As usual, Dolly’s patronizing tone got right up Linda’s nose, but she bit her tongue as Dolly continued.
‘Memorize the route and then we’ll burn it. Drive it as many times as you think you need to, so you learn all the tricky parts, the lights, the roundabouts, the zebra crossings, anywhere things could go wrong.’
As a train rumbled by overhead, the big dog in the lock-up next door barked. Wolf started yapping. Linda felt the tide of anger rise.
‘I also marked on the map where the getaway car will be parked, so learn that as well. Drive it from the pick-up point to the car park, where your own motors will be parked, ready to get you to the airport. Time everything down to the last second. Drive it again and again till you can do it blindfolded. You lot got your holiday stories sorted?’ Dolly asked.
They were all prepared; their plans had to be above suspicion. Linda was either to leave the arcade or get herself sacked, and Bella was to quit her job at the strip club. No one must suspect they had any contact with each other. Shirley was uncomfortable lying to her mum, but she’d do it. She had to.
‘Right, here are your tickets to Rio. You got your passports? There’s two flights that day, so I’ve booked Bella and Linda onto the first one. Shirl, you’ll fly later the same day. Keep away from each other till you land,’ Dolly continued. ‘Learn your flight times and numbers, and your weight allowance. We can’t have anyone being stopped for something stupid like their suitcase being too heavy!’ Dolly laughed and Bella and Shirley were polite enough to giggle, albeit a little late. Dolly seemed perkier than usual as she ticked off everything she’d covered in her precious notebook. ‘Right,’ she said with a buoyant tone to her voice ‘Let’s see what you been up to.’
She was pleased with the work they’d done. The paint job and signs on the van were very good, and the set of number plates were a copy of ones they’d seen on a white Ford van on their trip to the beach near Brighton. Bella demonstrated how fast the signs could be peeled off and the van’s false plates changed back to the originals.
Dolly walked over to Linda, who was checking the spark plugs on the van. ‘You sorted the lead truck, yet? You’re going to have to nick it earlier now.’
Linda couldn’t look Dolly in the face. ‘I got a big Leyland laundry van lined up,’ she said offhandedly. ‘It’ll be perfect and a doddle to nick.’
‘How big’s “big”? Will it fit in here or do we need somewhere else to stash it?’
Before Linda could snap back, Shirley butted in. ‘Mum’s block of flats. She’s got a parking bay underneath. You can dump the van there, no problem. Market vans come and go all the time so it won’t look out of place or nothing.’
Dolly remained focused on Linda. ‘Can you get it this week?’
‘I can get it whenever,’ Linda said curtly, straining to hold back her temper. She walked away from Dolly.
‘We need it quick Linda!’ Dolly raised her voice as she followed Linda to the other side of the lock-up. ‘We got to change the number plates and reinforce the rear bumper with a metal bar... you sure a laundry van can withstand a heavy security truck crashing into the back of it?’
Linda ignored her and picked up one of the sawed-off shotguns on top of the tool trolley. She would have liked to turn it on Dolly and blast her right there and then.
‘What’s up with Linda?’ Dolly asked Bella.
Bella shrugged and busied herself wiping the false plates with a rag to remove all prints. Dolly suspected Bella did know what the matter was. She looked over at Linda. Wolf was sniffing around Linda’s feet, and the next second Linda kicked the little dog, causing him to yelp in pain. Dolly had had enough.
‘Don’t you ever kick him again!’ Dolly shouted, striding over to Linda and pointing her finger straight in her face.
‘Well keep the mangy thing away from me,’ Linda replied.
‘Come on — out with it. What’s the matter with you?’
Linda kept her head down. ‘Nothing,’ she muttered.
‘Is this about me asking you to get rid of your mechanic?’
Linda looked at Dolly. ‘I did as you asked. He won’t be a problem no more.’
‘Good,’ Dolly replied coldly. ‘He suss anything?’
‘Wouldn’t matter if he did. He’s dead.’
Dolly was stunned into silence. For a moment, she wondered if Linda was trying to make her feel as guilty as possible, but the look of anger and sorrow in Linda’s eyes showed she was deadly serious. ‘I’m so sorry, Linda. What happened?’
‘I saw it, Dolly. I saw the whole thing. Do you want the details or will “he’s dead” be enough for you?’
‘I’m sorry, Linda, I truly am. You should have told me as soon as it happened.’
‘Why? What would you have done to make me feel better about making me kill my boyfriend? Cos that’s what happened, Dolly. You said to grass him up, the police raided his place, and he ran... straight under a van.’ Linda walked away before she did something she’d regret.
As Dolly started to follow Linda, Bella stopped her.
‘She turned up at my flat in a right state,’ Bella said under her breath. ‘She saw him under the wheels of the van lying in a pool of his own blood, so you give her this one, OK? Let her be mad with you. Let her take it out on you. Let her blame you, because the only other person she can blame is herself. You can take it — she can’t. You want this robbery to go ahead? You take this one on the chin.’ Bella went into the office, where Linda was shakily trying to make herself a cup of tea.
As Dolly watched, Bella put her arms around Linda’s shoulders and gave her a hug. She wished she could do the same. She wished she could tell her again how sorry she was. But Dolly knew that Linda would never see her as a friend like Bella; all she could do was provide Linda with enough money to live the life she wanted. Dolly mentally revised her plan for the day. She had been eager to get the girls into a run through, but she thought she’d give Linda some time to drink her tea.
While she waited, she picked up one of the shotguns and tried to cock it but her finger slipped and got nipped between the firing pin and hammer. She stifled a scream, but couldn’t help letting out a little screech: ‘Ow! For fuck’s—’
From the office, Linda snorted in derision. Dolly looked round, annoyed, but after a warning glance from Bella, let it slide. She freed her finger, shaking it up and down till the pain subsided. A large blood blister was already forming. Right — that was it!
‘OK — let’s get our overalls and masks on and have a rehearsal!’ Dolly shouted. This time she wanted to practice unlocking the body harness, picking up the shotgun and sledgehammer, Bella with the chainsaw, Linda with a shotgun and then Bella with the shotgun. ‘Everything has to repeated till it’s second nature,’ Dolly said. ‘I don’t want nothing bad to happen to any of us.’ She tried not to catch Linda’s eye.
They moved out of the annex into the large, filthy main garage. An old furniture truck, minus wheels and one door, would act as the lead truck for the rehearsal. Shirley had already placed the harness over the driver’s seat and unbuckled it. This is where Dolly would be sitting, all strapped in, at the moment she slammed the brakes on, forcing the security wagon to slam into the back of her. The harness had to be strong enough to keep Dolly in her seat during the impact, and simple enough to unbuckle the very next moment. They had to get this right. Dolly’s actions would start the robbery. If she couldn’t get herself free, they’d all be sitting ducks.
Dolly put the sledgehammer in the back of the van, right by the rear doors. Her shotgun dangled from her waist on a makeshift belt. She then got in the driver’s seat and buckled herself into the harness. Shirley watched every move, making sure the straps weren’t twisted, too tight or too slack.