“You’re all mad,” Ruby said.
“Not mad, dear, desperate,” Violet said. “We also want revenge. My nephew is a sniveling, obsequious weasel of a man with the spine of a jellyfish. He may not know we have taken anything, but we will.”
And those words sealed Mr. Zwart, and Mr. Winston’s fate.
“Mrs. Chen, do your bird whistle so they may recognize it should you need to use it.”
The sound was loud on the night air. Ruby looked at the neighboring house, but no one appeared at a window.
“Is that a mistle thrush?” Miss Violet asked.
“Does it matter?” Ruby snapped.
“Right. Of course not,” she soothed, clearly hearing the panic in Ruby’s voice.
“There was always a ladder for washing the windows,” Beatrice said, looking around as if it would suddenly appear. “Start looking, but my guess is behind the shed.”
Mr. Winston and Mr. Zwart went to look behind the building which sat on the rear fence boundary. They came back carrying a ladder. The fences were high enough here that no one could see them, but still, Ruby’s nerves were taut. As soon as the men climbed the ladder, they would be visible to the neighboring house.
“Place it there,” Violet whispered, pointing to a spot. “Once you reach the top, step on that ledge and shuffle right. Then you can reach the window, open it, and climb inside.”
“Well, that sounds easy.” Ruby’s words were heavily laced with sarcasm.
“Here is a sack for the stolen goods,” Mrs. Chen said, holding it out to Mr. Zwart.
“Where were you hiding that?” Ruby asked, but no one replied.
The two elderly men made their way to the ladder. Mr. Zwart going first, he seemed quite agile. Mr. Winston stayed at the bottom, watching him.
“What’s he doing?” Beatrice hissed.
“I don’t know,” Ruby whispered. Looking around her, she then crept forward to where he stood. “What’s wrong, Mr. Winston.”
“I’m not very good with heights.”
“You don’t think you could have mentioned that earlier?”
“I thought I could overcome it.” He looked to the top of the ladder where Mr. Zwart waited for him and shuddered. “It seems I can’t.”
Not giving herself time to think, she climbed until she reached Mr. Zwart. He was surprisingly agile for a big man of sixty years of age. Ruby gripped the building and followed him along the ledge, slowly.
“Is it opening?” she whispered to Mr. Zwart as he reached the window.
“Not yet.” He tugged again harder, and this time it gave, nearly sending him backward. She grabbed his arm, steadying him.
Shooting a look below, she could only just make out the gaggle of elderly tucked in the shadows.
“I cannot believe they convinced you, and now me, to do this,” Ruby hissed.
Mr. Zwart did not answer, as he had the window open and was now climbing inside. Ruby followed seconds later.
Two problems presented themselves upon entry. The first, Mr. Zwart had tumbled to the floor and made a loud thudding sound; the second was that it was dark in here.
“Are you all right?”
“Ja.”
He got to his feet and held out his hands. Ruby took them and dropped to the floor. Pulling out the piece of paper he’d taken from Violet, he handed it to her. Moving closer to the window she attempted to read it.
