Diamonds To Dust

By M J Rutter

Ben Marshall thought he was clever, when he duped gang lord Jock Mackenzie into cleaning the serial number off of ten million pounds worth of diamonds, just so that he could take them and leave, he discovered he was wrong.

Dragging his girlfriend Lisa with him they hit the road and run, they run until they get to her home town of Bournemouth. They lie low for a few days before hopping a ferry to Jersey so they can escape England and Jock forever.

Hot on their trail is Vic and Mason, two retired Heavies looking to make a quick bob on what they thought was going to be an easy job. They also thought wrong.

Chasing the diamonds to the USA, they are not comfortable when everything around them seems to be getting on their nerves, proving that maybe they are just too old for this job.

A fast paced story that will have you cheering on the bad guys, who aren't actually the bad guys after all. Spanning across the pond and filled with wit and humour. People have died because of these diamonds, all they can do is run.

Not suitable for anyone under the age of 18.

• Language: English
• Publisher: M J Rutter
• Release date: Mar 4, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201766825

Book preview

Chapter One

A shiny, black BMW 3 Series was being raced down the motorway driven by a young man with dusty blond hair and a dagger tattoo on his left arm. His eyes were an icy blue and his smile cheeky and confident, almost devilish like. In his chin, he had a dimple and his lips made a perfect oval shape, succulent and soft. Beside him sat an attractive girl, with bouncy auburn curls and dark brown eyes. She gazed apprehensively over at him as they left the motorway and headed through the New Forest.

They were heading south, this was the beginning of their new life together, though she wished it had a better start. Woken sharply by a phone call, they were launched out of their bed in a warehouse loft in Poplar, East London.

Throwing as much as they could into bags and grabbing their passports in a panic, they forgot to lock up. As they raced towards Poole harbour and a ferry to Jersey, their home had been visited.

They’re gone, a short stocky man with short cut grey hair, rolled his dusty blue eyes as he spoke into his phone. Alright, boss, we’ll catch ‘em. He looked over at the other man; he was much taller with hardly any hair and a gap in his front teeth.

I am too bloody old for this crap. The tall man groaned and kicked a pile of clothes across the wooden floor.

He wants us to look around and see if they have any links. The shorter man said with his deep husky voice.

Course he does. His friend groaned.

Vic, we need this gig.

No, Mason, you need this gig to pay for Charlie’s wedding to that Pikey twat. He spat angrily.

Well, what about your holiday? I’m giving you half, ain’t I?

Yeah, so you say. Look, did you know he has told all the boys at the King that he’s taking her back to Dublin with him?

No, he ain’t. Mason groaned.

We’ll see. Now, let’s have a look around this shit hole and go and get some breackie, bloody seven o’clock on a Sunday morning… Vic grumbled rubbing his belly.

You should have told him to sling his hook in the first place. She snapped angrily.

Well, you wanted to go to sodding America and I had to get the readies from somewhere to pay for it. He retorted sarcastically.

She shook her head, disbelieving his harsh accusation, You said we could go and I thought you had the money for it, alright? So, don’t blame me for this, Ben, this is not my fault. She scolded.

I know. I don’t want to fight, we got away from them and all we have to do now is lay low for a couple of days until the boat leaves. He sighed with a frown. She couldn’t help but warm to him when he pulled that little boy lost face that melted her heart.

Let’s just hope we have got away, she groaned. I heard Jock Mackenzie is a nasty bastard and the last idiot to rip him off lost his thumbs.

Ben smiled slightly, Lisa, I think you’ll find that was his plums. We will be alright, babes, I got connections. Let’s get to your mum’s house and I can make some calls.

I hope so, she sighed gazing at the trees whizzing by. This is scary, Ben and I don’t like having to just leave everything because of this, we can never come back.

I know. He said as he took her hand and kissed the back of it. Bloody hell! When did they lower the speed limit here? he asked and jammed the brakes on so hard, they were both thrown back and forth slightly in their seats. Sorry, I don’t want to get a speeding ticket.

---

They arrived outside her mother’s three bed council house in Kinson, a small part of the seaside resort Bournemouth. She could hear her brother’s music as she climbed out of the car. This was her home, where she grew up and it was hard to accept she may never see it again or her family for that matter. Although she couldn’t wait to move to London, this was still her home. All she had was her mum, brother and her Nan. It was going to be hard to leave them behind, but she knew she loved Ben and would do absolutely anything for him.

---

They had met two years previously in a night club in Soho called H2O. Ben Marshal caught her eye and she was hooked. His cocky arrogance attracted her more and when he gave her his number and said she would call him, she wanted to tell him to sling his hook, but she kept the number, just in case she changed her mind, of course she did. She liked him and fell for him instantly. A friend said he was dangerous and reckless and that made her more determined to make it work.

---

He came from The Smoke, as he put it, born and bred in the East End of London. He worked his way through school and with a head for numbers, he knew how to make his money work. He was an only child and his mum, an aging alcoholic, drove him to leave home at sixteen. He never knew his father; he was just in the other half of a torn photograph his mother gave him when he asked her where he was. Ben worked at a local supermarket for two years and then behind a bar in one of the West End casinos. That’s when he met Lisa, the love of his life.

---

At first, he thought she was this stupid, little girl with a crush on him, he’d met plenty of those. But this one was different, she did call him, but only to say what a cocky, little shit he was and if he didn’t call her back in ten minutes, then she would know she was right about him. He had to call her, she challenged him and he liked that.

---

I need to charge my phone. He said following her up the garden path.

We can do it here, Mum won’t mind. She replied. She opened the front door. Hello? she called out. There was some thumping from upstairs.

Christ, look what the cat dragged in. Her brother, Nick, shouted over the banister. Shit the bed or what?

Shut up you twat, where’s Mum? she asked.

She’s gone to Nan’s, he continued as he walked down the stairs. So, what do we owe for this pleasure?

We’re moving away, so I thought I’d come and see you before we go. She explained.

Oh, and where will that be then?

None of your bloody business, Nick, she snapped and marched through the house. What time did Mum leave?

She won’t be long, he looked at Ben.

Oh, Ben, this is Nick, my twat of a brother I told you about.

Cheers, sis, Nick frowned. How the hell do you put up with her, mate? Ben just smiled.

---

Nick made them both tea and shortly her mum came home. After hugs and a thousand questions, they had another cuppa and sat in the living room with the gallery of school photographs over the mantel. Her mum looked well and had bleached her hair again for the summer. The sun shone in rays and reflected off the crystal ornaments on the wall unit at the back of the lounge.

You should have called me, love; I only got a small bit of beef at the shop.

It’s alright, Mum; I don’t eat red meat anyway, Lisa replied.

I’ll put it in some gravy, it will go further that way. Did you peel the spuds, Nick?

I forgot, he groaned.

Tell you what, Lisa, he ain’t half a lazy git nowadays, don’t get up much before twelve most days. She moaned.

Nothing changes does it, Mum? she smiled. I’ll do the spuds for you, Lisa and her mum went to the kitchen.

So, when do you leave?

Wednesday, we are catching a ferry, she replied absently.

To where, I thought you said you were moving?

We are, just got some things to sort out first. Ben has family in Jersey, she explained, her heart throbbing with more lies.

I could see he was rich, he’s a nice boy, love.

I know, she smiled. If only she could tell her mum the truth. She was scared and couldn’t tell a soul. It’s okay for us to stay ‘til then though, right?

This is your home, Lisa, of course it’s alright. Ben will sleep in your room, I take it.

Mum, I’m twenty-two, I know what I am doing, and we’ve been living together for eighteen months. She smiled.

I know, love. I think I might make a crumble, Ben likes puddings, doesn’t he?

Who doesn’t, Lisa grinned.

Boss, I think they’ve gone down south, looks like his misses has a Nan in sunny Bournemouth. Mason explained into his phone.

Well then, laddie, you had better get going then, hadn’t you? The cocky Scots voice on the other end replied. I’ll get two of my boys to meet you at Fleet services. Call me when you have found him.

Will do, boss, Mason hung up his mobile. Vic, my old mate, hope you got your swimming trunks, we are off to the seaside.

Great, Vic moaned, I bloody hate sand.

You’re always bloody moanin’, Vic. Mason complained opening the door to the car. Vic climbed in beside him.

What do you expect? I had my arse dragged out of bloody bed on a Sunday mornin’ to chase some cocky, little shit to the sodding beach. I’m nearly sixty, Mason and what have I got for my retirement? Fuck all. No pension for a Heavy, is there?

Didn’t you put some away?

What, with my strife, you have to be joking, mate. She spends more money than the Queen. I ain’t got a pot to piss in and she’s shoppin’ at Harrods for bikinis and sun lotion for a soddin’ week in Marbella that I can’t even afford to pay for.

You do make me laugh, mate, Mason smiled.

Lisa loved her mum’s Sunday roast, even if she didn’t like beef, it was just nice being at home and sat around the table. Nick took off out after lunch and never even helped with the washing up, so Ben and Lisa did it. She then took him to her room while her mum went to the neighbours to call her Nan. Her mum didn’t have a phone and would not use a mobile.

So, this is your room, Ben beamed and flopped down on the bed. The walls were covered with posters of Take That and her favourite movies like ‘The Lost Boys’ and Stephen King’s ‘It’. You never told me you like horror films. He frowned.

You never asked, she smiled. God, what a mess? she sighed as she gazed at her room, piles of old clothes and books on her chair and floor. I might have a bath, actually.

Now that sounds good, Ben pulled her into him.

Forget it, Ben, my mum has radar hearing, you won’t be able to as much as breathe on me here, she won’t have it.

Well, we better be quick then. He grinned alluringly.

How can you be so calm, for all we know Mack’s men could be on their way? she frowned.

Why? They don’t know where you used to live, he smiled confidently.

But they might ask Melanie or Stacey, her two friends from the office where she worked back in London.

Nah, we’re alright here, babe, I promise you, he pulled her in close to him and pressed his lips to her sensitive neck.

Haven’t you got some calls to make? she smiled and pushed him back.

Yeah, I suppose so, he sighed, I am so tired though, he yawned and stretched showing her his flat stomach and jeans hanging from his waist.

You can have a nap if you want, I am having a bath.

Have you still got it on? he asked.

Yeah, she grimaced; it hurt her and rubbed under her arms.

Well, put it back on after, won’t you?

Yes, Ben, she frowned and went to the bathroom.

We’re in trouble now, mate, Vic chuckled as they walked across the car park, it’s only the Men in Black. Mason snickered as they approached them.

Are you Mackenzie’s boys? Mason asked two men dressed in black trousers and black shirts, leaning against a black Range Rover with tinted windows. They both nodded yes. Well, I am getting some coffee and Vic here needs a Gypsy’s, so we’ll be back in a minute. They nodded again.

Talkative pair ain’t ya? Vic smiled and followed Mason into the services. I’ll tell you what, mate, they’re getting’ younger all the time, how are we gonna compete with ‘em?

Experience speaks in volumes, Vic, me old mucker, volumes. Our rep is worth more than anything they ‘ave done so far, we ‘ave the gift of knowledge.

Yeah, and a weak prostate where you have to piss every twenty minutes, Vic laughed for the second time that day.

Nan’s coming up for tea, love, she can’t wait to see you, Lisa’s mum called through the bathroom door.

That’s great, mum, I was going to see her later anyway, Lisa replied and climbed out of the lukewarm water. She had dozed off and her mum’s knock had woken her. Ben was snoring his head off on her bed, she dressed quickly and went down to her mother, she had put the kettle on again. You drink too much tea.

What else have I got, love? I don’t go out, not even to bingo now. I don’t drink and I don’t smoke anymore. All I have is tea. Is lover boy asleep?

Yeah, we got up early this morning.

You look tired, sweetheart, are you alright?

Yeah, I’m fine, honest, she swallowed. She was far from fine, petrified that some heavies were going to smash through the door, that they were going to hurt Ben. How could she sleep knowing all of that?

---

They talked the afternoon away, all about her friends and college. Ben and his pretend job, she couldn’t tell her mum what he really did. Her mum filled her in on Nick’s ex-girlfriends and the one that has his baby, a little girl called Mia. How her Nan had been ill and taken into hospital. It struck her that if anything happened to her Nan or her mum she wouldn’t be able to come and say goodbye.

Her new life would consist of running, they wouldn’t be able to stay anywhere for long, her life had jumped to a whole new level of complication and completely out of control now. She’d never get to meet her niece and definitely would not have kids of her own, how could she? She couldn’t drag them on the run with them. It wouldn’t be fair.

Chapter Two

Twenty-eight miles to sunny, sunny Bournemouth, Vic me old son, Mason beamed.

I don’t like the look of Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb you know, mate, Vic sighed glaring through the rear-view mirror at the black Range Rover closely following them. They look like they’ve done some bird and ain’t afraid to do more. I thought we just had to track this geezer down and take him back, looks like he wants this kid out of the picture. I am not going looking for some prepared graves, if you know what I am talking about.

Look, Vic, I am here to do a job, no crap, no bull shit, no games. Jock Mackenzie is a mean arse fucker from Glasgow, I ain’t about to turn down the readies, am I?

That’s all you think about, ain’t it? So, tell me this then, if you get stitched up for this and end up in the Scrubs for murder, how are you going to go to Charlie’s wedding then? If this gets out of hand, I am off. I don’t give a fuck what Jock wants.

Ben returned from the bathroom, Lisa was sat on her bed,

Are you sure your mum is alright with me sharing your room? I don’t mind kippin’ on the sofa. He yawned and rested his head on her pillow.

Ben, its fine, just no funny business, my mum doesn’t approve of un-married sex in her house, Lisa smiled. So, what did Rory say? she asked after their Irish contact.

He will be in Dublin with the passports two days from now. Then we can get a flight to the States.