The Locksmith

by Linda Calvey

  Ruby, a little flustered, ushered them both into her dining room, a white space with a long cherry-wood table and a set of elegantly carved seats.

  ‘I wanted you to meet Marcus Lawrence, an art dealer associate of mine. Marcus only deals with the wealthiest and most exclusive clients.’

  He had trendy red glasses, swept-back hair and a tweed jacket over designer jeans and slip-on leather shoes. He looked every inch the London art buyer. She could see him sizing her up the same way, but with a slight air of puzzlement. Ruby was not your average crook. She dressed expensively now that Maureen had taken her up west for a shopping spree in Bond Street. Today she was wearing a coral-coloured dress that fitted her slim figure to perfection, with white slingback heels and beautiful jewellery. She wore her hair long, shining down her back, thick and lustrous, and used only the barest touches of make-up.

  ‘To what do I owe the pleasure?’ Ruby waited for Charlie to lead the conversation, sussing out every inch of this wealthy man as she did so.

  ‘Marcus arranges for paintings to be—’

  ‘Requisitioned,’ interjected the man.

  ‘Stolen,’ finished Charlie. ‘He’s a high-class dealer who only deals with the super-rich. His clients are some of the richest men – and women – on the planet. He gets them the paintings they want, no matter how.’

  Ruby looked over at Charlie. ‘So, how can I ’elp?’ she said.

  ‘I hope I can rely on your discretion. There is a certain painting a wealthy private collector is interested in,’ the dealer said, simply.

  ‘And you want my brother to get it for ya,’ Ruby finished, smiling over at Marcus.

  ‘Exactly,’ he replied.

  ‘Whatever you do, make your terms specific because Ruby ’ere don’t mess about. She’ll take whatever you offer and not a penny less,’ Charlie smiled, winking at Ruby.

  Ruby didn’t disagree. She was pleased her reputation as a tough talker carried before her. She wanted them to know that if she didn’t approve, then it was a no to the job, and nothing or no one could talk her round.

  ‘If the money’s right and the job’s sound then I’m happy,’ Ruby smiled. ‘Would you like a coffee, or somethin’ stronger?’

  Both men shook their heads. Charlie checked his flash watch. ‘Can’t stay long, Ruby, I’ve got things to do. So, what d’ya think?’

  The sun streamed into the bright room at that exact moment, making the white lilies in a large vase on the table seem to shimmer.

  Ruby took this as a good sign. She nodded and sat down, waiting to hear what the plan was, and, more importantly, what the money was.

  ‘Let’s get down to business, shall we?’ Ruby said, looking down at her manicured nails, the perfect matching shade of coral.

  ‘I’ll cut to the chase. We’re all busy people,’ Marcus said. ‘Twenty K flat fee for the job, assuming nothing goes wrong and you get the painting in question. It’s a straightforward break-in. Very nice place in Kensington. The owner just bought a Matisse but he’s going to be away in France for the next few months. There’s no family, and no staff to complicate matters.’

  ‘And you’ve got a buyer lined up who can make it worth your while . . . ?’ Ruby finished his sentence.

  ‘Yes. All your brother has to do is disable the alarms. We’ve got others who will go in and do the actual robbery. The picture needs specialist care. Then, of course, he’ll have to set the alarms again and get away without being caught. It’s a standard system, nothing to trouble your brother too much, I don’t think.’ Marcus glanced at Charlie. ‘Can you do it?’

  Ruby looked at Charlie, who gave her a slight nod of his head. She looked back at Marcus. ‘Twenty grand to disable the alarms. Yes, Marcus, I think we can do that,’ Ruby agreed, shaking both their hands to seal the bond.

  ‘I’ll send word, Ruby. Meanwhile, enjoy ya new home. You’ve got it lookin’ nice. My Maureen would approve of the lilies,’ Charlie said. The two men left as quickly as they’d arrived.

  Ruby watched them go from the lounge window, the sleek cars gliding away down the tree-lined street. Bobby appeared with George in his arms. George held out his chubby little arms to his big sister, and her expression changed instantly to a beaming smile.

  ‘Come ’ere, my darlin’. Come to your big sister Ruby.’

  ‘So, who was that?’ Bobby asked as they walked out into the garden. It was a warm summer day. They settled down on the grass under an apple tree, George happily playing with his toy cars on the grass.

  ‘Just an art dealer friend of Charlie’s. He’s got a job for ya. It’s a no-brainer, Bobby. It’s no pressure, and we’ll make good money,’ Ruby said eventually, shading her eyes from the bright sun.

  Bobby couldn’t hide his expression from her. ‘I know this is all great, and we’ve gone up in the world but was it the right thing to do, Rube?’

  It was a question she knew how to answer. Firmly, decisively, Ruby said, ‘Yes it was, Bobby. It was the right thing to do, for us and most of all, for little George. He’ll go to the best school, ’ave more toys than Hamleys, and he’ll ’ave the best life we can give him.’

  They both watched as their baby brother collapsed into giggles clutching a stray dandelion, his sweet face looking over at them.

  ‘It’s all for him,’ Ruby said, love shining out of her emerald green eyes.

  CHAPTER 21

  ‘To us,’ said Marcus holding up his champagne flute, one that Ruby had purchased from Harrods with the spoils of the painting heist. She’d also paid out a large sum to landscape the garden, and she, Charlie, Bobby and Marcus were sitting in the summer sunshine, admiring the lush planting on her newly built decking.

  Everything had gone to plan, the painting had been stolen and sent abroad to Marcus’s contact, and over the months since, Bobby had done several more jobs for Charlie’s dodgy dealer. He’d cracked open a jewellery store in the West End and helped with several other robberies. The money had been good, and it was clear Charlie trusted the brother-and-sister team.

  Charlie had called another meeting, telling Ruby that this one was a big job. This one could change their lives for ever.

  ‘To Ruby,’ said Charlie, winking over at his protégée. It had become clear that this was a winning partnership.

  ‘To all of us, and to my Bobby,’ smiled Ruby behind her expensive Lagerfeld shades. She was dressed simply in a chic linen shift, gold sandals and a smattering of jewellery; subtle diamonds in her ears in contrast to an armful of bangles.

  Looking round the garden, seeing how far they’d come in such a short time, made Ruby’s head spin, though she concentrated hard on appearing serene. ‘So, shall we talk, gentlemen?’ she said, giving each of them her dazzling smile in turn.

  They all looked at the art dealer, who lifted up his Ray-Bans and placed them on top of his chestnut hair, revealing his tanned face. ‘I’m delighted with how everything has gone so far, and my clients are also very pleased. I think we all agree that this . . . partnership . . . is one that benefits us all.’

  Ruby nodded, though she was alert to every word this man said. Charlie had advised her never to shout, never to get agitated or cross, and instead to listen, to be slow to speak, to threaten using a soft voice and never to show weakness. None of this had been new to Ruby, and her natural manner used all those ways of dealing with people, but she felt shored up, protected by the crime boss’s advice.

  ‘Go on,’ she murmured, staring directly at Marcus, who smiled a wolf-like grin back at her. She knew he liked her, and she also knew that she wasn’t interested. He was too upper class, too privileged to ever understand the path she and Bobby had taken in life. No, she’d shut down any thoughts of attraction to him a long time ago, though Marcus clearly hadn’t.

  He looked back at her and only her, his deep brown eyes staring into hers, but Ruby was only interested in the job he was proposing. She returned his gaze coolly, with just the right amount of interest, making it clear she was
in the mood for business – and only business.

  Charlie had noticed Marcus’s attraction and he looked amused at how Ruby was handling it, his respect for her growing by the day.

  ‘Go on, I want to enjoy this champagne before the bubbles die,’ Bobby said, winking at Ruby. Even though her brother had been reluctant to take the crooked path, he looked better than he ever had. His skills were in demand, and it was a good feeling for him. He was a respected key-man now, the go-to man for safe-breaking, and Ruby could see he walked taller these days.

  Their bond, if anything, had grown stronger now that they were in this venture together. Ruby never made a decision without discussing it with him. He might be the kind of bloke who preferred a pint in the pub to a glass of bubbly, but he was her right-hand man, the only person she really trusted, because family was everything to them both.

  Just then the baby monitor announced that George was waking up from his afternoon nap. Bobby stood up. ‘You carry on, I’ll see to him.’

  ‘Thanks, Bobby,’ Ruby said gratefully. ‘So, gentlemen, let’s get down to business.’

  Marcus adjusted his glasses and leaned towards her. ‘I’ve got a very wealthy Arab client. He has a vast collection of pieces, many of which the Louvre or the Met would bite his hand off for. He wants two paintings, both Impressionist, both worth a lot of money, and both currently sold to a new private collector who has come late into his cash and doesn’t have – how should I say it – the required security . . .’

  ‘And you want us to steal them,’ Ruby finished for him, arching her eyebrows. ‘We can consider that when we know who this private collector is, where they live and why they don’t have the right set-up, oh, and the money, of course. The money has to be right or my Bobby won’t do it.’

  Marcus smiled but his eyes didn’t twinkle. Ruby had ruffled him. His suave charm disappeared instantly, replaced by a serious tone as he leaned in to the circle and, with a low voice, explained the details.

  ‘The private collector I hope we will steal the paintings from inherited a great deal of money from an obscure relative. He lives in South Africa, but one of the first things he did with this new wealth was to buy a huge apartment in Marylebone, and start buying artworks.’

  ‘I see, and so what ’appens to the pictures once they’re stolen from him?’ Ruby was curious about all aspects of this type of business. Her hunger for knowledge meant she asked questions perhaps others wouldn’t. The art world meant nothing to her parents or grandparents. It was an exclusive club that only the most privileged or educated could enjoy. It fascinated Ruby, but only as a means to an end. They could make big money here, or so she hoped.

  ‘Well, in this case, my Arab associate will probably keep them hidden in his underground vaults, far away from the public eye,’ Marcus replied.

  ‘Seems a shame though don’t it?’ Ruby said almost sadly. ‘Why would you want to steal somethin’ so beautiful in order to hide it?’

  Marcus paused for a second. ‘Because my clients desire beauty above all things, and they are greedy for it. They’re prepared to pay large amounts of money to acquire something that only their eyes will see. That’s the worth to them – the knowledge that they, and they alone, have access to these paintings.’

  ‘If we can continue?’ Charlie coughed, breaking the spell of Marcus’s words. Ruby understood the desire to own beauty, to hide it away, even. It was an interesting insight, and one she stored away in her mind.

  She smiled. ‘Do carry on.’

  ‘It’ll be harder to access the flat without being seen, but once inside there won’t be anything to cause you any trouble.’ Marcus sounded incredibly relaxed about what he was suggesting; an audacious heist that would make international headlines. These paintings were world-class objects, pictures that were known, and loved. Stealing them would be like robbing the Queen of her crown, almost an act against God.

  ‘How much are these pictures worth?’ Ruby said, straight to the point.

  ‘If I’m honest, I negotiated the sale of them myself and it ran into several million pounds. They’ll be taken to the London apartment for one night only before they’re shipped off to Africa. That’s our chance. I’m offering to pay you a vast sum of money to disable the alarm system. Again, I’ll get my own contacts to do the actual robbery. I just need a key-man to let them in then lock up again. I’m willing to pay Bobby a cool two hundred K to do just that. Don’t forget I have large expenses. Doing this type of job incurs a great deal of cost – and risk.’

  Ruby glanced over at Charlie. She knew just what he was thinking. If those paintings cost a few million then she would bet anything that Marcus would be paid that at least to rob them from his own client. He had to offer them more. But was it worth the risk? There was big money at stake – but big repercussions too. There would be a lot of attention on this theft, more than any job they’d done before. If they got caught then they’d be in for a long stretch. Who would look after George if they went to prison?

  Ruby sat back. She stared over at the summerhouse, which she’d had repainted and surrounded by beautiful urns spilling over with flowers. She saw what crooked money had bought her so far. She knew there was always a risk, but was this too dangerous?

  Charlie sensed her fears. ‘Listen, Ruby, I wouldn’t put you or your family in unnecessary danger. This job is one hundred per cent, and I’ll guarantee that.’

  Marcus nodded. ‘Ruby, it’s easy pickings, just very lucrative pickings. Yes, sure, you don’t want to get caught, but none of us do.’

  Ruby looked between the two men. She took her time, weighing up the situation. There was more risk for Bobby and, by extension, for her and George. Their fee had to reflect that.

  ‘All right, if we do this job, and I ain’t sayin’ we will, but if we do it, we want a bigger cut,’ she said.

  ‘How much bigger?’ Marcus asked.

  ‘Name your price, Ruby,’ encouraged Charlie. ‘This job will change your life, and your little brother’s. You won’t ever want for money again.’

  It was certainly a persuasive argument.

  ‘Bobby will do it if you pay him half a million pounds. We won’t take any less,’ Ruby said, feeling her cheeks flush with excitement and terror. She was glad of the sun’s glare, as no one would be able to tell.

  Charlie nodded discreetly, a gesture she caught out of the corner of her eye. She felt giddy at the sums being discussed, but she knew she had to let Marcus know she wasn’t some mug who was glad of the work. Her entire family was at stake – they couldn’t mess this up. It was a far cry from her wage at the import office, almost an inconceivable amount of money. Charlie was right. It would change their life for ever.

  At that moment, Bobby reappeared, holding George, who was reaching his arms out for her. She stood to take him from Bobby, planting a big kiss on his chubby cheek, and turned to Marcus. ‘Do we ’ave a deal?’

  Bobby looked over, taking in the tense silence, the look of expectation on Charlie’s face, the frown on Marcus’s.

  ‘We have a deal, Miss Murphy,’ the art dealer said eventually, planting a smile on his face, and coming over to kiss Ruby’s cheek. In another world, perhaps another time, I would fall for your charms, but not now, thought Ruby to herself as she raised her cheek. She brushed her lips against his fashionable stubble and almost laughed out loud. Five hundred thousand pounds! An absolute fortune.

  She raised her glass. ‘Cheers. To another successful business arrangement.’ She flicked her eyes over to Bobby, who raised his eyebrows, wondering what they were celebrating. He knew enough by now though to judge Ruby’s expression and so he stayed silent, picking up his glass and bringing the bubbles to his lips.

  ‘Cheers, ’ere’s to business,’ Charlie said, ‘and I’d better not forget to say, but you’re all invited to our villa in Spain. Maureen is most insistent. You won’t disappoint her, will ya?’

  ‘To business,’ Marcus echoed.

  ‘. . . and pleasure.
’ Ruby smiled. ‘Of course we’d love to join you in Spain.’

  She moved off with George, leaving the men to their conversation as the sun shone. She knew that every job they did meant their future was more and more secure.

  CHAPTER 22

  ‘Come on, girl, ’ave another glass,’ Charlie grinned as he held the bottle of champagne. ‘We’ve got to celebrate another successful job, and the biggest one yet!’

  Ruby giggled. The bubbles had already gone to her head. The heist had gone as planned. Bobby had worked his magic, disabling the alarm system and opening the door to the apartment where the paintings were being stored. Within five minutes the two paintings had been cut out of their frames, rolled up and stashed in the bag carried by Bobby’s accomplice, one of Marcus’s best men.

  ‘And now we can go shoppin’ for a villa for you,’ Maureen beamed, raising her glass. ‘What a shame Bobby couldn’t ’ave been ’ere too, but I bet he’s enjoyin’ doin’ the house up while you’re away.’

  Ruby shook her head. She could hardly believe her luck. They were sitting on one of the balconies of Charlie and Maureen’s villa in Spain, the remains of a seafood dinner cooked by their resident chef on the table, as the sun went down. They’d arrived only a few hours earlier but already she felt like she might never want to go home.

  The fee had already been siphoned through a crooked accountant contact of Charlie’s, who’d run it through various offshore accounts. By 12 p.m. the next day, the money would be clean and polished, and sitting in Ruby’s new, legitimate account in the UK, minus the twenty per cent accountancy fee, of course.

  ‘Look, you need somewhere to put that money,’ Charlie said, ‘and we’ve come up with the perfect place. This is a very exclusive development, very expensive and no questions asked. I’ve already ’ad a word with the bloke who owns it, another crook originally from Poplar too, and he’s ’appy to take your money. So, tomorrow, that’s settled, you and Maureen can chose a holiday home.’