yours? Huh?’
The gentleman looked back out across the Thames again, at the dim shapes of mole men hefting sacks of coal onto the quayside.
‘You’d be best advised not to continue with questions like these, Mr Tolly. The matter is settled and I have a sizeable amount of money to give you right now. Shall we just conclude
our business and bid goodnight?’
‘I want more, Mr Jones. I want two thousand.’
Bill could see the man’s outline recoil ever so slightly.
‘See, I found a few things on the girl. Things she ’ad on ’er that I think she weren’t meant to ’ave.’
‘Mr Tolly, I really have no interest in whether you’ve decided to rummage through her things and pawn them for—’
‘ Jewlerry , Mr Jones. Special jewlerry , which I don’t s’pose she bought for ’erself.’
‘I beg your pardon? Jewellery?’
Bill grinned in the dark. He had this man’s full attention. He felt a buzz of nervous excitement and satisfaction at seeing this smug stuck-up bastard lose his cool inbred demeanour, if
only for a fleeting moment.
‘A gift. A keepsake – gold by the look of it – with an interestin’ pattern on it and a proper maker’s mark on the bottom of it. Best bit, though, Mr Jones, the best
bit is a real nice portrait photograph on the inside of it. Luverly picture of a gentleman, a woman an’ a nipper. Very much in love, by the looks of it. How’s it go? Very much
the ’appy family.’
Bill hushed now, satisfied that his speech had come out pretty close to the way he’d practised it.
‘I see.’
He wanted desperately to look around, behind himself, to check and see if Mr Jones had brought with him some hired knuckle-heads. But he knew he needed to remain calm, remain in control, remain businesslike .
‘If you were to show this particular piece of jewellery to me, Mr Tolly, I might actually believe you.’
This is it, Bill, mate . . . this is where you go very careful.
‘See, I’d be a right fuckin’ fool if I brought it along ’ere tonight, dontcha think, Mr Jones? A right fool.’ He glanced around now. ‘I’d say you mighta
brought a chiv man or two along tonight.’
The gentleman stared at him silently. In the failing twilight, the faint dark patches that hinted at eyes, nose and mouth had merged into one shape now beneath the brim of his hat. ‘You
are playing an exceedingly dangerous game, Mr Tolly. I would strongly advise against that.’
‘I ain’t playing a game. This is a business deal, Mr Jones. I’m a business man.’
The gentleman wheezed a soft, sputtering laugh. ‘No, you are not. You’re a common crook who believes he’s stumbled across something of value.’
‘But, see, I have, ain’t I?’
‘You have a trinket that might – at worst – cause embarrassment to an associate of mine. That is all. You go and fetch it, bring it back here and, if you are quick about it, I
shall be prepared to give you another hundred pounds for the errand and not a penny more.’
Bill shook his head. ‘Nah, that’s all right. It’s safe with me bizness partner. Think it can stay where it is for now.’
‘Partner?’ The word filled the space between them. ‘Now, you assured me you work alone, Tolly.’
Bill realised the mention of someone else involved in this deal was deeply unsettling for Mr Jones. Just as unsettling, in fact, as hearing Mr Jones refer to ‘we’.
‘So? I ’ad a little ’elp to do the job. A coupla ’elpers to be sure.’
‘And they . . .’ A long pause. A very long pause. ‘And they know about this trinket?’
‘Oh, yes they do, Mr Jones. But don’t worry, they won’t flap their mouths. Not when there’s some decent money to be ’ad out of you.’
Bill realised he was trembling; not out of fear, but sheer damned excitement. He could hear an unsteady warble in this gentleman’s voice and knew this was going perfectly. Far better than
he could ever have imagined.
He’s fucking scared shitless.
‘Please
The gentleman looked back out across the Thames again, at the dim shapes of mole men hefting sacks of coal onto the quayside.
‘You’d be best advised not to continue with questions like these, Mr Tolly. The matter is settled and I have a sizeable amount of money to give you right now. Shall we just conclude
our business and bid goodnight?’
‘I want more, Mr Jones. I want two thousand.’
Bill could see the man’s outline recoil ever so slightly.
‘See, I found a few things on the girl. Things she ’ad on ’er that I think she weren’t meant to ’ave.’
‘Mr Tolly, I really have no interest in whether you’ve decided to rummage through her things and pawn them for—’
‘ Jewlerry , Mr Jones. Special jewlerry , which I don’t s’pose she bought for ’erself.’
‘I beg your pardon? Jewellery?’
Bill grinned in the dark. He had this man’s full attention. He felt a buzz of nervous excitement and satisfaction at seeing this smug stuck-up bastard lose his cool inbred demeanour, if
only for a fleeting moment.
‘A gift. A keepsake – gold by the look of it – with an interestin’ pattern on it and a proper maker’s mark on the bottom of it. Best bit, though, Mr Jones, the best
bit is a real nice portrait photograph on the inside of it. Luverly picture of a gentleman, a woman an’ a nipper. Very much in love, by the looks of it. How’s it go? Very much
the ’appy family.’
Bill hushed now, satisfied that his speech had come out pretty close to the way he’d practised it.
‘I see.’
He wanted desperately to look around, behind himself, to check and see if Mr Jones had brought with him some hired knuckle-heads. But he knew he needed to remain calm, remain in control, remain businesslike .
‘If you were to show this particular piece of jewellery to me, Mr Tolly, I might actually believe you.’
This is it, Bill, mate . . . this is where you go very careful.
‘See, I’d be a right fuckin’ fool if I brought it along ’ere tonight, dontcha think, Mr Jones? A right fool.’ He glanced around now. ‘I’d say you mighta
brought a chiv man or two along tonight.’
The gentleman stared at him silently. In the failing twilight, the faint dark patches that hinted at eyes, nose and mouth had merged into one shape now beneath the brim of his hat. ‘You
are playing an exceedingly dangerous game, Mr Tolly. I would strongly advise against that.’
‘I ain’t playing a game. This is a business deal, Mr Jones. I’m a business man.’
The gentleman wheezed a soft, sputtering laugh. ‘No, you are not. You’re a common crook who believes he’s stumbled across something of value.’
‘But, see, I have, ain’t I?’
‘You have a trinket that might – at worst – cause embarrassment to an associate of mine. That is all. You go and fetch it, bring it back here and, if you are quick about it, I
shall be prepared to give you another hundred pounds for the errand and not a penny more.’
Bill shook his head. ‘Nah, that’s all right. It’s safe with me bizness partner. Think it can stay where it is for now.’
‘Partner?’ The word filled the space between them. ‘Now, you assured me you work alone, Tolly.’
Bill realised the mention of someone else involved in this deal was deeply unsettling for Mr Jones. Just as unsettling, in fact, as hearing Mr Jones refer to ‘we’.
‘So? I ’ad a little ’elp to do the job. A coupla ’elpers to be sure.’
‘And they . . .’ A long pause. A very long pause. ‘And they know about this trinket?’
‘Oh, yes they do, Mr Jones. But don’t worry, they won’t flap their mouths. Not when there’s some decent money to be ’ad out of you.’
Bill realised he was trembling; not out of fear, but sheer damned excitement. He could hear an unsteady warble in this gentleman’s voice and knew this was going perfectly. Far better than
he could ever have imagined.
He’s fucking scared shitless.
‘Please
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