you?"
Bill laughed.
"Not a scrap. We take precautions. If we've got anything really big, we alter our routes and our times. Anyone planning to rob a van would have to know when we start and that's something they just don't know. We haven't had any trouble in years."
"You were up and about pretty early this morning."
He looked a little startled.
"Did you see me?"
"I heard the van and I looked out of the window."
"Between you and me, Harry, that was a rehearsal for the big day: keep it under your hat."
"When's the big day?"
Bill shook his head.
"That's something I can't tell you. I don't know myself. We’ll have it jumped on us without any warning." He abruptly changed the subject and began talking about Middlesex's chances against Surrey. I took the hint and entered into a heated discussion with him. He had always supported Middlesex, but I fancied Surrey had the edge on them this year.
It was ten minutes past twelve when we came out of the club.
We stood on the pavement while we lit cigarettes.
"Well, I'm off home," Bill said, stifling a yawn. "I was up at half-past one this morning. Thank goodness I have a day off tomorrow. Can you see yourself home?"
"Just about. I was wondering about you."
Bill grinned.
"I can manage on my own steam. If I don't get into bed soon I'm going to fall asleep on my feet. See you tomorrow afternoon."
We parted at the bottom of Greek Street. I caught a bus to Oxford Circus and then walked quickly along Oxford Street to Bond Street.
I arrived outside Gloria's flat about twenty-five minutes past midnight. The flat was in darkness. I wondered if she had already got back and had gone to bed. It was unlikely, but to be on the safe side, I rang the bell. There was no answer so I decided she hadn't come back yet. I walked over to a dark comer of the mews and, leaning against a wall, settled down to wait.
I waited for some time. It was close on one o'clock when I heard a car coming. A moment later a taxi slid into the mews and pulled up outside the flat.
My heart began to hammer against my side as I saw Gloria get out of the car. She was wearing a white strapless evening gown and carried a fur coat on her arm.
She paid off the taxi, and while she was hunting in her bag for her latch-key and before I could change my mind, I went quickly over to her.
At the sound of my footfalls she turned sharply.
"Hello, Gloria," I said, my voice husky.
"Well, for goodness' sake! What are you doing here at this time of night?"
"I'm sorry to be so late, but I had to see you. It's important Gloria. Could I come in and talk to you?"
"But it's nearly half-past one," she returned, her eyes looking at me from under their lashes. "You can't come in now."
"It's important."
Suddenly she laughed.
"Oh, all right Harry. Come in. I bet this is a gag, but I'll fall for it."
She unlocked the door and together we entered the small hall. She went past me up the stain and I followed her into the big lounge.
She snapped on the lights and crossed over to the radiogram and turned on some swing music, lowered the sound so it was scarcely above a whisper.
"Hell! I'm tired," she said, dropping her fur coat on chair. "Get me a drink, Harry. A whisky, and have one yourself."
"I don't want anything, thanks."
"Of course you'll have a whisky."
She went to the bar, poured two large whiskies and pushed one glass towards me. She drank half hers in one thirsty swallow.
"I don't know why I'm talking to you," she said, setting down the glass. "After the way you stood me up the other night."
"I'm sorry about that. My wife . . ."
"For heaven's sake don't start making excuses," she said and laughed. "I guessed your wife found out. It's amazing how wives do find out isn't it? Never mind; it's just one of those things."
"There's something I must ask you, Gloria."
"It'll wait, won't it?" She lit a cigarette. "I want to get out of this thing. Come into the bedroom with me while I change, Harry."
My heart skipped a
Bill laughed.
"Not a scrap. We take precautions. If we've got anything really big, we alter our routes and our times. Anyone planning to rob a van would have to know when we start and that's something they just don't know. We haven't had any trouble in years."
"You were up and about pretty early this morning."
He looked a little startled.
"Did you see me?"
"I heard the van and I looked out of the window."
"Between you and me, Harry, that was a rehearsal for the big day: keep it under your hat."
"When's the big day?"
Bill shook his head.
"That's something I can't tell you. I don't know myself. We’ll have it jumped on us without any warning." He abruptly changed the subject and began talking about Middlesex's chances against Surrey. I took the hint and entered into a heated discussion with him. He had always supported Middlesex, but I fancied Surrey had the edge on them this year.
It was ten minutes past twelve when we came out of the club.
We stood on the pavement while we lit cigarettes.
"Well, I'm off home," Bill said, stifling a yawn. "I was up at half-past one this morning. Thank goodness I have a day off tomorrow. Can you see yourself home?"
"Just about. I was wondering about you."
Bill grinned.
"I can manage on my own steam. If I don't get into bed soon I'm going to fall asleep on my feet. See you tomorrow afternoon."
We parted at the bottom of Greek Street. I caught a bus to Oxford Circus and then walked quickly along Oxford Street to Bond Street.
I arrived outside Gloria's flat about twenty-five minutes past midnight. The flat was in darkness. I wondered if she had already got back and had gone to bed. It was unlikely, but to be on the safe side, I rang the bell. There was no answer so I decided she hadn't come back yet. I walked over to a dark comer of the mews and, leaning against a wall, settled down to wait.
I waited for some time. It was close on one o'clock when I heard a car coming. A moment later a taxi slid into the mews and pulled up outside the flat.
My heart began to hammer against my side as I saw Gloria get out of the car. She was wearing a white strapless evening gown and carried a fur coat on her arm.
She paid off the taxi, and while she was hunting in her bag for her latch-key and before I could change my mind, I went quickly over to her.
At the sound of my footfalls she turned sharply.
"Hello, Gloria," I said, my voice husky.
"Well, for goodness' sake! What are you doing here at this time of night?"
"I'm sorry to be so late, but I had to see you. It's important Gloria. Could I come in and talk to you?"
"But it's nearly half-past one," she returned, her eyes looking at me from under their lashes. "You can't come in now."
"It's important."
Suddenly she laughed.
"Oh, all right Harry. Come in. I bet this is a gag, but I'll fall for it."
She unlocked the door and together we entered the small hall. She went past me up the stain and I followed her into the big lounge.
She snapped on the lights and crossed over to the radiogram and turned on some swing music, lowered the sound so it was scarcely above a whisper.
"Hell! I'm tired," she said, dropping her fur coat on chair. "Get me a drink, Harry. A whisky, and have one yourself."
"I don't want anything, thanks."
"Of course you'll have a whisky."
She went to the bar, poured two large whiskies and pushed one glass towards me. She drank half hers in one thirsty swallow.
"I don't know why I'm talking to you," she said, setting down the glass. "After the way you stood me up the other night."
"I'm sorry about that. My wife . . ."
"For heaven's sake don't start making excuses," she said and laughed. "I guessed your wife found out. It's amazing how wives do find out isn't it? Never mind; it's just one of those things."
"There's something I must ask you, Gloria."
"It'll wait, won't it?" She lit a cigarette. "I want to get out of this thing. Come into the bedroom with me while I change, Harry."
My heart skipped a
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