by Alfie Robins
‘You think I’m fucking daft?’ He knocked back his drink and refilled his glass. ‘What’s the catch?’
‘Like I said, no catch. I’d say this makes us quits, wouldn’t you? You got your cash back and a nice bonus that puts you well into profit.’
‘What about the diamonds?’
‘Ahh, now that’s different. If we’re honest about this, the diamonds were never actually yours to start with.’
‘Yeah but Big Jim and the Dutch dealer…’
‘As far as they’re concerned the Seabird was turned over and the couriers killed, which is true. As I see it they have no reason to know any different. What do you reckon?’
‘You have the diamonds?’
‘Maybe – maybe not, it all depends.’
‘Keep talking.’ He was interested again.
‘How much do you reckon they’d fetch on the open market?’
‘In the raw state, uncut, they’re worth somewhere in the region of eighty grand, maybe one fifty when they’re cut and polished.’
‘That right? Tut, tut, tut, what would you say if I told you I’d had them valued? Quite frankly I reckon you’re taking the piss.’ Warren picked up his drink, sipped then carefully put down the cut-glass tumbler and stood up. ‘You ready for the off, Jimbo?’
Jimbo finished his drink and stood up ready to leave. It was a stalemate as both parties waited for the other to call their bluff.
Conway folded.
‘Hang on a minute, surely we can talk about this?’
‘Ball’s in your court Mick, you start talking real money or we’re leaving.’
‘Ok, ok, you’re right, when they’re dressed a fair estimate would be somewhere in the region of one point five million, ok?’
‘Sounds more like it,’ the two men returned to their seats. ‘This is what I had in mind, we do a split, fifty – fifty,’ Warren knew this was pushing things a bit.
‘Steady Ray.’ The ‘Ray’ made Jimbo smile, he looked to Warren but kept his mouth shut. ‘I see things a bit differently, I’m the one who will have to sit on them for fuck knows how long until all the fuss dies down and who knows when that’ll be? So, I’m thinking two hundred grand, how does that grab you?’
This was what Warren had been expecting all along, selling the diamonds was a thing he couldn’t do himself, Conway was the one with the contacts.
‘It’s a pittance Mick, we might as well piss off now.’
‘Two fifty, final offer.’
‘You drive a hard bargain Mick,’ he held out his hand to shake, ‘how soon can you have the cash?’
‘How soon can you let me have the diamonds,’ he countered.
‘Now.’ Conway was surprised, he stood up and walked out of the room and up the stairs, they could hear him above them.
‘Safe’s in his bedroom,’ said Jimbo.
Warren smiled. ‘Looking good Jimbo,’ he said and poured himself another glass of Conway’s expensive whisky. It wasn’t long before Conway returned carrying an expensive looking briefcase. He walked across the living room and placed the case on the table.
‘Show me,’ he said to Warren as he sat down.
Warren stayed where he was and put his hand in his trouser pocket and pulled out a small drawstring bag and tossed it across the room. The fat man almost fell off his chair as he reached out to catch the bag. With his fingers trembling in anticipation, Conway loosened the drawstring and tipped the diamonds on to the table.
‘They all there?’
‘Each and every one.’
Conway touched each stone with care and then one by one he replaced them in the pouch and smiled, he’d secured himself a good deal. He flicked the catches on the briefcase, the lid opened to reveal its contents, two hundred and fifty thousand pounds in used notes of various denominations. ‘It’s all there – you can keep the case.’
Warren stood and walked over to examine the contents; Jimbo stood looking over his shoulder as he picked up the bundles and flicked through, then closed the lid.
‘I’ll take your word it’s all there, Mick, it’s been a pleasure doing business with you.’ He patted the case with the palm of his hand. He picked up the whisky bottle and refilled their glasses. ‘To us,’ he toasted.
‘To us,’ Conway and Jimbo said in unison.
Warren put down the glass and picked up the briefcase. ‘I’ll be in touch.’
‘Do me a favour Ray, don’t fucking bother,’ said Conway, earnestly.
‘You coming Jimbo?’
‘So you’ve got yourself a new employer have you Jimbo?’ Conway said, no bitterness in his voice.
‘Not employer, partner, fifty – fifty all the way, that right mate?’ Warren said.
Jimbo was embarrassed, Mick Conway had done a lot for him, maybe not most of it legal, but he’d looked after him all the same.
‘That’s right Mick, partners. Thanks for everything but I think it’s time for me to move on, know what I mean like? I hope you’re ok with that?’
‘No problem lad, when you get fed up with working with this twat you just give me the nod. There’ll always be a place for you, don’t forget it.’
‘Thanks Mick, I appreciate that.’
The two men walked the way they had entered, through the back door.
‘Well that went better than I expected.’ Warren climbed into the Transit and put the case between himself and his young colleague. He flicked open the case and took out two bundles of notes, and stuffed them into his jacket pocket. He thought there were probably around ten thousand pounds, he wasn’t really bothered, he already had the extra bonus he’d acquired from Gemmell Strategies, all in all a good wedge he would salt away.
He closed the case and handed it over to Jimbo.
‘What do you want me to do with it?’
‘It’s yours mate.’
‘What do you mean it’s mine?’
‘You said you’d like to get your mum into a decent nursing home, now you can.’
‘You can’t – I can’t accept this!’
‘Last time I say this Jimbo, over the past weeks you’ve saved my neck more than once. If you hadn’t watched my back we wouldn’t be here now having this argument, so that’s it finished. Just put it to good use.’
‘Thanks man, I don’t know what to say. You don’t know just how much difference this money will make. I can’t thank you enough,’ Jimbo said with teary eyes.
‘No thanks needed, you’ve earned every penny. Now get out the car and piss off.’
‘What?’
‘Look mate, there’s something I’ve got something to do and there’s no need for you to get involved. If things turn out ok I’ll be in touch soon, I promise.’
‘You said it was a partnership, fifty – fifty…’
‘It is, but like I said I’ve got to do this by myself. Don’t worry, I’ll be in touch as soon as this is sorted.’
Feeling guilty, he almost had to force Jimbo from the van. He looked in the rear view mirror as he drove away leaving the lad standing on the road edge, holding more money than he’d ever seen in his life.
Warren drove back into the town centre and pulled into the kerb side and turned off the ignition. He sat in the parked van for twenty minutes, debating with himself about what he was going to do, was he doing the right thing?
He decided he was.
He got out of the car and left the keys in the ignition – the law of averages said it wouldn’t be too long before someone nicked it. The decision was made. He walked around the corner, took a deep breath and walked up the concrete steps, opened the door, walked in and stood in front of the desk.
‘Detective Sergeant Greg Warren – Suits and Bullets,’ he said to the police officer behind the desk.
with friends