Page 37 of Strangers in Time

Lonzo stepped forward. “Thin’ is, we seen you go to that bookshop ’cause we followed you to the school.” He poked a finger into Charlie’s slender chest. “We tried tellin’ you that the other day, but yourun off, didn’t you? And then we followed you the next mornin’ and seen you give back the quid to that bloke. Are you barmy or what?”

A thin line of sweat broke over Charlie’s forehead despite the chill.

“It was a lot ’a money, Charlie,” added Eddie. “Nuff to help yer gran.”

“And helpus, mate,” said Lonzo with a malicious grin.

Charlie backed away and shook his head.

Lonzo took out something from his pocket. Charlie saw that it was Lonzo’s flick-knife. He opened it to reveal, a small, lethal blade. “Now, your gran’s a nice old biddy, ain’t she, Charlie? Shame if somethin’ happened to her.”

A furious Charlie leapt forward to attack Lonzo. But Eddie grabbed him and held him tightly while Lonzo edged the blade against Charlie’s quivering neck.

“So we’re all goin’ to get the money you took back to that bloke. Then we splits it, three ways, all fair, like we always done. ’Cause you ain’t one to let the side down, are you, Charlie?”

Charlie struggled against Eddie’s grip, but the older boy’s strength was greater than Charlie’s.

“Don’t be daft, Charlie,” urged Eddie breathlessly. “He won’t even miss it.”

“He will,” exclaimed Charlie. “He don’t got much.”

Lonzo said, “Well, he’s got mor’n we got. So let’s go.”

Charlie finally burst free from Eddie’s grasp. “I won’t help you do it.”

“Okay,” said Lonzo, folding up his blade. “We’ll go and you get nothin’. But if the bloke tries and stops us…? Well, he’s goin’ to get cut, ain’t he?”

Thinking quickly, a desperate Charlie said, “Okay, I’ll go with you. We can get in and out without him even knowin’.”

Lonzo grabbed Charlie’s arm. “Let’s go.”

THEPARTING OFDEATH

AFTER HITCHING A RIDEon a lorry making deliveries and helping the driver unload boxes of produce at a warehouse near Covent Garden, they reached the alley and Charlie saw the green awning. He prayed that the door would be locked. When they got there, the light was off, and the door was indeed secured, and the blackout curtains drawn.

However, Eddie pulled his lockpick from his pocket and began to work away on this problem, while Lonzo kept a tight grip on Charlie’s arm. He bent low and whispered, “When Eddie gets that door open, you go in, all quiet-like, get the quid and brin’ it ’ere, you got that? No tricks.” Lonzo held up his knife.

Charlie nodded.

However, when the door would not yield, Lonzo barked, “Oi, what gives?”

Eddie said, “Dunno. Got the lock open, but ’e must ’ave it latched on the inside.”

“Well, I ain’t goin’ off empty-’anded after we come all this way!”

Lonzo shoved Eddie aside and put his shoulder against the door, once and then twice and then a third time. The wood cracked and the door popped free.

“Oi,” the voice called out as the beam from the torch fell upon them.

The copper was at the mouth of the alley. “You lads hold up right there.”

He started to run toward them.

The trio of boys did not hold up right there. They sprinted in the other direction, just as they had done in all encounters with the police.

When the constable passed by The Book Keep’s window the light inside came on, and Oliver appeared in his robe and pajamas from behind the curtain. He spotted the damaged and partially opened door, flipped up the hinged countertop, and ran to the entrance. He looked down the darkened alley in time to see the backs of the constable and the three boys in full flight.

“Stop!” called out the officer. “You boys stop. Or it’ll go hard with you.”

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