Ruby by Heather Burnside (carter reed txt) 📗

Ruby just smiled enigmatically, but she decided to keep quiet for the rest of the journey, despite her excitement. She’d give Tiffany chance to see the place first before she ran her through the rest of her plans. She was driving along Platt Lane, former home of the Manchester City football ground, when her phone rang.

‘Shit,’ she said, knowing it would be impossible to answer it while she was driving, especially as it was inside her handbag, tucked away inside the foot well of the back seat.

‘Want me to answer it?’ asked Tiffany.

‘Nah,’ she said. ‘It’ll probably be a client. I’ll ring them back later.’

They soon arrived at Wilmslow Road, and parked in a back street behind the stretch of road known as the curry mile because of the abundance of Asian restaurants. It was a vibrant hub of activity featuring not only restaurants but a variety of shops.

Ruby had always liked this stretch; it was so colourful and animated. And as for the aromas that came from the restaurants, Ruby found herself salivating as soon as she parked the car and got out.

In the early evening the neon lights of the restaurants and shops added to the area’s visual appeal, highlighting the brightly-coloured saris, sparkling gold jewellery and tantalising sweets and pastries, which had all been expertly arranged in the shop windows. People chatted enthusiastically as they headed for the popular restaurants, admired the shop displays and bought their fresh produce.

Ignoring her sudden desire for food, Ruby said to Tiffany, ‘It’s somewhere on the main road, the shop’s called P & M Discounts.’

She was striding so fast in her eagerness to get there that her girlfriend found it difficult to keep up with her. It didn’t take long to find P & M Discounts, and Ruby was pleased that it was the largest shop on the main road. Perhaps the upstairs flat would be large too. She also liked the location. It was the sort of place where people came and went a lot so maybe their activities wouldn’t be as noticeable as they would in a more residential area.

As with many flats above shops it was accessed via a door to one side. Ruby pressed the doorbell and waited for a good while. When nobody came to answer the bell after a few seconds she rang it again.

‘Perhaps the estate agent hasn’t arrived yet,’ she said.

‘Yeah, maybe. It’s a couple of minutes to the appointment so he might be here any minute.’

Ruby shrugged and pulled a face. ‘Maybe you’re right, Tiff. We’ll give him a bit longer.’

Ruby and Tiffany waited outside but when there was still no sign of the agent after ten minutes Ruby’s enthusiasm started to wane and she kept looking impatiently at her designer watch.

‘Why don’t we go into the shop and get a few bits while we’re waiting?’ suggested Tiffany.

Ruby was worried about missing the agent while they were inside the shop but she was getting fed up of waiting so she agreed to Tiffany’s suggestion. As they walked around the shop Ruby kept looking out of the window to see if anyone resembling an estate agent approached the flat, but she didn’t notice anyone.

The person on the checkout had seen them outside and he commented as they were paying for their goods. ‘There’s nobody upstairs yet. It’s only just been sold.’

‘Sold?’ asked Ruby, alarmed. ‘It’s for sale, don’t you mean?’

‘No, it’s sold. My cousin’s just put an offer in and had it accepted.’

‘You’re fuckin’ joking!’ said Ruby, forgetting her manners because she was so annoyed with the agent. She turned to Tiffany, ‘You sort this lot out while I go outside to phone the estate agent and see what the fuck they’re playing at!’

The checkout assistant flashed a nervous look at Tiffany but Ruby ignored it. She was too concerned about having a word with the estate agent.

Once Ruby was outside she pulled her phone from her handbag, noticing as she did so that the agent had tried to call her. But that was only half an hour ago. That would have been the call she received when she was on the way. What the hell was the estate agent doing leaving it so late to let her know that the flat had already been sold?

As soon as the receptionist answered the phone, Ruby gave her name and demanded to speak to the agent who should have been meeting them, a Mr Browning. ‘What the hell do you think you’re playing at, sending me to view a flat that’s already been sold?’ she blasted down the phone.

‘I’m terribly sorry, Miss Henry. I did ring to let you know but I wasn’t able to get hold of you.’

‘Yes, half a bloody hour ago! What use is that? We were already on the way here by then.’

‘I do apologise. We only agreed the sale earlier today and I’ve been tied up all day so it was the first chance I had to call you.’

‘A likely story. More like you couldn’t be arsed.’

‘Miss Henry, I’m sorry but I’m afraid we don’t tolerate that kind of language from our customers.’

‘Tough. Try this for language, you’re a fuckin’ arsehole!’ Ruby could hear a gasp on the other end of the phone and she guessed the estate agent was about to cut the call so she quickly shouted. ‘Stick your fuckin’ properties where the sun don’t shine you useless little shit!’

As she stood staring at the phone in her hand, livid, Tiffany stepped tentatively towards her.

‘Erm, I’m guessing it was bad news.’

For the next few seconds Ruby explained the situation to Tiffany, cursing the estate agent and adding a few choice expletives.

Tiffany tried to cajole her. ‘Don’t worry, Ruby, we’ll find something else.’

‘I doubt it. Properties that can be used as a whorehouse are fuckin’ hard to come by.’ Then she noticed the hurt expression on Tiffany’s face and regretted being so sharp with her. ‘Come on, let’s get back home,’ she said,