The Lipstick Killers

instinct.’
    ‘OK. I trust you sis. Then what?’
    ‘Then we will do what needs to be done. These people have fucked with us once too often. I want a full confession .’
    ‘This is dangerous you know. We could both end up arrested, or worse.’
    ‘Sure. Listen Dolly, if you want out just say so. No hard feelings.’
    ‘And if I did?’
    ‘Then I’ll carry on in my own sweet way and come up with another plan. Roxie, I’ve had enough of being pushed around. That’s what happened to me in the force. I turned into the bad guy through no fault of my own – then all this started. To be honest with you Roxie, I was half convinced to turn in my papers anyway. It’s all changed being a copper. Health and safety and hours of paperwork, and what thanks do you get? Fuck all. Why should I waste any more of my life on the force when it doesn’t give a fuck about me? I care about my family and they’re my priority now. I don’t care what happens to me, I just wanna get the fuckers that harmed my family. So what’s it to be?’
    Roxie looked at the prone body of her sister in the bed next to them, so pale and quiet, and looked at her sister with a determined glint in her eyes. ‘Mags, I think it’s time I told you a thing or two about myself.’

56
     
     
     
    ‘Like what?’ asked Margaret, perplexed.
    ‘I haven’t been telling you the truth since I got back. Well, you know some of it, but I’ve done some bad things.’
    ‘What have you been up to Dolly? I know you had a little dabble with drugs but you didn’t do anything too bad, did you?’
    ‘That’s not the half of it. Remember I told you about the bloke in America? Chase?’
    ‘Sure. Your cowboy lover.’
    ‘That’s him. Well, he died,’ said Roxie, her voice cracking.
    ‘I’m sorry love. How did it happen?’
    ‘Shot dead whilst taking part in an armed robbery.’
    ‘Bloody hell. When?’
    ‘When I was with him.’
    ‘With him? You mean like his girlfriend?’
    ‘No – well, yes. But literally with him. I was driving.’
    ‘In an armed robbery?’ exclaimed Mags. ‘But I thought you went back to the ship.’
    ‘I was crazy about him. I jumped ship in New Orleans and stayed with him for two months. He told me he wasn’t the rich kid I’d taken him for and actually made his money knocking over banks. I told him about Mum, and about our background and he said that we made a good couple. We ran out of dough after a while and needed to get some more, quickly. His old partner was in jail. He saw the way I drive, and how I liked shooting, and we did a couple of jobs. The second one went wrong. He was shot by the cops and bled to death in the back of the car. I dumped the body, and got away. He told me to. I think he really loved me too.’ By this time tears were running down Roxie’s face, unchecked.
    ‘And I thought I was in trouble,’ said Margaret, hugging Roxie tight.
    ‘That’s not all,’ said Roxie.
    ‘There’s more? God you have been busy little sis…’
    ‘That’s not the half of it. I went to Spain, opened the salon. I had a bit of money, borrowed the rest from a ‘friend,’ if you know what I mean. Cash was easy come, easy go on the Costa in those days. I hooked up with another bloke. Tony. I knew him from my days in the club scene in London. Bit of a dangerous bloke – finger in a lot of pies.’
    ‘And?’
    ‘He was a bastard. A bit handy if you know what I mean.’
    ‘I know exactly what you mean,’ said Mags.
    ‘We split up and the business went down the pan. I told you about sleeping with a shotgun under the bed? Well, I had another gun too. Before I came back to the UK, Tony came looking for some money he said I owed him. He conveniently forgot that most of it went on bubbles and Charlie for the two of us, living the high life. He threatened me with a knife. Said he was going to rape and then kill me if I didn’t pay up, so I shot the fucker.’
    ‘Classic self-defence Dolly. I would have done the same in your situation.’
    ‘Yeah, but I’ve had trouble with the police in Spain too. There were some dodgy cheques I cashed for dodgy people so I tried to stay out of their way. Couldn’t exactly go crying to them now.’
    ‘But even so…’
    ‘I took him out the morning I got the call about Monty. I couldn’t hang about. I knew I’d end up in some stinking jail so I dumped the gun and headed here.’
    ‘So you’re wanted?’
    ‘Expect so. The temperature was pushing thirty degrees. Someone