by Linda Calvey
Suddenly, he barked with laughter. ‘You’re as ruthless as you’re beautiful,’ he said with genuine amusement. ‘I don’t think ’alf the men I employ would ’ave the balls to say to my face what you just did.’
Ruby started to speak again but Charlie stopped her with one wave of his hand.
‘You’ve got some nerve, comin’ in ’ere and tellin’ me I’m twenty grand short and wantin’ me to believe that it weren’t you and Bobby who nicked it.’
‘It’s true,’ she said simply. In that moment, she sensed that this would be OK.
Charlie sat back in his seat. ‘You’re in luck. The associate of mine I sent with Bobby wasn’t just there to show him the safe. I needed to know you were kosher. He told me the cash was short.’
Ruby gasped. ‘So, it was a test? You made me sweat to see what we’d do?’
Charlie nodded. ‘And I’m impressed, girl, I really am. You’ve got balls, Ruby Murphy, I’ll give ya that.’
Ruby felt enraged, then elated. It was her first big test of courage – and she’d passed with flying colours.
‘I can teach ya stuff, Ruby, show you how it’s done, shape you into somethin’,’ he continued, wiping his mouth with a paper napkin, which he placed carefully under the now empty mug. ‘I’ve got plans for you – and your brother – but first I’ve got a present for ya, though I can’t decide whether to give it to ya now you’ve cost me a fair few nicker. It’s from my wife, she chose it.’
Ruby looked at him quizzically.
‘Just open it,’ was all he said, handing over a large Louis Vuitton shopping bag. Ruby almost whistled as she pulled out a black snakeskin bag worth thousands. She knew its worth because she’d seen one just like it in her magazine, never thinking she’d ever actually own one.
‘You need to look the part. Can’t ’ave ya meetin’ contacts with scruffy gear.’ Charlie said, looking pointedly at her worn handbag.
Ruby placed her arm over it almost protectively, wanting to refuse the immaculate gift, but she knew he was right. She had to look the part. It was no good walking into the kind of dodgy big-money deals that she sensed she would be doing from now on with a knock-off from the market, even if it had been the last gift her mother had given her. Almost sadly, she stuffed her old bag into the shopping bag and placed the designer bag on her arm.
Back home, she packed away the drooping market bag, placing it like a precious relic inside tissue paper and storing it at the back of her wardrobe. She felt an ache in her heart as she closed the wardrobe door, shutting her past away for ever.
CHAPTER 19
‘So, what’s the job, Charlie?’ Ruby said, twirling the spaghetti around her fork expertly. She was comfortable now in the presence of the gangster, this time back in the Italian restaurant, sensing she was under his protection. He’d told her he’d make sure Bobby did the best jobs, but he needed him full-time. For the past few weeks she’d been meeting Charlie regularly, and he’d told her which jobs her brother would do – if she agreed to them.
‘It’s an easy one this time, Ruby,’ Charlie said, dabbing the corner of his mouth with the starched white napkin. He leaned forwards, his muscular arms clad in his expensive suit resting on the table. ‘All Bobby has to do is open the warehouse and make sure the alarms don’t go off.’
‘What’s inside this warehouse, Charlie?’ Ruby asked, taking a small sip of her wine. She never drank much. She hated the feeling of being tipsy and so she only ever had a few small sips to be sociable.
The crime boss looked over at her. ‘I ’ave it on good authority that a lorry will be inside that warehouse on the night with a full load of cigarettes which ’ave cleared customs. All we ’ave to do is get inside and it’s rich pickings.’
‘And when you say “rich pickings”, what does that mean for my Bobby?’ Ruby smiled, sitting back in her seat and looking over at the man who had become so important in her life. A few weeks ago she barely knew him, only having heard of him through Sarah’s dad who had done some work for him years ago. She’d known he was the local hard man, and remembered wishing she’d never meet him. In a million years, she’d never have thought she’d be sitting across from the same dangerous man enjoying a perfect Italian meal and being treated as an equal. Times had changed but so had Ruby. She knew Bobby’s worth. She knew that good key-men were rare, and those who could work quickly and expertly were worth their weight in gold. Ruby had grown up in the crime-ravaged back streets of London. Her family might’ve been honest but she heard the gossip, she saw the winners – and losers – and she had ears to listen.
It was Ruby’s mission now to convert that expertise to gold, and Charlie was her champion, if the price was right.
‘I wondered when we’d get to that. Always sharp, ain’t ya, Ruby,’ Charlie chuckled. He eased himself back. In many ways he was a man in his prime. He had streaks of grey in his thick brown hair, which was cut expensively, yet he retained his good looks despite the life he’d led and the battles he’d won.
Ruby shrugged but the smile didn’t leave her face.
‘We’ll split it fifty-fifty. I can’t say fairer than that. So, Ruby Murphy, is it a deal?’ It was Charlie’s turn to grin.
‘It is, Charlie, but on one condition . . .’ Ruby replied, her eyes twinkling with mischief in the low light.
Charlie raised his eyebrows. He was always surprised by this woman. He never knew quite what she’d say or do, and that’s what intrigued him. In many ways, she reminded him of himself as a young man, keen to prove himself, to know his value and take a risk for high stakes.
‘My condition is that you let me buy dinner,’ Ruby laughed, which made Charlie roar. He shook his head. ‘Well, it’s been a while since a woman paid for me, but go on then, I’ll give ya that. Now, do we ’ave a deal?’
Ruby nodded. She put down her fork and placed her napkin on the table. It was her turn to end the meeting, she’d decided.
With a small gesture to the attentive waiter, she placed a wad of cash on the table. ‘And that’s a tip for you,’ she finished, smiling at the young man who seemed lost for words.
Charlie looked on. He liked a woman who took charge, and who looked after those around her who weren’t considered to be so important. He nodded his approval and stood up. Driving her back home, he got down to business. ‘Bobby will be picked up for this one. They’ll drive there. I won’t say where it is but believe me, it’s all good, all sorted.’
Ruby liked to stake out targets herself, but for once, she decided to trust Charlie on this. It sounded like the warehouse was a journey away so she nodded her agreement. One of them had to be at home to take care of George. The time and date was set, and all Ruby had to do was wait.
Back at home, she went over the details with her brother, who listened placidly as she outlined the plan. ‘All you ’ave to do is open up the place, then a couple of other lads will drive the lorry out to a different warehouse where they’ll unload it. You’ll need to lock up the original storage place so when the mobile security does their checks, there’ll be no suspicion of the robbery.
‘It’s an inside job and it’s bona fide.’
Bobby nodded and shrugged. ‘Sounds simple enough to me, Rube. What’s our cut?’
Ruby looked over at him and allowed a small smile of triumph to creep onto her face. ‘It’s fifty-fifty. Charlie knows how to keep a good key-man onside.’
That made Bobby laugh even though he was shaking his head. ‘You were born for this, Rube.’
‘Maybe I was, Bobby. Maybe I was . . .’
Ruby yawned. She picked up her Louis Vuitton bag and headed upstairs, checking in on George, who was now sleeping in his cot in her old bedroom at the back of the house. She’d taken the main room at the front that used to be their parents’ room, which meant that Bobby often heard George overnight more than she did. She was dog-tired, though, and her head spun with the mixture of good food, good company and the good deal she’d struck.
Hap
py to see George was sleeping peacefully, she crept into her room, closed the door and breathed out a long sigh. Every time she came back to her house it felt smaller and shabbier, although it had been her whole world growing up.
The raid went perfectly. Bobby did his part swiftly and with the minimum of fuss, gaining everyone’s respect. Charlie dropped round with their share of the money, a large holdall filled with rolls of notes. It was becoming somewhat of a routine for them. ‘There’s ten grand in there,’ the kingpin robber said. ‘Ain’t it time you got yerselves a better place?’ he added, looking round the small kitchen.
Ruby could see Bobby was riled by this sentence. She put a hand on his shoulder to steady him, and said, ‘I’ve been thinkin’ for a while that we need to move up in the world. Little George needs a garden and I want a kitchen I can be proud of.’
Bobby stared at her, hurt written across his face.
‘I know, Bobby, I know. It’s our childhood home. It’s where Mum and Dad brought us up, and loved us, but they’re gone now, darlin’. We’ve got money now, enough to buy a bigger house. It’s time to move on,’ she said softly.
Charlie looked at Ruby’s brother. ‘I didn’t mean no offence, Bob. I’m sorry, really I am.’
Bobby was looking down at his hands but he nodded.
‘There was no offence taken, Charlie. But how do we buy a new place with crooked money?’ Ruby got straight to the point. She had no idea how to bypass the rules and regulations when it came to buying property. It was fine to splash their cash buying designer clothes and bags, and a new car for Bobby, but how on earth would they secure a home?
‘Leave all that to me,’ Charlie murmured. ‘Is this place rented?’
‘No,’ said Ruby, unable to keep the pride out of her voice, ‘Grandad Jim bought it lock, stock and barrel. It’s ours.’
‘Good,’ replied Charlie, ‘get it on the market and we’ll get a crooked accountant to sort the money . . . problem.’ With that, the gangster made his excuses and left, leaving Ruby and Bobby in the kitchen.
‘I’m sorry, Bobby, but what Charlie said is true. It’s time to move up in the world. Don’t ya want a garden for George? Don’t ya want more space, perhaps a garage for your BMW?’ Ruby’s voice was wheedling now, persuasive.
Bobby smiled reluctantly. ‘I do, Rube, it’s just that all my memories of Mum and Dad are ’ere. I’m worried if we leave, we’ll be leavin’ them behind too.’
Ruby nodded. She understood, but she also knew that memories lived in her heart and not in the stuff of life. They didn’t live in things – sofas, tables or curtains; they lived inside themselves, and a change in residence would never alter that.
‘They’ll always be with us,’ she added gently. ‘Mum and Dad are always with us. Don’t you feel them? I do. I know they’re ’ere with us, and they’ll come with us wherever we go.’ Ruby instantly knew this to be true. She wanted Bobby to feel the same way. He was simpler than her. He didn’t go in for big ideas or big thinking, he left all that to his younger sister. She looked over at him and saw the tears gather. Wrapping him in her arms, she held him, feeling his pain, but also knowing Charlie was right. It was time to go.
CHAPTER 20
Ruby took little George with her in his buggy to the local estate agent, who put their home on the market, and within days a reasonable offer was made. Bobby was coming round to the idea that it was time to go, though he still felt the pain of it.
‘Where are we goin’ to go?’ he said the day they rang the estate agent to accept the offer on their home. The pair were just leaving the house to visit Charlie and his wife Maureen.
‘Chigwell,’ Ruby said, smiling.
‘Chigwell? To be nearer to Charlie Beaumont?’ Bobby replied, starting the ignition. George was strapped into his child seat in the back.
‘Why not?’ Ruby said. ‘I can think of worse places, and it gets us out of ’ere.’ She looked out of the window as the car moved off, seeing the overflowing rubbish bins, the litter drifting down the pavements which needed a good weeding.
‘Listen, Rube, you might turn ya nose up, but Star Lane is where we was born and bred, never forget that,’ Bobby said harshly.
‘Sorry, Bobby, I didn’t mean to upset ya. Of course it’ll always be our home, but it’s OK to want to move on. It’s how Charlie got where he is today.’
Bobby grunted a reply.
Ruby smiled to herself. Bobby was unfailingly loyal, and she loved him dearly for it, though she didn’t share his nostalgia for the bleak-looking roads and houses. As the car left the urban highways travelling through larger streets with trees and gated houses, Ruby exhaled. She loved the feeling of space, of possibility.
Charlie’s wife Maureen had invited them over to the exclusive part of Essex for lunch at their palatial home. Ruby, Bobby and George, wearing their best gear, pulled up on the long driveway, Ruby relishing the crunching sound of the tyres on gravel. Bobby whistled.
In front of them was a large white mansion with a water feature in front of the doorway. There were ornate bushes planted in huge pots outside the front door, which opened as they stepped out of the car.
‘Welcome. Charlie’s told me so much about you all,’ said a petite blonde woman with immaculately groomed hair, wearing a chic Chanel two-piece suit.
‘Meet my wife, Maureen, she’ll show ya round, get a feel for the place. A drink, Bob?’ Charlie gestured for Bobby to follow him into the drawing room, while Ruby and George followed Maureen in a tour of the home, which was filled with vases of fresh white lilies.
‘It’s like a palace,’ said Ruby dreamily, which made Maureen laugh.
Her accent was as strong a cockney voice as her visitors, made rough from years puffing on her Cartier Pearl Tipped cigarettes.
‘You should’ve seen where I grew up, darlin’. It weren’t like this. We had a shared lavvy and two rooms between six of us in the Isle of Dogs. My mum used to ’ave to carry the pram up four flights of stairs to get to our rooms, which were damp all year round and had buckets to catch the leaks when it rained.’
Ruby nodded. She gazed around the immaculate bedrooms, walking on thick pile carpets before heading down to the designer kitchen that backed onto a landscaped garden.
‘It’s a different world,’ Ruby said at last.
Maureen turned to look at her. There was something motherly in her gaze. ‘Just imagine, you could ’ave a similar place one day.’
Ruby smiled. She would have a place like this.
Maureen nodded as if she knew what the young woman in front of her was thinking. Patting her gently on the arm, she said, ‘Why don’t I come lookin’ at properties with ya?’
‘I’d like that, thank you,’ Ruby replied.
‘It won’t be as big as this yet, darlin,’ but we’ll find you somethin’ gorgeous,’ Maureen added, smiling.
The two women had taken to each other at once. The only time Maureen’s smile had faltered during the tour was when she showed them Michael’s room. ‘This was my son’s. He died very young in an accident . . .’
Ruby didn’t know what to say, except, ‘I’m so sorry for your loss, Mrs Beaumont,’ her heart breaking for this composed and elegant women.
‘Call me Maureen, and thank you. It was a long time ago, but somehow you never forget, never.’ She smiled sadly back at her.
Feeling a little shaken, Ruby followed Maureen downstairs, wondering how a mother ever got over the death of a child. It didn’t seem possible, and yet, at first glance, she’d never have guessed the tragedy that had befallen them.
By the time they got to the dining room, Charlie and Bobby were chatting like old friends, Maureen had recovered herself and was back to being the charming hostess.
The four adults settled down to a lunch of roast chicken, potatoes and an exotic salad made with fruit neither Bobby nor Ruby recognised.
‘It’s mango!’ Maureen laughed. ‘Don’t tell me you’ve never tasted mango before?’
; Ruby and Bobby shook their heads. George clapped his hands, smearing the sweet, sticky fruit Maureen had given him all over his face as he sat on his big sister’s lap, making everyone laugh.
‘Well it’s time I taught you both a few things, brought you up to speed.’ Maureen added, ‘Now, eat up, there’s tiramisu for dessert.’
She sounds so posh, Ruby thought. At the sight of Ruby and Bobby looking blank again, both Charlie and his wife laughed even harder. Their bemusement was clearly comical, and Ruby realised she had so much to learn, and she couldn’t wait to try out all these wonderful new things.
A couple of weeks, and about a hundred house visits later, Maureen found the perfect property for the small family. It was a three-bedroom house with its own large garden, a summerhouse and a garage. Best of all, it was only five minutes away from the Beaumonts.
The first time Ruby walked into the large entrance hall, she noticed the sense of space, the light, so different from their narrow, dark home in Star Lane. She knew straightaway that this was the right place. She looked over at Maureen who started to giggle.
‘You’ve found your home, Ruby,’ was all she said.
Ruby walked around each room as if in a daze. She could picture little George, chocolate smeared all over his mouth, toddling around the garden. He was nearly three years old and already trying to chase anything that moved, including birds that tweeted from the trees. Her adorable scamp would have room to run and play. He could have a play house, a swing and a climbing frame for when he was older, and there’d still be plenty of room left over to grow flowers.
Within weeks, the home was theirs. Ruby bought new furniture, ordered new curtains and blinds for each room, and decked the house out like a palace, though her taste was naturally refined, and she had each room painted white with the luxurious furnishings in muted shades. Before she had time to really settle in, Charlie appeared one day with a stranger beside him.