Norma swore as they drew up by the station level crossing. ‘Oh, bugger it. Let’s hope it’s not the mail train.’
They sat silent, watching the gates clang shut, and then Julia leaned back in her seat, slipping her arm behind Norma. They have a lot of security on for the mail train?’
Norma pointed along the road. ‘Yes, but as you can see, it’s quite simple. That’s why they pick on this station, no easy access for any car coming up either side of it and they’d never get as far as the motorway, the place is alarmed all along the track, special link to the police station. They can be here in under four minutes.’
‘Really?’ Julia said, feigning disinterest.
‘You know why they use the security vans?’
‘No?’
‘Because of the vulnerability of the big stations. Last big robbery was at King’s Cross so now they have armoured trucks, police escort to an out-of-the-way station like ours, then they put the bags on board and it’s a clear run through all the stations. Train goes at around eighty miles an hour.’
Julia began to caress Norma’s neck. Well, thankfully it’s not the mail train today, no coppers, just you!’ She leaned over and kissed Norma, embracing her as the passenger train moved on down the line until the gates opened and they continued on, passing Raymond Dewey on his little stool. He waved to Julia and she waved back.
‘Poor sod, what a life,’ she said.
‘Oh, he’s happy enough,’ Norma said, and then touched Julia’s hand lightly. ‘I’m glad you called.’
‘So am I,’ Julia replied, then stared out of the window. It was going to be a long drive and Norma irritated the hell out of her.
Dolly asked Connie to come in for a chat. She closed the bedroom door. ‘You’re seeing that signal box bloke tonight, aren’t you?’
‘Yes, I told you.’
‘Where’s he taking you?’
‘Dinner at his place.’
‘Good. Slip him a couple of these sleeping tablets. You can have a good search around his place. Maybe he’s got papers or something that’ll give us the alarm codes.’
Connie took the two tablets wrapped in a bit of tissue and slipped them into her pocket. ‘I’ll be down the gym first, check on the shotguns.’
‘Good girl.’
‘Thank you, Dolly,’ she said, without a smile.
As she was walking out, Dolly caught her hand. ‘Something bothering you, is there?’
‘What do you think? But, like you said, I owe you for Lennie so I’ll do whatever you say.’
‘You make sure you do.’
Connie wouldn’t meet her eyes. Instead, she continued out, closing the door behind her. Dolly rubbed her eyes, and pinched the bridge of her nose. God, they infuriated her. She was always having to check up on one or the other — it was like having a house full of kids. Well, she had kids for real and she wouldn’t let Kathleen down, but she knew it was going to be tough to keep the girls at the manor. She would have to start thinking about what she would do with them after the robbery. She felt tired out.
Angela was in the kitchen when Dolly came in. ‘Want to go into London, love? Only I got to drop Gloria off, got her usual visit with her husband so you might as well keep us company.’
It was not until they had left Gloria at a tube station that Dolly told Angela what she wanted her to do. She said it so quietly that Angela didn’t get nervous or even ask too many questions, she simply agreed. She was scared about going into the police station but Dolly stood outside waiting, encouraging her.
Angela asked at the desk to speak to Mike Withey. The duty sergeant asked her name and then called the incident room. What did you say your name was, love?’
‘Angela Dunn.’
When Mike was told she was waiting in reception he marched straight out to her, grabbed her by the arm and pulled her out on to the street.
‘I told you I didn’t want to see you again.’
‘Please, Mike, I just want to talk to you, just for a minute. Look, I bought you a present, I don’t want to make you angry.’
‘I don’t want anything from you, Angela. I just don’t want to see you ever again.’
Angela held out the pen box but he turned away so she took it out and showed it to him. ‘It’s a pen.’
‘Great, Angela, just what I needed.’ She slid it into his top pocket, and he turned away from her. ‘I don’t want it.’
‘Please, just give me a few minutes, please, Mike. I got to tell you something — it’s important.’ He rubbed his jaw. ‘Mrs Rawlins said she’ll call you tomorrow morning, she wants to know what would be a good time.’
Mike faced the wall, feeling as if someone was about to ram his head into it. ‘What else did she tell you?’
‘Nothing, just that she would be in touch but for you to tell her what time.’
He licked his lips. ‘Tell her I’ve nothing for her, not yet, but I’ll be at home — say in the morning about ten.’
Dolly sat in the car, the briefcase open on her lap. She adjusted the channel and could hear Mike as clearly as if he was sitting next to her. She reckoned it was going to be quite a long night but she had to know if she could trust him — or Angela, for that matter. So far she had said exactly what she had been told to say, and the added plus was that they were even in Dolly’s sight. She hadn’t reckoned on them coming outside to talk.
Angela watched him hurry back into the station before she headed towards Dolly. She could see the aerial stuck on the side of the car. ‘Was that okay?’
Dolly beamed. ‘Yes, love. Get in, I’ve a few things I want you to do for me. Can you stay at your mother’s?’
‘Why? Can’t I stay on at the manor?’
‘Yes, but I want you to do a few things for me first thing in the morning. Have you got a passport?’
‘No.’
‘Well, first thing tomorrow I want you to get one and I want you to take mine, with this letter. I’m the girls’ legal guardian and I want them put on my passport, just for a holiday. Then you come straight home. And, Angela, you don’t say a word about this to any of the others or they’ll go ape-shit — you know the way they feel about you.’ Dolly gestured for her to leave there and then.
‘What are you going to do?’
‘Oh, drive around a bit. Go on, off you go.’
‘My mum won’t let me stay, Dolly.’
Dolly counted off some twenty-pound notes. ‘Well, here’s money for a hotel — just the one night, love, then you get home first thing.’
She watched her walk off down the street. Angela turned and waved. Dolly acknowledged her, then saw the channel light blinking in the briefcase and put in her earplug. Mike was making a phone call. The pen worked perfectly, and she could hear him clearly; marvellous little invention. She smiled to herself as she listened to Mike talking, arranging to meet someone, and the more Dolly listened the more she smiled. She was sure she was right. She’d got the smart little bastard right by the balls. But better to be safe than sorry.
Gloria saw that Eddie was all wired up the moment he was let through the gate to the visits room. She’d brought a few odds and sods for him, not much, and fifteen quid. He took them without so much as a thank you.
‘So, how you keeping?’
‘Oh, I’m havin’ a really good time in here, Gloria.’
She had known it would start.
‘You look different,’ he muttered.
‘Yeah, well, it’s all the fresh air.’
‘So you’re still at the farmhouse then?’
‘It’s a manor house, Eddie, and yeah, I’m still there.’
He began to roll a cigarette. She waited for him to ask about the guns but he continued with the cigarette.
‘Anythin’ gone down there?’ he asked nonchalantly, keeping his eyes on his roll-up. She sat back, watching him, and then he looked up, and she knew, but she never gave so much as a flicker. In that moment she also knew she was stronger than him, and maybe she always had been.