A lot of police officers have their private snitches in the prisons, someone wanting to do a bit of a trade. Lloyd was a youngster Mike had arrested on a burglary eighteen months ago. He had been sentenced to two years because of a previous conviction. He was a likeable kid, and Mike had even got to know his mum and dad, so he returned the call — and for the second time in one day he heard the name Dolly Rawlins. Francis had some information but he didn’t want to talk about it over the phone.
Governor Ellis rose to her feet from behind the desk as Dolly Rawlins was ushered into her bright, friendly office. She offered tea, a usual ritual when a long-serving prisoner was leaving. Mrs Ellis was an exceptionally good governor and well liked by the inmates for her fairness and, in many instances, her kindness and understanding. Rawlins, however, seemed never to have needed her on any level and as she passed the floral china cup to her, Mrs Ellis couldn’t help but detect an open antagonism that she had never sensed before.
She eased the conversation round, discussing openings and contacts should Dolly feel in need of assistance outside, making sure she was fully aware that she would, because of the nature of her crime, be on parole for the rest of her life. When she asked if Dolly had any plans for the future she received only a hushed, ‘Yes, I have plans, thank you.’
‘Well, I am always here if ever you need to talk to me, or ask my opinion. You must feel there is a network of people who will give you every assistance to readjust to being outside. Eight years is a long time, and you will find many changes.’
‘I’m sure I will,’ Dolly replied, returning the half-empty cup to the tray.
Barbara Hunter remained with her back to the door, staring at Rawlins whose calm composure annoyed the hell out of her. She listened as Mrs Ellis passed over leaflets and numbers should Rawlins require them. She kept her eyes on Rawlins’s face, wanting to see some kind of reaction, but Dolly remained impassive.
‘You have been of invaluable help with many of the young offenders and especially with the mothers’ and children’s ward. I really appreciate all your hard work and I wish you every success in the future.’
Dolly leaned forward and asked, bluntly, if she could leave.
‘Why, of course you can, Dorothy.’ Mrs Ellis smiled.
‘Anything I say now, it can’t change that, can it?’ Dolly seemed tense, her body arched.
‘No, Dorothy, you are free to go.’
‘Good. Well, there is something I would like to say. That woman...’ Dolly turned an icy stare to Barbara Hunter who straightened quickly. ‘You know what she is, we all know it, and I’ve got no quarrel with anyone’s sexual preferences so don’t get me wrong, Mrs Ellis. But that woman should not be allowed near the young girls comin’ in. She shouldn’t be allowed to get her dirty hands on any single kid in this place, but she does, and you all know it. She messes with the most vulnerable, especially when they’ve just had their babies taken from them. You got any decency inside you, Mrs Ellis, you should get rid of her.’
Mrs Ellis stood up, flushing, as Dolly sprang to her feet, adding, ‘I know where she lives.’
Mrs Ellis snapped, ‘Are you making threats, Mrs Rawlins?’
‘No, just stating a fact. I’ll be sending her a postcard. Can I go now?’
Mrs Ellis was infuriated. She pursed her lips and gave a nod as Hunter opened the office door. Dolly walked out, past Hunter, and never looked back. Two more officers were waiting outside for her as the door closed.
Mrs Ellis sat down and drew prisoner 45688, Dorothy Rawlins’s file towards her. She opened it and stared at the police file photographs, then slapped the file closed. ‘I think we’ll be seeing Dorothy Rawlins again.’
Hunter agreed. ‘I’ve never liked her or trusted her. She’s devious, and a liar.’
Mrs Ellis stared at Hunter. ‘Is she?’ she said softly.
‘Jimmy Donaldson was in the canteen two nights ago and I was next to him, I couldn’t help but hear.’ Francis Lloyd looked right and left, lowering his voice. ‘He said that he was holding diamonds for Rawlins, that you lot copped him for peanuts compared to what he’d got stashed at his place. Diamonds...’
Mike leaned back in the chair. ‘You sure about this, Francis?’
‘Yes, on my life. Diamonds, he was braggin’ about them, honest. Said he’d held on to them for eight years, diamond robbery, I swear that’s what he said.’
Mike leaned forward and pushed two packs of Silk Cut cigarettes forward. They’d been opened and there was a ten quid note in each.
‘Thanks, thanks a lot.’
On his way back to the station, Mike went over everything he had picked up and started to knit it together. Coincidences always needled him, and with Angela first and then Francis, it was certainly food for thought. By the time he’d parked his car in the underground car park at the station he was feeling very positive, and even thinking that maybe, just maybe, he would be able to get Dolly Rawlins put back inside. He couldn’t wait to see his mother’s face when he told her, but first he had to go by the book and run it by his governor.
Detective Chief Inspector Ronald Craigh was a flash good-looker, well-liked and hungry. He was a high flyer and a sharp officer, with a good team around him. His other sidekick was Detective Inspector John Palmer, steady, cool-headed and a good personal friend. The pair of them often joked about Mike being over-eager but that was not a stroke against him — far from it. Craigh listened attentively as Mike discussed the information he had received that day.
‘I have a good reliable informant who told me Rawlins is going to a big manor house. There’s a bunch of ex-cons waiting for her. I then get a tip-off from my informant in Brixton nick.’
Craigh leaned forwards. ‘Hang about, son, informant this or that... are they on record? They in my file?’
‘Yes, it’s Francis Lloyd — he’s in Brixton.’ Mike made no mention of Angela. She was not on the governor’s informant list but he skipped over that. He was excited as he presented the old files on the diamond robbery, explaining how he believed that Dorothy Rawlins would be out any minute and would, he estimated, go for them.
‘Well, that’ll be tough, won’t it?’ Craigh smiled. ‘If Jimmy Donaldson is holdin’ them for her and he’s banged up, how’s she gonna get to them?’
Mike paced up and down. ‘What if we were to bring him out, talk it over with him, see what he has to say? I mean, we might be able to have a word with his probation officer or the Governor at Brixton, see if we couldn’t get him shipped to a cushy open prison.’
‘No way,’ Craigh said.
Palmer held up his hand. ‘We might be able to swing something that’ll make him play with us.’
Craigh shook his head again. ‘Come on, you know we got no pull to move any friggin’ prisoner anywhere — and if we get him out, then what?’
We get the diamonds,’ Mike said, and grinned like a Cheshire cat. ‘One, there’s still a whopper of a reward out for them, two, we clean up that robbery — nobody was pulled in for it. What if it was Rawlins all along the way? We’ll find out if she contacts Donaldson. It’ll be proof she knows about the diamonds.’
Craigh was still iffy about it. ‘According to the old files, it was suspected that Harry Rawlins was behind it.’
‘She shot him,’ Mike interrupted.
‘I know she did. What I am saying is there was never any evidence to connect her to that blag.’
‘There is if she goes for those diamonds.’
Craigh sucked on his teeth and then picked up all the old files. ‘Okay, I’ll run it by the Super, see what he’s got to say about it.’