Free The Last King of Brighton by Peter Guttridge Page B

don’t you think so, Sean?’
    â€˜Quite the man about town,’ Reilly said.
    Hathaway preened. He was deeply into the mod scene now. He was proud of his suit. He and Charlie had gone down to John Collier and got suits made to measure. Both had edge-stitching, a ticket pocket, four buttons and shaped waist, though Charlie had gone for side vents whilst Hathaway decided on a sixteen-inch centre vent.
    â€˜This doesn’t make me a mod, you know,’ Charlie said.
    â€˜Oh yes it does,’ Hathaway murmured.
    Hathaway watched Charlie with interest these days. Charlie was a grafter and, like Hathaway, was keen to get on in the family business. Both were losing interest in the group. Hathaway wasn’t entirely sure what work Charlie was doing – both his father and Charlie were evasive – but his father indicated there didn’t seem to be anything he wouldn’t do.
    Hathaway touched the top button of his jacket, the only button that was fastened. ‘Made to measure from the Window to Watch,’ he said. ‘All the mods are wearing these, though sometimes they have waistcoats.’
    â€˜John Steed has a lot to answer for,’ his father said. ‘Thank God you drew the line at the bowler.’
    He nodded down at the newspaper on the table in front of him.
    â€˜You seen the latest on the Great Train Robbers? Thirty years apiece.’
    â€˜That seems stiff,’ Hathaway said.
    â€˜It’s for making a fool out of the authorities,’ Reilly said. ‘And not letting on they’d done it.’
    â€˜Bloody traitors to our country get less,’ Dennis Hathaway said. ‘Justice.’ He gave a contemptuous wave of his hand.
    â€˜You said Bill Boal would suffer,’ Hathaway said to Reilly. ‘How do you know Roger Cordrey, Dad?’
    â€˜Always get flowers for your mother from him.’
    â€˜Has he got form?’
    Dennis Hathaway grinned.
    â€˜Eighteen and talking like an old lag.’
    â€˜Cordrey used to rob trains between Brighton and London,’ Reilly said. ‘Started around 1961. Just opportunist stuff. He and a few mates would hang around near the guard’s van. One would distract the guard and the others would steal whatever registered mail they could grab. There was no guarantee of what it would contain.
    â€˜Then Roger, sitting in his florist’s shop, figured out how to change the signals to red to stop a train. After that they could steal the lot, get off the train when it stopped and bugger off with the stolen goods. One of the men in the gang was mates with Buster Edwards. That’s how the Brighton gang got involved with the Great Train Robbery.’
    The Rolling Stones came on the jukebox.
    â€˜And you know all these people,’ Hathaway said, looking from his father to Reilly.
    â€˜From the racetrack,’ both men said, Dennis Hathaway a beat after Reilly.
    â€˜Right,’ Hathaway said, taking a swig of his lager.
    â€˜Listen, Johnny, there’s something I wanted to discuss with you.’
    Hathaway swivelled his head to look round the pub.
    â€˜In here?’
    Dennis Hathaway gestured at the almost empty room.
    â€˜You see anybody listening? We can go to the end of the pier if you want. I don’t trust anywhere else.’
    â€˜What is it?’
    â€˜We were wondering – Sean and me – if you wanted to get more involved in the business. A bit more responsibility. Sean isn’t sure you’re ready but your friend Charlie has taken to it like a duck to water, so I figured you wouldn’t want to lag behind.’
    Hathaway hadn’t really spoken to Charlie about his new duties, although he’d been curious. Now he felt left out.
    â€˜What do you want me to do?’
    Dennis Hathaway leaned forward.
    â€˜Your friends the mods and Charlie’s friends the Teddy boys – excuse me, I think they’re now called rockers – they don’t get on, do