Finally, she reapplied her make-up and stepped back into the events of the day a changed woman. She motioned to Lloyd, Alfie and Vladimir to meet in the office that was now hers alone. She saw Belle comforting Cathy through the large window, the pair sitting together by the pool, and she saw that she couldn’t give her daughter the comfort she craved. She knew that she couldn’t give Cathy a simpler life, because Ruby wasn’t a simple woman. The knowledge was like a blade in her heart. She fought it down, discarding the feeling, knowing that it would be better this way.
‘Gentlemen, I’ve asked Mr Ivanov to help us. I want us to discover the truth. If someone ordered Archie’s death, they will pay for what they did. I want their blood. Alfie, Lloyd, work with Vladimir. I want them dead.’
The men looked at her, and she knew what they saw at that moment: a woman without remorse, a cold killer.
Lloyd nodded. In that gesture, he acknowledged a new head of the family. He realised Ruby had stepped up, beyond her husband’s shoes and into her power. He saw a woman hell-bent on vengeance.
He nodded to Vladimir.
‘Of course, Ruby. Alfie and I will do what you say.’
Alfie nodded then looked away.
Ruby smiled sadly. ‘Come now, let’s celebrate our continued friendship.’
Vladimir reached for a bottle of the finest vintage champagne from the open drinks cabinet, its shiny surface filling the room with dappled light.
‘For a grieving widow, and for our continued friendship. Please accept my condolences. I will do everything in my power to assist you all,’ Vladimir said softly.
She accepted a glass filled with bubbly.
‘To new beginnings.’
‘New beginnings,’ the three men echoed.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The Locksmith is a book that’s existed in my head for years, and thanks to my literary agent, Kerr MacRae, it slowly became a reality on the page. Thank you, Kerr, for all your support, insight and belief in my story!
It took a whole team to make this book a reality and I want to say thank you to everyone. Thank you to Jon Elek, Cathryn Kemp, Tara Loder and Rosa Schierenberg for helping me bring Ruby to life. You are all absolute diamonds. This book was written in lockdown, but you’d never know it from the amount of time we managed to spend together; online and on the phone, of course.
Thanks also go to James Horobin and his incredible team of amazing sales, marketing and PR experts. The enthusiasm and energy from this team has been second to none. Also, huge thanks to Alex Allden, Dominic Forbes and Larry Rostant for the cover. I’m not sure I told you, but: ‘I love it!’
And a special thanks goes to my dear friend Martina Cole. Martina, who would have imagined that some day I would be the one writing a book? You have supported this book from the start, but more than that, you have been a brilliant friend. Thank you for everything!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
‘The first time I held a gun, I forgot to breathe’
Linda Calvey has served 18 years behind bars, making her Britain’s longest-serving female prisoner. She moved to 14 different prisons, doing time with Rose West and Myra Hindley. But prison didn’t break her.
Since her release, Linda has become a full-time author. Her 2019 memoir The Black Widow fascinated readers.
Villains aren’t born.
They’re made.
But what does a villain like Ruby do
when they’re betrayed?
Find out in Linda Calvey’s
next book.
Published in 2021 by Welbeck Fiction Limited, part of Welbeck
Publishing Group 20 Mortimer Street London W1T 3JW
Copyright © Linda Calvey, 2021
The moral right of the author has been asserted.
All characters and events in this publication, other than those clearly in the public domain, are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronically, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owners and the publishers.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Hardback ISBN: 978-1-78739-526-8
Tradepaperback ISBN: 978-1-78739-527-5
