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“I didn’t,” Robby said. “And who’s to say you didn’t talk?”

“I say, because I’m not a fucking idiot, shooting at coppers and killing our cracksman. If one of you got mouthy in a pub yesterday and boasted about the plan, best you don’t go back there, because the coppers will be waiting.” Jackman sounded like he was pacing.

“We may have gone to a pub yesterday, but we didn’t say anything about the job today. Not a word.” Pete sounded defensive and sulky, just the right kind of tone to spark Jackman’s temper even more.

“One of you did, because it was only the three of us who knew what we’d planned.” Jackman’s voice rose.

There was a shuffle behind her, and Sarah glanced up to see Jerry leaning against the wall at the top of the stairs, a smile on his lips.

He might think this was a win, but she’d heard enough already to realize they’d somehow gotten away. They hadn’t managed to grab the diamonds, but the cops hadn’t caught them.

Her plan hadn’t worked.

“Says you,” Robby said, and Sarah could hear the bitterness in his voice. “You’re the one who has the list. Could you have left it somewhere for someone else to read? Could you have mentioned it to one of the women you keep boasting you’re having it away with?”

There was a thud, the smack of a fist on flesh, and Sarah made a face.

There was a low chuckle behind her, and when she looked over her shoulder, Jerry was rubbing his hands together.

“We’re living on camp beds, in a building site, driving my father’s ancient car, and you’re out living it up, in fancy blue sports cars, and you reckon we’d have jeopardized the big pay day?” Robby was shouting now.

“That wasn’t my car,” Jackman roared back. “It was stolen. Thank god it was, because that copper smashed the front windscreen, not to mention your absolutely rabid sidekick almost shot me in the head while he was busy firing away at the same copper, and managed to scrape a bullet across the roof!”

“What’s going on up there?” The higher-pitched shout sounded pretty close, and Sarah guessed Mrs. Jameson had climbed almost all the way up the stairs.

“Nothing, Mum. Go back down.” Robby’s tone was strained. “We’re just larking about.”

“Sounds like you’re fighting to me,” Mrs. Jameson said, but she must have done as he asked because she didn’t say anything else.

“The coppers were not waiting for us by chance,” Jackman said. “So something tipped them off. Until we find out how they knew we planned that job, we cool our heels, okay?”

“Yeah.” Robby sounded subdued now. “I’ll talk to you at the end of the week.”

“I’ve finally got someone who can sell me the ink for the forgeries,” Jackman said. “I should have it by Wednesday, so I’ll bring it round then so we can get going with that side of things.”

If Robby said anything else, Sarah didn’t hear it, and the silence stretched out until she finally went back up the stairs to her room.

“Time to maybe call directly for help,” Jerry said. “Because when they fall apart, they’re not going to know what to do with us.”

He was right.

Sarah couldn’t see how Robby could get past the fact that she and Jerry were in his mother’s house.

He’d sic Pete on them, without a doubt, because he was a coward and he knew Pete was a psycho.

The clock was ticking, and her plan hadn’t worked out today.

It was time to take some risks, because discovery might mean death, but doing nothing definitely would.

chapter

twenty-nine

“I think it’s holding.” Gabriella looked carefully up at the ceiling as another wave of rain hit her windows, and then nodded in satisfaction.

She saw James smile at her like she was just too cute, and she made a face at him.

He had popped by quickly with fish and chips, so they could share a meal before he went back to the Yard.