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

There was a slight pause, and Ruby, who was sitting away from the men in a soft velvet chair, looked up, her instincts alerted.

‘Of course, our cocaine is the very best on the market. I’m sure we can do business with you and your charming family.’

Saban fiddled with something on his sleeve, and in that small gesture, Ruby knew he was lying. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but something told her not to trust this charming, eloquent man.

She also knew she could do a better deal than the one being struck.

Ruby looked over at Lloyd. He was checking his watch, seemingly with only half an eye on the deal being discussed, but he didn’t fool Ruby. She knew Lloyd was as sharp as it got, and he’d be listening to every word.

Lloyd had been running the drug cartel since he’d left the UK, running coke via a complex web of contacts, but it was Archie and Ruby who were now handling the deals. Lloyd was looking to the future, to a time he might hand over the reins. Ruby saw her husband’s strengths – and weaknesses – just as she seemed to do with others around her. She saw that he was more of a blunt instrument, made to be a blagger or a crime boss, not a drug baron. Archie was tough, there was no doubt about that, he was ruthless, yet he wasn’t a subtle negotiator. He lacked Ruby’s mercurial mind, her way of seeing things from every angle.

‘We require the goods immediately. We have contacts who tell us the market is ready,’ Archie said, at which point Saban gave an exaggerated sigh.

‘Unfortunately, our associates in Guatemala can only get your shipment over here to Spain in a month. We can do no more than that. I am so sorry.’

The stranger smiled, and Archie nodded in response.

‘We appreciate you putting your suppliers forward. I think we can agree this is to our mutual benefit . . .’ Archie said eventually.

Both men stopped talking and stood up, ready to shake hands.

Lloyd looked over at Ruby. It was her turn to speak. The three of them had a natural dynamic, a way of dealing with negotiations. Lloyd would look bored to the point of uninterested, though he heard and saw everything, while Archie did the majority of the chat. It was only at the end that Ruby, as swift and as sharp as an arrow in flight, would enter the conversation, hitting the bull’s eye as she spoke.

Ruby returned Lloyd’s gaze, acknowledging his trust in her, and just as Saban reached out his hand for Archie to shake, she stood up and walked the few paces to the men’s sides.

‘Saban. Am I to understand that your cartel is only willing to supply to Spain, and your only guarantee is in a month?’ Ruby said, holding her head high and meeting the man’s gaze directly.

The Albanian looked to her, and then back at Lloyd and Archie. ‘You did not tell me this woman was part of the negotiations,’ he said coldly, all his previous charm vanishing instantly.

‘You’ll find she’s very much part of it,’ Lloyd replied, looking pointedly at his watch again. Ruby could almost imagine him yawning with boredom right now and she had to smother the urge to laugh out loud. She loved the dance, the game of it. The power battles, the cunning and speed both sides had to employ to get what they wanted – it all enthralled and excited her. She was grateful to her father-in-law for keeping back, for giving her the chance to step up into the role he had retired from.

She spoke again. ‘You need to know that we’ll only do this deal if you can guarantee the shipment reaches our contact in Glasgow. If you deliver to Spain then it’s our problem to smuggle it into Britain and we won’t do that.’ Ruby smiled and pushed her sleek hair back, revealing her delicate neck decorated with a single string of perfect emeralds. She took strength from their brilliance, their toughness, and knew herself to be made of the same stuff.

Ruby continued, ‘I know for a fact that you’ve got a shipment ready to go as I’ve spoken to someone in your warehouse. They left your . . . employ . . . shortly afterwards, a few thousand dollars richer, but the goods are there, so why are you sayin’ they’ll take a month to cross the Atlantic?’ She held his gaze, her eyes now as cold as his. Saban flicked his gaze around the room. He fidgeted, staring back at Lloyd, then Archie and finally Ruby as if trying to work out the new power balance in the room.

Archie smiled over at Ruby, who was dressed in a Prada sundress with Louboutin heels, her huge diamond rock flashing on her ring finger.

‘I don’t believe you’ve met my wife,’ he said, grinning. Archie was clearly enjoying her input, knowing she was going in for the kill, her teeth bared and ready to rip this man to bits.

Ruby smiled. ‘We know you ’ave the capability to deliver to our contacts in Glasgow, in two weeks’ time. We’ve seen it for ourselves. So, I ask you again, will you deliver the shipment to the location we’ve selected for the money we’ve agreed and to the timescale we want?’

The air in the room seemed thicker as she waited for Saban’s answer.

Briefly, he looked like an animal cornered, but the slick smile soon covered his momentary discomfort.

‘We ’ave other suppliers who would be more than happy to deliver what we need, when we need it,’ she added. Her voice was low and soft, just as Charlie had taught her. There was no need to shout, no need to raise her voice even to normal volume. Her manner said it all.

Saban narrowed his eyes. He’d underestimated her quiet presence. He pulled on his Armani sunglasses, and laughed reluctantly, stepping towards Ruby and taking her right hand in his. She saw Archie