by Kerry Kaya
“I don’t know.” Jimmy was thoughtful. His niece’s disappearance was beginning to worry him. It was so out of character for her to just up and leave.
“I mean, I know that her and Tommy had that big falling out shortly before he died, but this isn’t her, Jimmy. She’s such a Daddy’s girl, always has been, you know that.”
Jimmy nodded his head. Stacey was right, Karen was a real Daddy’s girl. For her to just up and leave, made no sense at all. “I’ll put the feelers out, see if anyone has seen her around.”
Remembering she had put a pot of coffee on to brew, Stacey leapt to her feet. “Maybe I should report her as missing,” she said, taking out two bone china coffee cups from the overhead cupboard. “What do you think?”
“You could, but she did leave a note behind and she isn’t a child anymore, Stace. It was her choice to leave. Maybe we have to accept that and leave her be.”
Stacey sighed. “I know.” She passed across a cup of coffee. “Do you think she could be with Jack, that boyfriend she was seeing? Things seemed pretty serious between the two of them. Maybe they made up and decided to just get away for a bit?”
Knowing full well the true identity of Jack, Jimmy took his time in answering. “Perhaps,” he finally answered, in a bid to ease her worries. He took the steaming cup and sipped at the coffee.
“I thought you would have gone back to Spain by now.” She joined him at the table and clasped her hands around her own cup, relishing the warmth it brought her. “I imagine that Aiden must be missing you.”
“Yeah, he is.” Jimmy nodded his head. “But I can’t leave yet, not without knowing what happened to Tommy first.” He poked himself in the chest. “It’s eating away at me.”
“I know.” She gave her brother-in-law a sad smile. “Typical Tommy, eh?”
“What?” he asked, cocking his head to one side.
She began to laugh. “He’d do anything to keep you here longer than you should be. He used to mope around the house for days after you left.”
“True.” Jimmy laughed along, recalling the amount of times Tommy had found him last minute jobs to do, just before he was due to leave England for Spain. He couldn’t even count on two hands the amount of flights he’d missed over the years. “He was a sod for doing that. In the end, I started booking one-way tickets. Worked out a lot cheaper in the long run.”
Stacey smiled. “He knew what he was doing. I could see his brain ticking over new ways, just to keep you here that bit longer. He missed you when you weren’t around, that’s all. You weren’t only his brother; you were his best mate. He used to tell me that.”
“I know.” Taking a sip of his coffee, he swallowed down the hard lump in his throat. Glad of the distraction, he glanced toward his sister-in-law’s ring finger. A huge diamond ring glistened as she waved her hand around. “Wow, that’s a sparkler and a half you’ve got there, Stace.”
Looking down at her engagement ring, Stacey beamed. “Tommy bought me it for our wedding anniversary a few months back.” She gave a little chuckle. “I told him not to and that the one I had was already perfect, but you know what he was like. He only wanted the best for me and the kids.” She smiled across at her brother-in-law. “The diamond on my original engagement ring is tiny in comparison. We were only nineteen when he bought it, and he was so proud of himself that he’d saved up enough money to buy it outright.”
“I remember. I went with him to the jeweller’s shop when he bought it.” Jimmy smiled, all the while, his mind was going into overdrive. “You wouldn’t happen to know where he purchased that sparkler from, would you?” he asked, nodding his head toward the ring.
“Of course I do. We went together to buy it. You know what Tommy was like?” She looked down at the diamond. “He said only the best would do, and to buy the best, you had to go to Hatton Garden.”
Jimmy could hardly believe his ears, and couldn’t help but chuckle out loud.
“What’s so funny?” With a bemused expression across her face, Stacey smiled.
“Nothing, Stace.” Grinning from ear to ear, Jimmy shook his head. “Nothing at all.”
* * *
Blissfully unaware that she had been followed home, Karen twisted the key in the lock to open the front door of the house she shared. Immediately, the pungent scent of cannabis wafted out, making her cough and her eyes water.
She muttered underneath her breath as she side stepped across a pile of envelopes, junk mail, and fast food fliers that had been poked through the letterbox. Clearly, none of the other occupants could be bothered to pick them up.
Wearily, she made her way down the dimly lit hallway, pausing only to poke her head inside the kitchen. Every available surface was littered with used crockery. The sink was full to the rafters with saucepans, dirty plates and bowls. The dried food remnants were so hardened that they would need hours of soaking in hot soapy water just to shift. And the once white lino covering the floor was covered in grime, ground in dirt, spilt food, grease, and unless she was very much mistaken, mouse droppings.
She gave a shudder. It looked as though she wouldn’t be eating tonight, or any other night, come to that. She continued walking down the hallway until she came to her room. Situated at the back of the house, it was quieter here and with the bathroom directly next door, it was handy, should she feel the need to pee during the night.
Twisting the key inside the lock, she pushed open the door to the poky box room. It may have been small, but with hardly any possessions, it was all that she needed. She flicked on the light switch, closed the door behind her, and slid across the bolt.
With just a small stained divan bed, scratched chest of drawers, and a rickety wardrobe that threatened to topple over each time she opened the doors, the room held the bare minimum. At the window, a torn orange bed sheet had been thrown across the curtain pole as a makeshift curtain.
It was a far cry from the bedroom she had had at her parents’ house. Just thinking about her king size bed with its deep mattress, beautiful white wooden furniture and en suite bathroom, filled with her luxurious creams, soaps, and bubble bath, was enough to make her want to weep.
She sank onto the hard bed and stared at the wall. Peeling, garish patterned wallpaper curled down in one corner. Behind it, creeping up onto the ceiling was a layer of black mould.
Desperately, she tried not to think about the life she’d left behind. She missed her family—even her two younger brothers, who often just for the sheer fun of it, took it upon themselves to annoy the hell out of her. She missed her mum, and missed their late-night chats over a bottle of wine.
Her thoughts turned to her dad and she let out a strangled sob. Tears rolled down her cheeks, and she pressed her fist to her lips in a bid to quash the heartache inside of her.
She would give anything to be able to curl up beside him on the sofa, eating popcorn while they watched a movie together, just as they had always done in the past. Pulling her knees up to her chest, Karen sobbed her heart out. Just get it all out of your system, she told herself. Tomorrow was a new day; tomorrow would be easier. She repeated the words, over and over again, like a mantra, hoping and praying that somehow it would be true.
* * *
Standing hidden inside the entrance of a darkened alleyway, Marco had watched Karen cross the street. Beads of perspiration spread across his forehead, and he licked at his lips in anticipation. He could feel his heart begin to pound inside his chest, and he crept farther into the shadows out of sight.
From his vantage point, he continued watching as she walked down the pathway of a rundown semi-detached house. He shook a cigarette out of its packet and continued to watch as she spread open her handbag, rummage around inside, and then took out a key.
Once she had entered the house and closed the front door behind her, he moved forward a few paces, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.
Cupping his hand around the flame, he lit his cigarette and sucked on it. Taking a long, hard drag,
after a few beats, he lazily exhaled a blue stream of cigarette smoke through his nostrils. Pulling up the hood on his coat, ensuring that his face was covered, he hastily crossed the street and came to stand outside the house, looking up at the grimy windows.
He wondered briefly which room belonged to her and waited expectantly for a light to snap on. There was nothing but darkness. He continued to smoke his cigarette, oblivious to the spread of ash that fell onto his jacket as he took continuous short puffs. Flicking the butt to the floor, he made his way down the alleyway at the side of the house.
From this angle, he could see that every light was on. Looking either side of him, he checked that the coast was clear, then took a short run up and launched himself at the six-foot wall. His fingertips grasped the ledge, whilst his trainers kicked out at the brickwork, desperate for something to grip onto. With relative ease, he pulled himself upwards and looked at each of the windows.
The farthest window on the ground floor had been left slightly ajar. He smiled to himself, slid his body back down the wall and skulked off into the night. Yes, the little Cockney girl, whether she wanted to or not, was going to get to know him a whole lot more.
* * *
“Well.” Standing up, Jimmy walked around the desk. He leaned his weight against it and folded his arms across his chest. “How did he get on?” he asked his youngest brother, Jonny.
Jonny gave a wide grin. “Kid’s a natural.”
“Good.” Deep in thought, Jimmy glanced outside the office to where his two nephews were standing, smoking cigarettes. It was exactly what he had expected. The steely glint in Jake’s eyes just that morning was more than enough to tell him that he was ready to join the business. “Listen, I’m calling a meeting, but …,” he said, jerking his thumb in the direction of the two boys, “… I don’t want them getting wind of it, okay?”
Jonny nodded his head.
“I’ve got a job planned; I’ll explain more tonight,” he said, lowering his voice as his nephews entered the office.
Proud of himself, Jake Carter had a spring in his step, and he grinned from ear to ear.
“You did well.” Ruffling his nephew’s hair, Jimmy was all smiles. He glanced up at the clock on the wall and took a bundle of cash from the desk drawer. “Go on you two, get yourselves off home and have a night out or whatever it is you kids do nowadays.” He handed over a fistful of notes then stabbed his finger forward. “Just don’t be later for work tomorrow,” he warned.
“Cheers, Uncle Jimmy.” Jake’s eyes were wide as he clutched the money in his fist. He’d never had so much cash before, and already it was burning a hole in his pocket.
Jimmy watched the two boys leave. He couldn’t help but smile. They reminded him of when he and Tommy were younger, and they had first started to work for Davey Abbott.
“So, what’s this job?”
Jonny interrupted his thoughts and he tore his eyes away from the office door. “You’re gonna like it,” he grinned. “In fact, you’re gonna love it.”
Narrowing his eyes, Jonny tilted his head to the side. “What bank is it this time?” he asked.
“It’s not a bank.”
“Post office?”
“Nope.” He slung his arm around his younger brother’s shoulders. “Diamonds bruv, diamonds.”
Impressed, Jonny Carter couldn’t help but smile.
“Can I have a word, Jimmy?”
Both brothers swung around to face the door. It was Mad Dog.
“Yeah, of course.” Taken aback, Jimmy shoved out his hand. He hadn’t heard the older man approach. He waited until Jonny walked from the office and gestured for Mad Dog to take a seat.
Mad Dog looked around the office. His eyes fell upon the desk, Tommy’s desk. He still couldn’t get his head around the fact that he was gone.
“This is a nice surprise.” Jimmy took a seat.
“Aye, lad.” He rubbed his hand across his jaw. “I wanted to have a word.”
“About?” Jimmy spread out his arms. He was more than intrigued.
“Gary.”
Jimmy groaned. “What’s he done now?”
“He came to the club; he was searching for something.”
“Let me guess, the deeds.”
“Aye, lad, but how?” Mad Dog slumped back in his seat. “How did you know I was going to say that.”
Jimmy laughed. “He’s already done the same here.” He stabbed his finger across the desk, gave a wink, then tapped the side of his nose. “Not that he is going to find them. They’re tucked away safe.”
“So you’re not concerned? I mean he really put the frighteners on my Lil, and I can’t have that.”
“Yeah, well, I’m sorry about that and send my apologies to Lillian. But as for him finding the deeds then, no, I’m not concerned.” He leaned backward and explained himself further. “Even if he does find them, they’re useless to him. This place, the clubs, the bookies, the whole fucking shebang belongs to Stacey now. Tommy didn’t leave a will, so as his wife, everything automatically goes to her.”
Mad Dog blew out his cheeks. He could understand where Jimmy was coming from, but still, he hadn’t seen the look in Gary’s eyes; he hadn’t seen the madness there.
As if reading his thoughts, Jimmy spoke gently. “Don’t worry about Gary; he’ll do fuck all. He’s just got a bee in his bonnet. He’ll soon come to realise the deeds are useless to him.”
Mad Dog swallowed deeply. He hoped for all their sakes that that was true.
* * *
Rolling her eyes, Bethany Johnson sank down onto the sofa. She was sick to death of hearing Gary’s whining voice.
“And so now he’s got the other kid working for the business.” He took note of Bethany’s bored expression. “That’s both of Tommy’s boys working there now,” he added. “It’s only a matter of time until they take over.”
“And?” Absentmindedly, she picked up a magazine and began leafing through the pages.
“Well …” He looked at her through narrowed eyes, unsure of why she was behaving so calm. He’d fully expected her to erupt with fury. “… I just thought you’d be pissed off that both boys are working there now.”
“No, Gary.” She tossed the magazine down beside her, gave him a cold stare, and gritted her teeth. Her voice was icy as she spoke. “It’s you who I’m pissed off with.”
“Me?” Gary’s heart sank.
“Weeks ago, you were meant to bring me the deeds to the businesses. So …,” she asked, opening up her arms, “… where are they?”
His heart sank even further, and he averted his eyes. His voice was a mere whisper as he answered. “I’m getting them.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“All right.” He paused, unsure if he was doing the right thing. “I’ll tell you the truth, I can’t find them. I’ve looked everywhere. I’ve even asked that old bastard, Mad Dog.”
She let out a bitter laugh. It was as she had expected. “Do I really have to do everything myself?” She stood up, walked the length of the lounge, and pulled open the drawer to the sideboard. In her hands, she clasped her scrapbook and she rubbed her fingertips across the smooth pages before turning to face her son’s father. She took note of his puzzled expression and drummed her fingernails against the worn cover. “This …,” she said with a wry smile, “… is my insurance policy.”
* * *
“So where’s our Gary?” Peering outside the office window, Jimmy craned his neck to look beyond the scrapyard gates.
“Fuck knows.” It was Sonny who answered, and he screwed up his face. He was glad that his elder brother hadn’t turned up. All he ever did was cause agg.
“Right, well …” Jimmy turned to look out of the window for a second time. “… He’ll have to catch up when he gets here.” He walked around the desk, sat down, and looked at each of his brother’s in turn. “Tommy was working on a job,” he said, watching their expressions closely. “A big job.”
An excited hush
went around the room and he held up his hand to quieten them down. “I think that we should see it through, for Tommy.”
“So what is it?” Mitchell asked.
Jimmy took his time in answering. “I haven’t worked out the intricate details as of yet, but from what I can gather, it’s a diamond merchant in Hatton Garden.”
“You’re joking?” Mitchell’s mouth fell open and he nudged his twin brother, Sonny, in the ribs. “We’ll be raking it in.”
“You can say that again.” Jimmy began to laugh. “But like I said, we still need to work out the finer details, and remember, I don’t want the two boys to get wind of it. They’re not ready for something like this.”
Absentmindedly, the brothers nodded their heads. Already, their thoughts were solely on how they were going to get away with the heist, and more importantly, what they were going to spend the ready cash on.
* * *
Swallowing deeply, Gary Carter felt the colour drain from his face. He turned the pages of the scrapbook and read through the newspaper clippings of every armed robbery that he and his brothers had executed. “But how?” he stuttered. “How did you know it was us?”
Bethany let out a shrill laugh and tapped the side of her nose. “Because I know you,” she grinned. Or to be more precise, she knew Tommy. She took the scrapbook from his hands and tucked it protectively underneath her arm. “But what I can’t work out, is why the police themselves didn’t connect the dots.” She looked down at him with mock innocence. “It’d be a shame if someone were to tip them the wink, wouldn’t it?”
A sliver of fear ran down Gary’s spine. “You wouldn’t?” he gasped.
“Wouldn’t I?” Her eyebrows were raised as she returned his question. Her high-heeled shoes clip-clopped across the wooden floor as she strolled across the room and returned her precious book to the sideboard drawer. “I need those businesses, and I’m prepared to do whatever it takes to get them.” She paused, allowing her words to sink in. “I’m sure that the police would be very interested in my book, and let’s face it, if you’re all banged up, then there is nothing and no one to stop me from taking them, is there?”