Rough Justice Read Online Free Page A

‘Behind the painting over there, by the dressing-table.’
    ‘Thank you,’ said Grimshaw. ‘That wasn’t so hard, was it?’ He stood up, retracted the blade of the Stanley knife, and put it back in his pocket.
    The painting was a family portrait with Rawstorne standing next to his wife, his hand on his son’s shoulder while his wife rested her head against her daughter’s. Rawstorne hadn’t changed much since the portrait had been painted, but the girl was clearly five or six years older. In the picture she was just a child, but now, tied up on the bed, she was almost a woman.
    Grimshaw grabbed the frame and pulled. It was hinged and swung to the side to reveal a grey metal wall safe. ‘Combination, Squire,’ said Grimshaw.
    Downstairs they heard the front door open, footsteps and muffled talking. The door closed.
    ‘Combination, Squire,’ Grimshaw repeated. ‘Don’t make me get my knife out again.’
    Rawstorne gave him the combination. Grimshaw tapped out the four digits, and scowled. ‘Don’t screw me around,’ he growled. ‘Give me the right number now or I’ll cut your bitch of a wife.’
    ‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry,’ said Rawstorne. He shook his head. He repeated the combination, this time reversing the last two digits.
    Grimshaw tapped it in and smiled as he pulled open the door. There were bundles of cash, new notes still in their wrappers. Grimshaw pulled out one of the bundles and flicked through it. A thousand pounds in fifties. There were twenty bundles in all. He piled them on the dressing-table. ‘Bet this won’t be covered by insurance,’ said Grimshaw. ‘Keeping a little something from the taxman, are we?’
    ‘Just take it and go,’ said Rawstorne.
    ‘I’ll be setting the schedule, thank you very much,’ said Grimshaw. ‘Just keep your trap shut or my mate there will shut it for you.’ Simpson gestured with the shotgun to reinforce the message.
    There were a dozen watch boxes in the safe. Grimshaw took them out and put them next to the money. He opened one. It was an antique gold Rolex, studded with diamonds. ‘Nice,’ he said. ‘Your missus has got taste, all right.’
    He reached back into the safe and brought out several jewellery boxes. He opened a heart-shaped red velvet box and whistled when he saw the diamond necklace it contained.
    They heard footsteps on the stairs and a few seconds later Maloney appeared at the bedroom door. ‘All present and accounted for,’ he said, throwing Grimshaw a fake salute. He tossed him a nylon holdall.
    Grimshaw caught it and filled it with the money, watches and jewellery boxes. Maloney went over to the bed. ‘Come here, darling,’ he said, and grabbed the girl by the back of her nightdress. He pulled her to her feet. ‘You and me can have some fun.’
    ‘Leave it out,’ said Simpson.
    ‘You can have her after me,’ said Maloney. ‘Sloppy seconds.’ He pushed the girl towards the door.
    Simpson looked across at Grimshaw. ‘Are you going to let him do this?’
    Grimshaw shrugged. ‘The boy’s got urges, what can I say?’ He zipped up the holdall.
    ‘Nobody said nothing to me about rape.’
    ‘He’s just gonna have some fun,’ said Grimshaw.
    ‘You’re supposed to be pros,’ said Simpson. ‘Art thieves, the Scarlet bloody Pimpernels, you said.’
    ‘If it upsets you that much, you can have the wife,’ said Maloney. The struggling girl tried to get back to the bed but Maloney dragged her away. ‘Feisty little thing, isn’t she? Bet she’s a virgin – they always fight harder, virgins.’
    ‘This is a bloody liability,’ Simpson said to Grimshaw. ‘I’m not working with a rapist. Thieving’s one thing, raping young girls is something else.’
    ‘You’re just here to rob. Don’t begrudge him his fun. It’s one of the perks.’
    ‘He’s done this before? No one told me that.’
    ‘Look, it’s cool,’ said Grimshaw. ‘He always gives them a little speech afterwards, along the lines of “We know