فصل 11

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Ed

It took Edward Nicholls about fifteen minutes after he had left Danehall estate to question what the bloody hell he had just done. He had just agreed to transport his stroppy cleaner, her two weird kids, and an enormous reeking dog all the way to Scotland. What the hell had he been thinking? He could hear Gemmas voice, the skepticism with which she had repeated her statement “Youre taking a little girl you dont know and her family to the other end of the country, and its an emergency. Right. He could hear the quotation marks. A pause. “Pretty, is she?

“What?

“The mother. Big tits? Long eyelashes? Damsel in distress?

“Thats not it. Er . . . He hadnt been able to say anything with them in the car.

“Ill take both those as a yes, then. She sighed deeply. “For Christs sake, Ed.

Tomorrow morning he would pop by, apologize, and explain that something had come up. Shed understand. She probably felt weird about sharing a car with a near stranger, too. She hadnt exactly jumped at the offer.

He would donate something toward the kids train fare. It wasnt his fault the woman—Jess?—had decided to drive an untaxed, uninsured car, after all. If you looked at it on paper—the cops, the weird kids, the nighttime joyriding—she was trouble. And Ed Nicholls did not need any more trouble in his life.

With these thoughts in his head, he washed, brushed his teeth, and fell into the first decent sleep hed had in weeks.

—

He pulled up outside the gate shortly after nine. He had meant to be there earlier but couldnt remember where the house was, and given that the council estate was a sprawling mass of Identi-Kit streets, he had driven up and down blindly for almost thirty minutes until he recognized Seacole Avenue.

It was a damp, still morning, the air heavy with moisture. The street was empty, apart from a ginger cat, which stalked its way along the pavement, its tail a question mark. Danehall seemed a little less unfriendly in daylight, but he still found himself double-checking that hed locked the car once hed stepped out of it.

He gazed up at the windows. Pink and white bunting hung in one of the upstairs rooms, and two hanging baskets swung listlessly from the front porch. A car sat under a tarpaulin in the next driveway. And then he saw that dog. Jesus. The size of it. Ed pictured it lolling over his backseat the previous evening. A faint echo of its scent had remained when he climbed back in this morning.

He opened the latch of the gate warily in case the dog went for him, but it simply turned its enormous head with mild indifference, walked to the shade of a weedy tree, and flopped down on its side, lifting a desultory front leg as if in the vague hope it might get its stomach scratched.

“Ill pass, thanks, Ed said.

He walked up the path and paused at the door. He had his little speech all prepared.

Hi, Im really sorry, but something very important has come up with work and Im afraid Im not going to be able to take the next couple of days off. Id be happy, however, to contribute something to your daughters Olympiad fund. I think its great that shes working so hard at her studies. So heres her train fare.

If it sounded a little less convincing this morning than it had done last night, well, it couldnt be helped. He was about to knock when he saw the ripped note, half attached to the door with a pin, flapping in the breeze

FISHER YOU LITTLE WASTE OF SKIN I HAVE TOLD THE POLICE

As he straightened up the door opened. The little girl stood there. “Were all packed, she said, squinting, her head tilted to one side. “Mum said you wouldnt come, but I knew you would so I said I wouldnt let her unpack the suitcases until ten. And you made it with fifty-three minutes to spare. Which is actually about thirty-three minutes better than I estimated.

He blinked.

“Mum! She pushed the door open. Jess was standing in the hallway, as if she had stopped dead halfway down it. She was wearing a pair of cutoff jeans and a shirt with the sleeves rolled up. Her hair was clipped up. She did not look like someone preparing to travel the length of the country.

“Hi. Ed smiled awkwardly.

“Oh. Okay. Jess shook her head. And he knew the child had been telling the truth she really hadnt expected him to turn up. “Id offer you a coffee, but I got rid of the last of the milk before we set off last night.

The boy sloped past, rubbing his eyes. His face was still swollen, and now colored an impressionist palette of purples and yellows. He gazed at the pile of holdalls and bin bags in the hall and said, “Which of these are we taking?

“All of them, said the little girl. “And I packed Normans blanket.

Jess looked at Ed warily. He made to open his mouth, but nothing came out. The entire length of the hallway was lined with battered paperbacks.

“Can you pick up this bag, Mr. Nicholls? The little girl tugged it toward him. “I did try and lift it earlier because Nicky cant pick stuff up right now, but its too heavy for me.

“Sure. He found himself stooping, but stopped for a moment before he lifted it. How was he going to do this?

“Listen. Mr. Nicholls . . . Jess was in front of him. She looked as uncomfortable as he did. “About this trip—

And then the front door flew open. A woman stood in jogging bottoms and a T-shirt, a baseball bat raised in her hand.

“Drop them! she roared.

He froze.

“Put your hands up!

“Nat! Jess shouted. “Dont hit him!

He lifted them slowly, turning to face her.

“What the— The woman looked past Ed at her. “Jess? Oh, my God. I thought someone was in your house.

“Someone is in my house. Me.

The woman dropped the bat, then looked in horror at him. “Oh, my God. Its . . . oh, God, oh, God, Im so sorry. I saw the front door and I honestly thought you were a burglar. I thought you were . . . She laughed nervously, then pulled an agonized face at Jess, as if he couldnt see her. “You know who.

Ed let out a breath. The woman put the bat behind her and tried to smile. “You know how it is around here . . .

He took a step backward and gave a small nod. “Okay, well . . . I just need to get my phone. Left it in the car.

He edged past her with his palms up and headed down the path. He opened and shut the car door, then locked it again, just to give himself something to do, trying to think clearly over the ringing in his ears. Just drive off, a little voice said. Just go. You never have to see her again. You do not need this right now.

Ed liked order. He liked to know what was coming. Everything about this woman suggested the kind of . . . boundarylessness that made him nervous.

He was halfway up the path when he heard them talking behind the half-closed door, their voices carrying across the little garden.

“Im going to tell him no.

“You cant, Jess. The boys voice. “Why?

“Because its too complicated. I work for him.

“You clean his house. Thats not the same thing.

“We dont know him, then. How can I tell Tanzie not to get in cars with men she doesnt know, and then do exactly that?

“He wears glasses. Hes hardly going to be a serial killer.

“Tell that to Dennis Nilsens victims. And Harold Shipmans.

“You know way too many serial killers. Well set Norman on him if he does anything bad. The boys voice again.

“Yes. Because Norman has been so useful, protecting this family in the past.

“Mr. Nicholls doesnt know that, does he?

“Look. Hes just some bloke. He probably got caught up in the drama last night. Its obvious he doesnt want to do it. Well . . . well just let Tanzie down gently.

Tanzie. Ed watched her running around the back garden, her hair flying out behind her. He watched the dog shambling back toward the door, half dog, half yak, leaving an intermittent snail trail of drool behind him.

“Im wearing him out so that hell sleep most of the journey. She appeared in front of him, panting.

“Right.

“Im really good at maths. Were going to an Olympiad so I can win money to go to a school where I can do A-level maths. Do you know what my name is, converted to binary code?

He looked at her. “Is Tanzie your full name?

“No. But its the one I use.

He blew out his cheeks. “Um. Okay. 01010100 01100001 01101110 01111010 01101001 01100101.

“Did you say 1010 at the end? Or 0101?

“1010. Duh. He used to play this game with Ronan.

“Wow. You actually spelled it right. She walked past him and pushed the door. “Ive never been to Scotland. Nicky keeps trying to tell me there are herds of wild haggis. But thats a lie, right?

“To the best of my knowledge theyre all farmed these days, he said.

Tanzie stared at him. Then she beamed, and sort of growled at the same time.

And Ed realized he was headed for Scotland.

The two women fell silent as he pushed the door open. Their eyes dropped to the bags that he picked up in each hand.

“I need to get some stuff before we go, he said, as he let the door swing behind him. “And you left out Gary Ridgway. The Green River Killer. But youre fine. They were all nearsighted, and Im farsighted.

—

It took half an hour to leave town. The lights were out on the top of the hill and that, combined with Easter holiday traffic, slowed the queue of cars to a bad-tempered crawl. Jess sat in the car beside him, silent and awkward, her hands pressed together between her knees.

He had the air conditioner on, but it couldnt disguise the smell of the dog, so he turned it off and they sat with all four windows open instead. Tanzie kept up a constant stream of chatter.

“Have you been to Scotland before?

“Where do you come from?

“Do you have a house there?

“Why are you staying here then?

He had some work to sort out, he said. It was easier than “Im awaiting possible prosecution and a jail term of up to seven years.

“Do you have a wife?

“Not anymore.

“Were you unfaithful?

“Tanzie, said Jess.

He blinked. Glanced into the rearview mirror. “Nope.

“On Jeremy Kyle one person is usually unfaithful. Sometimes they have another baby and they have to do a DNA test and usually when its right, the woman looks like she wants to hit someone. But mostly they just start crying.

Tanzie squinted out of the window.

“Theyre a bit mad, these women, mostly. Because the men have all got another baby with someone else. Or lots of girlfriends. So statistically theyre really likely to do it again. But none of the women ever seem to think about statistics.

“I dont really watch Jeremy Kyle, he said, glancing at the GPS.

“Nor do I. Only when I go to Nathalies house when Mums working. She records it while shes cleaning so she can watch it in the evenings. She has forty-seven episodes on her hard drive.

“Tanzie, Jess said. “I think Mr. Nicholls probably wants to concentrate.

“Its fine.

Jess was twisting a strand of her hair. She had her feet up on the seat. Ed really hated people putting their feet on seats. Even if they did take their shoes off.

“So why did your wife leave you?

“Tanzie.

“Im being polite. You said it was good to make polite conversation.

“Im sorry, Jess said.

“Really. Its fine. He addressed Tanzie through the rearview mirror “She thought I worked too much.

“They never say that on Jeremy Kyle.

The traffic cleared, and they headed out onto the dual carriageway. It was a beautiful day, and he was tempted to take the coast road, but he didnt want to risk getting caught in traffic again. The dog whined, the boy played Nintendo, his head down in intense concentration, and Tanzie grew quieter. He turned the radio on—a hits channel—and for a moment or two he started to think this could be okay. It was just a day out of his life, if they didnt hit too much traffic. And it was better than being stuck in the house.

“The GPS reckons about eight hours if we dont hit any jams, he said.

“By motorway?

“Well, yeah. He glanced left. “Even a top-of-the-range Audi doesnt have wings. He tried to smile, to show her he was joking, but Jess was still straight-faced.

“Uh . . . theres a bit of a problem.

“A problem.

“Tanzie gets sick if we go fast.

“What do you mean fast? Eighty? Ninety?

“Um . . . actually, fifty. Okay, maybe forty.

Ed glanced into the rearview mirror. Was it his imagination or had the child grown a little paler? She was gazing out of the window, her hand resting on the dogs head. “Forty? He slowed. “Youre joking, right? Youre saying we have to drive to Scotland via B roads?

“No. Well, maybe. Look, its possible shes grown out of it. But she doesnt travel by car very much and we used to have big problems with it and . . . I just dont want to mess up your nice car.

Ed glanced into the rearview mirror again. “We cant take the minor roads—thats ridiculous. It would take days to get there. Anyway, shell be fine. This car is brand new. It has award-winning suspension. Nobody gets sick in it.

She looked straight ahead. “You dont have kids, do you?

“Why do you ask?

“No reason.

—

It took twenty-five minutes to disinfect and shampoo the backseat, and even then every time he put his head inside the interior Ed got a faint whiff of vomit. Jess borrowed a bucket from a petrol station and used shampoo that she had packed in one of the kids bags. Nicky sat on the verge beside the garage, hiding behind a pair of oversized shades, and Tanzie sat with the dog, holding a balled tissue to her mouth, like a consumptive.

“Im so sorry, Jess kept saying, her sleeves rolled up, her face set in a grim line of concentration.

“Its fine. Youre the one cleaning it.

“Ill pay for you to get your car valeted afterward.

He raised an eyebrow at her. He was laying a plastic bin bag over the seat so that the kids wouldnt get damp when they sat down again.

“Well, okay, Ill do it. It will smell better, whatever.

Sometime later they climbed back into the car. Nobody remarked on the smell. He ensured his window was as low as it could go, and began reprogramming the GPS.

“So, he said. “Scotland it is. Via B roads. He pressed the “destination button. “Glasgow or Edinburgh?

“Aberdeen.

He looked at Jess.

“Aberdeen. Of course. He looked behind him, trying not to let the despair seep into his voice. “Everyone happy? Water? Plastic bag on seat? Sick bags in place? Good. Lets go.

Ed heard his sisters voice as he pulled back onto the road. Ha ha ha, Ed. Served.

—

It began to rain shortly after Portsmouth. Ed drove along the back roads, keeping at a steady thirty-eight all the way, feeling the fine spit of raindrops from the half inch of window he had not felt able to close. He found he had to focus on not putting his foot too far down on the accelerator the whole time. It was a constant frustration, going at this sedate speed, like having an itch you couldnt quite scratch. In the end he switched on cruise control.

Given their pace, he had time to study Jess surreptitiously. She remained silent, her head mostly turned away from him, as if he had done something to annoy her. He remembered her in his hallway now, demanding money, her chin tilted up—she was quite short. She still seemed to think he was an arsehole. Come on, he told himself. Two, three days maximum. And then you never have to see them again. Lets play nice.

“So . . . do you clean many houses?

She frowned a little. “Yes.

“You have a lot of regulars?

“Its a holiday park.

“Did you . . . Was it something you wanted to do?

“Did I grow up wanting to clean houses? She raised an eyebrow, as if checking that he had seriously asked that question. “Um, no. I wanted to be a professional scuba diver. But I had Tanze and I couldnt work out how to get the pram to float.

“Okay, it was a dumb question.

She rubbed her nose. “Its not my dream job, no. But its fine. I can work around the kids and I like most of the people I clean for.

Most of.

“Can you make a living out of it?

Her head shot round. “What do you mean?

“Just what I said. Can you make a living? Is it lucrative?

She looked away from him. “We get by.

“No, we dont, said Tanzie, from the back.

“Tanze.

“Youre always saying we havent got enough money.

“Its just a figure of speech. Jess blushed.

“So what do you do, Mr. Nicholls? said Tanzie.

“I work for a company that creates software. Do you know what that is?

“Of course.

Nicky looked up. In the rearview mirror Ed watched him remove his earbuds. When the boy saw him looking, he glanced away.

“Do you design games?

“Not games, no.

“What, then?

“Well, for the last few years weve been working on a piece of software that we hope will move us closer to a cashless society.

“How would that work?

“Well, when you buy something or pay a bill, you wave your phone, which has a thing a bit like a bar code, and for every transaction you pay a tiny, tiny amount, like nought point nought one of a pound.

“We would pay to pay? said Jess. “No one will want that.

“Thats where youre wrong. The banks love it. Retailers like it because it gives them one uniform system instead of cards, cash, checks . . . and youll pay less per transaction than you do on a credit card. So it works for both sides.

“Some of us dont use credit cards unless were desperate.

“Then it would just be linked to your bank account. You wouldnt, like, have to do anything.

“So if every bank and retailer picks this up, we wont get a choice.

“Thats a long way off.

There was a brief silence. Jess pulled her knees up to her chin and wrapped her arms around them. “So basically the rich get richer—the banks and the retailers—and the poor get poorer.

“Well, in theory, perhaps. But thats the joy of it. Its such a tiny amount you wont notice it. And it will be very convenient.

Jess muttered something he didnt catch.

“How much is it again? said Tanzie.

“Point nought one per transaction. So it works out as a little less than a penny.

“How many transactions a day?

“Twenty? Fifty? Depends how much you do.

“So thats fifty pence a day.

“Exactly. Nothing.

“Three pounds fifty a week, said Jess.

“One hundred and eighty-two pounds a year, said Tanzie. “Depending on how close the fee actually is to a penny. And whether its a leap year.

Ed lifted one hand from the wheel. “At the outside. Even you cant say thats very much.

Jess turned in her seat. “What does one hundred and eighty-two pounds buy us, Tanze?

“Two supermarket pairs of school trousers, four school blouses, a pair of shoes. A gym kit and a five-pack of white socks. If you buy them from the supermarket. That comes to eighty-five pounds ninety-seven. The one hundred is exactly nine point two days of groceries, depending on whether anyone comes round and whether Mum buys a bottle of wine. That would be the supermarkets brand. Tanzie paused. “Or one months council tax for a Band D property. Were Band D, right, Mum?

“Yes, we are. Unless we get rebanded.

“Or an out-of-season three-day holiday at the holiday village in Kent. One hundred and seventy-five pounds, inclusive of VAT. She leaned forward. “Thats where we went last year. We got an extra night free because Mum mended the mans curtains. And they had a waterslide.

There was another brief silence.

Ed was about to speak when Tanzies head appeared between the two front seats. “Or a whole months cleaning of a four-bedroom house from Mum, laundering of sheets and towels included, at her current rates. That would be three hours cleaning, one point three hours laundering. She leaned back in her seat, apparently satisfied.

They drove three miles, turned right at a T-junction, left onto a narrow lane. Ed wanted to say something but his voice had temporarily disappeared. Behind him, Nicky put his earbuds back in and turned away. The sun hid briefly behind a cloud.

“Still, said Jess, putting her bare feet up on the dashboard, and leaning forward to turn up the music, “lets hope you do really well with it, eh?