One of Harry Rawlins' robberies goes wrong, resulting in the deaths of three robbers. His widow Dolly is given some keys at Harry's funeral by Harry's cousin Eddie. The police begin a search for Harry's ledgers, in which he kept all his notes on past and future robberies, as do the Fisher brothers, who were rivals. Dolly finds the ledgers, along with a gun and money, in Harry's deposit box at the bank. The police tail Dolly, but she gives them the slip a few times to meet with Shirley and Linda, whose husbands also died in the explosion. They decide to carry out the robbery themselves. When Dolly returns home, she finds her house in a mess and someone in the living room.

Dolly meets Boxer Davis, working for the Fisher brothers, when she returns home. Shirley and Linda find cars for the heist, but neither seems to be much good. Linda goes to a garage to get it fixed and meets the owner, Carlos, who she begins a relationship with, much to Dolly's disgust. While Linda is at work, she encounters old friend Bella, to whom she tells everything, and subsequently takes her to the headquarters.

Dolly tells Boxer Davis that Harry is still alive to try to keep the Fisher brothers off their backs. Tony Fisher visits Eddie and tells him what Boxer Davis has been telling them. Later, Eddie visits Boxer and takes him out and gets him drunk, and then leaves him in a back alley - where a mysterious driver runs him down. The women go to the mountains to practice for the robbery - and an unexpected face returns from the dead.

The plan is underway as the vehicles and the strategy are sorted out. Dolly tells Linda about Carlos' relationship with Arnie Fisher, but she doesn't believe it at first. But when she sees Carlos with Arnie Fisher, she tips off the police and they are lying in wait for him the following morning. He makes a run for it, but is killed when he runs into a post van - making Linda feel guilty about calling the police. DI Resnick is ordered to drop the investigation and furiously resigns. Dolly gets hold of the details of the security van, and they realise they will carry it out two weeks earlier.

Linda gets the van and the plan is ready. Everything runs smoothly until Shirley twists her ankle as they flee. Dolly later finds Shirley desperately trying to start her car, and takes her to her house. The police suddenly turn up at Dolly's house and take her to the station to identify photographs. Eddie turns up at Dolly's house while she's still with the police, but Shirley attacks. Dolly returns home, but soon realises that they both need to get away as soon as possible, but first she hides the money in the top of the new lockers at the convent. Shirley recognises Eddie on a photograph - and Dolly realises that Harry is still alive.

Dolly comes up with a plan to get rid of the watch on her house and get them safely out of the country. Shirley phones her mother to disguise as her and drive out in Dolly's car, so that Eddie will follow her. Dolly and Shirley leave in Shirley's brother's car to the airport. Shirley asks a man to help her out because she thinks her luggage will be too heavy and gives him the money case. Meanwhile, Harry, Eddie and another man turn up at Dolly's house. While Harry and Eddie go in, the other attacks Resnick, watching from afar. Dolly finds out that customs will search their bags and they have to change plans.