Widows

Shirley finished putting on her lipstick and checked her hair in the dressing table mirror. She looked pretty damn good considering it was the early hours. As she walked down the stairs, the smell of breakfast was mixing with Dolly’s heavy perfume. In the lounge, Shirley found Dolly and her two red suitcases, one of which was open. The base was covered with rows of bank notes. ‘There’s over a hundred thousand in here,’ Dolly announced. ‘Spending money for Rio. Enough to keep us living well for two months or so. Sit down, love, I need you to listen carefully to this.’

Shirley sat down obediently.

‘Two identical suitcases, right? One with a red tag, one with a blue tag.’

‘Right,’ Shirley agreed, her forehead frowning with concentration. The suitcase with the red tag was the one open on the floor with the money inside.

‘The case with the red tag has been cleaned from top to bottom, inside and out, so there’re no prints on it from either of us. Not one. You don’t touch this suitcase without gloves on.’ Dolly handed Shirley a pair of stunning cream silk gloves.

‘Red case, red tag — the one with the money in it — is clean. I’m not to touch it without gloves on,’ Shirley repeated. ‘These are beautiful by the way,’ she added.

‘Consider them a gift,’ Dolly replied, getting quickly back on track. ‘The red case with a blue tag is mine. The red case with the red tag has the money at the bottom and will have men’s clothes at the top.’

‘Got it,’ Shirley confirmed. ‘I think...’

Dolly continued. ‘You take the money case and your own case—’

‘What if my car’s been nicked?’ Shirley asked in a panic.

‘Then we buy you another suitcase and clothes to go in it. But your car’ll be there. I can’t see any respectable thief nicking that old crap heap. Listening? Right, I take the red case with the blue tag — that’s full of my clothes — and I go through check-in as normal. You take the money case and your own case. You hang about in the check-in area, looking for a bloke — a decoy, someone we can use.’

‘Like a pigeon!’ Shirley exclaimed.

‘More like a stoolpigeon, but yes, you’ve got the idea. It must be a man.’

‘Yes, I got that. Male clothes, right? And then only his prints will be on the case if customs try it on. I’m right, aren’t I?’ Shirley was proud of herself for picking up on the plan so quickly.

‘Bang on, Shirl. So, you’re looking for a man who’s traveling light. You tell him you didn’t realize there was a weight allowance, play the dumb blonde, tell him that with two cases, you’re overweight and don’t want to pay the excess baggage fine. Flutter your eyelashes and get him to check the money case in for you in his name.’

Shirley was now chewing her fingertip through the silk glove.

‘Don’t chew them — they was an anniversary present!’ Dolly shouted.

‘Sorry.’ Shirley said, forcing her hands down by her side and mouthing the entire plan back to herself.

‘When we land in Rio,’ Dolly continued. ‘The money case—’

‘Red tag,’ Shirley whispered to herself.

‘—and my identical case—’

‘Blue tag.’

‘—will be on the carousel together. I’m going to pick up the money case and take it through customs.’

‘So, do I take your case?’ Shirley asked, getting very confused.

Dolly was about to explode, but she had to keep her calm in order to keep Shirley calm. ‘No, not right away. You leave it on the carousel and watch me. If customs stop me and open the case, I act all surprised that there’s men’s clothes inside, and even more surprised if they dig down as far as the money. I say I must have picked up the wrong case. I go back to the carousel and pick up the suitcase with the blue tag. My case, my clothes. And I deny all knowledge of the other one.’

Shirley was staring, hands clasped together between her heaving bosoms, taking huge deep breaths. She looked like a rabbit caught in the headlights. But she was listening... really listening. A tornado could have swept through the lounge and Shirley wouldn’t have taken her eyes off Dolly’s face.

‘Now, listen hard,’ Dolly continued, slow and exact. ‘If, and only if, I get through customs safely, then you pick up my case. If you get stopped there’s no problem because both of your cases are full of women’s clothes.’ Dolly ended with a triumphant smile. Her plan was brilliant!

Shirley’s mind had gone to putty. She slumped into an armchair. ‘I’ll never remember all that!’

Dolly controlled her temper and sat on the arm of the chair. The last thing she needed was for Shirley to lose her nerve. ‘Course you can do it, darlin’. Look at everything you’ve done so far! The case switch is a doddle compared to the robbery. So, in your own time, go over it once again, just to be sure.’

Shirley began again, but Dolly wasn’t really listening; her eyes were on the clock. Where was bloody Audrey? As Shirley talked the whole plan through again, Dolly got up, crossed to the window and pulled the curtains back very slightly. Bill Grant was still there, still watching.