Дэвид Муди - Strangers

‘ I’ll go. Keep trying her mobile. Let me know if you hear from her. Wait here in case she comes back.’

‘What else am I supposed to do?’ she said as he barged past her.

Scott ran out to the car and drove towards Thussock. It seemed the most likely place for her to have gone. The sun was out, but it wasn’t a particularly warm afternoon, so he couldn’t imagine her wanting to walk out in the open for too long. If he didn’t find her in town, he decided, he’d follow the road around the back of the house and loop around the fracking site.

The road ahead and behind was empty. He could see most of the way into town and there was no sign of any pedestrians or other traffic, let alone Tammy. Thussock was quiet at the best of times, and this afternoon it was dead. A bloody ghost town.

They’d been so busy fighting and knocking shit out of the kitchen that neither Mum or Scott had heard her tell them she was going out with Heather, Jamie and Sean. Screw ‘em , Tammy thought. If they can’t be bothered with me, I can’t be bothered with them . She thought it strange how her perspective had changed overnight. Yesterday the idea of hanging around outside the community hall hadn’t appealed in the slightest, but being here today was a blessed relief, infinitely preferable to being in that bloody house with those bloody people.

‘That your dad?’ Jamie asked, watching the Zafira disappear into town at speed.

‘Step-dad,’ Tammy corrected him quickly, staring until she was sure he was out of sight.

‘He out looking for you?’

‘Probably.’

‘Should you tell someone you’re here?’ Heather asked.

‘Can’t be bothered,’ Tammy immediately replied. ‘Might do them some good.’

‘What?’

‘Might make them sit up and listen if I’m not there.’

‘You reckon?’

‘Probably not. They’re not interested in me. It’s frigging stupid, I don’t wanna be here, and I don’t think they even want me here. Doesn’t make any sense.’

‘I can relate to that,’ Heather said.

Tammy leant against the frame of the swing without a seat, listening to the endless emptiness of Thussock. ‘So is this really all there is to do around here?’

‘Pretty much,’ Heather said, checking her phone.

‘Drink, Tam?’ Jamie asked, and he took a small bottle of vodka from his inside coat pocket. She took it from him, unscrewed the lid, and knocked back a large slug. ‘Jeez, careful.’

‘I’m used to it,’ she told him, and she was.

‘It’s not that, I just don’t want you neckin’ it all.’

Tammy took another gulp then passed the bottle back. ‘I’ve been drinking this stuff for years. Takes the edge off. My mum would go mental if she knew.’

‘Aye, aye,’ Jamie said, walking to the furthest edge of the tarmac play area. ‘Here he comes.’

Joel was speeding towards them on his bike, his thin sports jacket splayed out behind like a superhero’s cape. He skidded to a halt in front of the swings, his back wheel churning up dust.

‘Wassup with you?’ Jamie asked.

Joel struggled to breathe. ‘Another one,’ he panted.

‘Another what?’

‘Body.’

‘Grow up, Joel,’ Heather said. Joel shook his head furiously.

‘I swear, Hev, they found another body. Dead woman, this time.’

‘Where?’

‘Alderman Avenue. Right by your place. Neighbour found her this morning.’

‘Who?’ Tammy asked.

‘Angela sumthin’.’

‘No idea,’ Jamie said, but Heather knew who he was talking about.

‘She that woman with the weird name? Polish or sumthin’? The prossie?’

‘That’s her,’ Joel said.

‘So what happened?’ Jamie asked

‘Like that girl your dad found,’ he replied, looking at Tammy.

‘Step-dad.’

‘Whatever. Anyway, Mark says she was all fucked up like someone’d been messin’ with her. Fucking sicko if y’ask me.’

‘Who’s Mark?’

‘My mum’s boyfriend. I trust him, though. He don’t usually lie to me, not about stuff like this.’

‘Stuff like this? You make it sound as if it happens all the time here.’

‘Only since you got here,’ he said without thinking. ‘Shit. Sorry. Didn’t mean to say you was involved or nothin’…’

‘I’m not.’

‘I don’t get it,’ Heather said.

‘Don’t get what?’ Tammy asked.

‘People were sayin’ Ken Potter killed that girl at his house then he did himself in.’

‘So?’

‘So if this Angela whatever-her-name-was is fresh—’

‘Fresh?’ Tammy said, puzzled.

‘If she’s only just been cut up, then maybe Potter didn’t do it?’

Bored of hanging around with the boys, Tammy and Heather later walked arm in arm along a footpath which ran parallel with the high street, tucked out of sight behind the buildings. To their left; open space, green and empty. To the right; the backs of shops and offices, wheelie-bins and cluttered yard spaces. Tammy hadn’t been down here before. With all the talk of murders and perverts round here, she thought they were taking an unnecessary risk. But it was worth it. Being hidden down here meant Scott would stand less chance of finding her.

They talked about nothing of any importance, and that suited both of them. A sudden stench took Tammy by surprise. ‘What’s that smell? That’s horrible.’

‘The brewery,’ Heather explained. ‘You get used to it. Depends which way the wind’s blowing. Sometimes in summer the whole bloody town stinks like that for days.’

‘Great. Just when I thought things couldn’t get any better.’

The footpath dipped. A narrow metal footbridge crossed a small stream, then the path climbed again. They passed a bench under a lamppost, another popular place for hanging out, it seemed. Most of the seat’s struts were broken, the worn grass littered with cigarette butts. A wire-mesh waste bin was a third full of beer cans and bottles. The footpath curved right then ran parallel with a grey stone wall. ‘There’s a cut through in a minute,’ Heather said, checking her phone again. ‘Brings us out by the Co-op.’

Tammy followed her down a dingy alleyway. They emerged at the far end of the high street, close to the supermarket. Heather made straight for the shop. ‘I’ll wait out here for you,’ Tammy said.

‘You sure?’

‘I’m sure. I’ve got no cash.’

‘Right then. Back in a sec.’

Tammy had been waiting at the side of the road for less than a minute when a car – just about the only car she’d seen apart from Scott’s – screeched to a halt in front of her. She’d seen it before. She’d seen the driver before too. Bloody creep. He wound down his window and leant across to talk to her. ‘You all right out here, love?’

‘I’m fine,’ she answered quickly. ‘And I’m not your love.’

‘Let me give you a lift home.’

‘No, thanks. Mum said never to accept lifts from strangers.’

He laughed then licked his lips. ‘That’s the thing, though, I’m no stranger. I know your mother. I met her this Friday just gone. She was at my house. My name’s Dez.’

‘Bullshit.’

‘I swear, that’s my name!’ he said, grinning at her now.

‘You know what I mean. You don’t know my mum. You saw me with her last week.’

‘It’s true, I tell ye. Come on, sweetie, let me give you a lift back. Looks like it’s gonna rain.’

‘Do you think I’m fucking stupid?’

‘I think you’ve a fucking foul mouth on ye.’

‘Leave me alone. Bloody creep.’

‘Ah, come on… don’t be like that.’

Tammy started to walk away. Dez followed in the car, crawling alongside the pavement, making her feel even more uncomfortable than she already did, like she was on the game. ‘Will you just piss off?’ she hissed at him.