The Girl by the Thames (20 page)

Chapter 21

The TV was on at Lena’s, as it always was. Tanya checked every channel to see if there was any mention of the whale, but the media was still obsessed with last night’s riots. Every story showed reporters standing in different locations while people cleared up behind them. Words like appalling, deplorable and outrage were used. Then they started mentioning the deaths. Several people had died last night, but none of the names had been released. Eventually Lena couldn’t take anymore so they switched over and started watching some reality TV show. Two people with matching fleeces were being shown around a house by a cheesy presenter who talked too enthusiastically.

Tanya worried about Lena.  She knew she needed help, proper help. Not just a few drinks and a good talking to. Now wasn’t the time to bring it up, but eventually she’d have to set her mind straight, otherwise Lena would implode. Tanya had no idea how to do this.

Two hard bangs on the front door dislodged Tanya from her thoughts. She looked at Lena. Lena looked back at her with terror in her eyes.

“It’s the old bill,” she said, shrinking into sofa. “I knew they’d find me, I knew it.”

“Don’t be daft,” said Tanya. “It’s probably nothing.”

“Tanya, Tanya, get out here now.” Her dad’s voice was unmistakable. The door rattled again, harder this time. He must have started kicking it.

“What have you done, Tan?” Lena asked.

Tanya folded her arms. “Nothing, just given him what he deserves.”

“Tanya, open this door,” he shouted again. “I know you’re in there.”

Lena went over to the window and spied through the gap in the net curtains. “He looks really pissed off,” she said.

“Just ignore him, he’ll go away.”

There was another clattering bang on the front door, followed by another and another.

“He’s trying to kick the door in,” Lena said. “I can see him.”

“What’s going on?” Lena’s mum came in from the kitchen. “What’s all this banging?”

“It’s Tanya’s dad,” said Lena. “I think he wants to hurt her.”

“Steve, is that you?” her mum shouted through the door.

“Open this door, now,” he shouted back from the other side.

“Er, Tanya’s not here,” Her mum lied, but not very convincingly.

“I know she’s in there.”

“She’s not here, now go away.”

“Well if she’s not here, you won’t mind opening the door and showing me.”

Lena’s mum turned to Tanya. “What have you done?” she said in an angry whisper. “He sounds crazy.”

Tanya didn’t say anything.

Lena’s mum put her hand on the latch. “Tell me or I’m going to open this door.”

“Mum, he’s a Nazi,” Lena said.

“What? Don’t be daft. How can he be a Nazi?”

“It’s true,” Tanya spoke up. “He belongs to a group called the BFB - Britain for the British. I found loads of their leaflets in our flat.”

“So why is he trying to bang down our door?”

“I sent all his BFB friends a picture of me and him. They don’t know he’s got a black daughter. That’s why he’s really mad. His little secret’s out and he’s probably been kicked out of their group.”

The banging and swearing from outside continued. The door sounded like it couldn’t take much more.

“Stop,” Lena’s mum shouted. “If you don’t stop, I’ll call the police.”

Tanya’s dad laughed. “Police? They haven’t been around here for years. They don’t care about us, they’re more interested in protecting immigrants and gangsters and lesbians. So be my guest.”

“He’s right about the police,” Lena’s mum said. “They won’t come round here, even if he tears the place down.”

“What about Greg?” said Lena.

“I can’t,” Tanya replied. “He already bailed us out once. He said he wouldn’t do it again.”

“Who’s Greg?” asked her mum.

Lena ignored her and carried on. “But this is an emergency, he’s gonna kill you. Call him or I will.”

Tanya knew she was right. Her dad would eventually come through that door and it wouldn’t be just her that got hurt. He’d probably take it out on Lena and her mum as well. There was no choice. She reached for her phone and switched it on. Thankfully it had dried out and was working again. She dialled Greg’s number.

Greg made it to Lena’s in a few minutes. He’d been dozing when he got the call and his mind was still foggy with sleep. His wife had asked him where he was going and he made up some excuse about popping out for coffee. If he told her the truth she wouldn’t have let him go. He wasn’t sure he should be going himself. Rushing to Tanya’s rescue had started to become a habit, a bad habit, but he felt responsible for her somehow. If he let her down now it would just confirm what she already thought about adults. That they were only bothered about you when it suited them. He didn’t want to be another stereotype that had good intentions but was never there when you really needed them. He had to see this one through, or it would all be for nothing.

When he stepped out of his car he could hear the banging and the shouting coming from above. A few neighbours were leaning on their balconies enjoying the spectacle, waiting to see if it would escalate into something bigger. Rows in public were all too common around here. It was what would happen next they really wanted to see.

Greg sighed. He wasn’t in the mood for this. He was tired and wanted to go back to bed. Best to try and get this one over with quick, he thought. Maybe the offer of an early morning pint would calm her dad down or perhaps a coffee. Coffee. Just the thought of it made Greg want to jump into the car and find the nearest Starbucks and down several espressos. The situation would be a lot easier to deal with after some shots of caffeine. Greg had had so much coffee over the past 48 hours that the withdrawal was hitting him harder than a junkie going cold turkey. He really needed to focus.

Greg dragged his feet up the flights of steps until he could see Tanya’s dad. He was pacing up and down the walkway outside Lena’s door like a dog on heat.

“Hi,” said Greg, even though he was some distance away. Probably better not to creep up and startle him. Her dad immediately spun around.

“Oh, it’s Mcshit himself,” he said. “Fuck off, this is nothing to do with you.”

Greg was a little shocked. Gone was the timid wastrel he’d confronted last time. Where had his new courage come from? Greg shook his head and realised it was probably drink propping up his new confidence. This was confirmed as Greg got closer and detected a strong aura of liquor hanging around him.

“I said fuck off, now fuck off.”

Greg held up his hands as if surrendering. “I just want to talk, that’s all?”

As he got closer, Greg could see his blood shot eyes darting all around, as his brain processed this information.

“You can talk if you want. I’m going to kick this door down.”

“Wait, what did she do?”

“You wanna know?”

Greg nodded.

“She disrespected me.”

“Why did she do that?”

Tanya’s dad laughed. “You must think I’m stupid. I know what you’re doing, trying to distract me, ain’t ya? What’s it to do with you?”

“I told you, I’m her guardian angel.”

Her dad laughed again. “Sorry, mate, but you’re a pretty fucking ugly angel.”

Greg made sure he laughed with her dad. This was good, sharing a joke at his expense, diffusing the situation. He decided to milk it a bit more.

“I know, I’m a fallen angel – I fell from the ugly tree and hit every branch.”

Tanya’s dad snorted through his nose. “You’re funny, jock.”

“Thanks, man.”

“But I still don’t like you.” Tanya’s dad stopped laughing and his face sobered up instantly. “You know what I think? I think you’ve got a thing for my girl.”

Greg stopped laughing. “You’ve got me all wrong. I’m happily married …”

“You think that makes any difference. You look down on me, but I tell you what, a middle-aged man being friends with a teenage girl - that’s dodgy.”

“It’s not like that.”

“Really? ‘cos when you stormed into my flat and started threatening me, it looked an awful lot like you’ve got a thing for her.”

Greg’s sleepy cool began to evaporate and he stepped closer to her dad. Greg expected him to move back but he stood his ground. The pair stood face to face, eyes narrowed and jaws clenched.

“Let me tell you something, pal,” Greg said. “Don’t judge me by your sleazy standards. I’ll tell you what my interest is in Tanya. I used to be just like her. In fact, I had a father just like you. A drunk, who’d beat the shit out of me if I looked at him the wrong way. So I became just like him. A thug who’d steal, drink and fight. Sound familiar? Anything Tanya has become is your fault.”

“Now you listen here …”

“Shut the fuck up.” Greg leaned in so their faces were now a fist apart. “You’re a disgrace. Don’t you get it? You’re the reason why she drinks and gets into trouble. You’re not a father, you’re nothing.” 

“You don’t know anything …”

“I said shut the fuck up. I’m talking, you’re listening.” Greg prodded him in the chest with a thick index finger. “You accused me of something and I’m setting you straight. I’d have ended up just the same as my dad if it wasn’t for someone who took the time to help me.”

“Who was that? Your boyfriend?”

Greg ignored the cheap jibe and continued. “Someone at a youth club. But that doesn’t matter. What does is that they took an interest in me, took the time to help me, and be a friend to me, even though I was the biggest wanker in Scotland. It’s nothing perverted or filthy. It’s called helping people. Being nice, whatever you want to call it. You can say I’m just I’m returning the favour, and it just so happens that it was Tanya that came along. Get it.”

Tanya’s dad was silent for a while, although the effects of the alcohol made him sway a little. Greg took a step back and folded his arms. Her dad stumbled over to the edge of the walkway and lent on the steel handrail. Some of the neighbours went in when they saw him staring menacingly back at them, but a few still lingered.

Neither of them said anything for a while.

Tanya’s dad broke the silence first. “Looks like I’ve got you all wrong, jock,” he said.

“It’s no problem,” Greg replied. “Look, I don’t want to come between you or your daughter. I just want to make sure she’s all right.”

“I know you do.” Her dad continued to stare out across at the neighbouring block. “I’m not a good father, that’s true. It’s not her fault. When her mum left I didn’t know what to do. My whole world fell in. I mean I didn’t know how to bring up a little girl. Still don’t. So I started drinking to block it out. Before I knew it, I was hitting her every time I got frustrated with life. No wonder she hates me.”

“You can still sort things out.”

“Nah, that ship’s sailed.”

“Tell you what, why don’t we talk some more about this.” Greg stood beside him. Now her dad was calm Greg wanted to get him away from here just in case his anger flared up again.  “I could murder a coffee, you know, one of them posh ones with all the foam that cost too much.”

“I’ve never had one of those before.”

“Come on. I’ll buy you one.”

“Why not.”

Greg and her dad walked side by side towards the stairs. Greg carried on talking, ensuring her dad’s mind was occupied and no uncomfortable silences came between them.

Her dad stopped abruptly and turned to Greg, “There’s just one thing,” he butted in.

“Oh, what’s that?” Greg asked. Before the words were out of his mouth he felt a stab of pain just below his ribs. It was cold and hot at the same time. A deep throb expanded across his side. He automatically clutched it with his hands to relieve the pain, but there was something wedged in his flesh. A scruffy kitchen knife poked out of his side. It had a tatty handle and a bent blade. A crimson disk grew outwards around it. The shock had not yet reached Greg’s brain and he marvelled at the way the blood fanned slowly out in a perfect circle.

He looked back at Tanya’s dad who stood in front of him.

“Those things you said about me, you’re probably right,” her dad said. “But you’re still a cunt.” He reached out and pulled the knife from Greg’s side. Greg gasped as the pain suddenly intensified. Dizziness toppled him over to one side and he collided with the wall of a nearby flat. His knees slowly gave way and he slid down the wall until he was on his haunches. Her dad smirked and then walked away, cleaning the blood off the knife.

Out of one blurry eye, Greg saw Tanya running towards him. She was screaming but he couldn’t hear the sound coming from her mouth.

Chapter 22

It was like no hospital Tanya had ever been to. The outside resembled a bank; clad in thick stone it had fat round columns holding up a posh entrance porch, which was reached by wide steps and a ramp that looked as if it had been added later. A large plush reception area with sofas greeted Tanya as she walked in. People were relaxing and reading the paper, and treating themselves to free tea and coffee, not served from a dodgy machine but handed to them by a smiley waitress.

Along the right-hand side sat a row of receptionists behind large, dark wooden desks. Tanya approached the first one who instantly stopped what she was doing and flashed a well-trained smile.

“May I help you,” the receptionist asked.

“Hi,” said Tanya, “I’m here to see Greg Sutherland, but I don’t know what ward he’s in.”

“No problem. Let me just have a look.” The receptionist turned to her screen and tapped on the keyboard several times. “Are you family?”

“No, I’m a friend.”

“I’m very sorry, but only direct family are allowed to visit him at the moment.”

“Oh, why’s that?”

“Usually, it’s because the doctor doesn’t want too many people seeing him, especially if he’s still poorly. But once he’s recovered I’m sure you’ll be able to go up and visit.”

“Okay, thanks.”

Tanya walked back towards the entrance and then stopped, pretending to read a notice board. She had to see Greg. There was no way she was going to leave this place without making sure he was okay. And she desperately needed to say sorry for everything. Tanya glanced back at the receptionist and waited for her to be distracted. An old man with a painful stoop shuffled towards her desk and started asking about prescriptions. That was all Tanya needed. Ignoring the lifts, Tanya darted for the wide carpeted stairs and flew up them.

She had no idea where she was going or what ward he would be in. So she rushed along the different corridors peeking through the small porthole windows in each door, hoping to get a glimpse of him. Tanya had no luck and backtracked to the main landing and climbed the next set of stairs. As she was about half way up she was aware of someone waiting on the top step looking down at her. Tanya carried on moving with her head down and crossed to the other side of the stairs to avoid them, and then dashed across the landing.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Tanya knew the voice and stopped and turned to face Sarah, Greg’s wife. She looked thin and sleep-starved. There were more lines on her face, but her eyes were bright with rage. 

“I wanted to see Greg,” Tanya replied, “to see if he’s all right.”

“He’s far from all right, thanks to you. He nearly died.”

“I’m so sorry. I’m really sorry.”

“I knew you were trouble the first time I saw you.” Sarah moved slowly towards Tanya on fragile legs, as if she were carrying nitro glycerine.

Tanya tried to look her in the face but couldn’t. “I know, I’m sorry, this was my fault,” she said in a quiet voice. “But please can I see him?”

“Are you insane? He doesn’t want to see you.” Greg’s wife now stood inches from Tanya.

“I just want to say sorry to him.”

“Forget it. You’ve done enough already. Just leave us alone.”

“Please, it’d only be for a few seconds.”

“Don’t you understand?” Greg’s wife screamed. “He almost died because of you. You and that mental father of yours nearly took him away from me and my little boy. You’re stupid and dangerous, and I’ll kill you if you ever come near us again. Now go away. Go away and ruin someone else’s life.” 

Tanya fled the hospital, running with thick tears falling from her eyes. She ran until her legs gave out and she had to collapse on a park bench. Once she’d stopped, her crying intensified, making her shiver with guilt.

She would never go back and would make no attempt to get in contact with Greg again. His wife was right. It was her fault Greg had a knife wound in his side. He’d been lucky, he could have died. Sure, her dad had stuck the blade in him, but she’d been the one who’d put Greg there. If Tanya hadn’t come into Greg’s life, none of this would have happened. She was a stupid hoodie who’d dragged him into her seedy little world, and he’d paid the price. Tanya was a liability to everyone around her. Bad things happened to anyone who came into her orbit, even people who were trying to help her. It was a natural-born talent she had, but she didn’t know how to turn it off.

When her tears had ceased and her eyes had lost some of their bloodshot appearance, Tanya wandered back to Lena’s where she’d been staying ever since her father got arrested. After the attack on Greg she had no problem telling the police who’d done it, plus there were plenty of neighbours who’d witnessed the stabbing. Her dad was jailed for six years.

Tanya opened the front door and walked into the hallway which was thick with cigarette smoke.

Lena was on the sofa in the lounge with her legs tucked under her and her eyes locked onto some naff daytime TV quiz/talent show. Contestants got the chance to sing if they answered questions correctly.

She sat opposite Lena who had been continually smoking her way through a packet of twenty since breakfast. They were extra long cigarettes but Lena managed to smoke them down to their filters in just three or four drags.

“You alright, Lena?”

“Yeah,” Lena replied without taking her glazed eyes off the screen.

“What you been up to?”

“Nothing.”

“I went to see Greg.”

“Uh-huh.” Lena made no pretence that she wasn’t bothered.

“I ran into his wife, I’ve had a pretty rubbish day. Lena, are you listening to me?”

“Yeah, course.”

“No you’re not, you’re more interested in this dull shit on TV. What’s up with you? You never go out. You sit chain smoking all day and you’re frightened when the postman knocks on the door.”

“Leave me alone. I just want to watch this.” Lena grabbed the remote and turned the sound up.

“Look, I know you’re frightened of the Niners getting you, but you can’t stay in here forever.”

“Fuck off, Tanya.”

“Don’t you think if they were going to do something, they’d have done it by now? Lena, they know where you live. They’d have been round already if they wanted payback.”

“Leave me alone.”

“Fine. I’ll move out and live on the streets. Tramps would be better company than you.”

Tanya stood up and stamped out of the lounge and into the kitchen. She really needed to talk about everything that had happened at the hospital, but Lena never really opened her mouth much these days, unless it was to blow cigarette smoke out. The night of the riot and the shooting had traumatised her into a waking coma where she spent her days either hypnotised by the TV or peeking through the net curtains every time there was a noise outside.

A freshly opened box of teabags sat on the side just begging to be made into a cup of tea. Tanya filled the kettle. From the lounge she heard a scream. The kettle bounced on the floor and water went everywhere. Tanya hurdled the puddle she’d made and sprinted into the lounge.

“What? What is it?”

Lena was biting the end of a cushion and pointing at the TV. A reporter stood outside the Newington Arms proudly announcing they’d caught the person who had started the riots. They cut to a misty close-up, taken from CCTV showing Duff’s face. Even though he had his hood up you could clearly see it was him. Lena immediately sparked up another cigarette.

“The man was known to police and has been named as Kelvin Duffy,” said the reporter. “Footage captured on the night clearly shows him igniting the riot which began here, outside the Newington Arms.”

The news then played the CCTV footage. Lena leapt up and knelt in front of the TV, desperately scanning the images of the crowd.

“Oh my God, they’re gonna come for me next,” she screamed. “I’m there, I’m on the CCTV.”

“Where? I can’t see you,” Tanya said, straining to see around her.

“I’m there, look.” Lena got to her feet and paced up and down holding her forehead. “This is it, Tan. I’m gonna get arrested, then they’ll find out about the Indian boy and I’ll be put away. I don’t want to be put away.”

“Lena calm it. You weren’t on there, I saw it.”

“Yes I was. I saw myself.”

“Look, when they show it again we’ll record it. Then we’ll rewind it back and make sure.”

They had to wait until later that evening when Lena’s mum had gone to bed before they could record anything. She’d come back from work and parked herself in front of the TV like she always did, only breaking off briefly to warm up the contents of a couple tins for that night’s tea. The waiting was agony for Lena. Tanya had to go out several times and buy her more cigarettes, she was going through them so fast.

Eventually her mum turned in for the night. Lena grabbed the remote and started surfing through the channels. Almost immediately she found a discussion on Newsnight about why the riots started and who was really to blame. They showed more CCTV footage captured on the night. Some of it was new and showed shops being looted and set ablaze, and different skirmishes with the police. Even with their shields and batons, they were no match for the rioters who pelted them with bricks, stones and broken bottles. Finally they cut to the clip of Duff.

Lena hit the record button and they watched it back over and over again in slow motion. A huge sea of people stood in front of the pub held back by a line of police. Then the camera zeroed in on Duff.

“Look, there I am,” Lena said, pointing at the screen with a cigarette slotted between her fingers. But all Tanya could see was Duff in profile with his hood pulled up over his head. Before he threw the brick that started the whole thing, Duff made the mistake of looking around to check if anyone was watching him, and that was when the CCTV caught his face.

“I can see Duff and a bit of Gem, but where are you?”

“I’m right there.”

They watched it again, pausing the footage. Lena pointed to a slim gap between Duff and Gem. The edge of a light-coloured hoodie could be seen but the person was looking down at the ground. It was impossible to identify the wearer.

“Is that you?” asked Tanya

“That’s me. Right there.”

“How the hell would anyone recognise you from that?”

“These cops, they’ve got weird shit that sees through stuff.”

“No they haven’t.”

“What about all that stuff on CSI? I’ve seen it they can do it. Serious.”

Tanya sighed, sat down next to Lena and took the remote control out of her hand.

“Lena, that’s all made up. They can’t look through a sweatshirt and identify you.”

Lena snatched the remote back off her and stabbed at the rewind button so she could watch it again. “What about those scanners to stop people with bombs going onto planes?”

“They’re x-ray machines and I’m pretty sure they don’t have x-ray cameras in Woolwich just yet.”

“Yeah, but they wouldn’t tell you if they had.”

“Well, if they had, all it would show is a skeleton. They still wouldn’t know who you were.”

Lena sat mesmerised by the image of the crowd on the screen, she watched it again and again, scrutinising the images to see if anything gave her away.

“You should stop watching that,” Tanya said. “It’s making you paranoid.”

“Damn right.”

“I’m going to bed.”

Lena didn’t answer and sat facing the screen, the remote in one hand and a newly lit cigarette in the other.

A few days later more news came, but not via the TV.

There was a knock at the door. Tanya answered it, seeing as Lena had given up going anywhere near it.

“Put the chain across,” Lena shouted from the lounge. But it was too late. Tanya had already opened the door.

A girl stood outside with pretty eyes and small harsh mouth set in a scowl. Tanya recognised her but couldn’t remember from where. They stared at each other for a little while. The girl looked tired and nervous.

“Is Lena in?” she asked eventually.

“Who are you?” Tanya replied.

“I don’t want any trouble,” the girl said, glancing left and right.

Lena burst into the hall and ran at the door, slamming it in the girls face. “Leave me alone,” Lena shouted as she fumbled with the security chain.

“Please, Lena,” the girl said through the door. “It’s okay, the Niners aren’t around anymore.”

That was when Tanya remembered who the girl was. She was there on the night at the lock-up. She was with one of the guys.

“Go away, Liz,” Lena shouted.

“I will. I’m really sorry about what they did to you and Tanya. That was out of order.”

“Yeah, well, I didn’t see you trying to stop them,” Lena shouted back.

“I’m sorry, I was scared. I need to tell you something.”

“What?”

“Not out here. Can I come in?”

Lena thought for a second and looked at Tanya. “What should I do?”

“She sounds for real. Let’s see what she’s got to say.”