Detective Ruby Baker series Box Set

by Daisy White

  A few bystanders are clapping, and an old lady is dabbing her eyes with a white handkerchief. I wonder if Sammy got safely away or if his dad stopped him from leaving.

  I met him at Peter Pan’s Playground, since I was babysitting whilst Mary got everything ready at the cottage. As I pushed Summer on the swings, and she squealed with excitement, I told Sammy who killed his sister.

  “I was right. That’s all that matters. I’d like to kill the bastard myself, but don’t worry, I’ll leave him to the others. You’re right, debts are debts whether you can walk or not,” Sammy said. “I’ll grieve for Rita all my life and I’ll never forget her smile, but I can’t tell you how much it matters to me to know that she didn’t kill herself. Look, come over to the wall, I want to show you something.”

  I extract Summer from the swing with difficulty, and follow him over to the far corner. He crouches and points to a lot of names and pictures that have been scratched into the stone wall. One unsteady finger traces her name. A large heart with Rita scrawled inside. Next to it someone has written:

  ‘I luv Rita S’

  All around, like petals of a flower, others have added their own tributes:

  ‘Me too.’

  ‘God bless her.’

  ‘Love to heaven and back.’

  ‘Sleep tight Angel Girl.’

  There are four little boys climbing a rusty giraffe, watched by their mother, and a sleepy-looking man at the drinks kiosk, but apart from that the playground is quiet. Both Sammy and I are blinking back tears.

  “I’m glad. Will you go now?” I ask him.

  He nods. “Tomorrow. It’s all arranged. My friend was just waiting for me to give him the say-so.”

  “Good luck, Sammy.” I watch him walk away. At the gate, he hesitates, but he doesn’t look back.

  After Mary and Ted have signed the register, a flotilla of mismatched cars takes us all down to the beach.

  We crunch over the pebbles in inappropriate footwear, down to the bit of beach by the pier. It’s all set up with rugs and picnic baskets. Candles in rocks are arranged at the centre of each rug, and a tall dark boy starts playing his guitar as we arrive. It’s perfect, and Mary has tears of joy trickling down her cheeks. Johnnie has also provided two hampers of exquisite food, and he waves a couple of bottles of champagne. “A toast to the happy couple!”

  We raise our glasses in celebration, and the waves hiss and murmur further down on the sand. Victoria is snapping photographs like a professional, and I could just burst with happiness.

  Later, I wander down to the waves with my best friend, breathing the balmy, salty air, and watching the soft blue horizon.

  Mary slips an arm around my shoulders, “I can’t believe I’m married. If we hadn’t run away that night, none of this would have happened. It’s down to you, Rubes, and I love you for it.” She kisses me on the cheek and I put my arms around her, tears in my own eyes now. “I’m going to miss you so much, Ruby!”

  “Me too. But it wasn’t down to me. We both did it, and we’ve both made new lives down here. Have some more champagne.” I grab her glass and tip the bottle, but she puts her hand over it.

  “I’d better not, or it’ll make me feel sick.” Now her eyes are gleaming with mischief. “Don’t tell anyone else yet though, will you?”

  “My God, are you . . . pregnant?” I drop my voice to a squeak, and she nods. “I thought you were going to wait a bit?”

  “We were, but it sort of just happened, and then it seemed like a perfect way to start married life. Ted’s over the moon, and you’ve seen how wonderful he is with Summer.”

  I hug her again, and we cling together in the evening sun, until we are interrupted by Kenny. “Congratulations, Mary, I couldn’t be happier,” he says, beaming. “Here you go, Rubes, have another drink.”

  I take the glass and smile at him, taking in his clear grey eyes, his wild black hair and the messy imperfection of his face. He’s giving me that lazy grin that makes my heart do a little flip, and when I slip a hand into his, he gives me a kiss.

  I kick off my shoes and settle on one of the striped rugs Johnnie has thoughtfully provided, and lean against Ken’s shoulder. The sea is smooth as glass, and the stretch of sand exposed by the tide is covered in kids with balls and nets. The smell of hot dogs and fish and chips drifts down from the pier, and away in the distance, where the blueness of the sea meets the deeper shades of the summer sky, there is the glitter of boats on the waves.

  But amongst the day trippers, the locals enjoying an hour of sunshine on the sand, I spot a lone figure, leaning against the pier. At first I think she must be one of the kids who sleep out under the struts. She looks so ragged and unkempt, with battered canvas shoes dangling from one hand, and a cigarette from the other. But her stance is familiar.

  I turn away from my friends and walk towards her, my heart thumping. Our eyes meet, and she scowls. I think about the telephone call that never came, my mum’s worry, and I think to myself that it’s four long years since I saw her, and she’s no longer a little girl. She looks like a woman in trouble.

  “Hallo, Garnet.”

  She moves towards me, her long brown hair fluttering like a banner in the breeze, and I notice she’s wearing wide-legged jeans with bells on the bottom. They brush against the pebbles as she walks.

  THE END

  RUBY BAKER SERIES

  Book 1: BEFORE I LEFT YOU

  Book 2: BEFORE I FOUND YOU

  Book 3: BEFORE I TRUST YOU

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  GLOSSARY OF BRITISH AND PERIOD SLANG

  Addles your brain: messes with your head

  Aggro: violent behaviour, aggression

  All hands to the pumps: lots of help needed

  Aye: yes (Scottish)

  Baby grow: sleepsuit

  Babycham: cheap alternative to champagne – made from pears

  Ball and chain: wife (negative)

  Balloon’s gone up: an emergency situation

  Balls-up: an error, a mistake

  Banana boat: derogatory term for immigrants transport to UK

  Banksy: famous graffiti artist

  Barm: bread roll

  Barrel of laughs: sarcastic term for a serious character

  Barrister: lawyer who argues in court

  Be sick: vomit

  Beaker: glass or cup for holding liquids

  Beat bobby: uniformed police officer who patrols the streets

  Bedsit: a one-room apartment (small)

  Bee’s knees: something special

  Bells ringing: equivalent of police sirens today

  Belter: It was a fantastic goal

  Benefits: social security

  Bent: corrupt

  Better step on it: hurry up

  Betting shop: a place where you can place bets on horses and other sports

  Bin: wastebasket (noun), or throw in rubbish (verb)

  Biscuits: cookies

  Black Maria: a police van

  Blighty: means England

  Bloke: guy

  Blow: cocaine

  Bob: money

  Bod: derogatory term – anonymous person

  Bonnet: hood of car

  Bookies: a place where you can place bets on horses and other sports

  Bowling me a googly: cricketing term. To take by surprise

  Boxing Day: 26 December

  Bread-and-butter work: routine work

  Brief: lawyer

  Brylcreem: hair cream/gel to give men’s hair shine and smoothness

  Bully for you: good for you (sarcastic)

  Bumfluff: the first pubic hair

  Burger bar: hamburger fast-food restaurant

  Buy-to-let: buying a house/apartment to rent it out for profit

  Cabbage: brain dead

  Calling in the cavalry: asking for r
einforcements

  Cambridge University: prestigious British university

  Canon: a rank of clergymen

  Car park: parking lot

  Caravan: mobile home

  Care Home: an institution where old people are cared for

  Carer: person who looks after old or ill people

  Carrier bag: plastic bag from supermarket

  Cat that got all the cream: satisfied

  Chaps: men

  Charity Shop: thrift store

  Chat up: flirt, trying to pick up someone with witty banter or compliments

  Chemist: pharmacy

  Childminder: someone who looks after children for money

  Chinwag: conversation

  Chip: fat French fry

  Chipper: feeling positive

  CID: Criminal Investigation Department

  Civil servant: someone who works for the Civil Service

  Civil Service: government departments which put central government plans into action

  Clobbered: hit hard

  Clock: punch

  Cobbler’s shop: shoe repair

  Cock up: mess up, make a mistake

  Common or garden: ordinary

  Common: an area of park land/ or lower class

  Comprehensive School (Comp.): high school

  Cop hold of: grab

  Copper: police officer

  Cos: because

  Council estate: social housing

  Council flat: public or project housing

  Council: local government

  Coverall: coveralls, or boiler suit

  CPS: Crown Prosecution Service, decide whether police cases go forward

  Crazy-paving: patio, concrete slabs in random pattern

  Cross: upset or angry

  Crown Jewels: the Queen’s jewels and crown worn on state occasions (can also be an expression for anything valuable)

  Cuppa: cup of tea

  Cut along to: go along to

  David Nixon: UK TV magician

  DCI: Detective Chief Inspector

  Deck: one of the landings on a floor of a tower block

  Deputy head: deputy principal

  Dessert: pudding

  DI: Detective Inspector

  Digs: lodgings, boarding house

  Do a bunk: disappear

  Do a runner: disappear

  Do one: go away

  Do: party

  Doc Martens: heavy boots with an air-cushioned sole

  Dodgems: bumper cars

  Doormat: meek

  Dosh: money

  Dressing down: being chastised

  Druid: priest or magician of ancient Celtic religion/ also modern-day adherent of the religion

  DS: Detective Sergeant

  Early dart: to leave work early

  ED: accident and emergency department of hospital

  Emergency police box: telephone box for police use

  En-print: an 8 x 10 photograph

  Estate agent: realtor (US)

  Estate: public/social housing estate (similar to housing projects). May also mean a large area of land in the country, usually with a large house

  Excuse my French: sorry I swore

  Ex-directory: not in the phonebook

  Fag: cigarette

  Fella: man

  Fellow: boyfriend

  Fitzrovia: upmarket London area

  Fizzy drink: carbonated beverage

  Flat: apartment

  Flatfoots: derogatory name for police

  Fly in the ointment: problem

  Form teacher: class teacher

  Garden Centre: a business where plants and gardening equipment are sold

  Gee-gees: horses (racing)

  Geordie: someone from Newcastle

  George Formby: musical comedian

  Get rid: dispose of

  Get you a brew: make a cup of tea

  Get your skates on: hurry up

  Gilet: sleeveless padded jacket

  Glasshouse: greenhouse

  Go to the dogs: go to rack and ruin, be destroyed

  Good collars: good arrests

  GP: general practitioner, a doctor based in the community

  Graft: hard work

  Guvnor: the boss (& guv)

  Gymkhana: horse-riding event

  Gymslips: school uniform of bib and skirt design

  Hack: newspaper journalist

  Had it in spades: has a lot of it

  Half of bitter: half pint of beer

  Hanky: handkerchief

  Hard nut: tough person

  Harold MacMillan: British Prime minister 1957-63

  Haversack: backpack, rucksack

  Hendon: police training school

  Herbert Beerbohm-Tree and Mrs Patrick Campbell: actors

  HOLMES: UK police computer system used during investigation of major incidents

  Home: care home for elderly or sick people

  I’m blowed: I am surprised

  I’m spitting nails: I am very angry

  Inne: isn’t he

  Interpol: International Criminal Police Organisation, facilitating international police cooperation. HQ in Lyon, France.

  Into care: a child taken away from their family by the social services

  Kark: die

  Keep it under your hat: keep it a secret

  Keep mum about it: keep it a secret

  Keep your hair on: don’t get so excited

  Kneecapping: punish by shooting in the kneecap

  Knee-trembler: sex standing up

  Knighted: given a British honour

  Knock his block off: punch him hard, block = head

  Lad: young man

  Lass: young woman

  Late birds: people who stay up late

  Lecky: electricity

  Lift: elevator

  Lippy: lipstick — can also mean loquacious

  Little hussy: girl of loose morals

  Load of tripe: lot of nonsense

  Loft: attic

  Lonnnie Donegan: father of British skiffle music

  Loo: toilet (also bog, khasi)

  Lorry: a truck

  LSE: London School of Economics

  Mac: raincoat

  Magistrate: a civil officer who administers the law

  Mantelpiece: shelf above a fireplace

  Mare: derogatory term for woman, or can mean having a bad day (nightmare)

  Marmite or Bovril: meat-based sandwich spreads

  Mates: friends

  Met: the Metropolitan Police, police department serving London

  Mickey Finn: a drugged drink which makes the drinker unconscious

  Milkman: person who delivers milk to the house

  Missus: wife

  MIT: Major Investigation Team

  Mobile phone: cell phone

  Mobile: cell phone

  Mosquito: British airplane used in Second World War

  Mothercare: shop selling stuff for babies and expectant mothers

  MP: Member of Parliament, politician representing an area

  Mumsnet: website where parents discuss stuff

  Naff: lame, not good

  Nail varnish: nail polish

  Narky: bad-tempered

  Net curtains: a type of semi-transparent curtain

  News of the World: British tabloid newspaper

  NHS: National Health Service, public health service of UK

  Nick: police station (as verb: to arrest)

  Nimby: Not in my backyard. People who object to developments/buildings, etc. use this word.

  No-go area: dangerous place

  No-mark: loser

  North London / South London: separated by the River Thames

  Nowt: nothing

  NQT: newly qualified teacher

  Nursery: a place which grows plants, shrubs and trees for sale (often wholesale)

  Nutter: insane person

  OAP: old age pensioner, senior citizen

  Off his chump: slang for being mad, crazy

  O
ff-licence: shop selling alcohol

  Ofsted: UK government’s inspector of schools

  On the game: prostitute

  Ovaltine: malted milk beverage – served hot

  Overall: a one-piece garment worn to protect clothes

  Owt: anything

  Oxbridge: Oxford and Cambridge universities

  Oz: Australia

  Palais: dance hall

  Pathé News and Pearl and Dean: adverts before the movie starts

  Pay-as-you-go: a cell phone you pay for calls in advance

  PC: police constable

  Pear-shaped: go wrong

  Petrol: gasoline

  Pin money: small amount of earnings

  Pinny: pinafore

  Piss off: as exclamation, go away (rude). Also can mean annoy.

  Pissed off: annoyed

  Pissing around: messing about, not telling the whole truth

  Pissing down: raining

  Planning Department: the local authority department which issues licences to build and develop property

  Plantagenet: English royal dynasty, on throne from 1154-1485

  Plaster: Band-Aid

  Playing cards close to her chest: being coy with the truth

  Pleb: ordinary person (often insulting)

  Plimsolls: gym shoes

  Plods: derogatory name for police

  Police Gazette: newspaper produced to publish notices of wanted criminals

  Poncy: pretentious

  Poofter: offensive slang for a gay person

  Portakabin: portable building used as temporary office etc.

  Post: mail

  Pounding the beat: working as a uniformed officer on the streets

  Premier League: top English soccer division

  Prick: slang for penis

  Prom: a classical music concert where some of the audience stands

  Puds: puddings/desserts

  Pull the wool over their eyes: fool people

  Pulling my leg: having a joke at my expense, teasing

  Punter: someone who gambles in a betting shop

  Pushchair: stroller

  Q cars: A car that has a high performance engine and an unassuming exterior

  Querent: person for whom the tarot card reading is done

  Quite sweet on you: likes you romantically

  Rag: newspaper

  Ram-raiding: robbery where a vehicle is rammed through a shop window

  Randy: horny

  RC: Roman Catholic

  Red Brick University: university founded in 19th and 20th centuries

  Reggie and Ronnie: the Kray twins, gangsters

  Register office: a government building where you get married or register births