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

of someone she had known all her life, and yet she knew she’d done the right thing. She couldn’t have Freddie boasting about doing her over. Bobby might still be going to prison, but she doubted anyone else would try it on with them for a very long time indeed.

She turned to Archie. ‘Thank you,’ she said.

CHAPTER 29

Charlie and Maureen’s funeral took place at Hermit Road cemetery, organised with Archie’s help, and attended by all the underworld crooks and blaggers. Ruby was dignified in black, greeting mourners, but she was glad when the day was over.

Ruby was a rich woman in her own right now, with the Beaumonts’ mansion in Chigwell to move into as soon as the legal procedures were complete, and the large villa in Spain she would also inherit, meaning she had four properties, while Bobby had been left Charlie’s collection of expensive watches and his diamond signet ring.

However, Bobby was still on remand, waiting for his case to come to Crown court. The date had been set for two months hence, and Ruby had spent more hours than she cared to in Rupert Smithers’ office, seeking legal counsel, with Archie constantly beside her.

‘Can’t we say that Freddie framed Bobby and has now disappeared? That’s the truth, after all. All the coppers ’ave got is a bracelet as proof, but we can say that Freddie planted it,’ Archie said.

Rupert looked at him over his glasses. ‘Yet Bobby has confessed. That puts us in a difficult position.’

‘He can say he was tryin’ to protect Freddie as they’d been friends since they were at school together? Surely my Bobby can plead not guilty and if there’s any doubt, they’ll ’ave to let him go free?’ Ruby was almost pleading herself.

Now they knew Freddie was disposed of, and couldn’t give evidence, they could put the blame squarely on his shoulders, say the whole thing was a set-up from the start.

‘You can try, but if the jury thinks he’s trying to manipulate the system, or lie, then it’ll be worse for him. He’ll get a bigger sentence if he pleads not guilty but is found guilty after all.’

Ruby nodded. She’d guessed that much, yet they had to try.

‘Let me speak to him. I’ll try and convince him to take back his statement. He was flustered at the time, he didn’t know what he was signin’,’ she said, squeezing Archie’s hand, knowing she was avoiding the real truth.

Ruby found herself back in a queue to enter a prison waiting room. Bobby was being held on remand at Brixton Prison. She smiled at him as she took her seat at the table.

‘How’ve ya been?’ she said.

‘I’m fine, Rube. How’s little George?’ Bobby replied.

‘He’s a cracker, but he’s missin’ ya.’

‘Tell the little so-and-so his big brother misses him too – and to behave.’

Ruby sighed. ‘Look, Bobby, I wanted to ask ya somethin’. Me and Archie ’ave been speakin’ to a top barrister, Charlie’s man,’ even his name brought tears to her eyes, ‘and we could try goin’ not guilty. Say that Freddie set you up. Tell them ya didn’t mean what you said, tell them you was tryin’ to protect Freddie . . .’

Bobby shook his head. ‘No, Rube, I can’t do that. I won’t see the barrister, I’ll go guilty.’

‘But why, Bobby? Why’ve ya done this?’ Ruby couldn’t understand. They had the money. They could afford the best lawyer so why not give it a try?

‘I’m doin’ it to protect you and little George. Those coppers were bastards. They’ll come after you if they don’t get me. No, I’ve made up my mind. I’ll go guilty. I’ll take it on the chin. Let it go, sis.’

‘But, Bobby. You’ve done loads of jobs they suspect ya of and never caught ya. They’ll throw the book at ya!’ Ruby’s voice had risen and Bobby shushed her.

‘Let it go, Rube. That’s my final word. You’ve got to be there for George. We promised Mum we’d never let him down, we’d look after him for ever, and this is my way of doin’ that.’

Ruby couldn’t argue with that.

Only a couple of weeks later, she watched from the docks of Southwark Crown Court as the sentence was read out. Bobby had pleaded guilty and the only question was how long he’d spend in jail. Archie was with her. He’d moved into her home now, and they’d become inseparable.

She was grateful for his solid bulk beside her.

There was a wait as papers were shuffled, then the judge spoke. ‘It is clear, Bobby Murphy, you are a menace to society. Your counsel tells us of the hardships you have endured through your life, the loss of your parents, the bad crowd you fell in with, but in a case such as this, you have pleaded guilty to a serious crime, that of robbery, and the law says you must be imprisoned. Although you are only in front of me for this one crime, the police believe you to be behind many unsolved crimes, so I give you the full penalty, and therefore, sentence you to fifteen years in prison.’

There were gasps from legal counsel on both sides. No one had expected such a tough sentence. Ruby felt her head swim, as if she would faint, but she gripped the wooden bench and stood up so that Bobby could see her.

He stood in the dock, no reaction on his face. He held her gaze as the officers on each side of him gestured for him to be led back down into the bowels of the building. Before he disappeared, he looked back and nodded as if to say ‘I’ll be fine, don’t worry about me’, then he vanished, a long stretch ahead of him.

Ruby stared at the space where her brother had just been. She looked around the courtroom, at the judge, the barristers and lawyers, the people who had good starts in life, who were given privilege and the ability to earn money legally. They were the people