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

Nobody spoke. The seconds ticked past.

Again, it was Bobby who broke the silence. He’d got the hint. The coppers were crooked. They wanted paying off and he was more than happy to oblige to keep Ruby out of it.

Why had she listened to Freddie Harris? She should’ve known he’d wanted revenge for her turning the tables and making a mug out of him last time. It’d been years, but Freddie must have got tired of how the blokes had laughed at him because a woman had made him pay up. She’d been too soft-hearted. She saw in that instance how different she was to her brother. She had a nose for trouble, was always anticipating a sting, yet she’d fallen for Freddie’s lies, too – and it had led to this.

‘So, we’re playin’ dirty are we?’ Bobby smiled. That at least he could understand. ‘I can’t let you take Ruby to prison. I won’t let that happen. She needs to be ’ere for our brother.’

‘How are ya goin’ to make it worth our while, Bob?’ the copper who’d led the raid into their home asked. He stepped closer to Bobby. For a moment they locked gazes, then Bobby spoke. ‘Why don’t you gentlemen take five grand as “evidence” then split the remaining twenty between ya? No one need ever know we had this conversation, and no one need do anythin’ hasty with Ruby.’

The Old Bill looked at each other and nodded. It was agreed.

They counted out the money, stuffing rolls of cash inside their protective gear. The plan had worked. Bobby walked out of the house in handcuffs, without another word to Ruby. He didn’t look back, dipping his head into the back of the police car, driven away from her to an unknown future.

As soon as the cop car disappeared down the road, Ruby picked up the receiver and dialled Charlie’s number. It was coming up to 6 a.m. and she knew he was an early riser. He was away at the moment, at a hotel in Devon with Maureen, but she knew he’d want her to call him.

‘Who is it?’ Charlie’s voice was gruff. Perhaps they’d slept in after all.

‘Charlie it’s me, Ruby. I need your help. I got Bobby nicked because of that Freddie Harris job. I knew I shouldn’t ’ave agreed, but I did, and now he’s been taken off by the Feds and—’

‘Slow down, girl. Tell me. Where’s Bobby now?’ Charlie was instantly alert.

‘I think they’ll ’ave gone to Barkingside Police Station. Freddie mugged us off. He gave me a bracelet and stupidly I left it on the table, then Freddie grassed us up. It could only be him, Charlie. The coppers came and saw the bracelet. Bobby’s shafted, and it was me who done it,’ Ruby was beside herself. The realisation of what she’d done to her beloved brother was almost too much to bear.

‘Do nuthin’. Carry on as normal. I’ll call my best lawyer and get him down there. We’re comin’ back.’

‘No, Charlie, you can’t,’ Ruby interrupted.

‘We’re comin’ and that’s final. We’ll be back by lunchtime. Don’t worry, Ruby, we’ll sort this.’ Charlie hung up, leaving her holding the receiver.

Ruby spent the morning pacing, and trying to keep George calm. She sat on the floor with him, reading books to him and creating a tea party for all his stuffed toys. Times like this, even amid all the stress and drama of their lives, were golden moments for her. Later, she made him an early lunch, sticking him in front of the telly while she tried to take a moment to think.

Why didn’t I realise when Bobby threw that bracelet onto the table that instead of a gift from Freddie, it was meant as evidence? Her mind was going round and round in circles.

Why did I even think I could do a deal with Freddie? I ignored my instincts and the result is that Bobby’s been nicked and we don’t ’ave the money, it’s all in that slime-bag’s hands. How could I have been so wrong? Ruby went over and over the conversation she’d had with Freddie. She’d known even as he stood there in her kitchen that he couldn’t, shouldn’t, be trusted, yet she’d gone ahead anyway. She’d fallen for the lure of easy money that her mum and dad warned her of.

Ruby became increasingly guilt-stricken as the hours wore on. Her confidence in her own decision-making had taken its first real hit. Up until then, she’d thought this game was easy. Well, she’d found out the truth – it was only for the hardened, only those prepared to pay the ultimate price of their freedom, or life. Well, Bobby would be paying the price of her misjudgement in his police cell tonight.

We ’ave to get him out. I ’ave to put this right, Ruby vowed to herself. For all her cunning, her intelligence, her charm, she’d been the one to mess up – and it was her brother taking the rap.

‘If I could swap with him in that cell, I’d do it in a heartbeat,’ she murmured to George, who hadn’t a clue what she was talking about. He chuckled, thinking it was a great joke, and Ruby smiled sadly.

Why do I always ’ave to learn the hard way? she thought to herself even as she smiled back at her little brother.

Time and time again, she’d learned her gut feelings were spot-on, were to be trusted, and, from now on, she would never forget it.

Lunchtime was approaching, and Ruby realised she’d heard nothing from Bobby or Charlie. Impatient for news, and feeling still more unsettled, she dialled Maureen’s mobile number. It rang for a few moments before a strange male voice answered.

‘Who’s this?’ said Ruby.

‘Are you a relative?’ the voice asked.

‘Look, what is this? I just want to speak to Maureen. It’s very important. You ’aven’t stolen her phone, ’ave ya?’ Ruby was puzzled. ‘I’m the nearest thing Charlie and Maureen