‘Mr Crowe!’ Holding the front door open, Ruby stared in astonishment.
‘Miss Capretti.’ Jonas tipped his hat.
‘Mr Crowe!’ Ruby repeated, too shocked to think of anything better to say. He was the last person she had expected to find on the doorstep of number sixteen Tobacco Court. The frosty air was filled with the distant sound of church bells summoning the faithful to Sunday service; above the grey-slate rooftops, fluffy white clouds chased like sheep across a winter-blue sky. For once, Ruby was lost for words.
‘You could ask me in,’ Jonas said, his lips twitching and a glint of amusement in his eyes.
‘Ruby, who’s that at the door?’
‘Jonas Crowe, Mrs Capretti. Your daughter doesn’t seem to want to let me in.’
‘Go away.’ Ruby lowered her voice, glaring at him. ‘You ain’t welcome here, Mr Crowe.’
‘What are you thinking of?’ demanded Sarah, dragging Ruby away from the door. ‘Where’s your manners, girl? Come in, Mr Crowe. Come in out of the cold.’
Taking off his hat, Jonas stepped inside. ‘Good morning, Mrs Capretti. I hope I don’t intrude.’
‘Who’s he?’ Granny Mole asked, opening her eyes and squinting at Jonas.
‘You’ll have to excuse Ma, Mr Crowe,’ Sarah said, wiping her hands on her apron. ‘Her eyesight ain’t too good these days. It’s Mr Crowe, Ma. The kind gent what gave the wake for Aldo.’
‘Oh, him! Well tell him I had heartburn something chronic after them potted-meat sandwiches. And the gin was watered down, I can always tell.’
‘Don’t take no notice of her,’ Sarah said, with an embarrassed smile. ‘You’re very welcome, Mr Crowe. Ruby, fetch a chair.’
‘Thanks, but I can’t stay. I just came to give you this, Mrs Capretti,’ Jonas said, taking a leather pouch from his coat pocket and pressing it into Sarah’s hands. ‘The lads passed a hat round when they heard what happened at Bronski’s. We don’t like to see a widow woman go short on account of the gangs.’
‘We don’t want charity,’ Ruby cried, incensed by this barefaced lie. ‘Give it back, Ma. We can manage.’
Sarah cast her a reproachful glance, shaking her head. ‘Don’t be ungrateful, Ruby.’
Speechless, Ruby could only glare at Jonas, balling her hands into fists behind her back. He
must know that she could not say anything without revealing Joe’s part in the robbery. How could he stand there, filling the small room with his presence, handing out conscience money and making himself out to be the hero of the piece, when in fact he was the black-hearted villain?
‘I see you’re dressed for going out,’ Jonas said, meeting Ruby’s angry gaze with a wry smile. ‘I’d be honoured to give you a lift in my motor car.’
‘It ain’t far,’ Ruby said, putting on her bonnet. ‘I can walk, ta.’
‘Ruby’s going to Mass,’ Sarah said. ‘She goes every Sunday.’
‘Popery.’ Granny Mole spat into the fire. ‘Don’t hold with it.’
‘We’re Church of England ourselves,’ Sarah said hastily. ‘But we respect other people’s beliefs.’
‘I don’t,’ Granny mumbled. ‘Don’t hold with any of it, bloody mumbo-jumbo.’
‘Ma!’ Sarah wrenched the door open, smiling apologetically at Jonas. ‘She’s getting on a bit and don’t know what she’s saying, Mr Crowe.’
Jonas smiled. ‘I’m sorry to say that I’m of the same opinion as Mrs Mole. I don’t pretend to be a religious man.’
‘Maybe he ain’t so bad at that,’ Granny said, looking him up and down. ‘And I ain’t deaf, Sal. I heard what you said about me.’
Sarah shut the door quickly, leaving Ruby and Jonas standing on the pavement staring at each other.
‘So you speak the truth sometimes, then,’ Ruby said. ‘I dunno how you got the brass to come here, making out like you’re doing us a big favour, when you was the one what stole the money in the first place.’
Jonas held up his hands. ‘Not me!’
‘I ain’t simple, Mr Crowe. You was behind it and you got my brother involved in crime. I can’t never forgive you for that.’
‘D’you want the whole street to know your business?’
Following his gaze, Ruby saw curtains fluttering all along the street and pale faces pressed against the windowpanes, although most of them were gawping at the shiny black motor car parked outside her house. ‘Leave us alone,’ Ruby said, tossing her head and striding off down the street.
‘Let me give you a lift.’
‘No!’ Ruby marched on, clutching her shawl tightly around her as the east wind whistled round the corner from Spivey Street. She heard the engine purr into action and quickened her pace as the motor car drew alongside her, moving slowly in time with her pace.
‘You can get in, or we can go all the way to Raven Street like this,’ Jonas said, smiling.
‘I’m going to church.’ Ruby marched on, head held high.
‘You may have fooled your mum, but my guess is you weren’t actually going to church.’
‘You’ve got a nerve. Why would you think that?’
‘Don’t young ladies usually wear a bonnet and gloves when they’re off to church, and maybe carry a prayer book?’
Ruby walked a bit faster. ‘It ain’t none of your business.’
‘I think I was right in the first place and that you were on your way to see that charming sister of yours.’
‘Go away and leave us alone.’
Driving slowly, Jonas leaned across and opened the passenger door. ‘Miss Capretti … Ruby … we can go all the way to Shoreditch like this if you insist, but you’d be much more comfortable sitting up here beside me.’
Ruby paused, glaring at him. ‘What do you want?’
‘Maybe I want to right a wrong.’ Jonas slammed on the brakes.
Aware that the whole street was watching them and a small crowd was gathering to gape at the unprecedented sight of a motor car in Tobacco Court, Ruby climbed in and sat with her hands folded on her lap, staring straight ahead. ‘Why? I wouldn’t have thought that was your style.’
Jonas was silent for a moment as he drove into Spivey Street, skilfully manoeuvring the motor into the chaotic crush of horse-drawn vehicles. ‘You don’t think much of me, do you?’
Ruby stared at his straight profile, confused by the serious note in his voice. ‘What do you care?’
Jonas reached under the dashboard and brought out a leather pouch similar to the one that had been stolen from Bronski’s. Keeping his eyes focused on the busy road ahead, he dropped the pouch in Ruby’s lap. ‘I take protection money from greedy buggers like Bronski who make a fortune out of the misery of their workers, but I don’t steal the food from the mouths of women and children.’
‘But that’s just what you done.’
‘The lads got it wrong and now I’m giving it back. I want you to see the women get it without old Bronski knowing. Can you do that?’
The money sat heavily in Ruby’s lap. If he expected her to be grateful then he was in for a shock. All she could think about was the miserable Christmas that the women from Bronski’s had suffered, and it was all his fault.
‘Can you?’ Jonas repeated.
‘I can and I will, but you got to do something for me in return.’
Jonas turned his head, a fleeting look of surprise replaced by genuine amusement. ‘You’re bargaining with me?’
‘I could take this to the police and turn you in.’
‘You could, but Bronski wouldn’t give evidence against me, Ruby. One thing you need to understand is that the likes of him hate the cops even more than they hate the street gangs.’
‘I don’t care about that,’ Ruby said, not giving an inch. ‘I want you to leave Joe out of your dirty deals. Leave him alone.’
‘I’d like to oblige.’ Jonas honked the horn at a costermonger who was about to push his barrow across the street. ‘But Joe’s a grown man. I can’t stop him if he wants to play the tables.’
‘Then I got nothing more to say to you. Set me down here. I’ll walk the rest of the way.’
‘And get mugged? Not a good idea. Sit tight, Ruby, we’re nearly there.’
Barely waiting for the motor car to glide to a standstill, Ruby leapt out onto the pavement, slamming the door behind her. She could hear Jonas chuckling as she bounded up the front steps of Aunt Lottie’s house but she did not look back. Seething inwardly and clutching the pouch of money beneath her shawl, Ruby hammered on the doorknocker. Shivering, and with her teeth chattering, Ruby stamped her feet in an effort to keep warm while she waited for someone to answer the door. Jonas strolled up the steps to his own front door and Ruby could hear the jingling of his keys, but he seemed in no hurry to
let himself into the house. Although a low brick wall and iron railings separated the entrances to the two houses, Ruby was uncomfortably aware that she could have reached out and touched him. Sensing that he was watching her, she felt her hackles rise and was about to turn on him and tell him to go to hell when Lottie’s front door opened.
A small, skinny girl stood in the doorway, staring at Ruby with her mouth hanging open and her pale eyes popping out like a codfish on a slab. ‘How d’you do that?’
With one foot over the threshold, Ruby hesitated. ‘Pardon?’
White and trembling, as though she had seen a ghost, the girl backed away down the hall. ‘You can’t be out there. You’re upstairs with the missis.’
‘No, no, you’ve got it all wrong,’ Ruby said, slipping into the hall and shutting the door behind her. ‘I’m Ruby, Rosetta’s twin sister.’
‘It’s magic. Don’t put the evil eye on me, miss. I ain’t done nothing bad.’
‘No,’ Ruby said gently, ‘you don’t understand.’ But the more she tried to explain, the more confused and frightened the girl became, and when Rosetta appeared at the top of the stairs demanding to know what all the noise was about, the terrified creature screamed and ran down the passage as though the devil were after her.
‘Rose, it’s me,’ called Ruby, mounting the staircase. ‘I scared the wits out of that poor girl.’
‘That’s Elsie. She ain’t got much up top,’ Rosetta said, staring hard at Ruby. ‘Why’d you come, anyway? Has something happened at home?’
‘No, everything’s fine. I just wanted a word with Aunt Lottie.’
‘You’re not going to go on at her for falling down drunk at the wake?’
Ruby giggled in spite of herself. ‘No, course not.’
‘Then what’s it all about?’ demanded Rosetta, barring Ruby’s way. ‘You can’t fool me, I know you too well. You wouldn’t have walked all this way just for nothing.’
‘It’s Joe; he’s been a bit daft and got himself into debt gambling. Aunt Lottie’s been encouraging him and I just want to ask her not to lend him any more money.’
‘He ain’t in bad trouble?’
‘Not yet, but he will be if he don’t stop before the gambling fever gets in his blood.’
‘There’s something you ain’t telling me.’ Rosetta’s mouth drooped at the corners. ‘You can’t fool me, Ruby. I know there’s something up.’
Ruby hooked her arm around Rosetta’s shoulders and gave her a hug. She couldn’t bring herself to tell Rosetta that Joe had got involved with Jonas Crowe’s gang. Rose had always looked up to Joe and the truth would only upset
her. ‘Joe got into debt but it’s all sorted out now. Why don’t you go downstairs and set the poor simpleton’s mind at rest while I have a quick word with Aunt Lottie?’
‘Oh, all right! But I still think you’re keeping something from me.’
As Rosetta stomped off down the stairs, Ruby knew by the hunch of her shoulders that she wasn’t convinced. She hated keeping anything from Rose, but at this moment it seemed more important to catch Aunt Lottie on her own. Bracing herself, Ruby went into Lottie’s room.
‘Ruby?’ Lottie squinted at her through a haze of cigarillo smoke.
‘Yes, it’s me.’
‘You ought to get yourself some new clothes, cara. You never catch a rich husband looking like a drab.’
Ignoring this remark, Ruby went to sit on a stool by Lottie’s chair. ‘Are you feeling better?’
Lottie stubbed the cigarillo butt onto a saucer. ‘You never come to ask about my health. I ain’t a fool, Ruby. I know you got something on your mind.’
‘It’s Joe. His gambling has got him mixed up with Crowe’s gang. He’s in trouble, Aunt Lottie.’
‘So what d’you want me to do about it?’ Lottie poured a generous measure of gin into a glass. ‘Joe’s a man now; he do what he wants to do.’
Slipping off her shawl, Ruby held up the
pouch, jingling the coins. ‘Joe lost heavily at the gaming tables. When he couldn’t honour the debt, Crowe forced him to join his gang in the raid on Bronski’s. This is the money they took.’
‘No, cara, Joe wouldn’t do that. He’s a good boy.’ Lottie swallowed a mouthful of neat gin. ‘But even if it’s true, what can I do about it?’
‘Don’t give him no more money for gambling,’ Ruby said, hiding the pouch under her shawl. ‘And if you can, please pay off Crowe so that he’s got no hold on Joe.’
‘You got a bag full of money there,’ Lottie said, giving Ruby a hard stare. ‘Why don’t you give that to Joe?’
‘It ain’t mine. It belongs to the women who worked hard for every penny of it.’
‘So how you got it then?’
‘Jonas Crowe give it me.’
‘You crafty bitch!’ Rosetta’s voice rose to a shriek.
Ruby had not heard her come into the room and she gave a start, jumping to her feet and clutching the pouch to her bosom. ‘Rose, you don’t understand.’
Rosetta stormed across the floor, her eyes blazing and two spots of colour reddening her cheeks. ‘I understand all right. Anyone could see that you set your cap at Jonas Crowe at the wake and today you turned up here riding in his motor car.’
‘No, Rose, you got it all wrong.’
‘Don’t tell lies. Uncle Sly saw you getting out of Jonas’s motor.’
‘He give me a lift, that’s all.’
‘That’s enough!’ Lottie rapped on the floor with her ebony cane.
‘She lied,’ Rosetta said, pointing a shaking finger at Ruby. ‘You said you walked all the way from Whitechapel.’
‘I never did. You took it for granted that I walked here. I never told you that Crowe give me a lift because I knew you’d take it the wrong way.’
‘And why would he give you a bag of money? What did you do to earn that?’
‘The money is for the women at Bronski’s what was robbed of their wages by Crowe’s gang. Your friends, Rose, or have you forgotten them already?’
Rosetta blushed and bit her lip. ‘Oh! Well, why would he give it you, then?’