Time Mid 1950's

Carlo walked into the hotel room, walked over to the woman who had been living with him for two months, slapped her face and then backhanded her as she fell, throwing her against the wall.

"What have I done Carlo, I'm your woman?" The woman asked through her puffed up lips, but still sitting on the floor.

"No your not, I have just heard from Tommy that Tony Fryer is looking for you. You ran away from Tony and like a mug I took you in. You are Tony's woman; now get out, 'Carlo shouted at her.

"But Carlo I want to stay with you," she said through the tears.

"I don't want and trouble from Tony or his family, so get out." Carlo leant down and lifted her up by the hair, then led her to the door. He opened the door and threw her out.

"What about my things?"

Carlo closed the door, went to the wardrobe and placed the suitcase she had brought with her onto the bed. He tipped the drawers, which held her clothes into it, as well as the items on the chest of drawers. Squashing the top down and snapping shut the lid, he carried the suitcase to the doorway and threw it out into the corridor.

"Here's your things bitch, now scram, back to where you belong," then he closed the door with a bang.

"Women, they jump from bed to bed, never satisfied with what they have," he said to himself as he lies back on the bed and switched on the TV.

Carlo had an appointment with two friends in an hour (7 am) in the hotel foyer, they wanted a job done. The job that Carlo was renowned for, and one, he took great pleasure in doing.

Carlo was always dressed in a well pressed suit, collar and tie, looking like all the other business people in the hotel. Carlo took a pride in his appearance, not like some of his friends who looked as though they wore hand-me-downs.

One of his friends was leaning against a foyer pillar and looked out of place, He must tell him about that. When he saw Carlo, he became erect and walked towards him.

"Hi Carlo, I want to take you for a drive, I've got the car in the hotel garage," he said greeting Carlo. Carlo was a bit suspicious getting into a car with Jerry; he may be a friend, but a very casual one. He also wondered if Jerry was working with Tony Fryer. Just to be safe he slid his fingers into the knuckle duster he always carried in his coat pocket. Following Jerry he kept a sharp look-out for trouble. Carlo walked all around the car, looking inside as well as for anyone lurking in the garage. He allowed Jerry to get into the car, before he slid into the passengers seat.

Nothing was said as they sped out of the city and into suburbia, and then into a quiet cal-d-sac, where he stopped the car. In front of them was a circle of seven houses.

"This is silly Jerry what kind of a job is this, nothing happens in suburbs like this," complained Carlo.

"That's the point; everyone does the same thing at the same time every day." He looked at his watch and then said "The woman in 14 will come out, pick up her paper, dressed in a red dressing-gown and fluffy slippers, scratch her buttocks and go back in, within two minutes from now."

"So what!"

Then as predicted the woman came out, hairs in curlers, wearing a red dressing-gown and wearing fluffy slippers, picked up her paper, scratched her buttocks and returned indoors, just as Jerry had said. Carlo heard a loud car start up so it made him look out the back through the rear window. A black car shot out of a hedge lined driveway in reverse, into the street. Just a fraction of a second the car stopped and then with a roar it drove away, in a cloud of burnt rubber.

"That would be young Mark from 17, but he is three minutes late today," Jerry said without being asked.

"How do you know all this Jerry?" Carlo asked.

"I've cased this place for a few weeks now, and they have done the same thing every working day, without fail."

"The man we want leaves between 7:55 and 7:58. His wife, or mother comes to wave him off. The mother remains in the doorway, but the wife walks with him to the garage. By 8:15 the only two people left in the street are the man's wife and mother."

"So, what is the deal?"

"There is a shipment of precious stones arriving at 10 tomorrow morning at the place where that man works. I have been told there will be over five million pounds worth. The man is the holder of the safe key where they will be stored. I want you to take care of the two women, which I hear you like doing and hold them. Myself, or Sean will let you know when we go into the shop around 11, and if I'm not out in twenty minutes, and not receive a telephone call, take care of the two women. Do what you want with them, for it means we have been caught.

"So you want me to take them hostage, holding them as a bargaining power?"

"Which is exactly what I want you to do, just keep them both in the home, don't let them go shopping or whatever."

"That's simple enough, now what is my cut?"

"Ten per cent of what we get from the haul," Jerry answered.

"Ten per cent, you know what the sentence is for kidnapping," Carlo asked.

"This could end as armed robbery, but fifteen and no more. I have to pay forty per cent to the person who told us of the shipment, and he will give us top price for the stuff."

"All right fifteen is fair," Carlo replied.

"Then you will do it? It's a bit hard getting someone else at so short notice. We were happy when we heard you were in the district.

"I'll take care of this end, make sure you do your job," Carlo replied.

Jerry drove Carlo back to his hotel, then drove off.

At 8:25 Carlo knocked on the woman's door and waited, with as pleasing a smile on his face as he could. The door opened and the wife opened the door, but with the door chain on.

"No Thank you, I don't want anything you are selling," and made to close the door.

Carlo placed his foot against the door preventing it closing. "I understand, I won't try to sell you anything, but I would like to impose on you for a drink of water."

The woman opened the door again to the extent of the chain and looked at him up and down. He doesn't look like a tramp; he is as well-dressed as my husband, she considered. "Certainly, just wait there I'll be right back."

Carlo had been in this situation before and knew exactly how to overcome it. Holding the door tight on the chain he thrust his shoulder against it and the door came away from the chain. Because he was holding the edge of the door it didn't bang open, actually there was hardly any noise at all. He had recognised the chain was the cheap brand that was almost useless. Quickly, he slipped in and closed the door quietly, locked it and closed the draw bolts.

For his size he was light on his feet, and he had been that quick the woman was just at the refrigerator when he appeared behind her. Grabbing and twisting her hair, he almost lifted her off the floor; luckily she was holding nothing in her hands, for she threw both hands up to grab his wrists. He kicked the fridge door shut and grabbed both her wrists in his other hand and pushed her in front of him to the breakfast area.

All the way there the woman asked through the pain of her hair being pulled, "What do you want, why are you doing this? We have no money here, please you are hurting me."

Looking down at her he saw the dressing-gown front had opened, and she was only wearing a flimsy nightdress, which was better than useless, he could see everything.

Pushing her into a chair he let go of her hair, and she immediately tried to rush out, but a sharp short, but fairly soft punch brought that to an end. It was obvious that she had never been roughed up before; by the wide open eyes and the way she was holding the spot where he hit her. He again slapped her and pushing the hand she held to her face away.

"Now you stop right there lady, I could have used this," he said showing her the small .22 pistol he carried." But I need you to do something first, but after that I just may use it on you."

The woman pushed her back hard against the rear of the chair, her eyes transfixed on the pistol in his hand. Little did she know that the low charge, low velocity bullet, may wound her, but the chances of it killing her were slim. Carlo only used it to frighten people.

He stood behind her and pulled her arms between the outer and central supports of the chair and placed a large plastic tie he had tucked in his waistband for just this purpose and pulled it tight. He then attached her ankles to the front legs.

"Now where is the old woman, I know she is here, now where is she?" Carlo asked once he had walked in front of her.

"I'm right here young man, but don't worry, I am glad the bitch has been restrained at last," a voice said from behind him.

Carlo turned round quickly and saw the elderly woman also dressed in her dressing-gown, smiling. "Does none of you get dressed in this house. I'm glad you feel that way about this woman."

"Her name is Nancy, I'm Myra," Myra cut in, "I will go and get my shower and dress, if that is what you want. I believed all men like to see women half dressed; anyway, I bet you consider me too old and not worth looking at."

"You're wrong there lady, I like my woman to be older, no pregnancy problems, and available all day, and every day. As long as they can get on their back and lift their legs, that suits me fine," Carlo said getting real close to the woman, who was a lot prettier than Nancy, by miles. He reached round and took a handful of her buttocks and squeezed the pliable flesh.

"My, I like that, and I like the reason you like older women too," she answered him, and then felt the front of his trousers. "My, you are a big man, where have you been all this time," she answered with a smile, turned and wiggled her buttocks to him as she walked back down a passageway?

"You and she were made for each other. She hates me because her precious son takes my side now, and one of those decisions is that she is to get out of this house today." Nancy shouted so Myra could hear.

"I hear you, and I intend to return home, of course you are always welcome at my home," Myra replied without looking back.

"Shut up, you are going to do as I tell you, or I'll put a bullet in your brain before I get the telephone call not after," Carlo said. Getting a tea-towel that was on the bench top, rolled it up, tied a knot in the middle and shoved the knot into her mouth. He had enough to tie it, just at the back of her head. "That will keep you quiet; I'll leave it on unless you keep quiet and do as I say."

There was a coffee pot keeping warm on a coffee machine, so he walked over and poured himself a cup. Carlo hated black unsweetened coffee, so he got the milk out of a fridge that was almost empty, and sugared it from the bowl on the table. Sitting in a chair facing Nancy, he gave her a good looking over. He leant forward and opened her housecoat and whistled, then lifted the thigh length nightdress and looked at her groin and dropped the hem.