Risking It All

by Stephanie Harte

  ‘I hope I haven’t disturbed you.’ Alfie’s voice sounded menacing in the darkness.

  Nathan switched on the bedside lamp. I rubbed sleep from my eyes and attempted to adjust to the unwelcome light.

  ‘It’s two o’clock in the morning,’ Nathan said.

  Alfie pulled back the sleeve of his charcoal grey suit and checked the time on his designer watch. ‘I won’t keep you long. I just want to make arrangements for my shopping date with Gemma. I’ll send a car to pick you up at midday. You’ll be going to an expensive shop, so you’ll need to dress the part. Make sure you wear something nice, but not too distinctive.’

  What did Alfie mean by that? ‘No trackies and trainers then,’ I replied.

  Alfie arched an eyebrow. ‘Wear something classy. I want you to look sophisticated.’

  *

  A black Mercedes-Benz S-Class Saloon pulled up outside Mamma Donatella’s just before twelve.

  ‘Nathan, the car’s here. Do I look all right?’ I was wearing a black pencil dress and tailored jacket with black barely there high-heeled sandals that fastened with an ankle strap.

  ‘You look incredible, absolutely stunning.’ Nathan smiled, pulled me towards him and kissed my cheek. ‘Are you OK, Gemma? You’re shaking.’

  ‘Am I?’ I was terrified and fixed Nathan with a panicked stare.

  Nathan wrapped his strong arms around me and held me tightly. ‘You don’t have to go through with this. I’ll go and tell Alfie the deal’s off.’

  ‘No, it’s OK. I don’t know why I’m so nervous. I’m only going shopping.’ I pulled away and gave Nathan a half-smile. I needed to get downstairs before I talked myself out of it.

  *

  The tinted window lowered as Nathan and I approached the car. ‘You’ve chosen your outfit well. Black is always a good option when you want to blend in.’ Alfie let a slow smile spread across his face.

  His comments had done nothing to put my mind at ease. I felt more nervous than ever.

  Dressed in a dark suit, Alfie’s driver stepped out onto the pavement. He walked around to the back passenger door, opened it and waited.

  Nathan squeezed my hand, then kissed me on the cheek. He got in the car and took a seat on the cream leather upholstery next to Alfie. ‘I can’t let Gemma go on her own.’ Nathan ran his hand around the back of his neck.

  ‘I’m not surprised you don’t want to part with your lovely wife, but we had a deal. You’re not coming with us.’

  Their eyes locked, and I forced my feet to move. Taking a deep breath, I stood next to the open doorway, tugged on Nathan’s arm, and he turned around to face me. ‘I’ll be back before you know it.’

  Nathan got out of the car, threw his arms around me and looked me in the eye. ‘Are you sure you want to go through with this?’

  I nodded. ‘I’d better go.’

  ‘Look after her,’ Nathan said when I got in the car.

  I didn’t take my eyes away from Nathan’s until the electric window closed. When the Mercedes pulled away, I glanced over my shoulder. Nathan stood on the edge of the pavement with his head in his hands. So it wasn’t just me who thought this was a bad idea then. I stared straight ahead of me. The sooner this was over with, the better. Alfie didn’t say a word. He remained tight-lipped for the whole of the awkward journey. You could have cut the atmosphere in the car with a knife.

  ‘Should I park here, Alfie?’ the driver said, slowing down outside De Beers Diamonds in Hatton Garden, London’s jewellery quarter.

  ‘No, Tommy, drive on for a bit, then park up. I need to give Gemma her instructions.’

  My mind went into overdrive, and I balled my hands in my lap. ‘So what do you want me to buy?’

  ‘I think you’ve misunderstood the situation.’ Alfie grinned.

  Now I was totally confused, so my eyes searched Alfie’s for an explanation. ‘I thought you wanted me to go shopping?’

  ‘I do, but you’re not going to buy anything. You’re going to steal it.’ Alfie watched my face for a reaction.

  I knew there’d be a catch. ‘I’m sorry, but I’m not prepared to do that,’ I replied, channelling my inner ice queen.

  ‘Do I need to remind you that we had an agreement?’ Alfie smirked.

  I bit down hard on the pad of my thumb while I considered my options. Alfie laughed. As far as he was concerned, we’d made a deal, and that was binding. Being the boss, he got to dictate the terms; it didn’t matter to him if they were fair or not.

  ‘It’s too late to pull out.’

  Staring into space, I agonised over my decision. ‘I can’t go through with it.’

  ‘Gemma, I’ve been more than patient with you, but now I want my money back. If you decide not to do the job, there will be serious repercussions. Do you understand?’

  ‘Yes.’ I tried to appear confident, but there was no denying the wobble in my voice when I spoke. At the back of my mind, I knew if I didn’t do what Alfie asked, I could end up with a bullet in my head.

  ‘When somebody disappoints me, there are always unpleasant consequences. You don’t want to disappoint me, do you?’

  Alfie’s threatening words were going round and round in my head. ‘No, but I can’t…’

  Alfie interrupted me before I could finish what I was saying. He put his finger under my chin and tilted my face upwards. ‘You’re such a beautiful young woman; it would be such a shame if something happened to change that, wouldn’t it?’

  My breathing quickened, and my hands suddenly felt hot and clammy as Alfie’s words rang loud and clear in my ears. If I’d thought things were bad before, something told me they were about to get even worse.

  Alfie had a reputation for shooting first and asking questions later, so if I didn’t go along with his plan, who knew what would happen. Whether I liked it or not, I was about to become his personal shopper; I didn’t have a choice in the matter.

  ‘I’ve never done anything like this before. What if I lose my nerve?’ I said, letting out a resigned sigh.

  ‘You won’t.’

  Alfie turned his blue eyes on me. I could see he wasn’t about to change his mind. There was no point stalling any longer. I was just delaying the inevitable. A vision of myself wearing the traditional burglar’s dress code of stripy top and a mask, with a bag marked SWAG slung over my shoulder, suddenly popped into my mind.

  ‘I suppose you’d better tell me what you want me to steal then.’ I didn’t want to do this, but what else could I do? Alfie had complete control of the situation.

  ‘You’re going to take a diamond ring.’ Alfie smiled.

  My eyes grew wide. ‘How am I going to get away with that?’

  ‘You’re going to switch it.’

  ‘I won’t be able to do it.’ I was a nervous wreck. I’d never get away with it.

  ‘That’s a pity because you’ve run out of options. Your debt is still outstanding, and the interest on it grows very rapidly. The longer you delay, the more you’re going to owe.’

  I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. As I tried to psych myself up, I realised I was damned if I did, damned if I didn’t. Whichever choice I made, the outcome would be negative. Alfie got out of the car and opened the boot. When he returned, he was carrying a large gift box. He handed it to me and told me to open it. Inside the box was a black Hermès Birkin bag.

  ‘That must have cost a fortune,’ I said.

  ‘It did, but you can’t play the part of a wealthy woman if you don’t have the right props. You’ll find everything you need in there. Put the jewellery on and familiarise yourself with the contents of the purse.’

  I unzipped the bag and opened the magnetic clasp of the black leather purse. It was stuffed full of fifty-pound notes. ‘I’m confused.’ Narrowing my eyes, I stared at Alfie. ‘Why do I need all this money? I thought you wanted me to steal the ring.’

  ‘I do, but the staff need to believe you can afford to pay for it.’

  The purse also contained exclusive cre
dit cards. Taking one out, I examined it. So I was Emma Jones, was I? After removing my jewellery, I slipped on the platinum Rolex, diamond-encrusted wedding ring and huge solitaire from the jewellery wrap.

  ‘Look inside the pouch. That’s the ring you’re going to switch.’ Alfie sank back into the leather seat and watched me over his shoulder.

  ‘Is this really a fake?’ I asked when I took the full band eternity ring out of the velvet cover. It didn’t look like a lump of glass mounted in metal. Alfie smirked while I turned the ring around in my hand. I watched the light bounce off it. It was so convincing. What if I got them mixed up? My temples were pulsating in time with my heartbeat, and I could feel a tension headache starting.

  Alfie turned to face me. ‘You’re going to walk confidently into the store and use your charm on the employees. Spin them a line about being a bored, wealthy housewife. If they think you have an endless amount of money to spend, they’ll be tripping over themselves to serve you.’

  I could feel the perspiration break out on my upper lip, but resisted the urge to wipe it away. What if they didn’t believe me?

  ‘You only get one chance to make a first impression. People always judge you on your appearance when they’re sizing you up, so it’s good to have a polished exterior,’ Alfie said.

  I glanced at him, not a hair out of place, and dressed in an expensive suit. He clearly liked to practise what he preached. To the outside world, Alfie looked like a smart businessman, not a criminal.

  ‘You want the person who serves you to see inside your purse at the first opportunity, so they realise it’s bulging with cash.’

  Taking a deep breath, I tried to regain control of my racing pulse. My head was pounding, making it difficult for me to concentrate.

  ‘Ask the assistant if you can try on several items of jewellery at once,’ Alfie explained. ‘Make sure you pick a variety of items from different trays. That will make it harder for them to keep track of what they’ve got out of the cabinets. The object of the exercise is to confuse the person serving you.’ As Alfie spoke, he smoothed back his blond hair.

  I didn’t know how I was going to remember all of this. Lifting my fingers to my temples, I began massaging the sides of my head.

  ‘Don’t stress yourself out, Gemma. You’ll be fine once you’re inside. There’s a lot riding on this.’ Alfie smirked.

  No pressure then, I thought as doubt filled my mind.

  ‘Your mobile will ring every ten minutes or so, to give you a reason to keep opening your bag. When you feel the time is right, select a ring that looks like the copy, try it on and switch it with the fake one when the assistant isn’t looking.’ Alfie flashed me a smile.

  What if there wasn’t a ring that looked like it? I had a horrible feeling I was going to mess this up. I covered my mouth with shaking fingers. Suddenly overcome by a wave of nausea, I wasn’t sure I could go through with this. I couldn’t imagine stealing the ring would be as easy as that. I looked down at my trembling hands and wondered how I was going to be able to pull this off.

  ‘What if I get caught?’

  Alfie fixed me with a blue stare, but he declined to answer my question. His silence put me on edge and did nothing to calm my anxiety.

  7

  Gemma

  I took a deep breath and exhaled loudly. It was time to get this over with. I couldn’t put it off any longer. Stepping out of the car in the centre of London’s diamond district was overwhelming. With my heart pounding in my chest, I approached the impressive glass-fronted building, trying to appear confident. Pushing open the heavy door, I stepped into the luxurious double-height showroom and crossed the room to the mirrored display cases. The ultra-modern shop was enormous, and my heels echoed ominously on the dark wood floor.

  ‘Hello, my name’s Chris,’ the sales assistant said.

  I looked up into the eyes of the young man dressed in a smart suit and smiled, willing myself to stay calm. ‘Hello,’ I replied.

  ‘Would you like some help?’ Chris asked, tilting his head to the side.

  ‘Yes, please.’

  ‘Are you looking for anything in particular?’ Chris’s casual tone struck the right balance between being helpful and not too pushy.

  ‘Not really, just something that catches my eye.’

  Chandeliers hung high above the cabinets full of jewels and watch collections. Everything looked incredible as the light bounced around. Following Alfie’s instructions, I put the Birkin bag down on the counter, took out my purse and opened it so Chris could see the contents. While pretending to look for something inside it, my eyes scanned the room to locate the security cameras. There were several above the cabinets and one at the entrance.

  ‘Let me know if you’d like a closer look at anything.’

  That was my cue. The sooner I made the switch, the sooner I could get out of here. ‘Could I try that on, please?’

  ‘Of course.’ Chris unlocked the glass case containing an incredible sapphire and diamond bracelet. He opened up the clasp and placed it on my wrist.

  I twisted my arm around, admiring the way the stones sparkled. ‘It’s beautiful. Could I try that ring on as well?’

  ‘I’ll have to put the bracelet back first. We’re only allowed to get one item out at a time.’

  ‘Oh, that’s a shame,’ I replied, pasting a dejected expression onto my face.

  Chris looked over his shoulder to see if anyone was watching us. ‘I’m not meant to do this, but as my manager’s on his lunch break, I suppose I could bend the rules on this occasion.’

  ‘Thank you; I’d really appreciate that.’

  ‘If you’d like to follow me.’ Chris beamed and began walking to the corner of the showroom, near the entrance. ‘I shouldn’t be telling you this, but there’s a blind spot in the camera field just here, so nobody will be able to see what we’re doing.’

  That’s convenient, I thought, giving him the biggest smile I could muster, while my stomach twisted into a knot.

  Chris was going out of his way to be helpful, and I was about to take advantage of that. I didn’t want to play the evil villain, but I didn’t have another option. A pang of guilt hit me when I looked into his young, trusting eyes. I had to get a grip. This wasn’t the right time to lose my nerve and start examining my conscience. My mobile suddenly began to ring in my bag and interrupted my train of thought.

  ‘You’re doing great,’ Alfie said as if sensing my hesitation.

  He hung up before I had a chance to reply, but knowing he was watching my every move didn’t put me at ease, it scared the life out of me.

  Chris took the pieces I’d selected out of the cabinets. While standing feet from the assistant, I slipped the jewellery on and off. Then I spotted an eternity ring very similar to the one Alfie had given me and asked to try it on. I thought I’d given the game away when I had trouble placing it on my finger. My hands were trembling so badly. Surely Chris must have noticed.

  I jumped when my mobile began ringing. ‘Excuse me a minute.’

  ‘Of course,’ Chris replied, turning away momentarily to give me some privacy.

  I reached into my bag, and once my hands were out of sight, I swapped the real diamond with the fake one before answering the call.

  ‘See you soon,’ Alfie said before the line went dead.

  I had the ring, but I still needed to get it out of the shop without anybody realising. My eyes darted around the room to see if anyone was watching me, but all the other staff were busy with their own customers.

  ‘Are you having trouble deciding?’ Chris asked when I placed the fake eternity band back in the tray.

  ‘Is it that obvious?’ I replied, trying to keep my voice steady and not let my nerves get the better of me. ‘I’m torn between the sapphire and diamond bracelet I first tried on and this.’ I pointed to an enormous ruby ring on a different tray from the eternity band.

  ‘You’ve got good taste,’ Chris flattered, delighted at the prospect of selling one o
f the expensive items he’d shown me.

  ‘What time are you closing today?’ I asked, glancing at my platinum Rolex. I hoped he wouldn’t notice the perspiration that had broken out on my upper lip.

  ‘Six o’clock.’ Chris’s voice was full of disappointment.

  ‘In that case, I’ll come back later with my husband. I’d like him to help me make the final decision.’

  ‘OK.’ Chris began putting all the high-value items of jewellery away, realising the sale had fallen through.

  ‘I’ll be back soon. Thank you for all your help.’

  ‘You’re welcome.’ Chris managed a half-smile.

  I took that as my cue to leave and turned away from the counter. Willing myself not to panic or do anything that might arouse suspicion, I began making my way towards the entrance. My palms were sweating, and my legs felt like jelly, but I kept putting one foot in front of the other until I reached the glass doors. Just as I was about to walk out, a man’s voice stopped me in my tracks.

  ‘Excuse me, madam,’ the security guard said.

  I struggled to remain calm. My natural instinct was to run, but instead, I turned towards the huge man while my heart attempted to break through my ribcage. ‘Is something the matter?’ I asked, drawing in a deep breath. I held it while I waited for him to respond. At that moment, I didn’t trust myself to breathe normally. If I started to hyperventilate, I’d look as guilty as I felt.

  The guard gestured towards Chris, who was rushing to where I was standing. The world seemed to have slowed down around me as waves of panic washed over me. He must have noticed I’d switched the ring, I thought. This was the moment I’d been dreading. I knew I’d never be able to get away with it and now I’d been caught red-handed.

  ‘Here, take this,’ Chris said, beaming from ear to ear as he passed me his card. ‘Just in case I’m on a break when you come back. If I’m not on the shop floor, phone me, and I’ll come back to serve you.’ His hazel eyes lit up at the prospect of making some hefty commission on the sale.