know is how it ended up pinned on a Twinford car salesman.’
‘Advertising man,’ corrected Ruby.
‘Car advertiser, whatever,’ said Clancy. ‘Why is it not back home in the Tower of London?’ He caught Ruby’s expression, ‘Or wherever the royal people keep their stuff now.’
‘You are asking all the right questions, my friend. Thinking like a detective.’ Ruby gave Clancy a pinch to his cheek.
‘Cut it out Rube.’
‘I guess we gotta assume maybe this king gave it away, it’s the sorta thing kings do, but it could have changed hands many times before Mr Thompson got his mits on it. If Mrs Thompson bought it at auction or some antique store, then who did it belong to before that and what are they doing selling it?’
‘Perhaps the original owner decided to cash it in; it’s the kind of piece someone might pay a few thou for – I mean, I would,’ said Clancy. ‘I think it would look pretty stylish but I wouldn’t wear it on a tie – maybe on a hat but not a tie.’
‘What else do we have?’ said Ruby running her pencil down the list.
‘Oh yeah, the poetry book. This messes up your famous person theory, because the poet JJ Calkin was not a famous poet and the book is not valuable – not enough to make it worth the steal, to risk the chance of getting caught.’
‘Or splatted,’ remarked Clancy who was thinking about the nine floors he had to climb to reach it. ‘But it might be sentimental? I mean, it has to mean something to someone.’
Neither of them said anything for a minute or two and then Clancy said, ‘Perhaps it was a commission – to steal these four things. I mean, perhaps the thief was contracted to grab the items and the money he gets paid makes it all worthwhile?’
‘Possible,’ agreed Ruby, ‘the thief could have a steal and deal business, or as you say, he could have a steal to order business, unless of course. . .’ She paused.
‘What?’ said Clancy.
‘Unless he’s planning on keeping everything for himself.’
‘Like trophies for his trouble you mean, like he is saying look how good I am? Like one of those rich gentleman thieves who does it for kicks?’
‘Raffles,’ said Mrs Digby re-entering the room.
‘Who’s Raffles?’ said Clancy wrinkling his nose.
‘A rich gentleman thief who steals for kicks,’ replied Ruby.
Ruby tapped her pencil on her desk, tap, tap, tap, tap, she was thinking about the loyalty cards now. Why hasn’t Blacker called?
‘No,’ she said. ‘This guy is not showing off, this guy is tapping us on the shoulder trying to get us to turn round and look.’
The transmitter was
buzzing again, he walked over
to where it sat, taking his
time about it. . .
‘Hello,’ he said.
‘Don’t give me “hello” like we are on genteel speaking terms.’ The woman spat the words angrily into his ear and he instinctively pulled the receiver device away from him as if she might perhaps reach into it and grab him. ‘How long are you going to make me wait?’
‘Not much longer.’
‘What’s that supposed to mean?’ she said.
‘I have it,’ he said calmly.
‘You have the 8 key?’ She took a deep breath. ‘At last – when will you deliver?’
‘Be patient, I just have two small tasks to complete and then both items will be yours.’
‘Be patient? You are telling me to be patient? You dare to suggest I wait a moment longer Birdboy? You better count the hours because the end is nigh. . .’
He smiled and cut her off, he felt very secure, safe, out of reach; she could threaten him but she could not find him. All she could do was call and beg and bully, but that was only because he allowed her this luxury of contact. If he chose to, he could disappear entirely, and as soon as he had executed his plan that’s exactly what he would do.
Wait until it has all played out, he told himself, wait for the money and the big finale and then be gone.
AFTER SCHOOL, Ruby took her skateboard and skitched her way to the Schroeder Building and down to Spectrum.
She found Blacker in his office, going through some files.
‘So have you picked up the card from the latest robbery,’ she asked, ‘the tie-clip theft I mean? Why haven’t you called me?’
‘No, there was no card,’ said Blacker.
Ruby looked at him. ‘But there has to be.’
‘I’m telling you Ruby, there wasn’t. Our guys were all over the joint, they didn’t find a thing. So I’m thinking maybe it’s not our guy.’
‘But it should have been, I mean, it would have been next to the tie, the tie Mr Thompson hung up in his closet.’
‘On the floor you mean,’ said Blacker. ‘Mrs Thompson was real clear about that, they were having quite a marital.’ Blacker raised his eyebrows. ‘Mrs T is not happy about it, claims he never picks up after himself, just walks in the door, kicks off his shoes, drops his jacket, pulls off his tie and wherever it lands is where it stays.’
‘Sounds like Mrs Thompson is pretty strung out about it,’ said Ruby.
Blacker nodded. ‘Is she ever.’
‘So where did Mr Thompson discard his tie last night?’
‘In the dog bowl, according to Mrs Thompson. She was very upset about it.’
‘I’m guessing the dog’s got something to say about it too,’ said Ruby.
‘Mr Thompson doesn’t remember anything about that, swears it couldn’t have got there because when he arrived home the baby was crying and he went straight to the kid’s room. Mrs T was supervising the nanny while she made it a bottle of whatever it is those little guys drink.’
‘So Mr and Mrs T woke up in the morning to find the tie-clip gone?’
‘Not quite. The nanny was up with
