‘When I heard the news, I just couldn’t believe it,’ he said, shaking his head. ‘You lost a good team, good men, Harry. Christ, I thought you’d gone down with them!’
Rawlins cut him off sharply. ‘Can we get out of here, Jimmy? I’m sweating like a pig.’
The air-conditioning didn’t work, and as the car eased into the traffic, the wind blowing through the open windows did little to cool them down. Jimmy couldn’t read Rawlins’ expression behind his mirrored sunglasses, but despite the boiling hot sun, he was happy. He had the big man, Mr. Rawlins, in his car, coming to stay at his place, in Rio.
They drove down the hill from São Paolo and headed toward the center of town, passing several elegant-looking villas, with shady patios and their own pools, half-hidden behind heavy fencing, palm trees and shrubberies. Jimmy pulled up by a pale pink villa with solid-looking wrought-iron gates, to let a mangy-looking dog cross the road, before moving on.
The driveway to the pink villa was lined with lush-looking palm trees. It went sweeping past a garage and round to the side of the house, where five sunloungers with umbrellas were arranged round the pool. The faint sound of the Tijuana Brass could be heard coming from a small transistor by one of the sun-loungers, where a woman was stretched out, covered with suntan oil.
Linda Pirelli.
She picked up the radio and turned the dial to find a different station, but all she could get was a garble of voices in a language she didn’t understand. She turned back the dial until she found the Tijuana Brass again, then hurled it into the pool, where it gurgled for a moment before sinking to the bottom.
Up on the balcony above the pool, Shirley yelled, ‘Linda! Come up ’ere for a minute, will you? I saw that!’ before stalking back into the bedroom. The twin beds were covered with neatly folded piles of clothes, ready to be placed into open suitcases. Shirley was all made up, hair done to perfection, and wearing a silk shirt, knickers, suspenders and stockings, and very high-heeled shoes. Carefully and methodically, she started filling the cases.
Linda stormed into the bedroom. ‘Whaddya want?’ She looked through the drawers. ‘Oi, you bin going through my things!’
‘I have not been going through your things,’ Shirley retorted. ‘I just want that blue shirt back that you borrowed yesterday. Where’ve you put it?’
Linda stomped over to the chest of drawers, rifled through a tangled mess of clothes and dragged out a crumpled shirt. ‘’Ere yer go.’
Shirley looked at it in disgust. ‘Never mind, you can keep it!’
Linda flopped down on the bed and sullenly watched Shirley go back to packing her beautifully folded, crisp new clothes.
‘Yer got enough bleedin’ suitcases?’ She snorted.
‘Yes, they’re nice, aren’t they?’ Shirley replied with a smile. ‘They’re all mock croc leather, you know.’
Linda picked one up. ‘Well, they weigh a ton before yer even put a bleedin’ Kleenex in. ’Ow much did they cost?’
Shirley squinted at her watch, the digits seeming to blur. She should have got the other one, the Cartier. ‘Bella’s going to miss me. I’ve got to go.’
‘Well, ’ow yer gonna get to the airport?’
Shirley went back to her packing. ‘I’ve got a taxi coming. But Bella said she’d be here to see me off.’
‘Yeah, she also said she’d teach me to swim!’ Linda threw herself back on the bed.
‘Linda, move off!’ Shirley chided. ‘Go and sit over there!’
Scowling, Linda moved to a chair and stuck her feet up on the edge of the dressing table.
Shirley turned. ‘By the way, that cistern overflowed again. When you gonna move that money? Bella’s bought diamonds; why don’t you buy diamonds? I mean, I got my money changed into dollars. What did Dolly say? Change that money as soon as possible. That money’s traceable, Linda!’
Linda frowned. ‘I’ll do it tomorrow.’ She then started unscrewing pots of cream from Shirley’s already neatly packed vanity bag. She dabbed her finger in and began rubbing lotion into her face.
Shirley watched her disapprovingly. ‘You don’t put dollops of that on your face, Linda. That’s Queen Bee jelly with vitamin E. You’ve only got to use a drop.’
Linda moved away from the dressing table. ‘Sorry, sorry, sorry. Queen Bee jelly! Christ, Shirley, if they put gnat piss in a bottle you’d buy it if they said it was good for your face!’
Shirley squinted at her watch again. ‘Wonder where Bella is?’
‘Yeah, I’ve been waitin’ by that pool for her all mornin’.’
Shirley looked at her. ‘You’re burning, you know. Look at your skin. It’s awfully bad for it, Linda. I’ve told you, you shouldn’t sit in the sun, you’ll get cancer.’
‘Bollocks.’ Linda sat down on the bed. She watched Shirley finishing packing for a moment, then asked, rather plaintively, ‘Why can’t I come wiv yer, Shirl?’
Shirley turned. They’d been over this before. ‘You are not coming with me and that is final. Dolly said separate, and that’s what we’re gonna do!’
Linda mimicked her. ‘Dolly said sep-a-rate! Dolly also said no taxis to the villa. Well, you’ve just blown that, ’aven’t you? She said no taxis and no cars. Bella’s bin in and out of ’ere like a dingbat in that Rolls-Royce...’
Right on cue they heard the crunch of gravel on the drive. Linda rushed to the balcony.
‘’Ere she comes. Gawd, what does she think she’s come as — Shirley Bassey? Look at ’er!’
Linda watched as Bella stepped out of the white Rolls-Royce. She looked stunning. It was a strange thing with Bella — she might have been a tart, she might have come from the streets, but God she had taste. She knew what she wanted, and she always wanted — and got — the best.
Linda yelled down, ‘Dolly said no taxis and no cars to the bleedin’ villa! Well, you’ve come fucking incognito, I must say!’
Shirley had packed her suitcases and was now inspecting a jacket. ‘You sat on this, Linda. Look at it, you’ve crumpled it.’ She stepped into her skirt and zipped it up.
‘I’ll take a couple of yer cases down for yer.’ Linda walked unsteadily down the stairs, staggering under the weight of two suitcases, and dumped them in front of the Rolls.
Bella looked at them quizzically. ‘Hey,’ she said, ‘unbelievable! We’ve got the same suitcases — just different colors.’
Linda stomped back into the house, paying no attention, as Shirley appeared with suitcase number three. ‘What’s the matter with her?’ Bella asked.
Shirley shrugged. ‘I don’t know, she’s like a bear with a sore behind, sometimes.’
Bella jerked her head toward the chauffeur. ‘It’s all right, he doesn’t understand English.’
Shirley nodded. ‘Oh, well, thanks for coming.’
Bella handed her a small packet. ‘This is for you, kiddo. You take care of yourself!’
Shirley unwrapped the tiny locket decorated with an ‘S’ in diamonds; very tasteful and no doubt very expensive.
‘Thanks, Bella, it’s lovely.’ She beamed.
Bella grinned. ‘Well, kiddo, you have a good time in LA. If you do everything I’m doing, you will!’
Shirley gripped her hand. ‘I hope it works out for you, Bella. He’s a super guy.’
Bella nodded. ‘Yes, he is, Shirley. He’s everything I’ve ever wanted. I’ve never been so happy in my whole life.’
Shirley’s jacket suddenly flew down from the balcony and landed on the roof of the Roller.
Shirley whipped round. ‘There was no need to do that, Linda!’ She turned to Bella. ‘She hasn’t changed her money yet, you know! It’s still in the cistern; made me soak my skirt.’