There was a lot more they needed to sort out but no one seemed inclined to open up the subject. It was obvious to everyone that the riding was a fiasco, the reality of the robbery far removed. Yet it hung in the air, unspoken, and as Dolly seemed disinclined to discuss it, no one else did.
It was early afternoon by the time everyone had cleaned themselves up, and the washing machine creaked under the weight of all their dirty clothes. The boots were lined up and the little girls given the task of cleaning them for fifty pence a pair. Dirtier than ever, polishing away, Sheena seemed to have a considerable amount of boot polish round her mouth but, seeing they were happy, Dolly said nothing and called all the women into the office.
They stood around, waiting, as Dolly closed the door and crossed to her desk. She picked up a small black notebook and sat down. ‘Right, it’s obvious we’re gonna need two lessons a day.’ She jotted down the costs and they all exchanged glances. ‘In the meantime, we’ll just carry on as if we’re progressing, even if we don’t seem to be.’
Gloria leaned on the desk. ‘I got to be honest, Doll, I’m not cut out for this riding business. It’s me size, you see. Being small I can’t get me legs round the horse.’
Ester snorted. ‘Get them round that Eddie, though.’
‘Chance’d be a fine thing. I’ve not had ’em round a male for a lot longer than you!’
Dolly was irritated. ‘Shut up. Now we ride twice a day, two hours a session, and that’s final. You get a small horse.’
Gloria pulled a face and sat in a winged chair. ‘You’re payin’.’
‘Yeah, I am paying for everything, so shut up and listen, all of you.’
Dolly had that edge to her, flicking through the book, jotting down expenses. Julia stood by the window. ‘The builder was here, Dolly. You know he’s got a delivery of bathroom equipment arriving and he’s a bit sore. He could start causing trouble.’
Dolly moistened her lips. ‘Yes, I know. We’ll start with him.’
Dolly pointed at Connie and told her to keep Big John happy, to see him as much as possible and give him five grand that evening.
Gloria swung her legs. ‘All right for some. I wouldn’t mind keeping him happy — got a nice arse.’
No one paid her any attention; they were listening to Dolly as she described the old cesspit half a mile from the house. ‘I need to get it cleared, see how deep it is, so this afternoon, Gloria and Julia, that’s your job.’
‘Oh, great! I just got meself cleaned up,’ moaned Gloria, but again she was ignored.
‘Connie, when you see the builder, I want you to order via his firm, without him knowing, about twenty kilo-bags of lime.’
‘Why? What do we need them for?’ Connie asked.
‘To fill the pit,’ Dolly said patiently.
She jabbed a finger at Ester. ‘You have an assignment. I want you to find out just how tough it is to unhitch a train carriage.’
‘Oh, sure,’ Ester said, smiling as if it was as simple as buying groceries.
‘I’m serious. The mail carriage is in the centre of the train, it’s an ordinary carriage. I want to know how you can unhitch it.’
‘How the fuck do I find that out?’
‘You’ve got a big mouth, Ester. Use it. Off the top of my head you can go to the railway museums, chat up a guard, not at the local station — any way you think — but I need to know how hard it is to unhitch, if it’s done manually or—’
‘Fine, I’ll do it,’ Ester interrupted.
Dolly ticked her memo in the notebook, turning a page. ‘Tonight, Connie, you go and see your boyfriend in the signal box. This time you find out the layout, how many alarms there are, how long it takes to get the law to the station.’
‘You must be joking,’ stuttered Connie.
‘No, love, I’m not. We have to know exactly what goes down when that mail train arrives, what he does, what—’
Connie broke in, ‘How do I do that?’
‘Find a way, love.’
‘Well, one minute you’re telling me to be with the builder, then the signalbox guy. I can’t do both of them.’
‘Yes, you can,’ Dolly snapped, and then looked at them all. ‘You have to do just what I tell you or this is finished before it’s started. I don’t want any arguments.’
‘Can we ask what you’re doing?’ Ester leaned forward.
Dolly closed her book and stood up. ‘I’m going to London so I’ll need the car. I don’t want the kids left alone so one of you bath them, feed them and put them to bed. I might be late.’
She walked out and they watched her go, no one saying a word until the door latched. ‘She’s nuts, you do know that, don’t you?’ Ester said angrily.
‘But you’re still here,’ remarked Julia tartly.
‘Yeah, but not for long if she carries on like this. We got a right to know what she’s doing.’
Gloria cranked herself out of the chair. ‘Well, like she’s always saying, she’s paying out so let’s get on with it. I mean, I’ll do your job if you wanna do the cesspit.’
Ester was no way going to dig shit. She was still in agony from the ride. ‘I can’t. I’m still injured.’
‘Well, then, we just do what Hitler says,’ Gloria mused.
Connie said, ‘Okay, but I’ll never get that information, you know. I’m not supposed to even be in the signal box.’
‘Take him a bottle of wine,’ Julia said, and stroked Connie’s shoulder. ‘One for the builder as well.’ Connie shrugged her away.
‘Right, let’s get on with it,’ Julia said, and one by one they went to do their allocated jobs.
Angela left the hospital, caught a bus and then made her way down the lane to the manor. No one was in sight so she pushed open the front door.
‘Hello? Anyone home?’
Ester appeared on the stairs and glared at her. ‘Just stay put, no need to come in.’
‘I’ve come for my gear.’
Ester disappeared along the landing. The three girls peeped out from the kitchen. Angela looked at them, then up the stairs.
‘They’re Kathleen O’Reilly’s kids,’ Ester called down.
Angela smiled. ‘Hello.’
‘Hello,’ said Sheena.
‘How ya all doing?’
Before they could reply, Ester returned with a suitcase which she hurled down the stairs. ‘There’s your gear. Piss off and don’t come back.’
Angela was near to tears as she picked up her case. ‘I got no money.’
‘My heart bleeds. Go on, get out.’
Angela walked back down the drive, dragging the suitcase, sniffing back the tears. She didn’t see Gloria and Julia way in the distance, digging and clearing the cesspit. Both wore thick scarves round their faces as the stench was disgusting. They heaved bucket-load after bucket-load, chucking it into a wheelbarrow.
‘This is making me sick,’ said Gloria and retched.
Julia heaved up the wheelbarrow. ‘Keep at it. We’ve only cleared a quarter of it.’
‘It’s not on, you know. This could give us a disease, it’s disgusting. I mean, this is — this is old shit, you know that, don’t you?’
Julia paid no attention as she wheeled the stinking, thick, gooey mud over to a pile of rubbish, smouldering with old bits of furniture and junk. She tipped out the barrow and stood back from the thick black smoke. She turned back as Gloria peered down into the pit.
‘Now what? I can’t reach in any further with the bucket,’ she yelled.
‘We’ll have to get into it,’ Julia said.
‘I’m not gettin’ in there,’ shrieked Gloria.
‘Well, one of us has to. We’ll toss for it.’ Julia picked up a rake and asked whether Gloria wanted the rake or flat side. Gloria bellowed she wanted the rake side. Julia tossed the rake into the air and it came down flat side.