get away with murder, in
truth she hadn’t cared. All she had wanted, more than any millions, had been to get revenge. So Audrey had wept but had agreed to take the diamonds to Jimmy and had delivered them that same
night, as Dolly had instructed. The agreement had been that they would have no further contact until Dolly gave the word. Neither Jimmy nor Audrey knew that, as they met, Dolly was waiting for
Harry with a .22.
Harry had been relieved, the hiding-out over. He had known as soon as she saw him that he would be able to talk her round, make her believe that he’d had to lie low because he would have
been arrested. He had allowed her to go through the charade of a funeral because if he hadn’t, the filth would have known he was still alive. So he had waited, confident he could manipulate
her. Never had he considered the pain he had caused her, the terrible grief he had put her through, the wife who had stood by him for twenty years.
Harry had smiled when Dolly approached and had taken a few steps towards her. He had still been smiling when she fired at point-blank range into his heart.
Dolly Rawlins was arrested and charged with manslaughter, a nine-year sentence to be served at Holloway Prison. She had never stopped loving him and the pain never did go away, but the years
eased it. In prison she embraced the hurt inside her, like the child she was never able to conceive.
Jimmy Donaldson hadn’t found out the truth – nobody had – but his fear of Harry Rawlins remained. He hid the diamonds and stuck to his story throughout the lengthy
question-and-answer session following his removal from prison by DCI Craigh. He never mentioned Audrey’s name. All he admitted to was having received a package from Dolly Rawlins. Even after
his subsequent arrest for fencing, he remained silent about the diamonds. In reality, he had been too scared to fence them or mention them to anyone else. Now he began to talk.
‘She’s a tough bitch, you know, hard as nails. Everyone knew how much her old man depended on her – gave him more alibis than you had hot dinners, mate.’
Donaldson became quite cocky as he told them how Dolly had promised he’d get a nice reward for keeping her property safe.
‘So where are they, Jimmy?’ asked Craigh.
Donaldson pursed his lips. Well, that would be telling. I mean, you gonna let me see my wife?’
Craigh became tougher, prodding him with his finger. We make the deals, Jimmy, not you. You’re lucky we’re not gonna slap more years on for not coming out with this at your
trial.’
‘Fuckin’ hell, you bastards, you just been stringing me along. Well, no more, no way, I retract everythin’ I said, I dunno anythin’.’
The truth was that Craigh was in no position to offer a deal until he had spoken to the prison authorities and to Donaldson’s parole officer to see if they could get him moved. Mike was
eager for them to make any promise and he was the one who asked Donaldson if Dolly Rawlins had contacted him since she had been in Holloway.
‘No, never – she’s not stupid. But a few times I sort of felt a finger on the back of the neck, so to speak.’
Donaldson never divulged that Dolly Rawlins had quite a hold over him because of all the other times he had fenced stolen gear for her husband. Donaldson would have been put away for a lot
longer than five years. Dolly had known about his background and his work for Harry and she had virtually blackmailed him into holding on to the diamonds. Now he felt almost relief because they
seemed to want to put her away again and it would mean he was free of her.
‘How is she going to collect the diamonds?’
‘Well, she’ll call me. She was never arrested or charged for that gig, was she? I mean, nobody knows she’s got them, do they?’ Mike Withey was also relieved. At no point
had Donaldson mentioned the part his own mother, Audrey, had played.
Still not knowing the location of the diamonds, Craigh and Palmer
truth she hadn’t cared. All she had wanted, more than any millions, had been to get revenge. So Audrey had wept but had agreed to take the diamonds to Jimmy and had delivered them that same
night, as Dolly had instructed. The agreement had been that they would have no further contact until Dolly gave the word. Neither Jimmy nor Audrey knew that, as they met, Dolly was waiting for
Harry with a .22.
Harry had been relieved, the hiding-out over. He had known as soon as she saw him that he would be able to talk her round, make her believe that he’d had to lie low because he would have
been arrested. He had allowed her to go through the charade of a funeral because if he hadn’t, the filth would have known he was still alive. So he had waited, confident he could manipulate
her. Never had he considered the pain he had caused her, the terrible grief he had put her through, the wife who had stood by him for twenty years.
Harry had smiled when Dolly approached and had taken a few steps towards her. He had still been smiling when she fired at point-blank range into his heart.
Dolly Rawlins was arrested and charged with manslaughter, a nine-year sentence to be served at Holloway Prison. She had never stopped loving him and the pain never did go away, but the years
eased it. In prison she embraced the hurt inside her, like the child she was never able to conceive.
Jimmy Donaldson hadn’t found out the truth – nobody had – but his fear of Harry Rawlins remained. He hid the diamonds and stuck to his story throughout the lengthy
question-and-answer session following his removal from prison by DCI Craigh. He never mentioned Audrey’s name. All he admitted to was having received a package from Dolly Rawlins. Even after
his subsequent arrest for fencing, he remained silent about the diamonds. In reality, he had been too scared to fence them or mention them to anyone else. Now he began to talk.
‘She’s a tough bitch, you know, hard as nails. Everyone knew how much her old man depended on her – gave him more alibis than you had hot dinners, mate.’
Donaldson became quite cocky as he told them how Dolly had promised he’d get a nice reward for keeping her property safe.
‘So where are they, Jimmy?’ asked Craigh.
Donaldson pursed his lips. Well, that would be telling. I mean, you gonna let me see my wife?’
Craigh became tougher, prodding him with his finger. We make the deals, Jimmy, not you. You’re lucky we’re not gonna slap more years on for not coming out with this at your
trial.’
‘Fuckin’ hell, you bastards, you just been stringing me along. Well, no more, no way, I retract everythin’ I said, I dunno anythin’.’
The truth was that Craigh was in no position to offer a deal until he had spoken to the prison authorities and to Donaldson’s parole officer to see if they could get him moved. Mike was
eager for them to make any promise and he was the one who asked Donaldson if Dolly Rawlins had contacted him since she had been in Holloway.
‘No, never – she’s not stupid. But a few times I sort of felt a finger on the back of the neck, so to speak.’
Donaldson never divulged that Dolly Rawlins had quite a hold over him because of all the other times he had fenced stolen gear for her husband. Donaldson would have been put away for a lot
longer than five years. Dolly had known about his background and his work for Harry and she had virtually blackmailed him into holding on to the diamonds. Now he felt almost relief because they
seemed to want to put her away again and it would mean he was free of her.
‘How is she going to collect the diamonds?’
‘Well, she’ll call me. She was never arrested or charged for that gig, was she? I mean, nobody knows she’s got them, do they?’ Mike Withey was also relieved. At no point
had Donaldson mentioned the part his own mother, Audrey, had played.
Still not knowing the location of the diamonds, Craigh and Palmer
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