Queenie Read Free

through the door and say, ‘Oh my, I could murder a cup of tea!’ and there it would be, waiting for her.
    She didn’t come. The tea grew cold. It was half past eight now, and I knew I should leave or I’d be late for school. But how could I go without knowing whether Nan was all right or not? Who was I kidding? Of
course
Nan wasn’t all right or she’d be here with me.
    I started to cry, nuzzling into Albert Trunk like a little baby. His sweet dusty smell failed to soothe me.
    ‘Nan, Nan, Nan!’ I mumbled, at a loss to know what to do next.

AT TEN PAST nine a police car drew up outside the house and my stomach turned over. I peered out of the window. I could see the big black boots of the policeman and a woman’s old wedge shoes with worn-down heels. I knew Nan didn’t own a pair of wedge shoes, but I ran to the door, going ‘Nan!’ even so.
    It was a completely strange woman with her hair in a turban, though she was wearing a pinny just like Nan’s. The policeman stood behind her, his face very pink and shiny, like blancmange.
    ‘Oh dear, are you little Elsie, Vi’s grand-daughter?’ asked the woman.
    I nodded.
    ‘Let’s go inside,’ said the policeman. ‘Is your mummy here, dear?’
    ‘No, she’s away. I live with my nan,’ I said.
    ‘Yes, well, that’s why we’re here, Elsie,’ said the policeman. He fiddled with the strap of his helmet, wobbling his chin. He looked at the woman for help.
    ‘Your nan’s been taken poorly, dearie,’ she said.
    ‘I know,’ I said. They stared at me in surprise.
    ‘She didn’t feel well last night. She shouldn’t have gone to work. I said so,’ I muttered.
    ‘Well, she keeled over at work – she gave us all such a shock. There was all this blood—’
    I gasped.
    ‘But she’s probably going to be all right, dear,’ the policeman said quickly. ‘They called an ambulance and they’ve taken her off to hospital.’
    ‘Did she cut herself?’ I whispered.
    ‘No, she just coughed it up all over everywhere – it gave us such a fright. It was dripping all down her,’ said the friend.
    I rocked on my heels, horrified.
    ‘We don’t need all the details,’ said the policeman, frowning. ‘Anyway, your nan’s quite poorly, Elsie, and I expect she’ll be in hospital a while.’
    ‘Nan hates hospitals,’ I whispered.
    ‘Yes, well, she’s got no choice now,’ Nan’s friend said. ‘That’s when I thought of you, dear. I knew she looked after you. Always goes on about you, she does. She loves you to bits, your nanny. And I suddenly thought, who’s going to look after you?’
    I stared at her, shivering. ‘I want Nan!’ I whispered. I dodged round them and reached for my jacket.
    ‘What are you doing, little ’un?’ asked the policeman.
    ‘I’m going to the hospital,’ I said. ‘I need to see Nan.’
    ‘No no, dear, you can’t go and see her, not just yet. She’s too poorly. She needs to rest,’ he told me.
    ‘She needs me,’ I said. ‘I look after her when she’s poorly.’
    ‘Aaaah!’ said Nan’s friend. She nodded at the policeman. ‘Isn’t she a little love? Ever so old-fashioned!’
    ‘Can she maybe stay with you then, just till we find out how her nan’s doing?’ said the policeman.
    ‘What? Oh no, all my kiddies are long since grown up. I wouldn’t know what to do with her,’ said the friend, looking appalled.
    ‘Just for a couple of days, maybe, until we can get something sorted?’ said the policeman.
    ‘I haven’t got anywhere to put her. No, sorry, I’m afraid it’s out of the question,’ she said. ‘In fact, I’ve got to get back home now. My hubby’s got a bad back. I need to fetch and carry for him.’
    The policeman looked at me in alarm. ‘Well, what are we going to do with her then?’ He lowered his voice and tutted. ‘You say there’s no dad, and Mum’s not part of the picture . . .?’
    ‘Yes she is!’ I said. ‘I’ve got a mum, a
lovely
mum.’ I didn’t like Nan’s friend any