CHAPTER 31

They hung about the house until around three when Tolly said, “It’s coming up to three. Shouldn't we be making a move soon?” 

“Sure,” replied Cap sitting at his desk tucked into the corner of the sitting room, “Just got to grab a few things.” 

“Are we taking the beezer with the cash?” asked Tolly. 

“Nope. That stays here. Dexter is definitely not getting hold of that just to give it back to Gloria Dubonnet.” Cap said with enough determination to make Tolly take note. 

“Clothes?” he said. 

“The usual black outfits and the gloves. Sling them in a bag and we’ll change in the car. There’s that old dark grey boiler suit somewhere. I think it’s in the understairs cupboard. Bung that in as well. Dexter might need it. No point us being all togged up in black if he’s going to shine in the dark… Have you got the three torches?” 

“Yes… Anything else?” 

“Yeah, sling this in.” He took a stethoscope from one of the desk drawers and tossed it to Tolley who stood in the doorway. 

“What’s that for?” replied Tolly. 

“The lock if its a combination.” 

“Oh yeah, I’ll be interested to see if that works,” he said as he put it in the bag. 

Tolly wandered upstairs where he rummaged around collecting everything he thought they would need, “I’m taking the glass cutter and the suction thing,” he said. “You know, for the window to the housekeeper's office.” No reply so he grabbed the bag and his jacket and went back downstairs into the sitting room, “Hear what I said about the glass cutter?” 

“Sure,” said Cap but Tolly knew he had not heard. He was preoccupied reading an official looking document. As Tolly sidled up next to him, Cap folded the paper and put it into an envelope. Tolly just caught sight of another paper in there. He could just make out some words in bold capital letters that made him frown but he did not say anything. Things kept to himself and all that so he just said, “I’ve got everything. Shall we go?”  

 

Just under twenty-minutes saw them standing in the queue at the ticket office waiting behind a man asking a lot of questions. Tolly nodded at Cap and swung his glance towards a transport policeman standing near the ticket office hatch. Cap shrugged as Tolly gave him the bag and took a couple of steps as the man in front moved away. Asked for two singles to Bexhill, grabbed a note from his pocket and slipped it under the grill waiting for change. He grabbed the tickets with his left hand and the change with his right. As he picked up the tickets the sleeve of his jacket rode up and the ticket master stared at the Rolex and touched the peak of his cap with the right index finger. 

As Tolly moved away with Cap a few steps behind the policeman shifted towards him, grabbed his left arm, pulled up the sleeve and said, “That’s a nice watch, Sir. Rolex isn’t it? Is it yours?” 

“Of course it’s mine,” replied Tolly, “Why?” With the policeman’s intervention Cap had hung back a bit more and stood watching. 

“Pickpockets sir. We’re cracking down on them. A man a few days ago had a watch just like that stolen. My job’s to check anyone wearing a similar one. They’re very expensive, you see.” 

“Well, it’s mine, I can assure you of that… Now, I’ve a train to catch.” 

“One more moment please, sir. This won’t take long. Can you take it off please? I just need to check it.” 

Tolly was hesitant but he had no choice. He undid the strap and handed it over. The copper immediately turned it over, “Interesting,” he said, “The inscription says, To Harold with all my love, Jane. That’s the name of the man whose watch was stolen… I think you need to come with me, don’t you?” Tolly saw the man’s eyes flick towards the ticket office and he felt his arm grabbed from behind as a second policeman appeared from the side door. 

Suddenly there was a shout and the two policemen were tumbling with Tolly half falling on top of them, “Don’t go falling over, run you idiot,” yelled Cap swinging the bag in a wide arc as he sprinted past heading for the exit. Tolly wasted no time, he snatched the watch out of the policeman’s hand and was off rapidly catching Cap as the shrill sound of two whistles flew out of the station after them. They carried on running, dodged traffic and disappeared down a side road, taking a swift right then a left until the station was near on half a mile away. Then they felt it was safe enough to slow down. 

“I told you you’d get us into trouble… let’s look at that watch,” puffed Cap. 

Tolly handed it over and said, “Before you say anything I know, the inscription.” He put his hands on his knees, panting, “I’m well out of condition,” he said. 

“Bit incriminating, don’t you think? Why'd you keep it? That’s gotta be just about the dumbest thing.” 

“Habit. I liked it and think about it, what were the chances of getting caught?” 

“Slim but obviously not slim enough. Chuck it.” 

“What?” 

“Chuck it. Wipe it down. Lose the prints and dump it now. There, down that drain. If they catch us it’ll be hard to make anything stick without the evidence.” 

“But, but…” 

“None of those either… I’ll do it.” Cap wiped it on his jacket lapel then dropped it into the drain and heard the splosh. “Now, we’ve time to make up. We’ll head for Waterloo. Get the train to Clapham junction and change. We can’t go to Bexhill, they may be waiting. We’ll go to Eastbourne and get the bus to Bexhill.” 

“We’ll be late.” 

“Can’t help that they’ll know where we are heading and might ring it through… We’ll stop at that phone box. I’ll phone his digs.” 

A moment later Cap was back, “There was no reply.” 

“That’s bad,” said Tolly, “What’ll we do?” 

“I don’t know… try again later I suppose,” said Cap. 

Suddenly they both shouted at the same time, “The Pub.” 

“The George, wasn't it? Sea Road,” said Cap 

“That’s the place.”  

“I’ll try them,” said Cap heading back into the phone box. 

Returning, Cap said, “I told The George to tell the posh looking fella with a beezer we would be there about nine. That should be enough time.” 

“Well done… So, what now? We still going to Waterloo, it’s only just down the road.” 

“Nope. Change of plan. We can’t risk it. The cops may be watching there as well.” 

“Do you really think so?” 

“No, I doubt it but why take the risk? We’ve got the time. It’s about an hour to walk to Clapham Junction, we’ll go there. After an hour things would have died down anyway.” 

“Why not get a taxi or a tube? Why not a bus??” 

“Best let some time slip by, besides,” and Cap slapped Tolly’s stomach, “you’re putting it on. As you said you’re out of condition. The walk’ll do you good.” 

“Okay, but you carry the bag.” 

Cap slung it at Tolly, “Wrong,” he said. “It’s the price for getting us into this mess... Right, we need to get a move on. We can’t let this heist go bad on us, there's too much at stake. And another thing, when this is all over you need to get rid of your bad habits.” 

“What, all of them?” 

“All the light fingered, pilfering ones. They were useful once but we’ve grown out of them now.” 

 

Dexter watched Jimmy stroll down Sea Road with the brothers and disappear into The George. He’s probably right. I would’ve had trouble with those two. Interesting proposition that, it would work but if tonight’s blag went off okay there was no point even considering it. Should I tell Dee? No time. Anyway, it was irrelevant. I’ll never end up being owned by Jimmy Raynott. I just hope I asked enough questions to make it all sound genuine. I’ll wander around for a while, sort out a few possible motors then head back to my lodgings. I’ll take great pleasure telling Dora where to stick her rooms. When I took the place I didn’t tell her I was only temporary so she would have been in for a shock anyway. This’ll happen just a touch quicker than expected. 

By four-thirty he was home. Three hours to kill. Slinging his beezer on the bed he unpacked it and started sorting through his things. He had packed rather hastily when he left the pub. He did not have much. Apart from the suit he was wearing, a spare pair of trousers, four shirts and a set of navy-blue overalls, that was it. Some underwear, of course. Anything else he needed he usually did a midnight ‘shopping’ run usually just as he was moving on. Folding everything he wanted to keep he packed it into the case more neatly putting the overalls on top. Pulling out the top drawer he did not forget the hot wires which he rolled up and put in his pocket. His leather gloves he put in his jacket pocket. Then he lay on the bed to rest. It would be a long night.