Widows

Resnick closed the file and handed it back to Alice, who put all the files back into the carrier bag. He smiled again. ‘I’m on my way back, Alice. They were all wrong about Harry Rawlins being dead. And I’m going to show them.’ He looked at Alice’s worried face, her big hands clutching the plastic bag to her bosom. He leaned across the table and placed a big wet kiss on her cheek. ‘Don’t worry about me. I don’t like to see you worried — especially about me.’

Alice managed a quivering smile before she got up and left the cafe. Her heart was pounding, partly because she knew Resnick was now going after Harry Rawlins on his own and partly because she could still feel his warm, sticky lips on her cheek.

Instead of going straight to tell Harry about the arrival of the mystery woman at Dolly’s house, Bill Grant had taken a detour via the lock-ups by Liverpool Street. He reasoned that the mystery woman had to be part of the robbery team. Harry was preparing to come out into the open and confront Dolly at the house. If the money was there, Bill would get his measly cut and Harry would get the lion’s share. But if the money was at the lock-up and Bill found it on his own — well, then, screw Harry Rawlins.

He didn’t realize how much time had passed as he searched every nook and cranny of the lock-up. He’d found nothing, and when he’d looked at his watch, he’d realized it was after 7 a.m. He was an hour late: he’d been supposed to pick up Harry at six...

When he got to Trudie’s, Bill parked up and ran from the car up the stairs to the flat, breathing heavily as he knocked on the door.

Trudie opened it. She looked him up and down as if he was lowlife. ‘Come in,’ she said. ‘Harry expected you an hour ago.’

Bill tapped his watch as he entered the lounge. ‘Sorry, Harry. This thing’s on the blink again. Nothing’s happening at your place anyway: they’re like sitting ducks.’

‘Really?’ Harry said. ‘Then someone’s lying.’ He was dressed in a pair of blue jeans, white crew neck T-shirt, blue jumper and trainers.

‘What do you mean?’ Bill said nervously.

Harry closed in on Bill, his stare menacing. ‘Where you been, Bill? What you been up to?’

‘I did grab a quick bit of shut-eye after I left Eddie — I’m knackered, Harry.’ Bill didn’t dare tell him he’d been to the lock-up. He saw the look of simmering anger on Harry’s face. ‘What’s happened?’

Harry’s eyes lit up with rage. ‘While you was kippin’, Doll pulled a fast one on the pair of you! She got someone to dress up as her and drive away in the Merc. That prick Eddie fell for it and now we don’t have a fuckin’ clue where Dolly’s gone. And you can guarantee the money ain’t in the house now.’

It was beginning to dawn on Bill that he’d messed up big time. ‘So, where’s Eddie now?’

‘He phoned me earlier, his car’s knackered so he’s making his way here by bus. When he arrives, we’re all going to the house to tear it apart. There’ll be something there; some clue as to where Dolly’s gone or where she’s stashed the money.’

Dolly pulled up outside Victoria bus station to drop Shirley off. Shirley would get the bus to Heathrow and Dolly would continue by car, so nobody would suspect they were traveling together. The street was pretty busy, even at that time of the morning, and the idea of being jostled about by strangers with a hundred grand in a suitcase was sending Shirley into a panic.

‘I can’t do this, Dolly. I want to stay with you.’ All her earlier bravado had disappeared.

Dolly, on the other hand, was now back in complete control. ‘I’d like us to stay together as well, darlin’,’ she lied. ‘But you know why we have to split up. We can’t be seen arriving at the airport together in the same car. No one can suspect we even know each other. Come on.’

She got out of the car, opened the boot and heaved the money case and Shirley’s case out onto the street, setting them down just outside the passenger door. Through the window, Dolly could see that Shirley had her head dipped and was crying. Bleedin’ ’ell, Dolly thought to herself. She’s all I need! Getting back into the car, she said in a loving voice, ‘Go on, darlin’. Couple of hours and we’ll be in the air. This time tomorrow, we’ll be by the pool with Linda and Bella sipping — well, sipping whatever the hell they drink in Rio.’

Shirley looked at Dolly with her puppy-dog eyes. ‘All right,’ Dolly said finally. ‘You can stick with me. Go and put the cases back in the boot.’

As soon as Shirley was out of the car, Dolly chucked her handbag out after her, slammed the passenger door shut, started the engine and was off up the road before Shirley realized what was happening. She was about to shout and curse after Dolly... then she looked around and decided against it. The idea of drawing attention to herself was even more frightening than the idea of making her way to Heathrow all on her own.