She's Out

by La Plante, Lynda

  Gloria pointed. ‘That tie-pin belonged to Jack Dempsey and that Rolex Eddie gave me. It could be a fake, though.’

  Dolly picked up pieces of the jewellery, strangely moved even as she noted that they still wore their best bits. But it was, as the old saying goes, the thought that counted.

  About ten minutes later Julia returned. ‘I think she’s more like three months than two. She was telling the truth and you can often have a few spots, even a period during the early months.’

  Dolly felt awful but she had needed to know.

  ‘So you think it’s Kathleen?’ Gloria asked.

  ‘I don’t know – I just don’t know,’ Dolly said, and drummed her fingers on the table. ‘I mean maybe, just maybe, it’s no one. Have any of you had dealings with DCI Craigh before?’

  No one could recall having been arrested by him on a previous occasion. Connie said that she quite liked him, he’d been very nice to her; it was the younger bloke she didn’t like.

  Angela was suddenly standing like a child in the doorway.

  Dolly reached for her and took her hand. ‘I’m sorry about that, love, but I needed to know.’

  Angela backed away, pressing her body against the wall.

  ‘We’re just talking about the coppers,’ Dolly said.

  ‘Well, I don’t like them, any of them,’ Julia said.

  ‘Me neither,’ Gloria muttered.

  ‘Funnily enough, I’m sure I’ve met that younger one, the dark-haired guy, the good-looking one.’

  Ester looked at Angela. She was going to ask her if she recognized him and, for some reason, they all turned towards Angela.

  ‘I don’t know him. I wasn’t arrested, Ester, I wasn’t charged, it’s not him.’ Angela was trembling and no one knew what had got into Ester as she sprang forward.

  ‘Yes, you do! You know him!’

  Angela ran out, and Ester took off after her. The women didn’t know what was going on but they could hear Angela screaming so they all followed.

  Angela was running up the stairs, Ester giving chase. She caught hold of Angela’s foot and dragged it. As the girl fell forwards, she bumped and slithered down two stairs and Ester climbed over her, hauling her by her hair.

  ‘Ester! Don’t! Ester, she’s pregnant!’ screamed Julia.

  Angela tried to fight off her attacker, pushing and screaming, but Ester smacked her face and then pursued her along the landing.

  ‘You little liar! You’re a bloody liar, Angela!’ Ester was terrifying as she punched and slapped Angela, who tried to defend herself, but Ester was like a whirlwind, kicking, flicking her hands at Angela’s face. ‘Tell me the truth! You’d better tell me the truth or I’ll fucking kill you.’

  Angela dived beneath Ester’s arm and ran into her own room, but she didn’t have time to lock the door before Ester kicked it open and slammed it behind her. All that the others could hear was Angela screeching and Ester slapping and punching her. Dolly was first in after them, then Julia. She dragged Ester off Angela, who was sprawled over the bed. Ester was red-faced with fury.

  ‘Ester! Ester! Calm down!’ Dolly slapped her face.

  ‘You just slapped the wrong face, sweetheart. Ask that dirty piece of shit who her boyfriend is. He’s that bloke that was here, isn’t he? Isn’t he?’

  Angela clung to the pillow, as if shielding her body from any further onslaught.

  ‘Is this true?’ Dolly asked calmly.

  Angela was weeping but nodded. The others howled like dogs, all ready to have a go at her now.

  ‘You don’t understand,’ wailed Angela.

  ‘I think I do, love.’ Dolly spat out, prepared to walk out on Angela, leave her to the women, just like a cell fight in the nick.

  ‘He’s Shirley Miller’s brother,’ Angela shrieked. Dolly froze, her hands clenched at her sides. ‘Get out and leave her with me. All of you, get out.’

  ‘What you think she’s doing up there?’ Gloria asked. Dolly had been with Angela for about fifteen minutes.

  ‘Suffocating her, I hope,’ Ester muttered.

  ‘So it was her all the time,’ Connie sighed.

  ‘Yeah, the two-faced little bitch,’ Gloria snarled.

  ‘One thing worse than a snitch, a child molester.’

  Thank you, Gloria, as ever subtle but …’

  ‘No buts, mate, she could have had the lot of us sent down. Ester was right. I just wish I’d got a few punches in.’

  Gloria looked up. ‘You don’t think she’d bump her off, do you?’

  Angela was red-eyed from weeping but calmer now. She had explained how she had first met Mike after Ester was raided, how he had been very kind as she was under-age. He had been helpful in getting her social workers and it was thanks to him that she was never reported. They had then become more than friendly after Ester was sent for trial, they had seen one another since, but recently Mike had refused to see her as his wife had found out. When Ester had called, she had contacted him and been asked to report anything she found out about Dolly Rawlins.

  ‘What did he tell you about Shirley?’

  Angela snivelled. ‘Only that you were responsible and his mother …’

  Dolly smiled inwardly. Audrey had such a big mouth but she’d kept her son’s part in it very quiet.

  ‘What are you going to do with me?’ Angela was crying again.

  Dolly opened the door and held up the key. ‘You can stay here until tomorrow, then you pack up and leave. I never want to see you again. You betrayed me – the only one of them I trusted. Seems I was wrong. I’ll never forgive you, love, so get packed.’

  The door closed silently but the key turning was loud. It made Angela sob even more.

  Dolly shuffled along a pew and bent to pray. She sat back and opened the hymn book as the service began. No one paid much attention to her; she blended into the congregation. When the service was over, she shook hands with the vicar and made her way towards the gates. To her right was the big cemetery where only the night before she had buried Lennie. She hardly gave it a second thought because up ahead she had seen Mrs Tilly opening her car door. She hurried towards her.

  ‘Mrs Tilly!’ Dolly called, and was taken aback by the cold, aloof stare. ‘I got a letter,’ Dolly said, a little out of breath.

  Mrs Tilly was in two minds whether even to speak to Dolly but her own anger got the better of her. ‘You lied to me, Mrs Rawlins. When I think how much work I did to persuade the board not only to see you but make an on-site visit.’

  Dolly interrupted, ‘I’m sorry. Are you saying you’ve been to the manor?’

  ‘Oh, yes, we came, Mrs Rawlins. Didn’t Ester Freeman tell you?’

  Gloria was looking out of the window as a stern-faced Dolly marched up the path. Well, the church has certainly done wonders for her! She looks ready for two rounds with Mike Tyson.’

  The door banged shut and promptly banged open again because of the damaged lock. The drawing-room door was thrown wide and the women faced Dolly. She hurled her handbag on to the sofa and threw off her coat.

  ‘Something wrong?’ Ester asked innocently.

  ‘Oh, yes, you can say that again. Now I know why they turned me down. They only came here and found the lot of you bollock-naked in the sauna.’

  ‘Oh, come on, we weren’t all naked, Dolly.’

  ‘You, Julia, shut your mouth because you and that bitch over there were, and I quote, “in an obvious sexual embrace”. I presume before you turned the hosepipe on the governor of the board.’

  They couldn’t make any excuses, not that she gave them a chance to as she paced up and down. ‘All of you knew you’d blown my chances and not one of you had the guts to tell me what you’d done. Eight years I planned this, eight years I waited and now you’ve done it. You’ve destroyed any hope I had of reversing the rejection. Well, the lot of you can pack up and piss off with Angela.’

  She slammed the door so hard when she walked out that the chandelier shook dangerously.

&nbs
p; ‘Oh, bloody hell,’ muttered Gloria. ‘I knew it’d come out. How do we get round this one?’

  Ester was up and heading for the door. She turned and winked. ‘Leave it to me.’

  Dolly crashed the kettle on to the Aga as Ester walked in with her hands up as if held at gun-point. ‘Just let me tell you something, okay? Don’t shoot.’

  Dolly was not amused. She threw tea-bags into the pot.

  ‘Listen, Dolly. There may, just may, be a way round this.’

  ‘Like what? You’ve blown it, all of you.’

  ‘No, no, just listen. That bloke who came with them, beaky-nosed, bald fella with a few hairs over the top of his head.’

  ‘Mr Crow. He’s chairman of the board.’

  ‘Ah, crow by name, crow by nature. Well, Dolly, I recognized him and maybe one of the reasons why the board turned you down, or he did, was because—’

  ‘You were all naked in the sauna!’

  ‘No. He used to be a regular. What you can do is pay him a private visit. Maybe he can do something for you. I’m sure he wouldn’t want that known, would he?’

  Dolly put her head in her hands. ‘He was one of your clients?’

  ‘Yeah. Work him over, Dolly. You can do it – or at least try it.’

  Mike was watching TV when the phone rang. He watched Susan jump up to answer it, making no effort to take it himself. He was sick and tired of being monitored.

  Susan called from the hall. ‘She wants to speak to you.’

  He didn’t know if she was referring to Angela or his mother. ‘Who is it?’

  ‘She said her name was Dolly Rawlins.’

  Mike was half out of his seat when he fell back, his face drained of colour.

  ‘Mike? She said it’s important.’

  Audrey was booked on the first flight to Spain on Monday morning, her third attempt to leave. She opened the door to Mike, all smiles, thinking he had called to say goodbye, but one look at his face made her step back, afraid.

  ‘What’s happened?’

  She shut the door. He walked into the living room and flopped on to the sofa.

  ‘Dolly Rawlins just called my house.’

  ‘Oh God.’

  ‘She just wanted me to know that she knows about my involvement with the diamonds, with everything.’

  ‘What will she do?’

  ‘I don’t know but I’m in deep shit because if she goes to my governor, I’ll be arrested. So will you.’

  ‘She wouldn’t do that. It’d implicate her.’

  ‘I know. That’s what I’m banking on.’

  ‘What do we do?’

  Mike sank lower into the sofa cushions. ‘Well, maybe you should leave anyway.’

  She went to him and put her arms around him. ‘Come with me, love, you and the kids and Susan. We just up and run for it.’

  He pushed her away. ‘I can’t do that.’

  ‘Why not?’

  ‘I can’t do anything that’ll throw any suspicion on me. Can’t you see? Don’t you understand? I’ll just have to wait, see what she wants.’

  ‘Maybe she won’t want anything.’

  Mike looked at his mother contemptuously. ‘Bullshit. She’ll want something, question is what?’

  Audrey broke down and sobbed. ‘It’s not fair, is it? Some people get away with murder. You know she killed that poor Jimmy Donaldson, just as she as good as killed our Shirley.’

  Mike swung round and grabbed his mother’s arm. ‘I don’t want to hear her name again. If it wasn’t for Shirley I’d never have got into this mess. I mean it, Mum! And I don’t want to see or hear from you either. You got me involved in this, Mum, and I got to get myself out of it so leave, go away, get the hell out of my sight.’

  He was almost at the car when he stopped and leaned against a brick wall. He started to cry – he couldn’t stop the tears. He hadn’t meant to say all that about Shirley. He sniffed, wiped his face with the back of his hand, then forced himself to get angry.

  She was to blame, whatever way he looked at it, whatever guilt he felt. She’d married that cheap villain Terry Miller, she … Shirley was dead and buried, he had to get his life sorted, he had to straighten out. He was losing it, he was blowing everything that was important to him and if he didn’t get hold of himself there was no one else to prop him up.

  By the time he got into his car he was calmer and in control. He didn’t look back to the lit-up window of his mother’s flat. He truthfully never wanted to see her again.

  Audrey was all packed. She’d earmarked a few items for shipping out but now she was taking down the little personal items, the photographs from the gilt mirror above the mantel. She read her younger son Gregg’s last postcard, looked at the stupid kittens, and sighed. Well, he’d just have to ask around for where she was, they would tell him down the market. She tossed the card into the trash can. She didn’t have the energy to worry about Gregg, or anyone but herself. Now she could even blame Dolly Rawlins for her son walking out on her. Everything was Dolly Rawlins’s fault and Audrey, in a fit of rage, cursed. But then she straightened herself out: she’d be in Spain this time tomorrow, with a villa and a few quid in the bank. At least she’d beaten that bitch over the money. At least she had something to show for poor Shirley. She turned towards the sideboard as if to confirm everything was all right but she’d packed Shirley’s photograph, there was nothing there, no sweet, smiling, beautiful Shirley. Audrey felt the tears, not of anger or fury or revenge: the tears were tinged with guilt because she knew she had thought about and cared more for Shirley after she was dead than when she was alive.

  Chapter 12

  Dolly was directed to sit on a row of chairs in the draughty town hall corridor. Mr Crow’s secretary walked out of his office. She didn’t even glance in Dolly’s direction. Dolly stood up, watched the squat-legged woman disappear, carrying a thick file. She reckoned she’d at least have a few moments so she tapped and entered Mr Crow’s office. She was through with waiting.

  Mr Crow looked up, frowning when he saw her close his door. ‘Mrs Rawlins, did my secretary tell you—’ He was interrupted.

  ‘Yes, she said I could have a few moments. It won’t take any longer.’

  He pursed his lips and folded his hands together, priestlike. ‘I am a very busy man.’

  ‘I’m busy too but, like I said, this won’t take a moment. I’ve come about the letter.’

  ‘Mrs Rawlins, the decision was unanimous. Obviously you can take private action if you wish, that is entirely up to you, but as far as I am concerned I do not at this stage feel you would be advised to proceed.’

  ‘All I want is to make a home for kids without one.’

  ‘I am aware of that, but it is my job to make sure any child placed into care will have not only the right supervision but the right environment.’

  ‘Is it my criminal record that went against me?’

  ‘Obviously that was taken into consideration, and we are also aware that you have been questioned by a DCI Craigh regarding—’ Again he was interrupted.

  ‘You referring to the warrants? The house was searched, the police found nothing incriminating and—’

  Mr Crow sucked in his breath. ‘Mrs Rawlins, under the circumstances, and with reference to an on-site visit to your property, it was decided that—’ Another interruption.

  ‘You didn’t really need one, though, did you?’

  ‘I’m sorry?’

  She leaned forward. ‘Well, you know the manor house well, don’t you? According to Miss Freeman you were a regular visitor when it was run as a brothel. I am correct, aren’t I?’

  Pink dots appeared on his cheeks. ‘Just what are you inferring, Mrs Rawlins?’

  ‘That perhaps you had an ulterior motive for rejecting my application, that had nothing to do with me or my criminal background.’

  ‘Be careful what you are insinuating, Mrs Rawlins. You are, I am sure, fully aware you remain on licence for the rest of your life and—’

&n
bsp; ‘I’m just stating a fact,’ she said quietly.

  ‘Then please, Mrs Rawlins, be careful. I have told you this was a unanimous decision by all members of the board. We do not feel that you would be the right person to be given access to young children. We do not feel that the manor house would be suitable accommodation. It is my only intention to make sure any foster carer recommended by the social services department is both mentally and physically—’

  She stood up, yet again interrupting him, this time leaning right over his desk. ‘You know, my husband said he could never go straight because people like you, like the police, would never allow him to. Well, I know about you.’

  Mr Crow stood up, the pink blobs spreading. His whole face seemed redder, although this time not with embarrassment but with anger. ‘I’d like you to leave my office now.’

  ‘I’m going, and I won’t come back. I waited a long time to make a home for kids a reality but it was stupid, wasn’t it? I never stood a chance. Don’t worry, I won’t let on that you’re a two-faced bastard.’

  She left, closing the door quietly behind her, and he could hear her footsteps on the marble corridor outside. He was shaking with anger but he was now confident that he had made the right decision. He would make sure there were no repercussions and would add to her report that she had lied to the board. Contrary to Mrs Rawlins’s denial, Ester Freeman was still resident at Grange Manor House.

  Dolly drove back to the manor. She had to wait at the level crossing for ten minutes. This time she couldn’t be bothered to talk to Raymond Dewey who sat, as usual, on his little trainspotter’s stool, jotting down his times and numbers. He waved at her but she turned towards the lake and the small narrow bridge the train moved across. She got out of the car and walked a few paces, still focusing on the bridge. Then she turned round, towards the station and the signal box. She sauntered over to Raymond and gave him a forced smile.

  ‘Hello, Raymond, how are you today?’

  ‘I’m very well. This is the twelve fifteen from Marylebone.’

  ‘Is it? You know every train, do you? All the right times and the delays?’

  ‘That’s my job.’

  ‘I bet there’s one train you don’t know the times of.’