‘... see, on the first Strand underpass job, everyone initially thought that Harry was one of the robbers blown to smithereens, but he wasn’t ’cos he was shot by Dolly Rawlins just over six months later. Speculation was that Harry Rawlins was probably behind the second Strand underpass job, and he was definitely behind the diamond heist. Now, if Dolly Rawlins planned to convert The Grange into a kids’ home, she had to have had at least some capital. I know she was going for funding to do the place up, but she gave Ester Freeman £200,000, in cash, to actually buy the place. Where did she get that from, less than one month out of the nick?’
Ridley raised his hand to bring silence to the room. ‘Where is all of this going, in relation to our murder victim?’
Jack paused for a moment to think, which Ridley allowed.
‘Well, sir, we know the cash found at Rose Cottage is likely to be the cash from the train robbery back in ’95, because of the age and volume of the notes. And because of where it was found. Every police report from ’95 suggests that there’s no way the armed robbers could have got that amount of money out of Aylesbury before the roads were closed and the searches began. At the moment, I’m trying to eliminate the women from having anything to do with the train robbery or our murder victim — but I can’t definitively. Equally, I can’t connect them either. It’s far more likely that they’ll end up being potential witnesses to something, rather than being involved.’
Anik exhaled a sharp, short stream of air from his nostrils, as though mocking the non-committal comment Jack had just made.
‘Something to add, Anik?’ Ridley asked.
He knew Jack was dawdling on this investigation, which was something he’d deal with when he was good and ready; but the one thing Ridley hated more than anything else was one copper disrespecting another. That’s not what his team stood for and he wouldn’t tolerate such bad manners.
‘Get up there, Anik, and tell us what you’ve got to add.’
Anik slowly stepped up to the front of the room, next to Jack.
‘Erm... Well, Missing Persons has still not given us anything, but I found a... erm...’ He went back to his desk, grabbed his file and raced back to the front of the room. ‘I’ve been doing some background on John Maynard, the builder who started the conversion work on The Grange for Dolly Rawlins before she died — obviously — and he’s still living in Aylesbury. Also, Jim Douglas, the signalman on duty on the night of the train robbery — I’ve got his current address too. Both of these men have no criminal record and no obvious long-term connection to each other or the women, so, you know, as independent witnesses, they might be useful for us to speak to and see what they recall from the night of the robbery.’
Ridley stood up and, as he walked to the front of the room, Jack and Anik parted like the Red Sea and made room for him to take centre stage.
‘I’m going to arrange for us to go back to Aylesbury tomorrow to see the scene again. Anik, arrange for us to interview Maynard and Douglas while we’re there. Jack, I’ll get the local station down in Taunton to go and see Connie Stephens. I think you traipsing up and down the country is not a good use of your time.’
Jack’s brain silently went into overdrive. Fuck! He had to go to Burnham-on-Sea to see his Aunt Fran.
Ridley continued, oblivious to Jack’s dilemma. ‘Today, I need you all back on Missing Persons please — expand the search radius from Aylesbury. Jack, my office.’
Jack shut Ridley’s office door behind him. This was the only other time Ridley’s door was ever closed — when he was in a private meeting. Ridley stood by his expanse of windows, with his back to Jack.
‘I don’t need to know exactly where you are all the time, Jack, but I do at least need to know what island you’re on.’ Ridley moved behind his desk, stuck his hands deep in his pockets and held Jack’s gaze. ‘I mean, that’s just about respect, isn’t it?’
Jack had no choice. ‘My parents set off on a world cruise yesterday. It’s unlikely Dad will come back.’
‘And you didn’t tell me this, because...?’ Jack didn’t answer. ‘I won’t tolerate officers who try to pull the wool over my eyes and don’t take the job seriously. I don’t think you do take this job seriously, Jack, that’s one problem me and you have got.’ His tone softened. ‘How long’s the cruise?’
‘Four months.’
‘That’s no time at all, is it? I’m sorry, Jack, I really am. You OK to be here?’
‘Yes, sir. I want to work. In fact, I’d like to be the one who goes to Taunton and interviews Connie Stephens. If I hadn’t seen Ester face to face yesterday, I’d never have figured out that Connie’s B & B was probably going to be called The Grange. That came out of a bit of chat over a cuppa. I’m getting to know these women one by one and so, I’d like to keep control of all the interviews if that’s OK with you, sir.’
Ridley took no time at all to change his mind completely and agree that Jack could go to Taunton to interview Connie. His focus and commitment was all Ridley ever wanted. And now he felt as though his protégé finally had it.
‘Thank you,’ Jack said. ‘I get the strong feeling, sir, that on this one, we have to go backwards in order to go forwards.’
Even as the words left Jack’s mouth, he wasn’t sure if he was referring to the Rose Cottage case, or to his own search for his birth dad.
Chapter 10
On the evening of the diamond raid, Dolly’s only plan had been to make absolutely certain that Harry went down for the crime. She hadn’t even considered where the diamonds might end up — she certainly had no intention of putting herself at risk to steal them. No, this was pure revenge.
But when she learnt of Shirley’s involvement, things started to go horribly wrong. No one Dolly cared about was meant to be at the event, but Shirley, when asked by her new boyfriend to model the jewellery they were intending to steal, had agreed, not knowing that Micky Tesco was one of Harry’s gang.
As soon as Dolly learnt that Shirley was at risk, her plan for revenge vanished in the blink of an eye and was replaced with a desperate need to protect her friend. She knew for a fact that Harry’s gang would be armed.
By the time Dolly arrived at the event, chaos had already taken hold. Police were racing into the building and glamorous people in black ties and ball gowns were flooding out, heels in hand, fear in their eyes. But Shirley was nowhere to be found.
A gunshot echoed from inside the building. Before Dolly knew what she was doing, she found herself running down the back alley and in through the open kitchen door. Dolly had seen many sights she’d rather forget, but none was more harrowing than that of Shirley, dolled up to the nines and as beautiful as ever, lying dead on the kitchen floor in a growing pool of her own blood.
It took Dolly a good ten seconds to realise the horror of what she was seeing. Behind her, Shirley’s low-life boyfriend was frozen to the spot.
As Micky recovered from the shock, he raced forward, pulled the jewels from around Shirley’s neck and disappeared out of the kitchen door. Rage filled Dolly’s heart and she charged after him like a woman possessed.
As Micky ran, he stuffed a dark blue cotton bag into his leather jacket, along with the broken necklace, jumped on his motorbike and raced away. Dolly was right behind him as she launched herself into her car and sped after the motorbike.