‘Right. When everybody’s in position, we check out the area. If there’s anybody around, or anybody sitting in cars, we call it off. It’s crucial that the actual car park area is deserted, all right?’
All three nodded their heads in agreement.
‘OK, so this is how it goes down. Dolly...’
Dolly kept hearing Bella saying, ‘This is how it goes down, this is how it goes down...’ She wondered if they would be going down along with it.
When Bella, Shirley and Linda had checked the area and it was safe, they would wait. Dolly would have to pass Bella to be given the ‘OK’ signal to go ahead. She would then continue along Heath Street and park her car exactly across the exit gate of the car park. By this time, if all went to plan, Harry, having been given instructions to come alone, would have parked his car dead center of the car park with the interior lights on and his hands held up. This way they could see if he was alone and unarmed. When Dolly saw Harry and got the OK from the girls, she would get out of her car with the briefcase with £60,000 of stolen money from the raid. She would hand the briefcase over to Harry once she’d got his assurance that it would be the pay-off, and that he would leave the girls alone.
Dolly would then return to her car and be the first to leave the heath. She would be backed up by Shirley, who would drive off behind her. Linda would flash her lights to Bella, who would then put in a call to the police. The call would simply say that Harry Rawlins was alive, that he was at the location in a dark blue Jaguar with this registration number — information they already had from Vic Morgan — and he was believed to be carrying stolen money from the underpass raid.
Bella looked round at the watching faces. ‘Well? What d’ya think? It’s gotta work, Dolly. It’ll work, I know it.’
Dolly stared back. She didn’t think it would work at all. ‘How long d’you reckon the police will take to get here?’ she asked.
‘Well, we’re gonna test it out. I’ll put in a call from the phone booth and we’ll just see. The police station’s only just up the road, Dolly.’
Dolly sighed. ‘This area is so open, we’re so vulnerable — he could have any amount of people here.’
Bella looked exasperated. ‘Dolly, we’re gonna check out the area before you even drive up!’
Dolly went back to her car. Over her shoulder, she snapped, ‘You just make sure the police can be here in time to pick him up. I don’t want him to follow me, because if he does, I’ll lead him straight back to us and straight back to the rest of the money — and you know it.’
Bella marched after Dolly. ‘Look, I keep on telling you, it’ll work, Dolly, I know it!’
Dolly gave her an icy stare. ‘Fine. So they pick Harry up with the stolen money. What happens if he talks?’
‘What if he does?’ said Shirley. ‘There’s nothing to link us back to that raid!’
Dolly opened the driver’s door. ‘But they may start asking questions, Shirley. So I’d better get to that cash now, hadn’t I, ’cos we’re gonna have to move fast. You said it, Bella — we’ve got to cover ourselves three times over.’
Dolly slammed the door shut and the three girls watched in silence as she drove away.
Harry stared at his face in the mirror. He was unrecognizable, unshaven and wearing a filthy boiler suit, a workman’s cap and a scarf pulled round his neck. He turned to Tesco, who was sitting on the sofa, similarly dressed.
‘Less they see of our faces the better.’
Tesco picked up his cap and jammed it on his head. He grinned. ‘Sixty grand, eh? You think she’s gonna try something, Harry?’
Harry didn’t answer, just pointed to the gold watch on Tesco’s wrist.
‘Take that off.’
Swearing under his breath, Tesco took the watch off and slipped it into his pocket.
‘What d’you think she’s gonna do, Harry?’
Harry ignored him as he opened the plans of the nightclub. These were architectural blueprints, each area mapped out. Harry pointed at it.
‘We need to know how many work the kitchens, and what the access is like from the back of the club. That’s all we’re gonna do today.’ He walked to the door. ‘You got the crates set up?’
‘Yeah, and the truck’s standing by. We’ve got it for the whole morning. Come on, Harry — what do you think Dolly’s gonna do?’
Harry picked up a pair of gloves, said, ‘Don’t forget yours,’ and walked out.
As Tesco followed, he noticed that the phone had been left off the hook.
Audrey entered the kitchen through the back door. The place was a shambles. Greg was standing at the door eating a piece of toast, butter dribbling down his chin.
‘Don’t you ever clear up?’
Greg shrugged. ‘Gotta go to the JobCentre, then I got to sign on.’
Ray came into the kitchen and gave Greg a friendly clip round the earhole. ‘Don’t forget, you’ve got to be down at the garage by twelve o’clock.’ He grinned at Audrey. ‘I’ve hired Greg to clean motors for me.’
Audrey began to take her coat off. ‘Fine. But no more videos, right, Greg?’
Greg grinned. ‘Come on, you enjoyed them really, didn’t you, Mum?’
Audrey chucked a dirty dishcloth at him. Greg dodged it and darted out of the back door.
She was in no mood for jokes. She picked up the cloth and threw it into the sink, which was piled high with dirty dishes. She sighed, muttering under her breath. Ray came up behind her and slipped his arms round her.
‘You get out o’ the wrong side of the bed, did you, darlin’?’
Audrey pushed him away. ‘You’re gonna wish I had!’
Ray collected the rest of the dirty dishes from the table and took them to the sink. ‘I’ll wash up, Aud.’ He turned the tap on.
Audrey sat down, twisting her hands in her lap. Without looking at Ray, she said, ‘I bin to the doctor. I’m up the spout.’
Ray couldn’t hear her properly over the sound of the sink filling up. ‘What’s that? What you got?’
He looked at her over his shoulder and could tell from her miserable expression that it was something serious. He came and put his arm round her. ‘What’s up? Somethin’ serious, is it, darlin’?’
Audrey still couldn’t look at him. ‘You could say that. I’m pregnant, Ray.’ Audrey’s eyes filled with tears. She finally managed to look Ray in the eye. ‘Doctor reckons I’m about two months gone.’ She managed a teary smile. ‘So it wasn’t indigestion after all. I never thought... Well, I did, I thought it was the change, didn’t I? Gawd almighty, some change!’
Ray was rooted to the spot, staring, open-mouthed.
‘Well, say somethin’, like “I’m packin’ me bags!” or...’ Audrey fished in her pocket for a tissue and blew her nose. ‘I’m sorry, Ray.’
Ray got down on his knees. ‘Sorry, bollocks! From now on I’m takin’ care of the two of you. There’ll be no more market for you, my girl, eh?’ Ray was almost crying himself.
They held each other close, and the water spilled over the side of the sink and onto the floor.
Vic Morgan walked down the hospital corridor, tapped on the sister’s open door and popped his head in. She was standing at a filing cabinet, looking through the files.
‘Sorry to bother you, Sister, but I was wondering if there’s a George Resnick on the ward — Detective Inspector Resnick.’
She gave him a quick, appraising look, then nodded, before carrying two files over to her desk.
Morgan still stood at the door. ‘Er, I wonder if I could see him for a few minutes?’
She sat down, then opened a drawer in the desk and took out a biro. ‘Are you a relative?’ she asked without looking up from the files.
Morgan grinned. ‘Brother-in-law. I know it’s not visiting hours but I would appreciate it if I could just have a couple of minutes with him.’