DCI Craigh and DI Palmer looked over the forensic reports taken from the red Volvo. There was no indication that the car had been involved in any accident, no traces of blood, no body tissues. They didn’t have enough to bring charges against Gloria Radford and, even if she had hired the car, they had no evidence that she had run over James Donaldson. In other words, they had fuck all.
‘Now what?’
Craigh looked at Palmer and shrugged. ‘Well, we’re up for a hard rap around the knuckles, that’s for starters. The Super’s getting his knickers in a twist, and we’re gonna have to iron this out somehow.’
Palmer looked over their reports and noted the vast amount it had cost Thames Valley and the Met to mount the searches of the manor, together with the surveillance. All would have to be costed and all they had to date was one arrest. Kathleen O’Reilly.
Craigh tugged at his hair. ‘I’m going to interview O’Reilly again. So far she’s not said a bloody word, but you never know.’
‘Bring her in, shall I?’
Kathleen had been taken to Holloway. She would stand trial again for the previous charges of fraud and kiting but, as Craigh had said, she was unforthcoming and had only admitted to her name and the previous charges. She insisted she was just staying at the manor and that Dolly Rawlins had no knowledge of her previous record or that she was on a wanted list. All she did was pay Rawlins rent.
Mike appeared, sidled round and tried to make himself invisible when Craigh nabbed him. ‘I’m going to talk to O’Reilly again but the word from the Gov is to stay well clear of Rawlins. We got to get ourselves out of this mess so you make sure your reports are tight as a nut.’
Mike hesitated. ‘What about my sister?’
‘Less said about her the better. We’re in enough trouble as it is so just get on with the backlog of work on your desk.’ Craigh glared at him. ‘This isn’t over yet, son. We could all be in trouble. We never found any diamonds so that’s been sorted, understand?’
‘Yes, sir.’
Craigh walked away, and Mike wandered to his desk and sat down. His heart was thudding in his chest. Had he got away with it? Or was that call from Rawlins going to be some kind of threat? He felt sick to his stomach and when he reached for his files his hand was shaking as if it didn’t belong to him. He was scared that Rawlins would put him in the frame. If she did, he was finished.
Kathleen was as non-committal with Craigh as she had been the night she was arrested. She didn’t know anything about any diamonds or guns; all she did was rent a room from Dolly Rawlins.
‘What you think she is? Some kind of female Al Capone? Why don’t you leave her alone? All she’s doin’ is tryin’ to open a home for kids and you’re harassing her, that’s what you’re doing.’
Craigh thanked her for her observations and left. Kathleen seemed to know she would go down for at least five years this time. She appeared resigned to it. Maybe she didn’t know anything about Rawlins and maybe, he began to mull it over, they had been pressured into the searches and warrants by Mike Withey because he had personal motives. The more Craigh thought about it the more he made up his mind that if the Super tapped on his shoulder, then he’d point the finger at Mike. He wasn’t going to take all the blame. Mike Withey had a lot to answer for and if it came down to it he would have to.
Dolly sat with a mug of tea. She was deep in thought when Ester walked in. ‘Angela’s still in her room. Gloria took up a coffee at breakfast time, told her to get packed, but she’s still in there.’
Dolly got up and poured the dregs of the tea into the sink. ‘I don’t care, just get rid of her. I got to go up to London, have a word with Kathleen.’
Connie walked in with three sheets of paper. ‘Dolly, you wanted John to give estimates for the damage when the police raided the house.’
Dolly inspected the figures and gave a wonderful smile. ‘These are good. Oh, Connie, can I have a word?’ She said to Ester, ‘Can you leave us for a minute?’
Ester sloped off, and Dolly dried the mug carefully, placing it back on its hook. There’s a signal box at the station, young bloke on duty — I think there’s two of them. Will you get to know them? Find out what time they come on duty, when they’re off and who does nights, that kind of thing.’
‘Why?’
‘Because I want you to.’ Connie pulled a face and Dolly moved closer. ‘This time, Connie, if needs be you fuck them because I want that information. I want you to know that signal box layout better than your own body, understand me?’
Connie stepped back. ‘Yes.... all right.’
‘Good — and don’t tell any of the others, just get on with it.’
Dolly went out of the back door and called Julia, who was leading Helen of Troy back into the stables. ‘A minute, love.’
Ester caught Connie as she went up the stairs. ‘What was that about?’
Connie looked back down the stairs. ‘She said not to tell you.’
‘So, what did she want?’
Connie repeated what Dolly had told her then carried on up the stairs. Ester was about to go into the kitchen when she overheard Dolly talking to Julia. ‘You see Norma, try and find out about the security at the station.’
‘Why?’ Julia asked, as she pulled off her boots.
‘Don’t ask questions, just do it. I want to know about the local police and the security around the station. She’ll know. If she doesn’t then fine, but test her out.’
Julia felt uneasy but there was a toughness to Dolly that unnerved her so she kept quiet.
Dolly walked into the hall. She saw the drawing-room door closing: Ester had made a quick move in there so she wouldn’t be discovered. ‘Ester.’
Ester popped her head out, acting surprised. ‘Oh! What you want?’
‘That kid, the trainspotter. He’s got books, train times and—’
‘We can get you a timetable you know, Dolly.’
Dolly’s mouth was set in a thin tight line. ‘Yes, I know, but I want the times and details of one specific train. The mail train. Get his book off him but do it without him knowing.’
‘That shouldn’t be too hard — he’s mental anyway.’
Dolly picked up the phone and began to dial. Ester hovered a moment before she went into the kitchen.
Julia was still there, drinking a cup of tea. ‘She’s planning something, isn’t she?’ she said.
Ester nodded. ‘Yeah. I knew it. I always knew that if she had her back to the wall she’d come up with something.’
‘Yeah, but what is it?’
Ester leaned close, one eye on the door. ‘I think it’s the security wagon that delivers the money to the mail train.’
Julia let out her breath. ‘Jesus Christ.’
Ester kept her eye on the door, afraid Dolly would walk in. ‘She held back three shotguns from Gloria’s stash. She reckoned she was going to do something. Well, she was right.’
Julia rubbed her arms. ‘Do we really want to be involved in it, though?’
Ester nudged her, grinning. ‘What do you think? Let’s just play her along, see what pans out. In the meantime, we got this place, we got board and food, so why not?’
Dolly drove into George Fuller’s car park. He was the lawyer who had represented her at her trial. A clever, iron-faced man employed by many top-level crooks, he was expensive but he was as tough as his face and even when he smiled a greeting he seemed to be sneering.
‘Hello, Dolly, good to see you. Sit down.’
She perched on a chair in his immaculate office and passed over the estimates from the builders. ‘I’m being harassed. I want them off my back, George.’
He nodded, then lifted his briefcase on to the desk. ‘Right. We can go there now and you can fill me in on the way. I’m in court at two so we’ve not much time.’