‘Connie here, is she?’ John blurted out.
Jim covered well. If she had been caught in there with him, he’d have been in trouble. Not that he knew who the big broad-shouldered bloke was. He just acted dumb.
‘No, nobody here but me, why?’
John looked past him into the hut. ‘No reason. Sorry, mate. Sorry to bother you.’
He walked down the steps, then stopped. Jim was still at the door. He wanted to say she was his, but decided against it. Better to make sure that she was before he threw his weight about.
Jim knew he’d have to ask Connie about the bloke but only when the time was right. They’d not even been out on a proper date yet. Half of him still couldn’t believe what had taken place — he’d never experienced anything like it. Blown in his own signal box! But there was no one he could tell, especially not anyone from the company as he’d be fired on the spot. It had happened though, and as if to assure himself that it really had he drew Connie’s lacy panties from his pocket.
‘Shit, I forgot me knickers,’ Connie said as she walked into the house, slamming the front door. They weren’t worth going back for. She called out she was home, then hurried into the kitchen and began to draw on the back of an envelope everything she could remember. She was just finishing when she heard the front doorbell ring.
Ester came in, looking perplexed. ‘I didn’t hear a car, did you, Connie?’
‘No. Who do you think it is?’
Dolly appeared on the landing. ‘Answer it, Ester.’
Ester pushed Connie forward. ‘You answer, just in case.’
Dolly thumped down the stairs as the bell rang again. She went for the door and swung it open. Angela stood on the doorstep. ‘I’m sorry, I got no other place to go — thumbed a lift back.’
‘Well, love, you can thumb one right out again,’ Dolly replied.
Connie felt sorry for Angela. ‘Ah, let her stay for just one night.’
Ester scowled. ‘You joking? No way, chuck her out, Dolly.’
‘Oh, please don’t! I’ll cook and clean, I promise.’
Dolly opened the door wider. ‘Right, one night. Go up on to the top floor. Your old room’s gone so use another, then come down and clean up the kitchen and make us some dinner.’
Angela almost kissed her hand but Dolly stepped away, letting the door bang shut.
‘You must be mad,’ Ester said, going back into the drawing room.
Connie smiled at Angela but got pushed into the room by Dolly. ‘Give us a call when it’s ready, will you, love?’ Dolly said as she went into the drawing room.
Gloria clattered in. ‘I don’t fucking believe that girl’s cheek. I just seen her making up her bed.’
‘Just for tonight,’ Dolly said.
‘What? Are you crazy?’
Julia yawned. ‘Well, the kitchen’s a mess, the kids’ room’s a mess, we need somebody to cook, do all the ironing and washing, plus she’s going to cook dinner so that should keep her occupied for one night, anyway.’
Dolly sat down, took out her notebook, and flicked through it.
‘Bit bleedin’ risky, isn’t it?’ Gloria said, warming herself by the fire. That boyfriend of hers — what if he’s sent her?’
Dolly looked up. ‘You want to hear him? He’s got problems, his wife... But so far he’s not made any calls to his station about us. I think we got the bloke by the balls.’
They focused on Dolly as she took out the tape and slipped it into the small cassette player.
‘You got him taped?’ Ester said.
‘Didn’t I tell you? Have a listen.’
‘You got him taped at his house? What about at his nick? It’s not who’s he’s calling at his home that’d worry me but what he and his mates are doing.’
Dolly said nothing because she knew Ester was right.
They sat round listening to Susan and Mike arguing. They all laughed, apart from Ester, as if it was a joke. They even heard his kids yelling. Dolly left them to it, went to the kitchen to have a private confab with Angela. She could feel Ester’s eyes on her and it unnerved her slightly, only because she knew Ester was right: Mike had also to be monitored at his station.
Angela was working herself into a sweat, washing dishes, scrubbing the floor, cleaning all the surfaces, as if to prove she was worth her keep.
‘You want to stay on, do you?’ Dolly asked, as she drew out a chair to sit at the kitchen table.
‘Yes. I’ll do anything to make up for what I done, anything. I know you won’t ever forgive me but...’ Angela sat opposite Dolly, trying to explain about the baby and Mike, but Dolly took her hand.
‘Shut up. Now, are you still seeing him?’ Angela shook her head.
‘I see. Well, you might have to prove yourself, Angela — not just to me but to the others. Does he know you were driving that car that killed Jimmy Donaldson?’
‘No! I hate him, Dolly, really, I wouldn’t help him. I swear on my life I wouldn’t.’
Dolly propped an elbow on the table. ‘Well, you remember this, Angela, because if you betray me again, if I find out that you’re grassin’ back to him, then you’ll go down for murder and I’ll make sure of it. You understand, don’t you?’
Angela felt scared but she nodded. In truth, she didn’t have anywhere to go — even her mum had refused to let her stay. The manor was the only place she had been able to come to, and she clung to Dolly’s hand. ‘I’ll make it up to you, I swear I will. I’ll do whatever you want.’
‘Good girl. I want you to keep house, feed us and take care of Kathleen’s girls. And I will need you to do a few things for me.’
The women had obviously been talking about Dolly because when she returned they fell silent. She picked up her notebook.
‘Dinner’s not ready yet so let’s get this sorted before we eat.’ She asked each of them about their day, making copious notes, frowning at Ester who, she felt, had not done enough. She was told to go out the next day and get more information on the carriage links.
‘Good work on the cess-pit, Gloria and Julia.’
They felt a little like schoolgirls and didn’t enjoy it.
Dolly then turned her attention to Connie. She was more than pleased with her sketches and that the lime was on order and on its way. The hastily drawn diagrams were not yet good enough, they needed far better ones and descriptions of the security measures, the alarms and codes used to contact the local police. Connie agreed she would have another evening with Jim — even spend the afternoon with him because he wasn’t on duty until four thirty.
That’s not written down here, Connie,’ Dolly said sternly.
‘Well, I just told you.’
‘That’s not good enough. Put everything down so I can check it all out. Is that understood?’
Dolly began to allocate them the next day’s jobs, to be fitted in as well as the two rides already booked. She ticked off each item. She wanted Julia to get hold of Norma’s police cape and, if possible, her hat.
‘We could hire some,’ offered Julia.
‘Yes, we could, and be seen doing it. Don’t keep questioning me — just get on with what I tell you to do and don’t argue.’
It might not be that easy.’
‘Why not? I’ve seen it in the back of her truck. Go and keep her friendly, just like Connie’s doing with the signal box attendant. Plus, Connie, keep your eye on those shotguns at the gym. Go there tomorrow — just keep checking them.’
Dolly continued down the list and then told Julia to accompany them on the rides the following day. ‘Who’s looking after the kids?’ she asked.
‘Angela, and don’t argue. Until I say different she stays. We need her, and somebody’s got to keep them happy and well looked after.’