CHAPTER 16

Walter Jones dropped the curtain as he watched Dee stride towards the seafront. That’s one for the scrapbook, he thought as he put down the camera. He had counted ten going in. All clackers. That’s good they’re easier to categorise than the beezers. Not that it makes much difference. After all, a guest is a guest and all that. One more day’ll do it. That’ll give us enough to make a case. 

He pulled the curtain back enough so he could stare at the Bay View. Watched Jimmy Raynott standing smoking on the front porch. That’s one the boys will be interested in for sure.  Picked up the camera and snapped a couple of shots. Parasites, that’s what they are. Making cash out of people's misfortune. How did that one ever avoid prosecution during the war I don’t know. Now though it was a different matter. All those tins. No labels. Dodgy for sure. I’ll pass on the info. Track those tins and there might just be a big pile of worms somewhere. That fella drives a near new van. Something of a luxury these days. Snappy clothes. Look at those shoes. Gold dust. He’s not poor that’s for certain and his money has to come from somewhere and it’s sure not to be from working for a living.

  He let the curtain drop, put down the camera, stood and moved to the armchair by the bed. That was it for the day. Just as he sat there was a knock and the door shook. He slapped his hands on his knees and stood, stretching his back. Too long in that hard chair today. Maybe I need a massage. Moved to the door and flicked the light switch. 

As he swung the door back the smell of roast beef hit him full in the face and he realised he was ravenous. The long-legged maid stood smiling and holding out a tray. “Thanks, sweetheart,” he said. She smiled some more and wandered back down the corridor with a quick glance over her shoulder. She flicked her hair and disappeared down the stairs. Would she be back later? Maybe, but Walter, thinking of that massage, would definitely be hoping. 

 

The glow of streetlights cast long shadows from the parked cars and trees that lined the street as Dee walked back towards the boarding house. Windows of the many tightly packed terraced houses shed a yellow glow where curtains had not been drawn. Tonight, it was darker than usual at this time of year. Clouds streamed across the sky obscuring the moon. Perhaps the sign of rain on the way. Her hair blew around her face as a sudden gust swept down the street from the seafront. Glancing at the sky and feeling just a speck of rain, she picked up speed hoping to get back before it started to properly rain. 

Around ten was not a great time to have a confrontation with her mother. She stopped on the doorstep and glanced up at the window opposite with the light shining through the curtains. She had noticed the light several times before. Nothing so unusual with that except that at this time of year the hotel was not so full but that light seemed to have been there for about, what? Four weeks now. She shrugged. So what. They have guests, don’t they? Taking a deep breath, she turned the door handle and heard the rattle and knew her mother would be sitting behind her desk. She would lift her head to see who came through the door. Before she entered Dee could already see the look. A look that she thought would more than deepen when she told her mother about Tolly Parkin and the money.  

Gloria was exactly where Dee had thought and did look up as she walked through the door. There were no smiles. She took her glasses off. Leant back in her chair and stared at Dee. “You took your time,” she said. 

“He lives in Bexhill. It’s at least a half hour on the bus and I have to wait for one, don’t I?” 

“I know where Bexhill is… I don’t see any bag. Where’s my money?” 

“Dexter didn’t have it.” 

Gloria was quiet. She just stared. Dee expected an explosion but it did not come. Instead, Gloria glanced up the stairs then to the slightly open sitting room door with the buzz of conversation and sharply snapped, “You wouldn’t be trying to fool me would you?” 

“No, he hasn’t got it. He took the money from the safe and it was in his beezer when he paid his bill. Who was standing behind him?” 

Gloria thought for a moment, “Tolly Parkin.” 

“That’s right. Tolly Parkin and he had an almost identical beezer, didn’t he?” 

Gloria thought again. Picturing Tolly standing behind Dexter. “He did,” she agreed with a kind of sneer in her voice. 

“Well, he switched cases, that's the only explanation. Dexter had the money when he joined the queue and he didn’t when he got home. The only other place was on the bus and he sat up front, on the top next to a talkative lady. There’s no way the case could have been switched anywhere but in the queue. There was only Tolly Parkin there. All the others had left. Besides they were all clackers. Dexter would have noticed if he’d been stuck with a clacker, wouldn’t he?” 

Surprisingly Gloria was not becoming irate. Maybe it was curiosity. Perhaps a house full of clackers. One thing though, it gave Dee a break. “But how? I had my suspicions about Tolly Parkin. The likes of him with a beezer?” said Gloria. 

“Easy. He’s an opportunist. He saw Dexter’s case was heavy and swapped. Dexter showed me a brick Tolly had used to weigh down his case. The same type as the bricks piled against the wall outside room two. The ones I kept telling you made the wall damp.” 

“The sneaky bastard.” Gloria growled. Then her manner abruptly changed, “So, my money?” she snarled. “How are you going to get me my money? You can’t leave this place until I have it all.” Her voice was rising. She was starting to shout then heard a door open and forced herself to calm down. The guests. Can’t make a scene down here with the guests about. There’s still a couple in the sitting room. Damn them all. I’d be wringing the little madame’s neck if it wasn’t for them. “You’ll pay me back. Every penny. I’ll work you to the bone until it’s all repaid. Leave now without paying it and I’ll do what I said. Just think of Derek if you’re thinking of running.” 

“I’m not going to run,” snapped Dee. “And you hurt one bit of Derek and so help me…” Dee was waving her clenched fist in front of Gloria’s face. The knuckles white. Her nails biting into the palms of her hands. She was shaking. Unblinkingly staring her mother in the eyes, “So help me… It’ll be you who pays and I’ll swing for it if that’s what it takes.” 

Gloria stood, leant across the desk and grabbed Dee by her coat lapel, "Don't you threaten me,” she spat. “Get my money or everyone will pay. And believe me, I’ll make damn sure of that.” 

“Don’t worry. I’ll get it. Dexter’s going to London to track Tolly down. He’ll find him and he’ll get it back. Then we’ll be quits and we’ll see who turns out to be the strongest, won’t we?” Dee threw off Gloria’s hand, wiped her hand across her eyes shifting the moisture that had appeared, had one last hard stare at her mother and stormed up the stairs. The slam of her door reverberated down all the floors and rattled the front door handle.  

Gloria slumped back into her chair thinking about who might be the strongest and started to worry about any further confrontations. She would have to be careful. Dee’s confidence was building. Push her too far and… well, Gloria could see that she might just end up regretting it. 

 

For once Jimmy Raynott was not smiling. He had heard the commotion and appeared from Gloria's sitting room to stand just out of sight by the kitchen door. He was also thinking about Dee. Thinking that a time would come, that might not be so far away now, when he might be having to deal with that young lady if she were to get the better of Gloria. Sure he had a soft spot for Dee but he had an even softer spot for money and the lucrative route to it that Gloria helped create. Before anything else the one thing he did was protect his own and in that he was ruthless. He would not let a silly thing like a little soft spot get in the way of ensuring the continuity of one of his many sources of income. Yes, measures might have to be taken. A smile appeared that showed his nicotine-stained teeth. And there was this Dexter Carmichael. He could be a complication if anything were to happen to Dee… Maybe he would need to have words. Where did he hear Dee say Dexter was staying? Bexhill, yeah, that was it. Handy. He had to go there tomorrow. Early to see a fella with a big van. Maybe he would ask around at the same time. See what he could find out about Dexter Carmichael. He lingered for a few moments then went back to Gloria’s sitting room full of contemplation.