Chapter 56

 

It was Thursday evening. The club house was in full swing with the usual karaoke singer on the stage thinking she was Whitney Houston.

“Bloody hell,” Joey pulled a face, “how much more of this is there? Can’t someone shoot her now?”

“Don’t be mean, Joey,” Rachel tapped his arm, “not everyone can sing like you, you know.”

He shook his head disparagingly, “Surely she has someone here with her that could tell her to sit down. My ears can’t stand much more of this.”

April smiled at Rachel chastising Joey. She was going to miss the gallery despite the bloody cleaning. But tonight she was there for a purpose; she had to tell them she was leaving. There was no coming back after tomorrow. It would be easier to talk without being drowned out by a lousy karaoke singer, so she waited until the audience clapped sympathetically, and the compere came on and said there’d be a break for thirty minutes.”

She took a gulp of her beer. “I’m pleased we managed to get together tonight, ’cause I wanted to tell you both something.”

That had their attention.

“Tonight was my last shift at the gallery,” she pulled a pained face, “I’m leaving in the morning.”

“Leaving for where?” Joey asked.

“I’ve got a permanent job starting on Monday.”

“But you haven’t done your twelve weeks yet?” Rachel protested.

“Not quite, I know, but it’s all okay. My parole office has cleared it with Dylan for me to go.”

“What’s more inviting that working with us?” Joey asked teasingly.

“Nowhere will be as good as working with you two,” she smiled affectionately, “and it’s not the greatest job in the world I’m going to, but it’s a means to an end. A mundane job for starters and then I’m hoping to move on when I’ve saved a bit.”

Rachel frowned, “I don’t get why you’re going then, if it’s not for a better job.”

“I know you don’t, but I want to go, I don’t want to stay any longer at the gallery. I associate it with prison and being on probation. My intention was always to move on. I didn’t want to just disappear without saying anything as you were upset with the last girl that did that.”

“But you don’t have to go right away, especially if it’s to a rubbish job. Why can’t you stay until something good comes along?” Rachel turned to Joey, “It makes sense, doesn’t it?”

Joey gave a non-committal expression, “It’s up to Gemma what she does.”

“Cheers Joey,” Rachel snapped, “thanks for your support. Can’t you see I’m trying to get her to change her mind and stay?”

Joey shrugged and took a gulp of his pint.

She smiled at Rachel, “I really appreciate you trying to get me to stay. You and Joey have made the last few weeks, bearable, I’ve actually quite enjoyed cleaning the gallery each night. I was such a wreck when I came out of jail, but you two have actually made things fun.”

“You didn’t seem like a wreck to us, did she?” Rachel asked Joey.

“Not at all. You’ve always seemed,” he paused, fishing for the right words, “strong and capable.”

She smiled affectionately at them both; she genuinely had become fond of them.

“You have no idea,” she shook her head. “I was so nervous when I first arrived, but within a day or two of meeting you two, I felt so much better. I’m really going to miss you both.”

“We’ll miss you too,” Joey smiled and stood up. “I’ll go get us all another drink, same again?”

They both nodded and Rachel waited until he was out of earshot. “Have you met someone, is that it?”

“No, of course I haven’t. I’d be staying if I had.”

“I wish you would. It won’t be the same without you.”

“Aw,” April leant forward and hugged her friend tightly. Rachel was a lovely genuine girl and had been so welcoming to her. Of course she didn’t know April was only playing a part. She was seeing Gemma Dean, the ex-jailbird who now cleaned for a living.

Rachel pulled away. April was dismayed to see tears in her eyes.

“Hey, you can pack that in or you’ll have me at it.”

Rachel laughed and reached for a tissue from her bag. “I’m just sad you’re going, and I know Joey is. He doesn’t say much, but he likes you, Gemma. He’s going to miss you, too.”

“And I’ll miss you both, terribly, but I have to go. You do understand don’t you?”

“No, I can’t say as I do, but I’ll have to try. It’s so sudden though, that’s why I’m upset.”

“I know it is, but it’s the way I want it. I need to get off now. I see my next job as a fresh start; I never saw the gallery as that.”

“Does Ingrid know you’re going, she never said anything tonight?”

“I’m not sure, it’s been very last-minute. My parole officer sorted it out with Dylan. He’ll tell Ingrid as she’ll have to get a replacement. They might already have someone coming from the prison on parole like me, for all I know.”

“You will keep in touch though, won’t you, to let us know how you’re getting on?”

“Course I will,” she lied, squeezing her arm. “Excuse me for a second while I pop to the ladies.”

She made her way to the bar to catch Joey, who was in a group talking to some of his mates. She had an enormous favour to ask him. It was a big ask, but the final part of the plan had to be to get Dylan to her flat tomorrow morning. The painting was being delivered for her to take across to France, but she needed Dylan there also.

The whole heist depended on it.