Julia took the cheque from Ester to look at it for herself.
‘Bet you any money she’ll go for those diamonds. She’s got to when she sees how much this place needs pouring into it. She’ll be desperate.’
Julia leaned back. ‘She might change her mind.’
Ester shook her head. ‘No, she won’t, because we’re going to work that woman over, every one of us. We make her believe we love this place, want the home to be up and running. We all egg her on and keep it going until she...’
‘Goes for the diamonds.’
Ester smiled. ‘Right, and then...’ She made a plucking motion with her fingers. We take them, and then, Julia, we’re free, we’re rich.’
Julia stared at the cheque for two hundred thousand pounds. ‘You could do okay on this.’
Ester sighed. ‘Yeah, but do you think I could cash it? I got debts that’d eat up more than two hundred grand.’
‘What if she doesn’t want to share with you, with any of us?’
‘Like I said, we take them. I don’t give a shit about the others, we’re using them as well. All I care about are those diamonds, two, three million quid’s worth, Julia, and I’m going to have them.’
‘I love you when you’re like this,’ Julia whispered.
‘Like what?’
‘Cruel. Come to bed.’
Ester gave a soft sexy laugh as she crawled towards Julia and then froze, slithered from the bed to listen at the door.
Dolly stood in the marbled hall, the phone in her hand. ‘Jimmy, is that you?’
Jimmy Donaldson was in his pyjamas, his hand shaking, as DI Palmer gestured for him to keep talking.
‘Yes, this is Jimmy Donaldson. Who’s this? You know what time it is?’
‘Oh, I’m sorry to ring so late. It’s Dolly, Dolly Rawlins.’
Palmer leaned forward, hardly able to contain himself. It was going down even faster than any one of them had thought. Mike Withey had been right. Dolly Rawlins was going for the diamonds. Again he gestured for Donaldson to keep talking.
‘I need to see you,’ Dolly said softly. Tomorrow. I’m out, Jimmy. Have you got my things for me?’
‘Yes, yes, I’ve got them.’
‘Well, what say we meet up tomorrow, about noon?’
Jimmy looked to Palmer. They still didn’t have the stones but he reckoned they would by the following day. He wrote on a note-pad. Jimmy nodded. ‘Can you make it later — like late afternoon?’
‘They are safe, aren’t they, Jimmy?’
‘Yes, of course.’
‘Fine, I’ll call you tomorrow, then.’
Dolly hung up.
Donaldson looked at Palmer. ‘She’s gonna call me tomorrow. She hung up before I could say anythin’ different.’
Frowning, Palmer drummed his fingers on the telephone table. ‘We better find those diamonds, Jimmy. You sure they’re where you said they are?’
‘If they’re not some bastard’s nicked them.’
Palmer jerked his head for Donaldson to return to his bed. He checked the time and replayed the message. Dolly Rawlins had carefully not said the word diamonds but she certainly hadn’t wasted much time. She’d only been released that afternoon. She was out all right.
Chapter 4
Dolly woke with a start, unable for a moment to orientate herself, and it scared her. Her heart thudded, she started to pant, then to talk herself down. It was the sound of birds, ravens cawing from the woods, an alien sound, one she had not heard for a long, long time.
The curtain was drawn and the fast recall of the evening made her feel good until she looked out of her window. ‘Holy shit.’ Now she took in the derelict gardens, the dank, dark poolside. ‘Oh, my God, what have you got yourself into, gel?’
She was used to rising at six and she listened at her door, could hear no sound of movement so she went out on to the landing. In the cold light of morning, she moved silently round the old manor, peeking into each unoccupied room, from the attic to the ground floor, her heart sinking at every level as the realization dawned of what she had let herself in for. The place was a monster, not only in proportion but the run-down state of the house was obvious, from the peeling wallpaper to the cracked ceilings and crumbling woodwork. The banister rail was fine, thick mahogany, but many of the pegs were missing and the carpets worn and dangerous on the old wide stairs. The smell of mould, damp and mildew made her nostrils flare but she kept on moving from room to room until she entered the old kitchen, easing back the bolts from the back door to walk outside into the stable yard.
She had inspected the pool, the woods and the run-down orchard, the vegetable garden that was a wild, overgrown mess of brambles and throttling weeds. She had muddied her shoes, her legs were scratched from the brambles, the hem of her coat sodden, before she eventually returned to the kitchen. No one was up so she put on the kettle, working out how to use the big lidded Aga, fetching a mug and making a cup of tea, her mind working overtime.
The house was a dog, she knew that — any fool could feel it — but she couldn’t help liking it. Was she really prepared to take it on? She knew she’d given Ester a cheque but that could always be stopped. Dolly sat with her hands cupping the chipped mug. The place could certainly accommodate at least ten, fifteen kids with ease; there were enough rooms and she hadn’t even been down to the basement. She went over all the old deeds and survey reports, all a few years out of date. She started to calculate on the back of an envelope just how much money it would take to get a place this size back into order. All her cash would go with the one cheque to Ester so it would mean she was dependent on the sale of the diamonds. If they had been valued at two million all those years ago, she reckoned they’d be worth maybe three and a half to four now. If she fenced them, she’d probably clear maybe one and a half million cash. The house would need a hell of a lot of money spent on it but just how much she would have to check into. From the plumbing to the decoration, she began to list all the blatantly obvious requirements. The project was much bigger than she had dreamed of but if it was fate, then maybe it was meant for her to take on such a giant enterprise. She could use ex-prisoners to help her, perhaps even the women from last night.
Dolly spent over an hour making notes and working out costs and then went down to the basement. There were saunas, steam cabinets, an old gym and a large laundry room. None of the machines appeared to be in working order and the stench of damp was even worse down there. She looked over the old boilers and knew they’d all have to be replaced. She began to doubt seriously that she would take on the project because the more she calculated, the more money she knew she would have to raise.
By the time she returned to the kitchen, Gloria was up and Ester and Julia were washing dishes in the big stone sink. Angela was clearing the debris in the dining room and passed Dolly carrying a tray filled with dirty glasses. ‘Good morning, you’re up bright and early, Mrs Rawlins.’
Dolly gave a brittle smile. ‘Yes. Is everyone else up yet?’
‘No, not yet. Do you want breakfast?’
‘Yes.’
‘Eggs and bacon coming up.’
Dolly opened the front door to look down the big wide drive.
‘Good morning, Dolly.’ Connie beamed, wrapping a silk kimono round herself.
Dolly turned round as Kathleen appeared. ‘My God, I’ve got a hell of a headache. How about you, Dolly?’
The relaxed atmosphere of the women coming and going made Dolly feel good — or better. ‘Get some coffee down you,’ she said to Kathleen, and then walked behind the old reception desk to look for a telephone directory. The shelves were dusty and old circulars had been stuffed beneath the desk so she rummaged around.