فصل 09

CHAPTER NINE

Tanzie

Tanzies happy mood disappeared when she first saw Nickys swollen face. It didnt really look like him, and shed had to make her eyes stay very firmly on his when they would have liked to go somewhere else, even to the stupid picture of galloping horses on the wall opposite, which didnt even look like horses. She wanted to tell him about the maths competition and how theyd registered at St. Annes, but she couldnt—not with the smell of hospital in her nose and Nickys eye all the wrong shape. Tanzie found herself thinking, the Fishers did this, the Fishers did this and she felt a bit scared because she couldnt believe anyone they knew would do this for no reason.

When Nicky got up to go down the corridor, she put her hand gently into his, and even though normally he would have told her to “Scoot, small fry, he just squeezed her fingers a bit.

Mum had to have all the usual arguments with the hospital people about how, no, she wasnt his actual mum, but as good as. And, no, he didnt have a social worker. And it always made Tanzie feel a bit odd, like Nicky wasnt a proper part of their family, even though he was.

He walked out of the room really slowly, and he remembered to thank the nurse. “Nice lad, isnt he? she said. “Polite.

Mum was gathering up his things. “Thats the worst bit, she said. “He just wants to be left alone.

“Doesnt really work like that round here, though, does it? The nurse smiled at Tanzie. “Take care of your brother, eh?

As she walked toward the main entrance behind him, Tanzie wondered what it said about their family when every single conversation they had now seemed to end with a funny look and the words “Take care.

—

Mum cooked dinner and gave Nicky three different-colored pills to take, and they sat watching television on the sofa together. It was Total Wipeout, which normally made Nicky pretty much wee himself laughing, but he had barely spoken since theyd returned home, and Tanzie didnt think it was because his jaw hurt. Mum was busy upstairs. Tanzie could hear her dragging drawers out and going backward and forward across the landing. She was so busy she didnt even notice it was way past bedtime.

Tanzie nudged Nicky very gently with her finger. “Does it hurt?

“Does what hurt?

“Your face.

“What do you mean?

“Well . . . its a funny shape.

“Sos yours. Does that hurt?

“Ha ha.

“Im fine, Titch. Drop it. And then, when she stared at him, “Really. Just . . . forget it. Im fine.

Mum came in and put the lead on Norman. He was lying on the sofa and didnt want to get up, and it took her about four goes to drag him out of the door. Tanzie was going to ask her if she was taking him for a walk, but then the part came on where the wheel knocks the contestants off their little pedestals into the water and Tanzie forgot. Then Mum came back in.

“Okay, kids. Get your jackets.

“Jackets? Why?

“Because were leaving. For Scotland. She made it sound perfectly normal.

Nicky didnt look round from the television. “Were leaving for Scotland . . . ?

“Yup. Were going to drive.

“But we havent got a car.

“Were taking the Rolls.

Nicky glanced at Tanzie, then back at Mum. “But you havent got insurance.

“Ive been driving since I was twelve years old. And Ive never had an accident. Look, well stick to the B roads and do most of it overnight. As long as nobody pulls us over, well be fine.

They both stared at her.

“But you said—

“I know what I said. But sometimes the ends justify the means.

“What does that mean?

Mum threw her hands up in the air. “Nicky, theres a maths competition that could change our lives and its in Scotland. Right now, we havent got the money for the fares. Thats the truth of it. I know its not ideal to drive, and Im not saying its right, but unless you two have a better idea, then lets just get into the car and get on with it.

“Um, dont we need to pack?

“Its all in the car.

Tanzie knew Nicky was thinking what she was thinking—that Mum had finally gone mad. But she had read somewhere that mad people were like sleepwalkers—it was best not to disturb them. So she nodded really slowly, like this was all making good sense. She fetched her jacket and they walked through the back door and into the garage, where Norman was sitting in the backseat and giving them the look that said, “Yeah. Me, too. It smelled a bit musty in the car, and she didnt really want to put her hands down on the seats because she had also read somewhere that mice wee all the time, like nonstop, and mouse wee could give you about eight hundred diseases. “Can I just run and get my gloves? she said. Mum looked at her like she was the crazy one, but she nodded, so Tanzie ran and put them on and thought she felt a bit better.

Nicky eased his way gingerly into the front seat, and wiped at the dust on the dashboard with his fingers.

Mum opened the garage door, started the engine, reversed the car carefully out onto the drive. Then she climbed out, closed and locked the garage securely. Then sat and thought for a minute. “Tanze. Have you got a pen and paper?

She fished around in her bag and handed her one. Mum didnt want her to see what she was writing but Tanzie peeped through the seats.

FISHER YOU LITTLE WASTE OF SKIN I HAVE TOLD THE POLICE THAT IF ANYONE BREAKS IN IT WILL BE YOU AND THEY ARE WATCHING

She got out of the car and pinned it to the bottom part of the door, where it wouldnt be visible from the street. Then she climbed back into the half-eaten drivers seat and, with a low purr, the Rolls set off into the night.

—

It took them about ten minutes to work out that Mum had forgotten how to drive. The things that even Tanzie knew—mirror, signal, maneuver—she kept doing in the wrong order, and she drove leaning forward over the steering wheel, clutching it like the grannies who drove at fifteen m.p.h. around the town center and scraped their doors on the pillars in the municipal car park.

They passed the Rose and Crown, the industrial area with the five-man car wash and the carpet warehouse. Tanzie pressed her nose to the window. They were officially leaving town. The last time she had left town was on the school journey to Durdle Door when Melanie Abbott was sick all down herself in the coach and started a vomit chain reaction around the whole of 5C.

“Just keep calm, Mum muttered to herself. “Nice and calm.

“You dont look calm, said Nicky. He was playing Nintendo, his thumbs a blur on each side of the little glowing screen.

“Nicky, I need you to map read. Dont play Nintendo right now.

“Well, surely we just go north.

“But where is north? I havent driven around here for years. I need you to tell me where I should be going.

He glanced up at the signpost. “Do we want the M3?

“I dont know. Im asking you!

“Let me see. Tanzie reached through from the back and took the map from Nickys hands. “What way up do I hold it?

They drove through the roundabout twice, while she wrestled with the map, and then they were on the road out of town. Tanzie vaguely remembered this road they had once come this way when Mum and Dad were trying to sell the air conditioners. “Can you turn the light on at the back, Mum? she said. “I cant read anything.

Mum turned in her seat. “The button should be above your head.

Tanzie reached up and clicked it with her thumb. She could have taken her gloves off, she thought. Mice couldnt walk upside down. Not like spiders. “Its not working.

“Nicky, youll have to map read. She looked over, exasperated. “Nicky.

“Yeah. I will. I just need to get these golden stars. Theyre five thousand points. Tanzie folded the map as best she could and pushed it back through the front seats. Nickys head was bent low over his game, lost in concentration. To be fair, golden stars were really hard to get.

“Will you put that thing down!

He sighed, snapped it shut. They were going past a pub she didnt recognize, and now a new hotel. Mum said they were looking for the M3, but Tanzie hadnt seen any signs for the M3 for ages. Beside her Norman started a low whine she figured they had around thirty-eight seconds before Mum said it was shredding her nerves.

She made it to twenty-seven.

“Tanzie, please stop the dog. Its making it impossible to concentrate. Nicky. I really need you to read the map.

“Hes drooling everywhere. I think he needs to get out. Tanzie shifted to the side.

Nicky squinted at the signs in front of them. “If you stay on this road I think well end up in Southampton.

“But thats the wrong way.

“Thats what I said.

The smell of oil was really strong. Tanzie wondered whether something was leaking. She put her glove over her nose.

“I think we should just head back to where we were and start again, Nicky said.

With a grunt Mum swung the car off at the next exit. They all tried to ignore the grinding noise as she turned the wheel to the right and headed back down the other side of the dual motorway.

“Tanzie. Please do something with the dog. Please. One of the Rollss pedals was so stiff she almost had to stand up on it just to change gear. She looked up and pointed toward the turnoff for the town. “What am I doing, Nicky? Coming off here?

“Oh, God. Hes farted. Mum, Im suffocating.

“Nicky, please can you read the map.

Tanzie remembered now that Mum hated driving. She wasnt good at processing information quickly enough. She always said she didnt have the right synapses. Plus, to be fair, the smell now seeping through the car was so bad it made it hard to think straight.

Tanzie began to gag. “Im dying!

Norman turned his big old head to look at her, his eyes sad, like she was being really mean.

“But there are two turnings. Do I take this one or the next?

“Definitely the next. Oh no, sorry—its this one.

“What? Mum wrenched the car off the motorway, narrowly avoiding the grass verge, and onto the exit. The car juddered as they hit the curb and Tanzie had to let go of her nose to grab Normans collar.

“For Christs sake, can you just—

“I meant the next one. This one takes us miles out of the way.

“Weve been on the road almost half an hour and were farther away than when we started. Jesus, Nicky, I—

It was then that Tanzie saw the flashing blue light. She willed the police car to go past. But instead it drew nearer and nearer until its blue lights filled the car.

Nicky turned painfully in his seat. “Um, Jess, I think they want you to pull over.

“Shit. Shit shit shit. Tanzie, you didnt hear that. Mum took a deep breath, adjusted her hands on the wheel as she started to slow.

Nicky slumped a little lower in his seat. “Um, Jess?

“Not now, Nicky.

The police car was pulling over, too. Tanzies palms had begun to sweat. It will all be fine.

“I guess this isnt the time to tell you I brought my stash with me.