Lynda Plante - The Talisman

At midnight Alex returned. Johnny looked exhausted, his collar undone, sweating, and stubble darkened his sweating cheeks. He seemed hardly to notice Alex’s arrival, he was dealing, and his cash, once stacked so high in front of him, was down to about two or three thousand at most.

‘He’s lost every hand for the past hour, couple more big pots and he’s finished.’

‘Okay, I’ll go five and another two on top to see you.’

‘Fucking hell, shit... Shit!’

Johnny swiped at the table and the cards tumbled on to the floor. Arnie went immediately and gathered them up, replaced them with a new deck.

Three o’clock and Johnny was cleaned out. He walked away from the table, running his hands through his hair. ‘Give us one for the road, Arnie old son.’

Arnie placed a double Scotch in front of him and he knocked it back, then gave a short, harsh laugh. ‘You know, my Dad, he was a gyppo. He thought he had the luck, he gambled all his life. He died in a Salvation Army hostel... Any of you lot know where I can find the nearest one?’

You had to admire the way Johnny straightened his tie and turned with a flashing smile to Alex. ‘Tell Dora, will ya? Tell her I finally did it.’

Alex paid off the Greeks and gave them the two whores as a present. Then he paid Arnie and leaned on the bar, looking around. ‘You know the first thing I’m gonna do? Get some new tablecloths, this place looks like a dive.’

They both turned as Dora entered, her mink coat slung over her shoulder. Alex gave Arnie a look which told him to disappear and he murmured, ‘Okay, boss.’

Dora heard him, and cocked her head to one side. Alex tossed the papers to her and she caught them, laughing. ‘So you did it? How much do I owe you?’

Alex walked over to the table, which was still stacked with the cards and the cash. ‘Twenty-five grand...’

She thought he was joking, but he wasn’t. ‘You’re not serious... What the hell do you take me for?’

Alex handed over the papers Johnny had signed. ‘Look at the papers, darlin’, I am serious. Johnny signed the club over to me — all legal, just as we agreed.’

‘You bastard... you dirty bastard! You thievin’ git!’

Alex sighed and told her she could choose — either give him the money or accept him as her new partner.

‘I need that money, you know I do. I got wages to pay on Friday, all the girls, the barmen, the booze...’

Alex handed her the briefcase. ‘Well then, it’s simple, isn’t it — partner?’

Dora knew he had beaten her, but then she looked on the bright side. Maybe it would be a good thing to have a man around. And, if Alex were true to his word, she wouldn’t be the loser, far from it. She began to look at Alex in a different light.

‘Will you do one thing for me, then, Alex? For God’s sake get yourself a decent suit.’

Alex drew back his head and laughed. It took her by surprise — it was an infectious, bubbling laugh.

‘You know, I thought your brother was a bastard, but I reckon you’re one step ahead of him.’

The smile disappeared, and Alex’s face froze. ‘If ever, ever, he walks into this place, no matter what hour of the day or night, you call me...’

He frightened her. ‘He owe you, like Johnny did?’

Alex snapped the briefcase shut and wouldn’t meet her eyes. ‘Yeah, he owes me.’

At Johannesburg Airport, Edward slipped in among the throngs of travellers as they left the terminal, ending up at Richard’s side. ‘Richard...? You on flight 054?’

Richard turned, puzzled for a moment, then recognized Edward. ‘Good God, it’s Stubbs, isn’t it? Well, hello there! How are you doing?’ They walked into the brilliant sunshine outside the terminal.

‘I’m hoping for a job at De Veer’s mining laboratories.’

As he looked round for his father, Richard said he might be able to help out as he was employed in their valuation department at Hatton Garden. He spotted his father’s old Bentley as BB tooted and waved. Edward had polished the car himself, and it gleamed.

‘Pop, this is Edward Stubbs, remember him?’

BB gave Edward a non-committal look and shook his hand. He had to hand it to BB, he carried it off brilliantly, even seemed to get a kick out of it. Richard threw his case into the back of the Bentley. ‘I say, can we give you a lift, Edward?’

‘Actually, I have to book into a hotel, not got things arranged as yet.’

With a look to his son, BB waved his cigar and said surely they could put the young chap up for a few days. Edward saw Richard hesitate, but then he smiled and gestured for Edward to climb aboard.

Richard was very much ‘on top’ and wanted to flaunt his affluence to Edward, insisting they dine out together that evening at one of the best hotels. Edward murmured that he was a little short of cash, and Richard waved this aside. BB gave Edward a covert look as they entered the house.

While they were dining at the Fairmount Hotel, Richard rose from the table as two grey-haired men in dark suits approached them. They shook hands as Richard introduced his father, then as an afterthought he introduced Edward. The two men were in top executive positions at De Veer’s, and Richard almost grovelled at their feet to persuade them to join their table. BB surpassed himself. ‘You shouldn’t miss this opportunity. This young friend of my son’s has just stepped off the plane from London. He was at Cambridge — firsts in every subject and honours in Geology and Petrology... looking for work. If I had my day again I wouldn’t let this chap go...’

Mr Johnson took stock of the handsome young man, and leaned forward. ‘How long have you been in South Africa?’

Edward flushed and looked down, acting the shy student. ‘I just arrived, I was on the same plane as Richard, actually.’

Johnson nodded, then turned to Richard. ‘Bring this young chap along with you on Thursday, be interested to hear what he has to say for himself. Nice to meet you, Mr Stubbs, BB... until Thursday then, Richard. Thanks for the drink.’

Richard waited until the two men had threaded their way through the restaurant before he looked angrily at his father. ‘I only just got my own foot in the door, Pop, I don’t want to push my luck. Maybe another time, Edward, all right?’

BB rose from the table as Richard, obviously still angry, held Edward’s arm. ‘I don’t want to sound hard, Edward, but the old man does go on a bit. It’s taken me a lot of hard work to get this far in the company, and Pop’s not exactly got a snow-white reputation.’

BB turned to his son, his face flushed. ‘I heard that, and you’ll take young Edward here with you. Always give a chap a leg-up, Dickie, you never know when you might pass them on the way down — and I should know. Right, let’s get me to bed.’

‘Mr Johnson, there’s a gentleman here to see you, says his name’s Stubbs.’

Edward took the phone from the receptionist. ‘Edward Stubbs, sir, met you with Richard Van der Burge at the Fairmount Hotel the other night... Yes, yes, well I’m here in reception right now.’

Mr Johnson was waiting at the lift as Edward stepped out. ‘I have to go over to the labs this morning, you busy later?’

Edward grinned and said he was more than free, and they walked into the office.

Richard made no attempt to mention Edward. He had had long talks with the marketing board, and they discussed the new sales brochures they were about to print, spending considerable time looking over the new designs. The diamonds had been given more commercial-sounding names: ‘Brilliant’, ‘Marquise’, ‘Pear’. Richard was beginning to get a headache, but he tried to appear interested in the conversation. They went on to the problems they had been having with the Central Selling Organization getting their shipments on time.