Widows

‘He was a fool, Linda. And fools don’t know what’s good for ’em.’

Linda dropped the hamper on the picnic blanket and continued after Dolly.

Realizing that all three women needed reassurance, Dolly went on, loud enough for them all to hear: ‘I never meant for anything to happen to him and we don’t know it was the Fishers who got to him. It could have been an accident; he was pissed as a fart when I spoke to him earlier in the evening. I’m well aware of the problems we got, but we still got a job to do here today. And it ain’t my job to keep Boxer safe. It’s my job to keep you lot safe.’

Linda clenched her teeth, making the muscles in her cheeks visibly jump. ‘Well, you ain’t doing a very good job of that either.’ She looked at Shirley.

Shirley had her head down, trying to hide her split lip, but Dolly had seen it and the look on her face made Linda smirk in triumph. After a pause that seemed to last an age, Dolly went over to Shirley and lifted her chin with her hand.

‘What happened to your lip, darlin’?’ she asked softly.

Shirley hesitated. ‘It’s nothing.’ She looked down again.

Dolly repeated the question.

Tears welled up in Shirley’s eyes. ‘Tony Fisher grabbed me off the street and took me to my mum’s place. He said he wanted to know about your Harry’s ledgers. I was terrified and told him I didn’t know nothing. He threatened to burn me with a cigarette and kept insisting that I must know. I kept on saying, “I don’t! I don’t know anything!” Then he got angry and punched me in the mouth. Oh, God, his hands were all over me, inside my clothes and...’ As Shirley let it all out she threw herself into Dolly’s arms, sobbing. Nobody said a word. It was Dolly who broke the silence.

‘Did he... darlin’, what did he do?’

Shirley regained control of herself. ‘Greg showed up with his two mates. Tony would have raped me, I know he would. He said as much. But I didn’t tell him nothing about us, Dolly. I didn’t tell him about Harry’s ledgers or about what we’re doing. I swear I didn’t.’

Dolly got out a hanky and wiped the tears from Shirley’s eyes. ‘I know you didn’t, love,’ she said. ‘Don’t worry about that. I’m so sorry for what that bastard did to you and believe me, he’ll get what’s coming to him.’ Dolly glanced at Bella and Linda. ‘We keep this between us, OK? No police, no repercussions. We’re all going to be just fine.’

Dolly picked up one of the rucksacks from the back seat of the Morris. ‘Too heavy — take some sand out. We’re carrying bank notes, not gold bullion.’ The conversation was closed.

Linda couldn’t believe how quickly Dolly had glossed over Shirley’s near-rape, but Shirley jumped out of the Morris and started tipping some of the sand back out.

‘About a quarter, I reckon, love, that should do it,’ Dolly advised.

Shirley smiled at Dolly and Linda understood that focusing on the practical was exactly what Shirley needed. Bella also saw this, but she realized that Dolly was hiding something — and that something was fear. Dolly was worried. She decided to say nothing: she, too, would focus on the practical.

‘We thought we’d use the Morris as our tailing van.’ Bella said. ‘So we can practice getting in and out. It’s not ideal, but it’s better than a picnic blanket. And I can cut it up later, get used to using the chainsaw.’

‘Good idea,’ Dolly said. ‘The chainsaw and the sledgehammer are both in the boot of the Merc. I couldn’t carry everything in one go.’

‘Don’t worry about them, Doll,’ Linda said sarcastically ‘We’re only rehearsing for an armed robbery. Who needs a chainsaw and sledgehammer, when you brought pork pie and sarnies?’

‘And who needs a blocking van, when you brought a picnic blanket?’ Dolly snapped back. ‘At least I’ve got a chainsaw and sledgehammer, Linda, you got the van yet? I’ve already asked you a number of times to sort it, so pull your finger out and get it done. We need to know what size it is so we can reinforce the rear bumper with a steel bar.’

Linda was fuming inside, but a touch on the arm from Bella made her bite her tongue. She took a couple of deep breaths and then replied. ‘I know exactly what I’m looking for. I got a couple of possibles lined up, but want to give it another week.’ She spoke in a slow, controlled voice. ‘You’ll have your van soon enough.’

As Dolly headed off to walk through the fifty-yard run with Bella, Linda said under her breath to Shirley, ‘I ain’t risking jail for nicking a crappy old van just cos she’s got some ridiculous fantasy about an armed robbery.’

Shirley touched her split lip. It stung every time she spoke and opened up every time she smiled. ‘I hope it’s not a fantasy, Linda.’ Shirley said gravely. ‘I want better than this.’

Bella and Dolly marched to the far end of the fifty-yard run, using long strides to make certain the distance was correct.

‘That feels about right,’ Dolly said. As she started the walk back, Bella stayed still. Dolly turned.

‘What’s worrying you?’

‘Feels real.’

‘It is real,’ said Dolly. ‘Always was.’