'She ain't gonna be happy,' I said as we made our way to the vault.
'Oh dear,' said Max. 'What a shame.'
The job seemed to go okay after that. Ruby saw the gun but said nothing. I knew she'd be reeling inside, but her professionalism held out. And anyway, play up during the job and he might just use it.
'Where you going,' I asked as the money was packed. Ruby said: 'Back the way I came.'
I never thought anything of it at the time. But thinking back, masks or not, it was clear Ruby was a woman. You just couldn't hide it. And she was already planning what to do about Max.
In the early hours I turned up at Ruby's flat with our cut of the money.
'You mad?' I asked.
'What do you think?'
I looked at the fire in her eyes.
The next day Ruby acted on her own.
Max never even heard her enter his flat. Neither did Simpson an hour later. But Simpson certainly heard the banging on the door as Detective Inspector Matthews demanded entry.
I'd have loved to have seen his face as he made his way to open the door, only to find a sawn-off shotgun on the table by the door. Mindst you, the lieutenant of an underworld figure like Lord Cornby wouldn't be caught that easily.
The gun was safely cleared away before he let Matthews in - we all have hide-aways the old Bill haven't even heard of.
I think Simpson ended up as mad as Ruby, though. Matthews, as he departed empty handed, let it be known they were looking for two men. And Simpson soon got the nod the ringleader was Max.
A week later, I said to Ruby: 'They say Max Phillips will recover. But it was quite a pasting.'
She nodded without emotion. But that was Ruby. She hated violence - always got someone else to do it for her.
About the Author
1955 (Yorkshire, England) – I am born (Damn! Already been done). ‘Twas the best of times … (Oh well).
I was actually born to a family of newsagents. At 18 I did a Dick Whittington and went off to London, only to return to pretend to be Charlie and work in a chocolate factory.
When I was ten I was asked what I wanted to be. I said soldier, writer and Dad. I never thought of it for years – having too much fun, such as a time as lead guitarist in a local rock band – but I served nine years in the RAF, got married and had seven kids. I realized my words had been precognitive when, at age 27, I came down with M.E. – a condition I’ve suffered ever since – and turned my attention to writing.
My essays are based on Patternology, or P-ology, a thought process I devised to work as a bedfellow to specialisation. Holistic, it seeks out patterns the specialist may have missed. The subject is not about truth, but ideas, and covers everything from politics to the paranormal.
I also specialise in Flash Fiction in all genres, most under 600 words, but also Mini Novels - 1500 word tales so full they think they're bigger.
Connect with Anthony
Smashwords Author page: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/anthonynorth
Anthony's Website: https://anthonynorth.com/
Anthony's Blog (inc current affairs): https://anthonynorth.com/blog/blog
Twitter: https://twitter.com/anthonynorth
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anthony.north.330
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