CHAPTER 4

Was square the best shape for a dining room? Ask Dee and she will tell you. Square and no larger than needed would be her answer. It enabled the tables to be neatly spread around the walls in an uneven circle. Those old wooden tables with a worn out through too much use look. Ring stains lifting the polish. Wooden chairs with the appearance of being snatched from some ancient and now defunct private school. 

 After a short exchange of words a while back Dee had lost the argument for replacement furniture but secured the concession that white, thick paper tablecloths and pale blue cushions would brighten up the place. Her assertion: make it look nice and maybe the food would be excused. A reasoning that fitted into Gloria’s equation. She liked to squeeze but was not stupid. She knew a balance had to be maintained. Squeeze enough to maximise profits but not too much to discourage business. Minimal expenditure: paper tablecloths and budget cushions. Maximum profit: cheap food. Add the abundance of light that streamed in through the clean glass in the tall French doors, particularly on a sunny day, and Dee was right. It looked a cheerful space for sure. Why the very clean glass? Maximum light and Gloria was all for that. It was free.   

There might once have been a mirror above the fireplace. Above the fire’s elegant marble surround set into the furthest wall from the door. Now, centrally above the mantel, within an old faded outline, hung a tall rectangular sign in familiar large, bold, bright red capitals. In four lines it said, No newspapers. No books. No dawdling. Coffee one penny extra. And that was the one thing Gloria insisted remained untouched.  

Dee had just enough time to set the tables before the single gong resonated around the building rattling the loose sash windows in the downstairs rooms. Rushing around the room she spread the tablecloths. Laid place settings, condiments, twirled butter in a small glass dish, insipid marmalade in a stoneware jar with a very small spoon and a miniature jug of milk. Stood by the door listening to the approaching footsteps dull on the sticky carpet. 

They all knew where to sit except Dexter and Dee put him on the extra chair facing the hall door. Dexter’s smile carried all his natural charm. It had a knowing look about it as he slid his eyes down Dee’s tight black dress. Lingered perhaps a touch too long at that crucial point, the slightly wrinkled fabric at the top of her legs then carried on up to her eyes. She smiled right back with one of those ‘do you like what you see’ smiles. His beezer he placed on the floor partially obstructing the walkway. A natural positioning. After all, it had been in his right hand.  

Just behind Dexter followed the last beezer, Tolly Parkin, who still had his eye on Dexter’s case. As he walked into the dining room he made to trip over it, shifting it slightly. Bending down he picked it up, judged the weight, and moved it back towards Dexter with a, “So sorry, matey,” and sauntered past a couple of tables, with a grin set to win a prize, to sit at a shared table with one of the better looking knockers. Satisfied everyone had settled, Dee disappeared into the kitchen. 

In the corner near the fireplace at the only table for one sat the first beezer, Jimmy Raynott, with his moustache and slicked down hair. A regular. He stayed quite frequently. Definitely at least once a month. Probably more than that, in fact. Perhaps even consecutive weeks on occasion. Dee returned with a tray of toast racks with the white triangles burnt at the edges. The sign of an over aggressive toaster. Placing one on each table she paused facing Jimmy. 

He smiled and said with what might have been a put on posh accent, “Thank you, my dear.” Dee did not respond except to frown. She knew who he was and did not approve. She glided swiftly to the next table then disappeared into the kitchen to return with a tray of tea pots. Dee did not miss the fact that both Jimmy and Dexter ordered coffee but Tolly Parkin did not, even though he clearly carried a beezer. It might be he just preferred tea but Dee suspected he was not actually who he purported to be. After all his suit and creased shirt were not up to much and his shoes had a definite scruffy look about them. And then his accent… 

One benefit of short stays: the food could be repetitive. For example, breakfast. It alternated between sausage and bacon. Both boiled then rapidly browned in a super hot frying pan and both served with the same accompaniments. Tinned tomatoes warmed using the potato and carrot method and a poached egg done en masse in large pans. Overdone for the first in. Underdone for the last. A pot of tea or, as the sign said, coffee at a price. Both preceded by whatever fruit came out of the catering tin Derek decided to open. The tins, a cheap dodgy lot for sure due to the lack of labels. 

 

Where Tolly Parkin sat he looked straight at Dexter Carmichael. By just watching he could sense the weight of the case. Remembered the feel of that slight lifting touch. By comparison his beezer, firmly planted at his side, lacked any sort of weight. He knew the contents and they were all dispensable. Suddenly he was frowning. Thoughts swirled around his head. Quickly he ate as much as he wanted. I’ll need to be sharp. Stood and without a word to his table mate picked up his beezer, shot into the corridor and through his still open door which he gently closed behind him. The wall underneath the window looked damp but he knew the reason. Sliding up the sash window he felt outside and lifted a house brick from a pile stacked against the wall. An old Red Rubber with oversized dimensions. Hefting it in his hand he remembered the feel of Dexter’s case. Slightly too heavy he thought. 

Opening his beezer he sifted through the contents and removed two bars of soap, two scrubbing brushes and a can of polish. The heaviest items. Not so much weight but it might just make the difference. Wrapped the brick in a new hand towel and wedged it into the centre of the bottom of the case with another four new T-towels. Closed the lid. Tested the weight and gave the case a slight shake. Close. It would have to do.  

Hearing footsteps outside the door he eased it a fraction, looked and waited. The queue at Gloria’s desk was growing. He heard a conversation in the dining room. The girl chatting with Dexter. There was no mistaking his slow way of talking. Besides, looking at the waiting clackers, Dexter was probably the last but there again there was no sign of Jimmy Raynott. He would prefer Jimmy not to end up behind him in the queue. He waited just inside the door. The conversation stopped and Dexter appeared. As he passed Tolly’s door Tolly slipped out and followed Dexter to the back of the queue carrying his case. 

It was clear a well practised routine operated. A new page on the invoice pad pre-written with nine shillings and eleven pence. Gloria asked if the hotel stamp was required and did the necessary or not. On those with the hotel stamp she filled in the invoice number box with the next in a sequence of numbers. Took payment. Mainly a ten shilling note or sometimes loose change, mostly either half crowns or two shilling coins and gave one penny change taken from the waiting pile. She knew who had coffee and simply added the penny and gave no change. The sum was chosen, firstly, as being the optimum to fit the maximum criteria of her formula. Secondly, the efficiency of transaction concentrated around ten shillings. She stamped PAID on both copies, the top one of which was torn off and presented. Any repeat bookings were taken at the sametime. Others would come by phone or post. The phone sat on the right hand side of the desk. 

Dexter reached the front, smiled that wicked smile and said, “Thank you for fitting me in,” and put down his case ready to pay. 

Suspicion allowed Gloria to contain herself. She simply lied, “It’s what we pride ourselves on. One of our strengths. We never turn anyone away unless we are absolutely bursting. I hope everything was to your satisfaction.” 

Dexter said, “The room was fine, thank you,” but lied about the food. “And thank you for making a special effort with dinner and breakfast.” 

“Ten shillings please. Do you need a stamp?” said Gloria. 

“Why would I not?” 

“Some prefer to put another address. Those whose employers require them to shop around and get the best rate.” 

“But there isn’t another boarding house in town.” 

“No, but there are other establishments. All are more expensive but employers do not know that. It’s a question of convenience for our guests… That’ll be ten shillings. And the stamp?” 

“Why not,” he kind of laughed.  

Gloria stamped twice and handed the PAID receipt to Dexter. 

 

Tolly had been listening with interest and, of course, watching. No one stayed. Once they had paid they planted their trilbys and headed out of the door keen to get their day underway. He looked around. Up and down the hall. Up the stairs. There was no sign of anyone. As Dexter was deep in conversation with Gloria, Tolly took his opportunity. In one slick motion he picked up Dexter’s case and swapped it with his own. He kept hold of Dexter's surprised at how accurate the weight of his case actually was. 

After Dexter had paid he turned, nodded at Tolly as he pulled on a pair of black leather gloves, put on his trilby, picked up his case, obviously not noticing any difference in weight, and was out of the front door without even a pause. Keen to make a quick getaway to wherever he was going or whatever he was doing. Tolly watched Dexter leave thinking, now why would that fella put on leather gloves on a warm morning. Lifted the case a fraction feeling the weight, What's in here? he wondered. Then before he could think any more he was taking his place standing opposite Gloria as the final guest. 

“So, Mr Parkin. What have you got planned for today?” said Gloria. Had a bit of suspicion filtered into her words? 

“Swift walk to the station, darling, then back to London,” he replied. I need to get out of here as soon as. This old goat’s way too sharp for her own good. 

The darling made Gloria momentarily rile. So common, but she contained it. Smiled as sweetly as she felt able, and said, “I can tell you’re from London. The accent. East End?” 

“Nah, darling. South of the river, Wandsworth, but I work north side.”   

The words grated her pompous demeanour and with that last exchange Gloria’s suspicions were confirmed. This was one of those London ‘Wide Boys’, probably on the make, casing somewhere to rob or some such thing. Oh well, good luck to him. It’s nothing to do with me. “That'll be nine shillings and eleven pence... Stamp?” 

“No thanks,” he replied, knowingly smiling. “I don’t need the address but please stamp paid and I’ll have a receipt but you don't need to fill in the invoice number.” That stamp thing. That’s a neat scam for sure. 

Gloria exchanged a penny for the ten bob note, whacked a slightly vicious PAID on the top copy, tore it off and thrust it over the desk. As Tolly stretched to pick it up his jacket and shirt sleeve crept back up his arm. Now that’s a surprise. That watch. That’s the most expensive one I’ve seen in a very long time. Like the beezer, it’s way out of kilter with his appearance and manners. She glanced at his face. Maybe stencilling his features into her memory. This was one face she would not forget. 

Tolly left the penny, “For the girl,” he said with a little laugh. Winked at Gloria, gave one of those see you later smiles and took his time reaching the door using up knowledge that a slow pace away from a lift was best to avert suspicion.   

What he did not notice was Dee watching him as she exited the dining room and start towards the desk. She had not seen him switch cases but there was suspicion in her eyes. The conversation with her mother? She had heard all of that. Looking at the case as he approached the door she noticed it was not swinging too much. Nowhere near as much as it seemed when he entered the dining room. Walking down the hall she stood in front of her mother. But she did not say anything about the case. What she did say was, “That creep, Jimmy Raynott is waiting for you in the dining room. Derek has a pot of coffee. The proper stuff if you're interested and properly fried bacon in proper bread with the best ketchup.”  

Without another word she walked into the street and watched Tolly Parkin stroll all the way along the pavement until he disappeared around the corner but her thoughts were firmly fixed on Jimmy Raynott. That old dog was up to something. Something her mother was involved in for certain. Those two have been tight as a closed clam shell for weeks. It’s sure to have something to do with money.  

Across the road in a first floor room of the ‘Paradise’ holiday hotel directly opposite the Bay View the curtain twitched. If anyone had been watching closely they would have seen the same curtain twitch at the same time every day for the last four weeks.