Widows

Shirley’s heart sank. ‘No, I’m not OK,’ Shirley hissed. ‘It’s crazy to risk it! The Brazilian customs officers will be watching for the slightest twitch and you know how nervous I get.’

‘I’ll be the one taking the risk by carrying the money bag,’ Dolly pointed out. ‘Without it we’ll soon have nothing left to survive on in Rio — or to get us out of the bloody country if we need to. All I need you to do if you see a customs guy stop me is create a diversion.’

Shirley nervously twisted the wire on the headphones. She knew Dolly was taking the biggest risk. She had no choice but to back her up.

‘I’ll take your silence as a yes, then?’

‘What sort of diversion should I create?’

‘You’ll think of something. You’ve still got six hours before landing,’ Dolly said as she walked off.

Shirley went into the toilet. She held her head in her hands, feeling sick. When she got back to her seat, the film was just ending. They had caught the villains on the Costa Brava with the stolen cash. Shirley ordered a large brandy to calm her nerves and settle her brain. Closing her eyes, she pretended to sleep.

Harry moved softly round the darkened bedroom, trying not to wake Trudie. His hands had stopped bleeding, but he was still feeling the pain from the cuts as he packed a holdall and then opened a drawer in the dressing table. Taking out his passport, he searched around for the fifty quid Dolly had given Trudie for the baby. The thought of Dolly made him twist inside with hate. He would pay her back for this: he would find her and, even after he’d got his money, she’d suffer for doing this to him. He fumbled around in the drawer, wincing with pain when he caught the palm of his hand on a stiff hairbrush. One of the larger cuts reopened, he sucked in air through his teeth and let out a small sigh.

Trudie woke and all she could see was a dark figure searching through the dressing table. Harry moved in an instant to the bedside and put his hand over her mouth. ‘It’s me, Harry,’ he whispered, and she relaxed. She grabbed his arm and pulled it from her face. She could feel something wet round her mouth. As she switched the bedside light on, she saw the blood from Harry’s hand.

‘Quiet, keep it shut, don’t wake the kid,’ he said, wiping his blood from her face.

Trudie looked at Harry’s hands and saw the numerous cuts and blood. ‘Where have you been? I’ve been awake for hours waiting for you! What have you done?’

Harry stood up. ‘Where’s the fifty quid she gave you?’ Trudie opened her mouth to ask why, but Harry made a ‘cut it’ gesture.

‘You didn’t find the money, did you?’ she said, realization dawning. ‘And where’re Eddie and Bill?’

Harry ignored her, picked up her purse and took out the fifty quid, plus what was left of her child benefit. He stuffed it into his pocket and then pulled out his bedside drawer. Taped to the underside was the false passport Bill had got for him. He stuffed it into his holdall and walked out of the bedroom.

Trudie got out of bed and followed him. ‘Where are you going? Harry? Where are you going? You’re not leaving me, are you?’

Harry shook his head, but Trudie ran to the door and positioned herself in front of it. ‘Are you going back to Dolly? Do you still love her, or is it for the money?’

Harry stood face to face with Trudie and spat the words out. ‘Don’t even say her name. She’s gone... gone forever!’

Trudie grabbed hold of him. ‘The money — what about the money?’

Harry pushed her to one side and wrenched the door open. Trudie clung onto him tight.

‘I love you so much, Harry. Please stay. I need you here with me... I love you.’

Harry held her tightly and pulled her head into his shoulder as she began to cry. He lifted her chin up and stared down into her eyes as he whispered. ‘I know, but I can’t stay. We went to the house. Neither Dolly nor the money was there. Then the police turned up and all hell let loose. Eddie and Bill got nicked and we both know there’s no way Eddie will keep his mouth shut once he’s been roughed up a bit in a cell. I have no choice. I have to go.’

Trudie let out a howl and Harry covered her mouth with his hand.

‘I’ll be back for you, I promise, but I just got to make it on me own for a while.’

He moved out onto the landing. Sobbing, Trudie held onto his coat, pulling him backward. Harry stopped, and jerked his hand backward to get her off him.

‘I won’t let you go; I won’t let you!’ she said, weeping so hard she was shaking.

Harry held her cheeks and squeezed them hard. ‘The kid — he’s mine isn’t he? Isn’t he?’

Trudie winced as his grip tightened. ‘Of course he’s yours,’ she said, looking into his hard and cruel eyes.

‘He’d better be; he’d better be mine! I’ll be back for you both.’ He turned. Trudie’s grip on him was so tight that he had to jerk his hand sharply away and, as he did, he knocked her backward.

He was off, running down the stairs as Trudie fell and cracked her head against the wall, but he didn’t look back. Trudie felt sick as she crawled to the banister.