Box 317

They were too old for this thirty years ago.
Jack Mercer thought his days of breaking into places were long behind him. So did Ronnie, Billy, Alfie and Tank. But when an old friend's funeral brings them together again, memories of easier money and younger knees lead to one irresistible idea.
One last job.
The target is a bank safe-deposit vault. The plan is simple enough: get into the empty building next door, break through the wall over the August Bank Holiday weekend, take what they can carry and disappear before anyone knows they were there.
Of course, nothing is quite as simple when your crew includes two walking sticks, a pair of replacement knees, several dodgy backs and an alarming interest in the location of the nearest toilet.
Against all reasonable expectations, they make it into the vault.
Then they open Box 317. And suddenly the money doesn't matter anymore. Because whatever is inside that box was never meant to be found.
Now, one by one, the old gang are disappearing. And Jack is beginning to wonder whether the biggest mistake they made wasn't breaking into the bank.
It was getting out again.