with me will know all about it."
"Aw, stop kidding," Berry said and laughed. "I hear you take nothing with you except a club and a prayer."
I stood aside, listening to all this, certain now that my suspicions were right. Why should Berry have toned the conversation to this subject unless he was after information?
"Don't believe all you hear," Bill said good humouredly.
"We can look after ourselves all right. We have a surprise for any hold-up thug."
"I don't know why you aren't equipped with armoured cars like they have in the States. They carry guns over there, and if they have to, they shoot."
"So do their cops," Bill returned. "Our cops don't carry guns, but we've got a lot less crime here than they have. Work it out for yourself." He turned to me. "Well, so long, Harry, see you at seven."
"If you two boys haven't anything special to do tonight,"
Berry put in quickly, "why don't you come along to my place? I'm throwing a little party. Nothing special; a few girls, a few drinks, a bit of fun. What do you say?"
"No, thanks," I said before Bill could speak. "We're fixed up for tonight. Thanks all the same."
Berry lifted his shoulders.
"Well, if you change your mind, it's 3a Queen's Avenue: top flat. Look in any time." He flicked ash on the floor before adding, "Ed'll be there, and so will Gloria."
I felt Bill look at me.
"Sorry; we can't make it tonight."
"I've got to move," Bill said. "Be seeing you."
He nodded to Berry and walked quickly back to the sorting office.
Berry began to pick his nose as he gave me a long, hard stare.
"Was he kidding, would you know?"
"Kidding about what?"
"Carrying guns."
"Worry you?" I said, taking a page out of his book.
He laughed, although his eyes hardened.
"Just curious, that's all. Well, I can't waste any more time. Ed'll be in tomorrow."
"What was the idea leaving Joe here all night?"
I was watching him closely and saw his eyes flicker.
"He was on the job."
"In the dark?"
"Why not? Good time to work at night, pally. No interference." He turned away and walked back to the partitioned room.
A few minutes to seven o'clock, Bill returned. I had changed and was waiting for him. Berry had gone, but I knew Joe was in the partitioned room behind the locked door.
"All set?" Bill asked.
"Coming now."
He helped me close the double doors. I locked them, and then we walked down Eagle Street to Oxford Circus, caught a bus to Soho, and walked along Greek Street until we came to the small Greek restaurant where we usually had supper on our nights out.
While we were waiting to be served Bill said suddenly, "That bloke Berry doesn't look like a radio expert."
"Well, you don't look like a guard on a mail van: so what?"
Bill grinned.
"He looked like a Spiv to me, Harry."
I very nearly told him then about my suspicions, but on second thoughts checked myself. Gloria would be at Berry's party tonight. She would probably get back to her flat around midnight. I would be able to get rid of Bill by that time, and I planned to go to her flat after I had left Bill and have it out with her. It would be unwise, I argued to myself, to tell Bill what I suspected until I had talked to Gloria.
"Newly everyone looks like a Spiv these days," I said carelessly, and was glad when the waitress brought the first course.
After the meal, we walked over to the club that was in a street off Tottenham Court Road.
"When's this big consignment of yours coming off, Bill?" I asked, as we waited on the kerb for the traffic lights to change to green.
"What consignment?" he asked sharply.
"Didn't you say you were expecting to escort something big this week?"
"That's right, but I'm not supposed to talk about it."
"So they have security even in the Post Office. Seriously, Bill, do you carry a gun? I know you were kidding, Bill, about the grenades, but do they let you have riffles?"
"Not a hope. I have a club that's about as good as a sick headache, and my wits: that's all."
"Doesn't it worry
"Aw, stop kidding," Berry said and laughed. "I hear you take nothing with you except a club and a prayer."
I stood aside, listening to all this, certain now that my suspicions were right. Why should Berry have toned the conversation to this subject unless he was after information?
"Don't believe all you hear," Bill said good humouredly.
"We can look after ourselves all right. We have a surprise for any hold-up thug."
"I don't know why you aren't equipped with armoured cars like they have in the States. They carry guns over there, and if they have to, they shoot."
"So do their cops," Bill returned. "Our cops don't carry guns, but we've got a lot less crime here than they have. Work it out for yourself." He turned to me. "Well, so long, Harry, see you at seven."
"If you two boys haven't anything special to do tonight,"
Berry put in quickly, "why don't you come along to my place? I'm throwing a little party. Nothing special; a few girls, a few drinks, a bit of fun. What do you say?"
"No, thanks," I said before Bill could speak. "We're fixed up for tonight. Thanks all the same."
Berry lifted his shoulders.
"Well, if you change your mind, it's 3a Queen's Avenue: top flat. Look in any time." He flicked ash on the floor before adding, "Ed'll be there, and so will Gloria."
I felt Bill look at me.
"Sorry; we can't make it tonight."
"I've got to move," Bill said. "Be seeing you."
He nodded to Berry and walked quickly back to the sorting office.
Berry began to pick his nose as he gave me a long, hard stare.
"Was he kidding, would you know?"
"Kidding about what?"
"Carrying guns."
"Worry you?" I said, taking a page out of his book.
He laughed, although his eyes hardened.
"Just curious, that's all. Well, I can't waste any more time. Ed'll be in tomorrow."
"What was the idea leaving Joe here all night?"
I was watching him closely and saw his eyes flicker.
"He was on the job."
"In the dark?"
"Why not? Good time to work at night, pally. No interference." He turned away and walked back to the partitioned room.
A few minutes to seven o'clock, Bill returned. I had changed and was waiting for him. Berry had gone, but I knew Joe was in the partitioned room behind the locked door.
"All set?" Bill asked.
"Coming now."
He helped me close the double doors. I locked them, and then we walked down Eagle Street to Oxford Circus, caught a bus to Soho, and walked along Greek Street until we came to the small Greek restaurant where we usually had supper on our nights out.
While we were waiting to be served Bill said suddenly, "That bloke Berry doesn't look like a radio expert."
"Well, you don't look like a guard on a mail van: so what?"
Bill grinned.
"He looked like a Spiv to me, Harry."
I very nearly told him then about my suspicions, but on second thoughts checked myself. Gloria would be at Berry's party tonight. She would probably get back to her flat around midnight. I would be able to get rid of Bill by that time, and I planned to go to her flat after I had left Bill and have it out with her. It would be unwise, I argued to myself, to tell Bill what I suspected until I had talked to Gloria.
"Newly everyone looks like a Spiv these days," I said carelessly, and was glad when the waitress brought the first course.
After the meal, we walked over to the club that was in a street off Tottenham Court Road.
"When's this big consignment of yours coming off, Bill?" I asked, as we waited on the kerb for the traffic lights to change to green.
"What consignment?" he asked sharply.
"Didn't you say you were expecting to escort something big this week?"
"That's right, but I'm not supposed to talk about it."
"So they have security even in the Post Office. Seriously, Bill, do you carry a gun? I know you were kidding, Bill, about the grenades, but do they let you have riffles?"
"Not a hope. I have a club that's about as good as a sick headache, and my wits: that's all."
"Doesn't it worry
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