The Locksmith Linda Calvey (phonics readers .txt) 📖

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.

Happy 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