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*Chapter 16 *

Robbery

 
 
The door went behind me.
“Just put them on a table, Max, you can put the shutter down then.”
“Er, Gab,” Mand supplied, “it’s not Max.”
“Not Max?” I queried turning around.
“Geld! Hand it over!”
Facing us, scarf over his face and knife in hand was a youth apparently out to rob us. Sugar, where’s Max when you need him?
“Hand it over!” he repeated.
“We haven’t got much,” I told him.
“Liar, seen loadsa people in here.”
“It’s for charity.”
“People give loads for charity, come on hand it over,” he was clearly nervous and kept looking between us.
“Gab, just give it to him.”
“I can’t,” I hissed back.
“Why not?”
“Stop mucking around! Give it me!” he demanded again, waving his blade menacingly at us.
“The box is behind you.”
“What you saying? Hurry up!”
“Just getting it,” I allowed as I sidled over to Mand.
Mand felt behind her for the cash box afraid to take her eyes off of our assailant.
“Faster!”
“Give it here, Mand.”
She placed the quite heavy box onto the kitchen counter.
“On the table.”
“Okay,” I allowed, geez, there must be like five hundred euros in there and this toe rag is going to nick it.
“On the table!” he told me with another jab of the knife.
“Okay, okay!”
I grabbed the handle and picked it up which might not have been the best idea as it wasn’t locked and as I lifted the contents tipped out in a cacophony onto the floor.
“Why you!” he darted forward.
What happened next I’m not entirely sure; I closed my eyes and tried to make myself smaller.

“Gab, Gab? You alright?” Max enquired from very close by.
I cracked an eye, “What happened?”
“Looks like matey here cracked his head on the counter.”
“He, he was coming with the knife,” I got out.
“The police are coming,” Mand told us, her voice as wobbly as mine.
“Knife?” Max mentioned.
“He was waving it at me, I dropped the money and he was coming at me and,” I descended into tears before feeling Max put his arms around me.

The Polizei arrived before Dad, they were on the market already and the ‘perp’, having come round was taken into custody.
“We’ll need statements from each of you, we’ll do that tomorrow though,” the officer told us before he left.
“Thank you, officer,* Dad mentioned, come on Max, lets get this place locked up.”
I was still a gibbering fool but Mand had recovered enough to pick up our spilt takings as we waited for Dad and Max to finish outside. It probably wouldn’t’ve been quite so bad if the Polizei hadn’t found the knife, embedded in the wall just a few inches to the side of where I’d been crouched. It hadn’t hit me but if I’d moved or it had gone at a slightly different angle or he’d fallen different or…
“Come on, Gab, time to go home,” Max told me, once again holding me close.

“You sure about this?” Dad asked for the umpteenth time since I’d got up.
“No yob is gonna stop me doing stuff,” I stated with more bravado than I actually felt.
“Mand?”
“I’m fine, really,” she assured him.
“Okay then, but I’m staying.”
I wasn’t going to argue that.

We went to the Police station first of course, I’d never had to give a statement or anything before so it was a bit intimidating but the officer, a woman was sympathetic and I left feeling somehow better than when I arrived. Apparently our assailant was known to the authorities, this wasn’t the first time he’d graced their cells. There will of course be a trial but we’d only need to attend if he went for not guilty, the knife and circumstances were not in his favour.
“Max!”
“I didn’t think you’d be coming, I rang round, Pia and Con are coming a bit later.”
“I should’ve rung.”
“You shoulda stayed at home; hi, Herr Bond.”
“Hi, Max, let’s get inside.”

Of course inside was as we’d left it, after the plods visit it was a bit of a mess. Furniture askew, the sausages Dad had fetched last night lying forgotten on the table next to the crockery. Okay it wasn’t a lot to do but it needed doing before we open, which today isn’t until twelve.
The organisers paid us a visit; they hadn’t expected us to open today. Other stall holders called by to offer their moral support, I’m sure they were thinking that it could so easily have been one of them being attacked and robbed. Dad fetched us waffles as soon as they were ready, not my favourite but I wasn’t buying!
Word had obviously gotten about; when we did open we were glad of the extra hands as we were inundated! Ghoulish fascination or support, their euros all went in the box and whilst not cleared out, it looks like me and Con will be baking again this week. Busy doesn’t give you time for thinking about stuff so it was only when Dad dragged Mand and me to Der Mühle for some late lunch that it came back.
“Why did he choose us?” I asked, pushing peas around my schnitzel.
“He thought we were an easy target,” Mand supplied, “two girls on their own, threaten us, grab the money and go.”
“But we didn’t really have that much money.”
“You had some, easy pickings if he had got away with it,” Dad opined, “let’s talk about happier things, eh?”
“Like?”
“Your Gran’s coming for Christmas and New Year.”
“She’s coming to Sophia’s party with us?”
“If that’s where we are going to be.”
“Gerta’s got me a dress,” I noted.
“You never said,” Mand mentioned, “what’s it like?”
“No idea,” I admitted, “but apparently it’ll be perfect.
“As long as it’s the perfect price,” pater put in.
“Damn.”
“What now?”
“I’m gonna miss Tatort tonight.”
“It’ll be repeated,” Dad suggested.
“It’s not the same.”
“You’re missing SPOTY too.”
“Do you think Jenny will get it, Mr Bond?”
“It’s probably a long shot to be honest, someone else might have a chance though.”
“You mean, Gabs?”
“Well none of the other nominees have got particularly compelling cases.”
“How’d you know that?” I challenged.
“The BBC website? They’ve got a synopsis on each of you.”
“Max reckons a footballer will get it.” I noted.
“Have a job, none are nominated, if I remember rightly there’s a swimmer, gymnast, some kid driving go karts – can’t remember the rest but no footballers.”
“How come Mark didn’t get nominated?”
“Not my call, maybe it’s because you’re a girl beating the boys?”
“And all the girls,” Mand added. “Plus you got two gongs.”
“I guess, I’d have put him up for it though.”
“Guess we’ll find out soon enough, your Gran’ll be watching, she said she’ll ring with the result. Are you going to eat that or just play with it?”
It was a little cold but I ate it all the same.

“Wondered where you’d got to,” Con told us, “can you have a look at the coffee machine, it’s making some funny noises.”
“Let me at it then.”
Although it was cold, it was sunny which kept people outside, Marty and Max moved two of our tables outside and soon they were working table outside whilst the hut became the girls kingdom! I think they were enjoying themselves, more than once I saw them posing for pictures – I think they look good in tights and those short things.
It got quite busy as the light of day was replaced by street lighting, it seemed to be more families out today, we had to get Dad to go beg some soft drinks from Eva at Der Mühle. To be honest we hadn’t really thought of kids coming, you know, coffee and cake, adults, perhaps a few teens but not kidlets. Maybe we can do some gingerbread for next weekend; after all, we are supporting a kid’s charity.
“Gab, can you come outside for a moment,” Dad requested from the cabin door.
“’Kay,” I allowed as I dried my hands – the Gaggia will need stripping down before next weekend.

“There you are.”
“Here I am, hello again, Gertie, more stuff on the market?”
“Hi, Gaby, sort of, you’re papa was telling me you had some unpleasantness last night.”
“Yeah, some scumbag tried to rob us, I don’t even want to think about it.”
“Well I’m glad you’re okay.”
She seemed to have more people with her than usual, more like an outdoor studio, cameras on tripod thingies and those furry microphones.
“What’s going on?”
Gertie put her hand to her ear listening to something, “Just a moment, Gaby.”
“What’s going on, Dad?
“Live in ten!” someone called out.
“Can you stand over here for me please, Gaby?” Gert requested
“Er sure.”
A chap dived up to me and clipped a microphone to the neck of my dress before retreating.
“In five, four, three, two, one and live!”

Maddy Bell 12.02.16