The Londum Omnibus Volume Two (The Londum Series Book 12)

by Tony Rattigan

  They made a grand couple, both on the social scene and in the field of criminal enterprise. He showed her how to pick a lock in under a minute, how to crack a safe and the best places to fence hot merchandise. He taught her about cons, card-sharping, forgery, you name it. If it was crooked and Jim knew how to do it, he tutored her in it.

  She was never up to his standard of course, he’d had lots more practice but she certainly made a good partner. Life seemed rosy; all that anyone had to do was … not get greedy.

  A way of finding out background information on prospective ‘targets’ was to become well known socially. Get to know the other guests at the hotel you are staying at and the restaurants and casinos you visit, and you can find out whether they can afford to be robbed or indeed whether they deserved to be robbed.

  Now that may sound a strange way to judge your pigeons but Jim, although not a law-abiding citizen, worked to his own strict moral code. He had no compunction about stealing from other crooks, that was a given, but apart from that he would only steal from ordinary people who were so rich that the odd necklace or brooch going missing would only be a minor inconvenience for them, or from someone who was so obnoxious they deserved everything they got (or lost, to be more accurate).

  This code had always worked well for Jim and he did his best to drum it into Racine but she often refused to stick to it and went her own way with a sort of recklessness, not caring who the victim was. That, Jim knew, would inevitably lead to their downfall.

  At one hotel in Cannes, they met a nice couple called the Braithwaites. Albert Braithwaite was in the cast iron business in the north of Albion. He had made a fortune in cast iron water piping when the government had decided to put plumbing and running water into every house, in every town in Albion starting with the capital, Londum.

  Albert Braithwaite had overnight been transformed from a struggling factory owner to a leading industrialist. And once he had enough money to be secure, the first thing he had done was to propose to his girlfriend, Mary, who worked in a hat shop. She had accepted and they had married. And they had been blissfully married for some years now.

  To celebrate several years of continued company growth, Albert had bought Mary a lovely diamond necklace and taken her on holiday to the Riviera. It was Mary’s pride and joy and she wore the necklace proudly at every opportunity. The Braithwaites had related this tale to Jim and Racine over the course of several evening meals in the top restaurants around Cannes.

  Mary was a pretty little thing and the diamond necklace looked good on her but despite all the jewellery and the latest Paree fashions, Mary couldn’t help displaying her shop assistant background, from time to time. Albert didn’t mind, he doted on her and he was from those same streets. Jim, whose origins on the dirty East End streets of Londum kept him from ever feeling snobbish about anyone else, thought they made a charming couple and he felt a genuine affection for them and it would never have crossed his mind to do anything to hurt them.

  Racine however, had some sort of bee in her bonnet about Mary, calling her that ‘damned shop girl’ and coveting her necklace. (Jim suspected it was because Racine had once been a ‘damned shop girl’ herself.)

  Although Jim was disposed to leave them alone, one night Racine had broken into the Braithwaite’s room, opened the safe and stolen the necklace. Mary was distraught … and Jim was bloody upset too! The police were called, everyone who was acquainted with the Braithwaites was questioned, rooms were searched. (Fortunately Jim had taught Racine well and the police never discovered the hiding place of the necklace.) Very bad business for Jim and Racine.

  That was the moment that he knew he could never stay with Racine. The callous way she had attempted to hurt Mary by stealing her prized possession, out of no other motive than sheer spite and petty jealousy, it seemed to Jim, prompted him to end their relationship, no matter what he felt about her.

  As he sipped his whisky, the memories of that time came flooding back to him.

  ***

  Jim stood watching the gendarmes as they searched his and Racine’s room. (They were actually both called something else at this point in their lives, but to avoid confusion, I shall carry on calling them Jim and Racine.)

  They had returned from dinner to find the hotel manager and the local police searching their room. After apologising profusely, the manager explained the necessity to search everyone’s suite that was connected with the Braithwaites and that there was nothing he could do about it. Jim was angry because he personally had not hidden the necklace, in fact he didn’t even know where it was, and therefore he couldn’t be sure that it was sufficiently well hidden to escape detection. He just had to hope that he had taught Racine well enough.

  Racine sat on the chaise longue, calmly sipping a drink as Jim stood over by the open balcony door, smoking a cigarette. The policemen searched the wall safe which he had opened for them, and then all the drawers and wardrobes, even searching under the beds.

  Jim could barely conceal his anger which the police sergeant mistakenly assumed was directed at them and the implication of the search, that they were somehow guilty. However, they couldn’t be more wrong, they were guilty and that’s why Jim was angry, with Racine!

  Finally, the gendarmes finished their search of the room and finding nothing, left, after making their apologies for disturbing them. Jim saw them to the door, closed it behind them and then turned to face Racine. ‘Well, where is it?’ he said, coldly.

  Wordlessly she pointed up to the glass chandelier. Jim had to look carefully, he had to admit she had done a good job of hiding the necklace on the light fitting but he eventually saw it nestling amongst the glass teardrops.

  ‘Why did you steal the necklace when I expressly told you not to?’ he asked.

  ‘Because I wanted it, so I took it.’ She shrugged. ‘Isn’t that what we do, take what we want? We live by our own rules, that’s what you taught me.’

  ‘Yes but our own rules say that we don’t steal from nice people who have done us no harm. At least my rules say that, you seem to have developed a set of your own.’

  ‘Your rules, my rules, who cares? The point is that we live life on our terms and that includes acquiring things that we want and blow the rest of the world.’

  ‘Yes but why pick on the Braithwaites? They’re a nice couple and I really enjoy their company. They’re a down to earth pair with good hearts. It makes a difference from the usual Upper class twits, cheats and liars, adulterers, gamblers and drunkards that one usually meets on the Riviera. It’s a refreshing change and that’s why I didn’t want to do anything to hurt them. Poor old Mary is heartbroken, that diamond necklace meant the world to her.’

  ‘He can buy her another one,’ she said, dismissively.

  ‘But they both grew up poor, so finally being in a position to buy a diamond necklace meant something to them, it meant they had arrived at last. That was more than just a necklace, it was a symbolic piece of jewellery and now you’ve ruined that for them. Sure they can buy another one but it just won’t be the same.’

  ‘Look,’ she replied. ‘I’m out to enjoy myself and that means that no one is going to place restrictions on what I can and can’t do. Do you hear me? No one.’

  ‘Does that include me?’ he asked.

  ‘No one,’ she repeated.

  He stared at her for a while and then broke the silence as something occurred to him, ‘You’re jealous, aren’t you?’ he asked.

  ‘What? Of that shop girl? Never!’

  ‘You worked in a shop and nobody ever came along and whisked you away from that boring life, did they? You’re just jealous that it happened to her. You had to run away and learn how to acquire those riches for yourself. No one, not even me, has ever lavished you with gifts the way that Albert does with Mary.’

  ‘Well, what do you expect? Yes you’re right, I was like her, struggling to make ends meet, helping my useless simpleton of a husband running a shop from dawn to dusk and never a franc to cal
l my own. She’s had everything handed to her on a plate, whereas I had to run away and come to the Riviera, never knowing whether I would starve or have to sell my body to survive. And even when I met you, all you did was teach me how to steal for myself. Where was the lavish lifestyle, the furs and the diamonds? Eh? Where were they?’

  ‘Look around you, look at what you’re wearing, you have all the diamonds and pearls and the latest silk dresses from Paree. What more do you want?’

  ‘But I had to steal the money to buy them didn’t I? I didn’t have any rich man to bestow these things on me. Even you taught me your trade and then made me earn my keep. It’s all very well living on the proceeds of our robberies but I want real wealth, like those people I see in the hotels and the casinos. The Gods know I love you Jim but I want someone who is as rich as Midas and could buy me Cannes, if I wanted it.’

  ‘Well I guess you won’t be needing me anymore then,’ he said, heading for the door.

  ‘Where are you going?’ she asked.

  ‘Out for a drink.’ He stopped in the doorway, ‘I wish you luck in your search for Midas but remember how he ended up.’

  He left the hotel and found himself a quiet bar someplace. As he drank he reached a decision about what he was going to do. Then, as the evening drew on, he carefully made his plans about how he was going to do it.

  ***

  A few days later when Jim and Racine had made their peace and Albert and Mary Braithwaite had had a bit of time to get used to the idea of being robbed, the four of them were having dinner together. Albert and Mary still weren’t quite their usual cheerful selves and Jim was trying his best to cheer them up. Racine was just her usual, bubbly self and appeared to pay no attention to their problems.

  ‘You should take Mary to the casino,’ said Jim. ‘You know she likes a flutter, maybe it will take her mind off the robbery.’

  ‘Yes, that’s an idea, I suppose,’ agreed Albert. ‘What about it my dear? You always enjoy gambling my money away,’ he grinned. ‘Perk you up a bit, perhaps.’

  ‘Would you and Racine be coming along?’ she asked Jim.

  He looked at Racine and she said, ‘Oh yes, I’d love to go to the casino.’

  ‘Well that’s settled then, the casino it is, after dinner,’ said Albert.

  They finished their meal in due course and after settling the bill made their way to the front entrance of the hotel. It was a warm evening and they didn’t need outer coats. Just as they were handing over their room keys to Reception, Jim grimaced and rubbed his stomach.

  ‘Are you all right?’ asked Racine.

  ‘Yes, fine. Just a bit of indigestion, don’t worry about it, let’s go.’

  As they set off he stopped and held his stomach again.

  ‘Are you sure you’re okay,’ Albert asked him.

  ‘Look it’s just indigestion, it’ll be fine. Tell you what, why don’t you go on ahead, take the ladies to the casino. I’ll just nip up to my room and take some indigestion powder, give it a while to work and then I’ll catch you up.’

  ‘Are you sure?’ asked Albert. ‘We can wait for you?’

  ‘No, that’ll be all right.’

  ‘Do you want me to stay with you?’ Racine asked him, anxiously.

  ‘No I’ll be fine, promise. You go on ahead and I’ll see you shortly.’

  The three of them made their way down the street towards the casino as Jim went back into Reception, retrieved his key and went back up to his room.

  Acting quickly, he changed out of his evening dress and packed a suitcase with his essential clothing, the rest he could leave behind. Then he opened the safe. He took out his passport and any personal documents and a small amount of cash which he put into his jacket pockets. The rest, which included jewels and thick wads of bank notes, he left behind for Racine.

  Next, he dragged a chair into the centre of the room, beneath the chandelier and got the Braithwaite’s necklace down. He put it in his pocket and headed out of the room.

  He made his way up the stairs to the next floor instead of taking the lift, so he wouldn’t be seen. He opened the door of the stairwell a crack and waited until there was no one in the corridor leading to the Braithwaite’s room. When the coast was clear, he quickly went down the corridor and after picking the lock on their door, let himself into the room.

  Jim crossed to the wall safe and very shortly cracked it by listening to the tumblers until they fell into place. He swung the safe door open and taking Mary Braithwaite’s necklace out of his pocket, he returned it to where Racine had stolen it from. They would get a surprise the next time they opened the safe but it would be a pleasant one.

  He closed and locked the safe and then let himself out of the room, locking the door behind him. Descending the stairs, he returned to his own room. He picked up his outer coat and hat, collected the suitcase and as one last gesture, he left a note on the bed for Racine that he had previously written. It was a farewell note explaining why he was doing what he was doing.

  He went down to Reception and handed in his key. Outside the hotel, he caught a cab to the train station. This was a popular resort and trains ran all night. He planned on making his way up to Italia and starting afresh there. He had some cash on him but amongst his personal documents he had a letter of credit that he could take to any major bank and they would allow him to withdraw sufficient funds to support himself.

  As he stepped aboard the train, he looked wistfully back towards the town. He was well aware of what he was giving up but he knew that if he stayed, Racine would doom them both with her reckless ways. He had tried to teach her moderation but her appetites were becoming too big, she wanted it all and she wanted it now.

  So he settled down in his carriage and watched the scenery as the train took him out of her life.

  And that was the last time he had seen her … until today.

  ***

  Back in the present, Jim put his feet down on the floor and leaned forward to stub out his cigarette. As he reached for the whisky bottle to refill his glass once more, the doorbell rang. He ignored it and carried on filling his glass but it rang again, insistently. He sighed and putting down the bottle, made his way to the front door.

  He opened the front door and standing there was Racine … his heart stopped beating, or at least it felt that way. As she stood there, as beautiful as ever, she seemed uncertain, hesitant. ‘I thought I’d take up your invitation to drop around.’

  ‘Come in, welcome to my humble home.’

  He let her in, took her hat and parasol, then showed her into the drawing room where he had been drinking.

  ‘Can I offer you a drink?’ he said, indicating the half empty whisky bottle on the table.

  ‘Er … yes, that would be nice.’

  He got a fresh glass and sloshed some whisky into it. When he held it out to her, she put her hand around his. ‘Jim … I came to say … to talk about …’

  Jim put the glass down and took her in his arms. They gazed into each other’s eyes for a moment and then they were kissing, hard. Within minutes they were in Jim’s bedroom, undressing each other.

  After so long apart, they were a little uneasy to begin with. Their minds had forgotten how they had behaved together and they were awkward with each other at first but their bodies soon remembered, it was like muscle-memory, and it wasn’t long before their lovemaking fell into the old patterns.

  Each slowly began to remember what the other one enjoyed and as they grew bolder, they pleasured each other shamelessly. Together they slipped into their old ways and as the familiarity returned, they goaded each other on into higher realms of pleasure giving. They went from the heights of passion to the depths of depravity. They did things to each other that I can’t even spell!

  And when it was all over, their passion satiated for the moment they slept, held tight in each other’s arms. They both slept a deep, dreamless sleep for there is nothing like the sleep of the just … except the sleep of the just after.
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br />   ***

  Jim woke up to see Racine sitting at the end of the bed, smoking a cigarette and quietly watching him.

  He sat up, ‘Can I have one of those?’

  Wordlessly she lit a cigarette and handed it to him.

  He drew on the cigarette, looked around the room (you can’t be too careful) and back at her. ‘What’s going on?’ he asked.

  ‘We need to talk, Jim. After last night we need to talk. I was prepared to forget the past and move on but I can’t ignore it after what we did … what we did again, last night.’

  ‘Okay, what do you want to talk about?’

  ‘Why did you leave me alone in Gaul, without saying anything? Do you know what it did to me, finding out you had gone from the hotel? Coming back from the Casino, wondering where you had got to and then going to the room and finding you’d taken all your things and gone.’

  ‘It had to be done,’ he told her. ‘You’d crossed the line. I told you not to steal that necklace from the Braithwaites but you went ahead and did it anyway. You put us both in danger and it became obvious to me that I’d never be able to keep you under control. I warned you that you were bringing down trouble on us. And what was the first lesson I taught you? It’s okay to go out on a limb but you never saw it off behind you!’

  ‘But I could have changed, you could have taught me to be better … you could have … stayed,’ her voice broke and tears came to her eyes.

  ‘I’m sorry … I could see you were too wild, you wouldn’t listen to me.’