Widows

‘I don’t see why we’re taking such a risk, Dolly,’ Shirley was beginning to whine. ‘I mean, why do we have to take this amount of money with us? It’s crazy! We don’t need all this. What if you’re caught?’

Dolly clenched her fists and her face twisted. ‘It’s me taking the risk!’ she snapped. ‘Me carrying it through Rio customs, not you. You’ve got bloody sod all to do except to carry your case and mine through. If the customs officers don’t believe me then I’m the one that gets arrested, so shut your face and do as I ask!’

Shirley was close to tears, not because Dolly had shouted at her, but because she was so stressed the slightest thing might tip her over the edge. She picked up Harry’s clothes and threw them into the case.

‘Is that how you pack for a holiday?’ Dolly demanded. Shirley stopped what she was doing and shook her head. ‘Then please pack them properly,’ Dolly went on. ‘Because if customs do open the case, I don’t want them to suspect anything out of the ordinary.’

Shirley pulled Harry’s clothes back out of the suitcase and folded each item before putting it into the case, covering the money bit by bit. ‘What do we do if you get arrested?’ she asked quietly from her position on the floor. ‘Me, Bella and Linda will have no money and no way of getting back home.’

Dolly was suddenly livid. She had been forking out thousands of pounds from the get-go and now all Shirley was thinking of was herself and the other girls. The girls saw her as a Goddamned bank, churning out cash as and when they needed it. What they didn’t realize was that she didn’t have any more money — or, at least, not any she could get her hands on quickly. That suitcase contained everything she had right now. If Dolly did get arrested, they’d all be in huge trouble — but at least they’d be in huge trouble by a swimming pool.

Shirley sniffed pathetically as she continued to pack Harry’s clothes on top of the money. Dolly knew she was frightened and she knew that Shirley, out of all the girls, was the least selfish. She’d never been the one to question where the money was stashed or when they’d get their cuts. Shirley was just scared and needed to know that everything was going to be OK. Dolly spoke kindly.

‘I gave Bella and Linda a large sum of money each before they left. That’ll be enough to see them and you through if I do get caught.’

Shirley let out a quiet laugh. ‘Knowing those two, they’ll have blown the money already.’

‘You might be right,’ said Dolly. ‘Look — if I had any money left, darlin’, I’d give it to you, but right now I’m out of hard cash. Why don’t you take a couple of grand out of the money case and stick it in your handbag just in case it all goes wrong? How does that sound?’

Shirley lifted up some of Harry’s clothes and looked at the money in the case. She was conflicted — she knew exactly what Bella and Linda would say if they were here. Then she spoke. ‘It’s not just your money, Dolly. It belongs to all four of us. Maybe risking losing a hundred thousand isn’t the right thing to do? Maybe we should both just take a couple of thousand in our handbags?’

Dolly held her temper. She could understand Shirley’s concerns, but she wasn’t the brightest thing on two legs. She was prepared to explain this as many times as was necessary while they waited for Audrey to show her face, because Dolly needed Shirley to be bang on her game from this moment forward.

‘We’ll need a lot of money, much more than a couple of thousand here and there, because we won’t be coming back to England for quite some time,’ Dolly explained. ‘Not until the heat dies down back here. The more we take out, the safer we’ll be.’

Shirley tightened her lips and continued with the packing. Eventually, she asked Dolly if she’d like a cup of tea or something to eat; she’d had nothing for hours. Dolly didn’t reply, she just crossed to the drinks cabinet, poured herself a brandy and sat down.

‘Go and phone your mum again,’ said Dolly. ‘And if she answers, ask her why the hell she hasn’t left her flat yet.’

With Shirley out of the room, Dolly dug her heel into the plush cream carpet and looked round the room. She’d get a good price for the house, not to mention all the furniture and antiques. She twisted her heel, digging it further into the carpet, imagining it was the smashed photo or her and Harry from the bedroom. Then, her leg relaxed and her eyes filled with tears: she could almost feel Wolf snuggled by her feet, his warm body against her ankle. Sadness turned to anger and Dolly made her decision there and then. Everything belonged to her now. If she was playing the part of the grieving widow, she’d tell her lawyers to sell the lot.