Mike didn’t call until after ten. He was just coming off duty and he’d come round to collect them. As he put the phone down, Angela paged him. He arranged to meet her outside Edgware Road tube station, then called his wife to tell her he would be late. He had just replaced the phone when DCI Craigh wandered to his desk.
We’ve got Donaldson back at his place. He says that maybe we should take him over to his shop, maybe they’ve not been looking in the right place. I said to him, “You drew the map, Jimmy, we’re looking just where you told us to look.”’
Mike could feel the sweat trickle under his armpits. ‘You want me to go over there and see who we’ve got searching the shop? They may have missed them, you know.’
Craigh rubbed his nose. ‘Yeah, okay, I’m taking myself off home. We’ve been over all the tapes from the fairground. Useless. They could have been talking about anything. He’s a smart-arsed prick, you know, Donaldson.’
Mike nodded in agreement. ‘Yeah, well, we know what she meant though, don’t we?’
‘Yeah, we know, but it wouldn’t stand up in court. Still, we’ll see what we get tomorrow — she’s calling him again then. Goodnight.’
Mike dragged on his coat. It was another hour, sitting in traffic, before he picked up Angela. As far as she knew, she told him, the women were all still together at the manor; Dolly had bought it from Ester, paid her by cheque. She had not heard any mention of diamonds but they were all edgy, especially Ester.
Mike paid her a tenner. She wanted him to take her out for a hamburger, but he refused. ‘When will I see you again, then?’
Mike cleared his throat. She was too close to Rawlins and tied in even closer to him. It made him nervous but he didn’t want her to get suspicious of anything he was doing so he grinned. ‘Soon as I get some free time. It’s getting a bit heavy with Susan right now — she’s asking a lot of questions about where I am. We just have to cool it for a bit.’
She started to sniffle and he hugged her. ‘Come on, now, don’t start. I’ve got to be on duty in half an hour otherwise I could see you, but right now it’s too difficult.’
‘You just used me.’
He turned away from her. ‘I’m sorry if it looks or feels that way but I didn’t, and you knew I was married right from the start, Angela, I got kids.’
She sniffed again and opened the car door. ‘All the same, you used me, Mike. I give you all that information and you can’t spare ten minutes for me. How do you think that makes me feel?’
‘Look, let me get this Rawlins business sorted. I’m doing this for my sister, Angela. Let me do what I have to do and then I promise I’ll call you, okay?’
He reached over and squeezed her hand. She gave a sweet smile and closed the door, watching as he drove off. She felt cheated and slightly guilty. Mrs Rawlins had seemed quite nice, not like the others. She hunched her shoulders and went back into the tube station to head for her mother’s place.
Audrey showed Mike the fake diamonds. Two grand I paid. They’re very good, Tommy’s a professional. What do you think?’
Mike was tired out. He stuffed the bag into his pocket. ‘Okay. Now you should get packed and out of here as soon as you can. I’ll stash these tonight.’
‘Did she meet up with Jimmy, then, today?’
‘Yeah, but they played games.’
‘She’s clever, Mike. Watch out for her, don’t trust her.’
He looked at his mother. ‘You mean like I trusted you?’
‘How can you say that? You know why I did it! You know why!’
He pursed his lips. ‘You did it for the money so don’t give me the sob story about Shirley because it won’t wash any more. I’m doing this tonight and then that is it, you hear me? I want you out of here, out of my life.’
‘You don’t mean that, do you?’
‘Yes, I do.’
‘But the villa! You and the kids can come for holidays.’
‘No, Mum, I don’t want to know about the fucking villa. You got it, you stay in it. Now pack your bags, like I said, get your ticket sorted and leave.’
Audrey burst into tears and started talking about Shirley but Mike walked out. She followed him. ‘I had a right to them. I had every right. She killed Shirley! You know she did. She should have gone down for life, that’s what she should have got.’
He ran down the stone steps, hearing his mother’s grating, screeching voice, and he hated her. At this moment, he even hated his sister. If he was caught replacing the stones at Jimmy Donaldson’s antique shop he’d be arrested and it would all be whose fault? Dolly Rawlins’s!
By the time he got back into his car, he hated Dolly Rawlins as much as his mother did. Crashing the gears, he sped off down the road. The pouch bag of fake diamonds felt like a red-hot coal in his jacket pocket.
Chapter 5
Julia kissed her mother’s soft powdery cheek and then stepped back, holding up the goldfish. ‘I got you a present.’
Mrs Lawson smiled and gently stroked Bates the cat. Well, I’ll have my time cut out watching that Bates doesn’t eat it.’
‘We used to have a fish bowl somewhere, didn’t we? I remember it.’ Julia searched in the kitchen and eventually found it, filled it with water and tipped in the fish. Then she carried it into the drawing room. Her mother was still stroking Bates, sitting in her wheelchair, a cashmere shawl wrapped round her knees. The room was oppressively hot, the gas fire turned on full.
‘So, how are you?’ Julia said as she sat down, peeling off her sweater.
‘Oh, Mrs Dowey takes good care of me and her husband still looks after the garden.’
Julia could think of nothing to say so she got up and looked over a stack of bills placed in a wooden tea-caddy on the sideboard. ‘Are these for me?’
‘Yes, dear. I was going to send them to your accountant as usual but as you’re here...’
They were the usual telephone, gas and electricity bills, Mrs Dowey’s and her husband’s wages, and bills for repairs and maintenance to the house. Julia even paid for the groceries.
‘You know, dear, if this is too much for you...’
Julia turned the wheelchair round to face her. ‘If it was I’d say so. Besides, who else have I got to look after?’
‘I always hope you’ll meet someone nice, marry and settle down. It would be nice to have a grandchild before I die.’
Julia smiled, touching her mother’s wrinkled hand. ‘I am trying, Mother, but you know my job — it’s always taken precedence over my personal life.’
‘You look very well, dear.’ Changing the subject deftly, Mrs Lawson smiled sweetly. Will you be staying tonight?’
‘No, sadly I can’t. I’ve got surgery this evening.’
‘Ah, yes, of course. Perhaps a cup of tea?’
Julia nodded and stood up. She was so tall that the low ceiling felt as if it was pressing on her head. ‘I’ll put the kettle on.’
‘That would be nice, dear, thank you.’
Julia stood at the window and wanted to cry. Everything was exactly as she remembered it, as she had always remembered it. Nothing had changed for years. Only her mother had got older and more frail, softer, her voice light and quavery. Nothing else had changed. It always seemed so strange that her mother never noticed how different she was. Didn’t it show? Couldn’t she tell? ‘I’ll make the tea.’ Julia left the room and Mrs Lawson turned to stare at the solitary goldfish swimming round and round in the empty glass bowl.