Will she ever forgive herself for everything that has happened to Ruby? Her silly little article, that caused such pain to the girl. For what? A few admiring letters and a word of congratulation from Mr Pickford? Vanity. Nothing but vanity. And she had not even had opportunity to warn her about Inspector MacKenzie’s suspicions about Carrington’s.

Harriet has not reached Marble Arch when she feels the hand on her shoulder.

Ruby! Ruby has run after her.

It is not Ruby, but a man in a dark suit, accompanied by a woman, equally sombre. The sort of woman who might fade into any background. The sort you would not notice was watching you.

‘You did not pay for those necklaces, miss,’ the man says. ‘You’ll need to return with us to the store, please.’

42

42

Thursday

The little bell over the door jangles as Ruby enters the shop on Borough High Street. The longcase clock chimes noon.

Solly is exactly where she expected him to be – behind the counter with an eyeglass stuck into the socket of one eye. He is examining a bracelet. He doesn’t look up. He knows, from her step, who it is.

‘Afternoon, Magpie.’ The comment causes the other man at the counter to turn around.

Raymond Calladine.

‘It stinks in here, Solly. Think we’ve got rats again.’

‘Afternoon, Ruby. An unexpected pleasure to see you.’ When Ray smiles, his marble eyes squint behind his glasses and he reveals a row of tiny yellowing teeth.

‘Like I said, I think we have rats.’

His smile fades a little. ‘I hear you’re out whoring for Peter Lazenby.’

She ignores this. ‘I’m not stopping long, Solly. Just changing my dress. I’m supposed to be meeting Maggs in’ – she pulls out the watch again – ‘an hour and a half.’

‘Another watch, Ruby?’ Ray sneers. ‘Who’ve you lifted this one from? Have I got to find the owner again?’

‘Fuck off, Ray.’ She strides past him to the stairs.

He catches her arm. ‘Don’t grow too fancy, Ruby Mills. Don’t forget where you come from or who your real friends are, when you need us.’

Solly removes his eyeglass and spreads the bracelet on the counter, looking at Ruby from underneath thick eyebrows as she shakes herself free from Ray. ‘I think we’re done here, Raymond. You can take the items now, if you like.’

‘No,’ Ray says, picking up his hat. ‘I don’t carry that sort of money this side of the river. You can send them over, like normal.’ He runs his tongue around the inside of his gums. ‘If your delivery girl can spare the time.’

‘I’ll bring them myself, tomorrow.’

Ray bids him farewell and puts on his hat. The hair at the back of his neck is thick with oil. It has ruined the hatband.