Free The Society of Thirteen by Gareth P. Jones Page A

cover.
    â€˜Three quid is still robbery and no question,’ she said. ‘But I’ll take it if we can have something from the pile too.’
    Hardy sniggered. ‘It don’t work like that. Thieves get their cut then sellers sell the wares.’
    â€˜That’s right. I’ve gotta have something to sell, ain’t I?’ said Bloodstone.
    â€˜Only something small,’ said Esther. ‘Something not worth much.’
    â€˜Everything’s worth something,’ said Bloodstone, gathering the objects on the desk in his arms, protectively.
    â€˜What is it you want, out of interest?’ asked Hardy, his cold eyes trained on Esther.
    Esther shrugged as casually as she could manage then stepped forward. She glanced at the objects on the table, trying to ignore Bloodstone’s discouraging grunts every time her eyes settled on something. Her hand moved across the items, picking up a couple of things and examining them with mock interest, until she lifted the scarf off the book and saw the number thirteen on the cover. She could feel Hardy’s twitching eyes upon her. She steadied her hand and picked up the book.
    â€˜How about this?’ she said.
    â€˜A book?’ sneered Hardy. ‘Didn’t have you down as a reader, Esther.’
    â€˜I just want something to remember this by. It is our biggest robbery, after all,’ she replied. ‘I don’t suppose this old thing is worth much.’
    Bloodstone breathed a sigh of relief. ‘Oh, she can have the book. I was going to chuck that anyway.’
    Hardy leant forward and snatched the book out of Esther’s hand.
    â€˜Thieves keep mementoes at their peril,’ he said.
    â€˜Give her the book and let me get back to my work,’ snapped Bloodstone.
    â€˜I think if she gets what she wants then I should get what
I
want.’ Hardy turned to face her, holding the book behind his back.
    â€˜What would that be?’ asked Esther.
    â€˜A kiss.’ He smiled. ‘You give me a little kiss and I’ll give you the book.’
    â€˜No,’ said Tom. ‘Leave her alone.’
    â€˜I ain’t talking to you,’ said Hardy, his eyes fixed on Esther. ‘Now, what do you say? How badly do you want this memento of yours? Because I know how badly I want that kiss.’
    â€˜I’d rather kiss a cockroach,’ said Esther.
    â€˜None of them around.’ Hardy shrugged.
    â€˜She isn’t going to kiss you,’ said Tom. ‘Now give us our money and let us go.’
    â€˜Give them their cut, Max,’ said Hardy. ‘But I think I’ll keep this book. Maybe next time we meet you’ll have changed your mind about that kiss.’
    Esther watched helplessly as he slid the book into the inside pocket of his coat.

Chapter 17
Plan
    It was a long way from Bloodstone’s dark corner of South London to the orphans’ Rotherhithe home but Tom and Esther were used to long walks. In the day they would hitch rides by jumping on the backs of hansom cabs or omnibuses until they were caught and shooed off, but the streets were quiet so late at night and they didn’t want to draw any attention to themselves at such a murderous hour. Sometimes they would put their arms around each other to keep warm, but tonight they walked apart in spite of the cold wind.
    â€˜You going to stay angry with me?’ asked Tom. They had reached the long road that took them through Walworth and would eventually bring them to Elephant and Castle.
    â€˜I’m not angry,’ said Esther.
    â€˜Upset then.’
    â€˜When did you decide to go to Hardy?’
    â€˜Just seemed like a good idea.’
    â€˜It was the reason you suggested we split this evening, wasn’t it?’
    â€˜So what if it was?’
    â€˜You should have asked me.’
    â€˜I knew you’d say no,’ admitted Tom. ‘But it had to be done, Est. We got Hardy off our backs now.’
    â€˜Or