cursed.

‘Shhh. Don’t show them you’re rattled. Be calm, Bobby.’ Ruby had the sense to mutter to him under her breath, eyeing up the nearest copper who stared hard at them both. She managed to pull herself together quickly, but she wondered if Bobby would do the same. He seemed terrified.

‘I’m Bobby Murphy. What d’ya want?’

‘Where’s the money?’ One of the policemen circled the prostrate man, pointing his gun directly at him as he moved.

Keep calm, Bobby, keep a cool head, Ruby intonated, hoping he’d say little and perhaps this wouldn’t be as bad as it looked.

‘I don’t know what you’re on about, mate,’ Bobby replied.

At this point, George suddenly started to wail. He’d been too sleepy to react when Ruby had grabbed him but now he was awake – and making his presence felt. He struggled in Ruby’s arms, so she held him tighter to her, taking her attention away from her big brother.

‘Look what you’re doin’. You’re upsettin’ the little ’un,’ Ruby hissed, more as a tactic to attract the coppers’ sympathy. It failed as they proceeded to ignore her completely.

‘Where’s the fuckin’ money?’ The copper, who’d stopped circling them now, said quietly, ‘Don’t bother lyin’. We know it was you who pulled off the jewellery robbery last night. We ’ave it on good authority, so tell us or we’ll tear this house apart . . . Look, Bobby we know you did it. You’ve been grassed, mate.’

Ruby looked at Bobby and back at the Fed. This was serious. It didn’t get more serious – and she knew exactly who’d done the grassing.

Suddenly there was a shout from the kitchen. One of the officers appeared, and threw the unopened velvet box over to the copper who was glaring down at Bobby.

‘Just what we’ve been lookin’ for.’

The copper holding the expensive-looking box threw it to Bobby. ‘Open it.’

Bobby, hands shaking visibly, opened the box. Inside was a diamond bracelet.

‘So, tell me, why do you ’ave the director’s birthday present for his wife on your dining-room table?’ The officer was smiling now. They had all the proof they needed to link Bobby to the robbery.

Why didn’t I think to hide it? How could I have been so stupid? thought Ruby. Freddie Harris, you bastard, you’ve stitched us up good and proper. You planned this all along. This is your revenge on me for threatenin’ to go to Charlie, maybe even for being the ones Charlie took under his wing. You took a risk, shaftin’ us, and so it seems you do ’ave a pair of balls, but we’ll get you back. We’ll make you wish you’d never been born.

George was crying harder now. Ruby tried to placate him, shushing him and trying to tickle his tummy but he knew something was up and he wouldn’t be soothed.

‘Just tell them, Bobby,’ Ruby said in a small voice.

He looked up at her briefly, then nodded his head.

‘All right. You got me bang to rights.’

‘You’re bloody right we ’ave,’ the copper snarled.

‘It’s all right, darlin’, it’s just a game. Bobby’s playin’ a game with the policeman,’ Ruby said as George sobbed. Even to Ruby’s ears she sounded unconvincing.

It was Bobby who spoke next.

‘All right, all right, but it was just me, no one else. I won’t give ya any names or nuthin’ but I will take the rap.’

The officers nodded to each other. Holding their guns aloft now, they surrounded him. ‘Get up, and open the safe.’

They all stood up.

Bobby led them all into the lounge, where the safe was hidden behind a cupboard. ‘There’s £25,000 in there. That’s all we’ve got in the house. I know I’ve been set up, and I know who set me up,’ Ruby’s brother said.

One of the officers stared now at Ruby, who refused to meet his gaze. ‘We could nick your sister as an accomplice,’ he said, leering at her. Ruby ignored him. Her heart was hammering in her chest. How would this end? Would they throw her in the nick