She’s Out

Chapter 6

Dolly was up at six. She went through the Yellow Pages and earmarked the local building companies. She couldn’t wait to get started. At nine, she had Angela sitting at the reception desk, calling all the companies and asking for them to come and give estimates. She had been making out copious lists of all the contents of the manor, giving the women orders to list what they felt needed to be done in different parts of the house. They all went about the delegated duties with a zest and energy that sparkled like the diamonds they had all expected to get a slice of.

By ten o’clock, the drive was filled with an odd assortment of trucks as builders arrived. They eyed each other and had hushed private conversations with the new owner, Mrs Dorothy Rawlins. They walked around the grounds, studied the pool, the stables, all of them trying hard to win the race. Mrs Rawlins wanted an immediate verbal estimate. She wanted the work to start immediately, that afternoon if possible.

Dolly felt more alive than she had for years. She drove into the village in Gloria’s Mini and bought provisions, wellington boots, sweaters and jeans. If the women were genuine, she’d soon find out. She then went into the town hall to speak to Mrs Tilly again, more confident than the last time, and she asked if there was any possibility of being interviewed by the board before she gave the go-ahead for structural work to begin on the house. Mrs Tilly promised she would do what she could but she doubted the board could see her straight away. It would be more like five to six weeks so that they had time to assess her details.

Mrs Tilly liked Dolly, her forthrightness, her eagerness and, above all, her genuineness. When she went to see the chairman of the board, she asked if there was any possibility of moving Mrs Rawlins’s application forward. He looked over his diary and mused that the earliest would be in three weeks’ time.

Dolly handed out the wellington boots and jeans and asked for the groceries to be unloaded. She had ordered a giant deep freeze, plus a new fridge. The women looked on as trucks delivered wheelbarrows, spades, brooms and cleaning equipment. It was still only twelve o’clock when the builders began to ask to speak to Dolly about their estimates, and she sat in the dining room listening to each man. She eventually chose John Maynard, Builder and Carpenter. He was a one-man business that hired in workmen. His yard was only a mile from the manor and his estimates were lower than any of the others. The reason she hired ‘Big John’ was not only because his estimates were low, but she reckoned that as he was a one-man show, she could make a cash deal and cut down on the VAT payments.

Like a royal princess, she began the tour with Big John, working from the top of the house down to the cellars. He pointed out what structural work was required; mainly the roof needed to be replaced and the chimneys were dangerous. Every window sash had to be renewed; ceilings and all decor must be refurbished, and all the plumbing in every bathroom, the boilers. In other words, the manor needed to be stripped back to the bare boards and rebuilt. He said it would cost at least between sixty and seventy thousand pounds, and that excluded fitments and fittings; with those it would come to at least a hundred and fifty thousand.

Dolly was unfazed as Big John pointed out the dry rot, wet rot, failing damp courses, and he had not even taken into consideration the gardens, stables, swimming pool and orchard. Work on them would mean extra cost but his charges were still way under any of the larger firms.

‘How long will it all take?’ Dolly asked.

‘Six months at least.’

She frowned: she would have to have that meeting at the town hall to find out what grants she would be entitled to because it was now obvious that Ester’s big deal about all the furnishing being part of the sale meant nothing. Everything needed to be replaced — cutlery, linen, beds, mattresses, carpets. She knew she was looking at around half a million to get the manor back into shape — and that was for only the bare necessities because she would also have to install fire alarms and child safety equipment, but she was almost jubilant. She felt she was able to finance the place and still come out with money in the bank for emergencies, perhaps schooling and further education for the kids, home helps, nannies. She embraced everything in one huge confident sweep. Big John agreed to cut out the VAT for cash payment and departed a happy man to begin hiring workmen, plumbers, carpenters, brickies. Mrs Rawlins had agreed to pay him in fifteen-thousand-pound instalments as and when necessary, throughout the months of work. Big John ordered scaffolding, as the first payment from Mrs Rawlins would be on the first day of work commencing. The start date was virtually that afternoon and Big John was almost as ebullient as his new employer.

The women, in wellington boots, jeans and old sweaters, began to ‘look busy’, with a lot of comings and goings, but none were doing much or over-exerting themselves. They were more intent on keeping an eye on Dolly, but monitoring her phone calls was difficult as Angela was constantly on the phone making calls for her.

Ester passed Angela twice. ‘You’re not still on the phone, are you, Angela? Maybe Dolly wants to call somebody.’

‘I’m calling people for her. She’s given me a list.’

Angela was telephoning the social services, trying to find out what the building requirements and stipulations were, and if there was any information that could be sent, but she kept on being switched from one department to another.

Out in the stables, the women were half-heartedly clearing away years of rubbish, old wine crates and bottles. Rotting bags of garden debris mixed up with old garbage bags made it a hard physical job that none of them were trying too hard at.

Ester marched out. ‘That bloody Angela is still on the phone. It’s crazy, she’s been on it all morning.’

‘I thought Dolly was gonna call about the diamonds,’ bellowed Gloria.

‘Can you say that any louder, Gloria? Maybe the station attendant didn’t pick it up!’

Kathleen hurled a crate from the loft. ‘Well, get her off the bloody phone.’ She climbed down the ladder as Ester paced up and down. If she’s paying cash to that builder, she’s either got to have more than she let on or she’s going for them later today.’

Kathleen began to load the wheelbarrow and yelled that somebody else should also look as if they were working apart from her. Ester climbed up the ladder and began to kick down crates as Gloria dragged out an old table with three legs.

‘Gloria, come up here. Gloria!’

‘What do you want?’ she yelled back, and then looked up at Ester as she peered down from the loft.

‘You come up here, Gloria!’ Gloria sighed and went up the ladder. As her nose appeared at the top, Ester pointed to some old straw covering suspicious-looking bags. ‘Are these yours?’

Gloria shrugged. ‘Maybe. What’s your problem?’

Ester knelt down and dragged forward one of the open bags. They’re full of guns, Gloria.’

‘So bleedin’ what? What’s that got to do with you?’

‘A lot. There’s gonna be builders coming back this afternoon, and they’ll be swarming all over the place. If they find them, they’ll think the bloody IRA have taken up residence. Move them.’

‘Where to, for chrissakes?’

‘Somewhere out of sight, not left up here for anyone to find.’

‘I’ll move ’em but I’ll need you to help. They weigh a ton.’

Dolly was reading the leaflets from the social services when she heard a yell from below. She crossed to the window to see Gloria staggering towards the house with Ester, carrying what looked like a body in a bag.

They stumbled through the kitchen, all the guns wrapped in an old piece of carpet. As they went into the hall, they found Angela on the phone.

‘Well, I have to see you, it’s important.’

‘Get off the phone,’ Ester snapped.

Angela whipped round. ‘I’m still calling for Dolly,’ she lied, and began to redial.

The two women continued on towards the cellar and down into the sauna. Dolly watched from the landing, wondering what they were taking down there. She moved slowly down the stairs as Angela hurriedly dialled again. ‘Keep getting put into different departments, Mrs Rawlins.’

Dolly pressed her finger over the button and then lifted it up. She asked Angela to dial a number for her and to ask for Jimmy. Angela did as she was told. Dolly leaned forward, listening. ‘Ask him if he has got them,’ she whispered, as Angela held her hand over the phone.

‘Got what?’

Dolly gave her one of her strange, sweet smiles. ‘I’ll maybe tell you about it but just do as I say, love.’

Angela hesitated and then spoke into the phone. ‘Have you got them?’ she stammered.

Donaldson looked at Palmer. They had still not found the stones but Palmer nodded for him to say that he had them, and to stall for time. ‘Yes, I’ve got them, but not here.’

Dolly wrote on a notepad and passed it to Angela. She read it and then said into the phone, ‘I’ll collect them at two o’clock tomorrow afternoon.’

Dolly pressed on the cradle to cut off the call, and as Ester and Gloria came up from the cellar told Angela to carry on contacting the social services. ‘Still clearing the junk from the stable, Dolly.’

‘Good, keep at it. We’ll have some skips delivered soon so a lot of it can be chucked into them. I’m going to London tomorrow afternoon.’

They smiled, and went out to report that it looked like Dolly was going to pick up the diamonds the following afternoon. They started clearing the rubbish with renewed vigour.

Dolly waited until Angela had started telephoning again before she slipped down into the cellar and looked around for what she had seen Gloria and Ester carrying. She went into the old sauna locker room. Some of the cupboards were dented and hanging open but a row of three was locked, dusty fingerprints showing they had been opened and used recently. Dolly looked around and found an old screwdriver left on a bench. She prised open a locker and found herself looking at a thick canvas bag. She swore, and then sighed, leaning against the old locker. ‘Stupid, stupid, stupid...’

The women were all worn out from their efforts. The scaffolding was being erected around the house and the men worked hard until seven when they left. The women sat watching TV, all of them knackered, apart from Dolly who remained at the kitchen table making notes and copious lists.

When they had gone to bed, Ester suddenly sat bolt upright, nudging Julia. ‘Somebody’s downstairs, can you hear?’

Julia listened, and then crept to the doorway. She could hear nothing. Ester looked out of the window and whispered, ‘She’s out there again, look, up by the woods. What is she doing?’

Dolly was standing, staring at the manor, looking from one window to the next. She wore wellington boots and a raincoat she had found in a closet, a man’s raincoat, stained and torn.

‘What’s she doing out there?’

‘I dunno. Maybe reviewing her property. Come back to bed.’ Julia yawned.

‘I don’t trust her one bit,’ Ester said, but she returned to bed. Hours later she woke again as she heard someone on the stairs. She listened and then heard Dolly’s bedroom door opening and closing.

‘I don’t trust her,’ she murmured, but fell back into a dreamless sleep.

The workmen arrived at six. They were still putting up the scaffolding, but they had also begun to clear out old carpets and broken furniture, laid down planks for easy access by wheelbarrows into the hallway, and bags of cement had been delivered and left by the open front door. Dolly was up and having breakfast when Big John tapped and entered. ‘Scaffolding should be up by this afternoon and we’ll start clearing out anything you don’t want, get ready for the roof. Er, I’ve hired eight men so...’

‘You’ll get the first payment end of the week, if that’s okay, just a couple of days.’

‘Oh, fine. It’s just I’m laying out cash for all the tiles and the men’ll want wages come Friday.’

‘I know, love, but I have to go to London to get the cash. You’ll have it, don’t worry.’

‘Okay, Mrs Rawlins.’

‘Thank you, John.’ She sat a moment, tapping her teeth with a pencil, as one by one the women drifted down for breakfast.

‘Will you all start clearing the vegetable patch? I got bags and bags of seeds we can start planting,’ Dolly said, as they started frying bacon and eggs.

Julia walked in, face flushed. ‘You know, those old stables are in quite good nick — be nice to get a horse. I used to have one when I was a kid. They’re not that expensive to keep, or to buy, you’d be surprised.’

Dolly paid no attention but concentrated on her notes.

‘Did you hear what I said, Dolly?’ Julia said, as she threw off her jacket.

‘Last thing we need right now, love, is a horse. Let’s get the garden in order first. We can start that while the house is being done over, no need to fork out for gardeners, most of it’s just rubbish that’s got to be shifted.’

The women looked at one another, having no desire to ‘shift’ anything but the eggs and bacon.

‘I’m going up to London this afternoon. I’ll take Angela with me.’ Dolly left the kitchen and went to the yard.

Ester closed the door behind her. ‘Told you, she’s going for them this afternoon. Get Angela in here, go on.’

Gloria caught Angela dialling. She crooked her finger. ‘Who you callin’?’

‘My mum, let her know where I am.’

‘Well, do it later. Come in here, we want to talk to you.’

Dolly walked up to the woods. It was a beautiful clear day but she stopped as she heard the sound of a train from the small local station. She watched the level-crossing gates open and close, and saw a square-faced boy sitting on a stool, a trainspotter. He was making copious notes in a black schoolbook, checking his watch, face set in lines of concentration. Dolly strolled down from the woods on to the small narrow lane by the crossing.

‘Good morning,’ she said cheerfully.

The boy looked up: his face was even squarer close up and his thick black hair stuck up in spikes. ‘Good morning. My name is Raymond Dewey,’ he said loudly. ‘I’m here every day, checking on the trains. I’m the time-keeper. That was the nine o’clock express, on time, always on time.’

‘Really? You have an important job then, don’t you? Raymond, is it?’

‘That is correct, Raymond Dewey of fourteen Cottage Lane. Who are you?’

‘Well, Raymond, I’m Dolly, Dolly Rawlins.’

‘Hello, Dolly, very nice to meet you.’

She smiled at his over-serious face. Bright button eyes glinted back as he licked his pencil tip and returned to his work.

‘Well,’ Dolly said then, ‘I won’t disturb you. Bye-bye.’

He stuck out his stubby-fingered hand and she shook it. His grasp was strong, almost pulling her off her feet. Close to, he was much older than she had first thought but she thought no more of him as she wandered back towards the manor, going via the small narrow road, then cutting back up to the woods.

Mrs Tilly replaced the receiver and checked her watch. She thought it was probably best to discuss it with Mrs Rawlins personally, so she left her office.

The women were grouped around the vegetable patch. Connie was peering at seed packets as Julia dug the soil, turning it over. Two wheelbarrows were filled with weeds and rubbish.

‘Should these be goin’ in now?’ Gloria asked, as she opened another packet.

Julia began to stick in rods. ‘Bit late, but if the weather keeps fine it’ll be okay.’

Gloria sprayed out the packet.

‘Not there! Over here, what do you think I’m putting the rods in for?’ Julia shouted.

‘Well, I didn’t know. What you got in your packet, Connie?’

Connie pulled at the top to open it and the seeds all fell out.

‘Pick them up,’ said Julia, bad-tempered.

‘What, all of them?’ asked Connie. There’s hundreds!’

Gloria laughed and kicked at the seeds. ‘Who gives a bugger? Just push them over there.’

They saw a Mini Metro pull up by the front path. ‘Who’s that?’ Julia asked.

‘I dunno, she’s driving this way now.’

It was Mrs Tilly. ‘I’m looking for Mrs Rawlins.’

‘Try the back door,’ said Gloria. ‘Drive round the back, past the stables. She was in the kitchen.’

Mrs Tilly smiled her thanks and pulled away.

‘Who’s that?’ Gloria asked.

‘Why didn’t you ask her?’ said Julia, impatiently.

Connie, on her hands and knees, was picking up one seed at a time. ‘Ugh, the soil’s gettin’ under my nails. It feels all gritty and horrid.’

‘Take them off, then,’ said Gloria as she kicked more soil over a mound of seeds.

‘No, I won’t — they cost a lot of money.’

Gloria peered down at her. ‘Come this afternoon, sweetface, you’ll have a lot too, so come on, let’s go and see what the Metro wanted.’

Mrs Tilly tooted the horn and stepped out of the car as Dolly hurried out from the kitchen.

‘Mrs Tilly, good morning.’

‘Good morning, Mrs Rawlins. I can’t stop but I wanted to tell you personally. We had a cancellation for this afternoon so the board are reviewing your case and, if you’re available, can see you this afternoon at four thirty. I’m sorry it’s such short notice but as they’re all gathered, it seemed a shame not to jump the queue, so to speak.’

Dolly beamed. ‘Is there any advice you can give me, anything I should take with me?’

Mrs Tilly smiled, then said earnestly, ‘My advice to everyone applying for foster caring is always tell the truth because everything is always checked and double-checked.’

‘Thank you very much, Mrs Tilly. Are you sure you won’t come in for a cup of tea?’

‘No, I shouldn’t have really left the office unattended.’

‘I’ll see you later then.’

Angela had overheard. She came to the kitchen door. ‘Mrs Rawlins, about this afternoon—’

Dolly turned and frowned at Angela to shut her up, then turned back to Mrs Tilly. ‘Four thirty, then, Mrs Tilly. Should I wear a suit, do you think?’

‘Wear anything you feel comfortable in. You’ll be asked a lot of questions, some very personal, so whatever you feel most confident and relaxed in. Goodbye.’

Dolly waved. She felt like skipping — everything was coming together so fast and they were obviously taking her proposals seriously. She waited until Mrs Tilly’s car had disappeared before she clapped her hands. ‘Did you hear, Angela? I’ve got a meeting before the social services board. This is positive, isn’t it? I’m going to make this work.’

Angela wrinkled her nose. ‘But what about that Jimmy bloke? You said you’d see him this afternoon. I phoned him yesterday, remember? You can’t go to London for two and be back by four thirty. It’s after eleven now.’

Dolly folded her arms. She’d forgotten — unbelievable but she had. It was the excitement. She’d not felt like this since she was a kid. She hugged her arms tightly around herself. ‘Get the others in. Tell them we need to talk.’

Angela shaded her eyes as the women slowly trooped into the yard. ‘They’re coming in now.’

Dolly whipped round. ‘I hope that Mrs Tilly didn’t cop sight of Ester. Is she with them?’

‘No, I’m here, Dolly,’ Ester called from the kitchen.

Dolly went into the house. She didn’t say a word to Ester but hurried up to her room to sort out what she would wear for the afternoon’s meeting.

They all looked at Angela, then Ester. ‘Don’t ask me what went down, Angela was here. What did that woman want?’

Angela told them about the board meeting and they shrugged, not interested, until Angela said, ‘She was taking me to London this afternoon. Well, now she can’t go.’

Dolly was brushing her hair, talking to herself, trying to sort out exactly what she should do. She had intended making a few calls, just to check out some of Harry’s old fences, preferring to use people she knew rather than trust Kathleen’s contacts. Now she sat on the dressing-table stool. Could she trust them? she asked herself. Sure she couldn’t, but she reckoned little Angela was on the level. She made up her mind. She didn’t like leaving Jimmy Donaldson holding the stones for too long. He could get itchy fingers and she’d kind of given him an ultimatum. She didn’t like going back on that as it made her look weak, as if she didn’t mean business. Harry had something on Donaldson but without him, Donaldson might just try it on.

They were sitting at the table in the big kitchen, obviously waiting. As soon as she walked in, she could feel the tension. ‘Okay, this is how we work it. One of you will have to collect the stones for me. I can’t risk losing this opportunity with the board members. They’re doing me a big favour as it is. Someone dropped out and I’m being upped to meet them, so...’

Ester looked at Julia. ‘What do you want to do?’

Dolly sat down. ‘Jimmy’s waiting for me to come at two o’clock. I said I’d be there, to collect at two this afternoon as I’m not too keen on leaving them with him. He’ll have them by now so one of you’ll have to go and do it for me.’

There was a unanimous ‘I’ll do it’ but Dolly shook her head.

‘What, don’t you trust us?’

‘No, if you want my honest opinion, but if I say I’ll give you each a cut, then whoever picks them up will do every one of you in. So that’s a bit of an incentive to come back, isn’t it?’ Dolly’s mind was racing. She never said how much of a cut but it was only to be a few hundred quid each. They could fight that out later, when she’d fenced the diamonds.

She looked them all over: Ester was Julia’s partner, so they wouldn’t do together; Kathleen she wouldn’t trust with a loaf of bread, or Gloria, so she went for Ester, the least trustworthy — but with Julia at home Dolly reckoned she’d return. ‘Okay, Ester, you go.’

Ester couldn’t hide her smile.

‘You sure, Dolly? I mean, what do you think, Ester?’ Julia said, and Ester could have smacked her.

‘I’ll do it. Don’t be stupid.’

Julia shrugged her shoulders. She knew that Ester had people after her but she said nothing. ‘Okay, if you say so.’

‘Take Angela with you, the pair of you do it. Ester collects, you drive, Angela.’ Dolly pointed at them in turn.

Angela seemed scared to speak, looking from one to the other.

‘Why Angela?’ Ester demanded.

Dolly gave an icy smile. ‘I trust her.’

‘And you don’t trust me?’

‘No, but I don’t think you’d leave Julia in the lurch — leave us all in the lurch — would you?’

They glared at Ester, almost as if warning her that she’d better not try anything. Dolly felt good. Yeah, she’d made the right decision.

‘So get yourselves together, take the Range Rover and get moving.’

Julia walked in as Ester was changing, and shut the door. ‘You’re coming back, aren’t you?’

Ester snapped, ‘Of course. She’s not as dumb as you think. She knows I’ve got people after me. I’m not likely to fence the gear all by myself in one afternoon, am I?’

Julia sat on the bed. ‘I dunno. Just seems odd she’d choose you, not me.’

‘Why you?’

‘Because she knows I’d come back if you were here, but I don’t know if you would — that answer your question?’

Ester leaned over Julia. ‘I’ll be back, don’t think I won’t, and she’s tied me to Miss Goody-Two-Shoes, so she’ll be watching me like a hawk. I’ll be back, Julia.’

‘Then what?’

Ester straightened and clenched her fists. Well, you said it the other night. You reckoned Dolly would kill for those diamonds. Maybe, just maybe, I would too if she tried it on. You’ll see which of us is tough. They’re my ticket out, Julia, and I won’t be content with some fucking measly little cut.’

‘What about the others?’

‘Fuck ’em. Now. how do I look?’

‘Great, but then I’m biased.’ Julia smiled: Ester always turned her on when she was hard like this. She liked her like this; she was so icy cold, so arrogant and, uppermost, so dangerous.

Angela stood in front of Dolly, who was close, her voice soft. ‘You watch her all the time. You stay in the car, see her collect, then you put your foot down and come straight back here, okay? This is the address, twenty-one Ladbroke Grove Estate. You all right?’

‘Yes, but I wish you’d ask one of the others.’

‘No, love, I only trust you, maybe because you’re the only one who hasn’t been inside. You’ve still got some honesty about you, some integrity none of the others has. They’d have ’em and be away, I know it. You’re my safety lever.’

Angela was in turmoil but couldn’t see any way out of it. She was still shaking as Ester walked in, dangling the car keys. ‘Okay, we’re all set, sweetface, let’s go and collect.’

Gloria looked at the clock. ‘Well, you got plenty of time.’

‘Maybe we’ll stop off for lunch.’

‘Yeah. Just as long as you don’t stop off any place after you picked them up.’

Ester laughed, unaware that Dolly had already searched her room and pocketed her passport. She was, as they all said, not the pushover they had thought, and now she was sitting drumming her fingers on the side of the desk, wondering if she had made the right decision. She decided to make a few calls just to be sure.

Ester and Angela climbed into the Range Rover. Ester gave Julia a little wink. ‘Right, might as well get, on with it then. See you all later.’

Julia slammed the door as the engine fired. She banged on the side of the door. Take care, Ester, see you later.’

Gloria leaned on a rake. ‘If she doesn’t show, I’ll shove this up her arse.’ They watched the Range Rover drive out and Julia stared towards the vegetable patch. Gloria called after her. ‘She will come back, won’t she?’

Julia walked. ‘Yeah. I’m the love of her life, aren’t I? She’ll come back. So get your spades, we have to dig a deep trench so the water drains.’

Wandering back to the vegetable garden, dragging a spade, Gloria said, ‘How come you know so much about gardening? I thought you were a doctor.’

‘Bit similar, actually.’ Julia laughed. She had always loved the outdoors. In fact, she liked being at the manor. She just didn’t have the guts to say so.

Dolly dialled and waited. She recognized Tommy’s throaty, chesty breath immediately. ‘Hello, Tommy, it’s Dolly, Harry Rawlins’s widow.’

‘Good God, you’re out then, are you, gel?’

‘Yeah, I’m out, but I need a favour.’

‘You know old Tommy, lovey, if he can do you one, he will.’

‘Just so long as you get paid for it, right?’ Dolly chuckled.

‘On the nail. So what can I do you for?’

Dolly lowered her voice. ‘I’ve got a few things I want to run by Jimmy Donaldson, then maybe bring to you.’

‘Jimmy Donaldson?’ Tommy wheezed.

‘Yeah, you know him?’

‘Course I do. Runs a gig over in Hackney, or he did. You know he’s been away for a few years — still is as far as I know.’

‘Away? Where?’

‘Banged up. Got pinched for floggin’ some Georgian silver. Didn’t you know?’

‘You sayin’ he’s still in the nick? You sure?’

‘Yeah, reason is, a few days back someone was asking after him and... hello? Hello?’

Dolly felt cold, her hand still gripping the receiver. If Donaldson was nicked, how come he was answering his phone? It didn’t make sense. She sat down and ran her hands through her hair, trying to remember everything he had said at the fairground. The more she thought about it, the more she began to think that maybe she was being set up.

The women turned as they heard Dolly calling for Ester. ‘She’s gone. Dolly?’

Dolly ran towards them. ‘They’ve gone? But why, why didn’t they talk to me? I never told them to go.’

‘Well, they couldn’t wait.’ Gloria started to laugh, but seeing Dolly’s expression straightened her face. ‘What is it?’

‘I’m being set up. Jimmy Donaldson’s supposed to be in the nick.’

‘You!’ stormed Julia. ‘They’ve gone!’

Gloria hurled aside her rake. ‘Get me car, we can catch them up. Come on!’

Julia ran after Gloria, Dolly following. Kathleen looked at Connie, who was still half-heartedly digging the trench. ‘What did you make of that?’

‘I don’t know. What do you think?’

Kathleen gazed down at the trench. She rammed in her spade. ‘Keep digging. This looks like a grave. Maybe we’ll be putting somebody in it...’