She's Out Read Online Free PDF Page B

twice, over the years, but he was very fond of her. He even gave her money sometimes but
he had no intention of ever leaving his wife. She had been a useful relaxation and he didn’t really believe she was in love. If it hadn’t been for Mike, she might have been sent to an
approved school, and whatever excuses he made regarding his friendship with Angela were just excuses. The sex was good and he simply refused to admit that that was what he used Angela for.
    ‘Ester called yesterday. I’m to go to her old manor house.’
    ‘Oh, yeah? She back running another brothel?’
    ‘No way. She’s holding some kind of party, for a woman called . . .’
    Angela frowned as she tried to remember, and then grinned. ‘Oh, I dunno, but she was in Holloway wiv her, shot her old man, you know. She was famous. He was a big-time villain. Anyway,
she’s comin’ out of the nick and Ester is arranging a group of old friends to sort of welcome her, you know, give a party, and she wants me to act as a waitress.’
    Mike fingered the knot in his tie. His mouth felt rancid. It couldn’t be – couldn’t be who he thought it was, could it? ‘Dolly Rawlins? Is that who it is?’
    ‘Yeah, she was in Holloway with Ester.’
    Mike leaned against Angela, undoing the buttons of her shirt. ‘Who else is going?’
    ‘I dunno, but it’ll be some kind of scam, you can bet on it. I got to wear a black dress an’ apron. Ester never did nothin’ for nobody without there being something in it
for her. She’s a hard cow but I need the cash. Said she’ll pay me fifty quid.’
    Mike eased back Angela’s shirt, slipping his finger under her lace bra. ‘She say anything else about Dolly Rawlins?’
    Two young prisoners peeked into Dolly Rawlins’s cell, looking at the small neatly packed brown suitcase, a coat placed alongside it. Apart from these two items the cell
was empty.
    Footsteps could be heard on the stone-flagged floor. The two girls scuttled back down the corridor as Rawlins, with a prison officer, headed towards her cell. Whatever they were expecting to
see, they were disappointed. The infamous Dolly Rawlins seemed pale and worn, like a schoolmistress. They didn’t get a look at her face, it was just her manner, the way she was walking, and
her short, grey hair. The officer hid the rest of her as she stood outside the cell waiting for prisoner 45688 to get her case and coat.
    The corridors were strangely silent, with faint whispers. Nearly all of the women were waiting, hiding, whispering.
    The Tannoy repeated a message that Rawlins, prisoner 45688, was to go to landing B. They all knew that was the check-out landing. She was almost out.
    The coat was too large since she had lost so much weight but it was good quality: she had always liked the best. She did up each button slowly and then reached for her case. She refused to admit
to herself or show that she was sad: none of the girls had spoken to her or said goodbye. She looked to the officer and gave a brief nod. She was ready.
    As Dolly headed towards landing B, the singing began, low at first, then rising to a bellow as every woman began to sing.
    ‘Goodbye, Dolly!’
    They bellowed and stamped their feet, they called out her name and clapped their hands. ‘Goodbye, Dolly, you must leave us . . .’ They screeched out their thank yous for the
cigarettes, for her radio, her cassettes, for every item she had passed around. Some of the girls were sobbing, openly showing how much they would miss ‘Big Mama’. One old prisoner
shouted at the top of her voice, ‘Don’t turn back, Dolly, don’t look back, keep on walking out, gel . . .’
    She could feel the tears welling up, her mouth trembling, but she held on, waving like the Queen as they walked on to the landings. They continued to sing, their voices echoing as she was
ushered along the corridor towards the Governor’s office. She was almost out. It wouldn’t be long now.
    Mike thumbed through the files and then