Widows

At the bread company, a uniformed PC was standing on guard next to the suspect truck. Wally Titherington from forensics was already working on the inside of the vehicle, dusting for fingerprints, and one of his colleagues was taping the seats for fibers. Wally looked up as Resnick approached. ‘Looks like he thinks he’s in a Sam Peckinpah movie.’

‘Right!’ Resnick barked at the Sunshine Bread Company manager. ‘I need an office to use as an interview room.’

The manager was clearly put out. ‘How long is this disruption going on for?’ he complained. ‘Who exactly do you want to interview?’

‘Every driver, every mechanic, every company worker and visitor using this yard, including you. Everyone who has ever come into contact with that bread truck. DC Andrews here will take everyone’s fingerprints for elimination purposes.’ Resnick stalked off.

Fuller stepped forward as the manager’s face started to turn bright pink. ‘This is a very important case, sir, and we’re grateful for your help. The sooner we get set up, the sooner we’ll be out of your hair.’

Resnick looked round the ladies’ cloakroom, hands on hips, and took an enormous drag of his cigarette. He tried to make light of the fact that he’d not been given an office as requested. ‘If we’re lucky, we’ll still be here when they change out of their overalls at home time, eh, Andrews? You might even get to see your first lady.’

Andrews was keeping very quiet; the black fingerprint ink was already all over his shirt sleeves.

‘Look at you!’ Resnick snarled. ‘How the hell do you manage to get dressed in the morning? You do know how to take fingerprints, don’t you?’

‘Yes, sir,’ Andrews whimpered.

‘I’m only checking because you sure as hell don’t know how to follow an old lady walking a poodle!’ Resnick stepped close to Andrews and the smell of the fat man’s BO almost made him gag. ‘Front desk got a call from a pensioner saying that two young hooligans had thrown burgers and milkshakes into her front garden.’ Andrews squirmed. ‘One more incident like that and you’ll pounding the beat in hobnails. Got it?’

‘Got it, sir.’ Andrews said, trying not to breathe in.

Once Resnick had walked away, Fuller gave Andrews a reassuring nod of the head. They both knew Resnick was picking on the easiest target because he was embarrassed at being given the ladies’ cloakroom as an interview space.

Dolly’s taxi waited while she went down to Linda’s basement flat. She kept her finger on the doorbell until she saw the front bedroom curtain flick aside and Linda peer out.

Inside the bedroom, Linda’s head was in an instant spin of panic at the sight of Dolly. She looked at Carlos’s beautiful and sweaty body, and felt like an underage kid caught by her mum. ‘You gotta keep quiet,’ she whispered as she grabbed the top bedsheet and wrapped it round herself.

Dolly didn’t even wait for Linda to open the front door fully before she stepped in.

‘Why the hell don’t you answer your phone?’ Dolly demanded. ‘Get dressed. I need an urgent meeting with you and Shirley at the lock-up right now.’

There was the sound of movement from the bedroom and Dolly froze and stared at the closed bedroom door. She glared at Linda in shock and anger. Shock at the thought of Linda being with another man so soon after the death of Joe, and anger at the terrifying thought that stupid, gobby, drunken Linda’s pillow talk could easily include details of their upcoming robbery.

‘You got someone in there?’ Dolly whispered through gritted teeth.

Linda had no choice. ‘He’s no one, Dolly. He’s a mechanic helping with the new car, that’s all.’

Dolly gripped Linda’s wrist hard, pulled her closer and whispered in her ear. ‘Did he see me? Did he bloody see me, you stupid slut?’ Dolly twisted and tightened her grip, shaking with anger. ‘You got five minutes. I’ll be in the taxi.’ Then Dolly was gone, slamming the door behind her.

Feeling grubby and ashamed, Linda cried as she got dressed.

‘What’s wrong?’ Carlos asked, trying to comfort her. ‘Who was it?’ he demanded. ‘Who’s frightened you? I can help.’

‘I ain’t frightened!’ Linda screeched, pushing him away. ‘And it’s none of your business who it was. Just leave, I’ve got to go. I’ve got to go now.’

‘You’ve got a boyfriend,’ Carlos concluded angrily. ‘You’re teaching him a lesson by sleeping with me, aren’t you?’ The hurt look on Linda’s face told him that he was wrong and he apologized as he got dressed, but it was too little, too late.

Linda, with tears in her eyes, held fifty quid out for him to take. ‘Thanks for helping with the car. You can go now.’

‘Linda. Linda, please. I didn’t mean it. I don’t want your money.’ Carlos closed Linda’s fingers round the money, held her gently and apologized again.

Linda looked into his eyes as she kissed him hard. ‘I really do have to go. Let yourself out.’ Linda was out the door before she’d finished talking.