‘I knew I should never ’ave sent you to boarding school. In my heart I knew it was wrong to abandon you in England while we returned to Spain,’ Ruby murmured. ‘And this is what it’s led to. Oh George, I’m sorry, we let you down, I can see that now.’
Her words fell on deaf ears. If anything they made George nastier, more spiteful, more keen to hurt her in any way he could.
‘I. Don’t. Give. A. Shit. I want your husband to sort me out with some puff, and I want it tonight,’ George snarled.
Ruby stepped back as if she’d been slapped.
‘We can’t do that, George,’ she replied.
Archie stepped towards her, protectively.
George looked at them, then shouted, ‘Hypocrites!’ before pushing past them and slamming the lounge door loudly behind him.
Seconds later they heard the front door slam. It was then that Alfie appeared.
‘Didn’t want to interfere . . . he’s bang out of order. D’ya want me to ’ave a word?’ Archie’s twin grimaced and stared straight at Ruby, who suddenly felt deflated.
‘No, leave him,’ she said, giving her brother-in-law a small smile.
‘That boy needs a taste of reality. Let me sort him,’ Alfie said menacingly. He looked livid. George had riled the whole house up – except for one person.
Cathy sidled in.
‘Did you hear the argument, darlin’?’ asked Ruby, and Cathy shook her head. ‘I just heard voices. Is George OK?’
Archie looked over at her and his face reflected her relief. Cathy hadn’t heard the nitty-gritty; that her parents were big-time dealers.
‘We’ve just had a stupid argument, and George walked off. Nuthin’ to worry about,’ Ruby lied.
‘Don’t worry Mum, he’ll come round. I’ll speak to him, make him see he can’t behave like that. Honestly, it’ll all be fine.’ Cathy was always the peacemaker, always determined to see the best in people.
‘Look, love, why don’t we go out for dinner, somewhere nice like The Ivy. You need a treat, and it’ll give George time to cool off?’ Archie said. ‘I think we all need a bit of space . . .’
Ruby thought about it for a moment and then nodded. ‘All right, that might be for the best. Cathy, why don’t you wear that lovely new dress I bought for you last weekend?’
‘Oh, Mum, I won’t come. Honestly, I’d rather wait in for George. You go.’ Cathy pretended to shoo them all away.
Ruby smiled at her daughter, her worries receding. ‘You’ll be all right?’ she said to her daughter.
‘Course, Mum!’ Cathy laughed.
Ruby wasn’t completely sure. The mood in the house had been ugly, until Cathy appeared.
Her attention was distracted by Archie, who was now speaking to his twin.
‘Alfie, fancy a bite at The Ivy? It’s your last night, we need to do somethin’ special with ya after all that!’
‘Sounds good, bruv.’
Ruby made her way up the stairs to her bedroom. She sat on the bed heavily, her mind racing. She wondered when it was that she’d failed her little brother so badly, and whether she could ever make it right again.
CHAPTER 37
Ruby, Archie and Alfie went up to the West End in a cab. Archie was well known by the staff at The Ivy and always got a table.
‘We’ll find an answer, I promise ya,’ Archie said as they were seated, picking up on his wife’s sombre mood. Ruby smiled at him, trying to hide her sense that all was not well. She barely ate anything though, so instead she sat and listened as Archie and Alfie talked business. Alfie had a fresh contact in Colombia, someone high up in the police force who could prove very useful to them.
‘We’d ’ave more chance of safe passage of the goods, no questions asked, if we put Matias on the payroll,’ Alfie said, winking at Ruby.
Ruby smiled back at him, watching the men as they talked. Where Archie was always well groomed, his hair tousled expertly, his face freshly shaven and smelling of expensive cologne, Alfie looked wilder. His hair was cut much shorter now and it made him look older. Alfie had stubble and wore more gold jewellery than his brother. Archie only ever wore discreet embellishment, his Rolex and his wedding ring, whereas Alfie loved a bit of bling. He wore gold chains and gold rings, making him appear harder, more threatening, than his brother. Perhaps that was what he intended. He had to keep up certain appearances while doing the dirty, dangerous work of drug-running in South America. He would be used to casual violence on a scale Ruby was glad she had avoided so far for the most part. Alfie looked the part of a dealer and businessman in one of the most dangerous regions of planet Earth.
Much later, when the twins had knocked back a good bottle of expensive wine and eaten their fill, it was time to leave.
As Archie called a cab, Ruby took her mobile out of her bag and called home. She rang and rang but no one picked up. She tried George’s mobile – no answer, but that wasn’t unexpected. She dialled Cathy’s mobile – and when her daughter didn’t pick up, her instincts sharpened. Something was wrong, badly wrong, she knew it.
‘Get me home, Archie,’ she said.
Instead of waiting for the ordered cab, Alfie jumped out into the road and waved down a passing black cab. They piled in. ‘Chigwell – as fast as you can,’ Archie said. ‘There’ll be a fifty quid tip in it if ya can do it faster than I would in my Merc.’
A hair-raising journey later, the three arrived back at the house, the cab driver having secured his tip.
Ruby ran up to the front door, then stood stock still. She took in the lack of lighting. It was pitch black inside the enormous house. No light from the kitchen or the lounge. No sound from the televisions or music. No sound of the kids squabbling or laughing. It was all wrong.
‘Cathy, love, where
