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Chapter 3
Adrian replaced the telephone receiver and turned his attention to Robbie, who was looking agitated as he paced the office floor. Adrian knew they would never be taken for brothers. Robbie was tall, slim and dark with swarthy good looks, whereas Adrian knew his weight detracted from his pleasant face – and they were poles apart in character too.
Before his younger brother had a chance to speak, Adrian guessed that Robbie would be asking for money again. He took a deep breath, resolving that this time would be different; he wouldn’t be a pushover. He would stand his ground and be firm. It was about time he gave the young man a few home truths. He knew it would be difficult but it needed doing as Robbie’s finances appeared to be spiralling out of control.
‘Hello, Rob. Why aren’t you at work?’
‘It’s a bit slow today. We haven’t got any vehicles in so Roger sent me off early, not that I’m complaining. He doesn’t dock my wages and I bloody hate working in that greasy pit.’
Adrian sighed. ‘I told you to continue your education, Rob, but would you listen? No. You insisted on leaving school and in fact you’re lucky to be in your position. Lots of people would love to be a mechanic and earn the money you do. So stop complaining.’
‘Yes, but I wish I’d listened to you now.’
Adrian narrowed his eyes. That remark was enough for him to know that his brother wanted something and he could guess what it was. ‘So what brings you here?’
‘You couldn’t see me straight for a few bob, could you?’
Adrian looked at his brother’s confident stance and couldn’t believe his audacity. He didn’t even look sheepish about asking. He just came straight out with it.
‘I’m sorry, Rob, but no. You still haven’t paid me back from last time, or the time before that. I suppose you’ve been gambling again, but it’s about time you knocked that card playing on the head and took responsibility for yourself. I’m fed up with bailing you out all the time. You’re twenty-six years old, a grown man, and it’s time you acted like one.’
Adrian spoke firmly. He didn’t like being so harsh, but knew it was the right thing to do. Since their parents had died of influenza when Robbie was thirteen, Adrian had become very protective of his younger brother. However, Robbie was trying to take advantage of his generosity one time too many and his patience was wearing thin.
‘Don’t be like that, it’s not like you can’t afford it. This business of yours makes you a fair packet.’
‘Whether I can afford it or not is irrelevant. I’ve worked hard to build Ferguson Haulage up to what it is today, and to be honest, Rob, it’s not just about the money.’
‘What are you on about?’
‘I’m always clearing up the mess you leave behind with your reckless behaviour. Christ, man, I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve had to console an upset woman because you’ve led her a merry dance with your lies and philandering. Not to mention the many times I’ve reimbursed the money you’ve swindled out of them. I’ve had it up to here with you.’
‘But that’s just it … I’m getting married! I’m going to change, I swear, and that’s why I need some money. I want to buy Dottie a ring.’
Adrian pushed his chair back from his desk, his thoughts turning. Could it be true? Was his brother really going to settle down? He doubted it, which could only mean one thing. ‘Oh, God, please tell me you haven’t got Dottie in the family way?’
‘What do you think I am, stupid? Of course I haven’t, but now I’ve asked her to marry me, I’ll need to get her an engagement ring. So if you lend me the money I promise I’ll pay you back this time.’
‘I’ve heard it all now. Does she have any idea about your debts? Just how on earth do you think you are going to support Dottie and her parents? Because from what you’ve told me about them before, they will need looking after too.’
‘Don’t you worry about that,’ Robbie answered slowly with a wry grin. ‘It’s going to be a very, very long engagement.’
Adrian’s blood began to boil. He couldn’t believe how unprincipled his brother could be, and though he’d only met her a couple of times, Dottie seemed such a lovely young girl. It wasn’t as if Robbie had been brought up this way. Their parents had worked hard in instilling in them the difference between right and wrong and, after they had passed away, the boys’ elder sister Myra had taken up the reins. She had cared well for Robbie until her move to Scotland, back to their family roots.
‘I don’t suppose Dottie knows that she’ll be waiting a long time before she’s walked up the aisle? No, I suspect not. Another one who’s had the wool pulled over her eyes. Why do you do it, Rob? What are you getting out of her? Because I know it can’t be money.’
There was a silent pause but the lascivious look on Robbie’s face told Adrian all he needed to know. ‘You can be such a ruthless bastard.’
Robbie just laughed. ‘So are you going to lend me the money or not?’ he asked.
‘Not,’ said Adrian.
Robbie approached Adrian and leaned forward, resting his hands on the desk. ‘Honestly, I’ll never ask you again if you just do this one thing for me.’
‘The subject is not open for debate. I won’t be any part of this. If you want to mislead that girl, then you will have to do it without my help. For goodness’ sake, Rob, our mother would be so ashamed of you.’
Adrian saw a black look come over his brother’s face, the same expression he had seen when Robbie was a teenager and would fly into an uncontrollable rage. Myra had always been able to calm him and he seemed to have grown out of his outbursts, but, seeing that same look now, Adrian braced himself. He was right to do so because without hesitation Robbie swept his arm across Adrian’s desk, sending paperwork and pens flying.
‘How dare you bring our mum into this!’ he screeched as he brought his fist down heavily on the wooden desk.
Adrian sat transfixed in his chair, waiting for his brother’s next move. He knew he’d gone too far with his last remark and instantly regretted it, but it was too late to retract it now. He watched as Robbie kicked a wastepaper bin, sending it soaring into the air, and then pushed over a shelving unit with such force that it skidded across the wooden floor. Then without a glance back his brother stormed out of the office, slamming the door behind him. Adrian was left shaken – but glad that Robbie had gone.
As he surveyed the mess around him, the door opened again, filling him with dread. Much to his relief it was only Joe, one of his drivers, though it was customary for his employees to knock before entering.
Joe was a burly looking chap yet even he looked shocked at the state of the office. ‘Are you all right, guv? Only I saw that bloke just leave and he didn’t ’alf bang that door.’
‘Yes, everything’s fine, Joe. He’s my brother, nothing to worry about,’ Adrian said hurriedly as he scanned the paperwork on the floor, picked up a piece and handed it to Joe. ‘Here you go, this is the ticket for your next collection. You’ll have to get a move on if you’re going to be at the drop-off on time.’
Joe looked at him for a moment with narrowed eyes, but said nothing. He took the ticket, stepped over the scattered furniture and strewn papers, then left quietly. Adrian sat down at his desk again, still shaken, and struggled to pull himself together.
It had unsettled him to see Rob’s anger. He’d thought his brother had learned to control his temper, but now he found himself anxious about living with a grown man who could be prone to such violent eruptions.
After leaving Adrian’s office in a rage, Robbie decided that, though he didn’t have the money for a ring, he had enough in his pocket to call in to the Union Arms on Battersea Bridge Road to have a pint or two and calm down. Adrian had always been a pompous git, but he shouldn’t have brought their mother into the conversation. Though, if he was honest, his anger was mainly at his brother’s refusal to lend him any money.
Robbie supped on his ale, savouring the smooth liquid. Two scruffy-looking men stood further along the bar and, as Robbie caught some of their conversation, all thoughts of Adrian and his condescending manner went out of his mind. The men were huddled quite close together, obviously hoping that no one could hear what they were saying, but as they swayed on their feet it appeared the pair were pretty full of beer and didn’t realise how loudly they were talking.
Robbie listened intently as he heard the smaller man in a flat cap say, ‘I’m telling you, George, it’ll be a piece of cake. My cousin said that it’s all about the timing. As long as we get it right we’ll be home and dry, and we’ll be at least a couple of hundred quid or more better off.’
‘Run it by me again,’ George slurred, ‘and slowly this time.’
The man in the flat cap leaned against the bar. ‘It’s easy. You know my cousin works in Leonardo’s, that posh jeweller’s over in Knightsbridge? Yeah, well, she’s gone and got herself up the duff so she’ll be out of a job soon, but in need of some quick bucks. She said she watched old Leonardo put money in the safe and clocked the combination. We had a right laugh when she told me. The old boy must be losing the plot ’cos you’ll never guess what it is.’
George scratched his head, ‘I ain’t got a clue. Go on, tell me …’
‘It’s only left four, right three, left two, right one. He must have set it up like that so he doesn’t forget it, but neither will we,’ the man in the flat cap said and laughed. ‘She reckons he puts the day’s takings in the safe on Saturday when they close, and it just sits there ’til Monday when he banks it. So all we’ve got to do is break in on a Sunday and Bob’s your uncle.’
George nodded but then asked, ‘What about alarms and all that? He must have a place like that belled up so how are we gonna break in? If we smash a window, or jemmy the door, the Old Bill will be straight on to us.’
‘Don’t you worry about that, I’ve got it all covered. My cousin said there’s a small attic skylight on the roof. It’s not alarmed so we just need to lever it open, drop down inside and then head for the safe. We’ll grab the cash and then leave the same way. No one will know we’ve been in there until Monday morning when Leonardo goes to his safe and finds it empty.’
‘Bloody hell, it’s genius! When we gonna do it? This Sunday?’ asked George.
‘Well, we could, but I’ve already promised my mum that I’ll bring Ginny and the kids over this weekend, and you know my life won’t be worth living if I let either of the battle-axes down.’
George groaned. ‘Yeah, I know what you mean. Next weekend it is then.’
The two men shook hands as Robbie inwardly smiled. This was the answer to his worries. Lady Luck must be smiling on him because it had been handed to him on a plate. All he had to do was get in there this weekend to beat the two old drunks to the stash of cash. It sounded fail-safe and he would never have to go to his brother again for money. He’d be able to pay back all that he had borrowed and that would get Adrian, along with others, off his back.
Grinning, Robbie ordered another pint, well chuffed that all his money problems would soon be over.
Chapter 4
Dorothy gave her mother a quick peck on the cheek before she dashed out of the door to meet Robbie. He was taking her to the cinema and she was really hoping that tonight would be the night when he would present her with the engagement ring she was so eagerly anticipating. After all, it had been over a week since he’d asked her to marry him.
As she walked along the street of small terraced houses, she caught sight of her reflection in the window of the newsagent shop on the corner. Her dress was homemade, as were most of her clothes, but she was pleased with her creations and was always up to date with the latest trends. Her long jacket was finished with a velvet collar, and though she would have preferred to be wearing a pair of high heels, she couldn’t afford to buy any. Still, she’d made an extra special effort with her hair so was relieved that it was a dry evening, meaning her curls wouldn’t be washed out. It was important that she looked her very best as she was sure that at some point during the evening Robbie would get down on one knee and formally propose.
As Dorothy quickened her pace and got closer to the bus stop, she could see that Robbie was already there, but her heart sank as she saw he was talking to a group of three young women. He looked a little too close to them, particularly one of them. Dorothy could see the woman placing a cigarette in her mouth, looking up into Robbie’s eyes as he lit it for her.
‘Hello, Robbie,’ Dorothy called. She was trying her best to sound unfazed and cheerful, but in reality she was feeling very insecure and self-conscious in her homemade clothes, which couldn’t compare with the sophisticated appearance of the women. They cast their eyes over her as though they were looking down their noses, making Dorothy squirm inside. She saw Robbie wink at the woman with the cigarette before he sauntered towards Dorothy and kissed her on the cheek.
‘Hello, darling. These ladies are heading for the Junction too, but their car has broken down so I’ve told them to join us on the bus.’
Dorothy feigned a smile. She was irritated and a little jealous of the woman with the cigarette. Along with the elegant outfit, she was wearing high heels and appeared to have grabbed Robbie’s attention, but before Dorothy had time to dwell on it the bus arrived and all five of them clambered on board.
Robbie, being the gentleman he always was, paid for all their fares and entertained the three ladies for the length of the journey. Dorothy did try to join in their conversation, but the topic was politics, which she knew nothing about, and though Robbie’s knowledge normally impressed her, this time she felt left out and sat pouting in silence.
Once they arrived at the Junction, Robbie said farewell to his new-found friends but Dorothy was vexed when the cigarette lady gave Robbie a flirty smile and said, ‘I’ll see you tomorrow then, Robert.’
Dorothy quickly alighted from the bus and stomped along the pavement, but Robbie soon caught up with her and marched in time at her side.
‘Hey, slow down, Dottie. What’s got into you?’
‘What was all that about, “I’ll see you tomorrow, Robert”? Since when has anyone called you Robert?’ she said, seething.
‘Calm down. I’m a mechanic, her car’s broken down and I’m going round tomorrow to fix it. You want a nice ring, don’t you, so I need the extra cash. And she called me Robert because I told her my given name as it sounds more professional.’
Dorothy suddenly felt very embarrassed about her little sulk. Robbie had only been thinking about her and, even though she obviously wouldn’t be getting her ring tonight, it warmed her inside to think that Robbie was willing to work on a Sunday to buy her one. That proved how much he must really love her.
‘I’m sorry, Robbie,’ she said. ‘I don’t mean to act like a spoilt brat. It’s just that I love you so much and can’t stand the thought of losing you to another woman.’
‘That’s never going to happen. I’ve told you before, you’re the only girl for me. Now put a smile on those sexy red lips, and don’t be expecting to see much of this film tonight as we’re going to be busy in the back row.’
Dorothy knew that this meant lots of kissing and that was fine with her. She would much prefer smooching with Robbie to watching a film. Of course they could only kiss and cuddle. There could be no funny business, not in public, but the thought of his touch made her shiver with delight.
Robbie was glad to see there wasn’t much of a queue for tickets. He’d been paid and so far he still had a full wage packet, which meant that, once inside the cinema, he could go to the kiosk and buy Dottie some chocolates to soften her up.
Pleased to see her smile at his gift, Robbie then avoided the usherette and gently pulled Dorothy to a back row in the far corner of the cinema. He had sat in these seats before with Martha Jones and knew it was a dark spot. He could get away with being frisky without worrying about being caught.
The auditorium only half filled and the film began to flicker on the big screen. Robbie wasted no time and as Dorothy stared wide-eyed at the glamorous film stars, he began to run his hand up her leg.
‘Robbie, no,’ Dorothy protested.
‘Come on, Dottie. I’m not really here to watch The Green Man.’
‘We can’t do anything, someone will see us.’
Her naïvety annoyed him sometimes, but he put up with it because she was such a stunner. ‘Look around you, there’s loads of couples having a snog, so stop worrying,’ he urged and kissed her in the way he knew she liked.
Dorothy responded, but when he took her hand and placed it on his unzipped trousers where his manhood was bulging through his pants, she just left it where it rested. It added to his annoyance. He’d been hoping that she would at least give him a rub, so he tried again to get his hand up her skirt, and though she didn’t brush him away this time, she kept her legs clamped tightly together. ‘Come on, Dottie, relax, will you,’ he urged.
‘It doesn’t feel right, doing this in here,’ she whispered. ‘I don’t like it with all these people around. It’ll be different when we’re married and living together.’
Robbie’s frustration was bursting. He jumped up, zipped up his trousers and pulled Dorothy to her feet. ‘Come on, let’s get out of here,’ he barked, ignoring the hurt look on her face.
Once outside, his mind raced as he tried to think of an excuse to get rid of her. She was a beautiful woman, there was no question about that, but he had a big job to do in the early hours and before he set out to do it he had to relieve some of his tension. It was obvious that Dottie wasn’t going to be the woman to do that for him tonight.
‘I’m not feeling all that clever,’ he lied. ‘My stomach is churning something rotten. I think it would be best if I drop you back home and then get myself off to bed. I’m sorry, sweetheart, I’ll make it up to you next week.’
‘Is that why you suddenly dragged me out? It wasn’t because I didn’t want to do it in there?’
‘Yes, it just suddenly came over me and I felt all hot and sweaty. I bet it was that ham I had earlier. I thought it smelt a bit iffy.’ Robbie couldn’t believe how easy this girl was to manipulate. She didn’t seem too upset, which made his life much easier.
They sat in silence holding hands on the bus ride home, but Robbie could feel his jaw clenching as he mulled over his plans for later. He was like a wound-up coil and decided that, once Dottie was safely deposited back at home, he would call in to see Cynthia. She was quite a bit older than Robbie, but always made him very welcome. Cynthia wasn’t much to look at, but she was good with her hands and he knew he would get a tantalising all-over massage. Just the ticket, Robbie thought, and afterwards he’d make his way over to Knightsbridge. He’d decided that if he waited until well after midnight there’d be fewer people about. He’d never attempted a burglary before and had to admit to himself that he was more than a little nervous about the whole thing. From what he’d heard, though, it was going be straightforward enough, and boy, did he need the money.
Of course he could have put off paying Adrian back, but the loan sharks were after him for what he owed and it wouldn’t be long before his excuses wore thin with them. He didn’t want to end up taking a pasting, so stealing what he hoped would be at least two hundred pounds would easily sort out all his debts. If there was more in the safe he might even be able to buy a decent second-hand car. A nice motor would impress the birds too, and Dottie would more than likely be up for a bit of fun on the back seat.
Robbie’s jaw relaxed as he thought about what else he would spend his stolen money on. Any fears he had about the prospect of getting caught and ending up behind bars in a stinking prison were quickly pushed to the back of his mind.
Alice sat quietly in the dim living room listening to The Archers on the radio. It was the omnibus edition and Alice was looking forward to the rare hour of relaxation. With Bill being the way he was and sitting in silence, the characters on the radio were all she really had for company on a Saturday night.
She heard a key turn in the front door and was surprised to see Dorothy walk into the front room. She hadn’t been expecting her home for a while yet.
‘Hello, love, you’re early. Did you have a nice time with Robbie?’
‘Not really. He wasn’t feeling too well. No official proposal tonight but he did talk about doing some extra work to buy me a nice ring.’
‘Oh, well, that’ll be something nice to look forward to then. There’s some warm milk on the stove if you fancy a hot mug of cocoa. You can come and sit with me and listen to my programme if you like?’
Dorothy smiled. ‘Thanks, Mum, but I think I’ll pass on that and finish off hemming the dress I’m making.’
With that, Dorothy left the room like a whirlwind. Alice wished she had the same energy as her daughter, but years of toiling over the kitchen sink had left her spine bent and the constant pain had been really wearing her down lately. Oh, well, she thought, trying to be positive, it wouldn’t be much longer until Bill recovered and then things would be back to where they were before the war. Alice reached across to pat the back of Bill’s hand. She just hoped he would be well enough to see his daughter get married.
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