‘What’s up?’
‘It’s Tiger – ’e’s gone missing.’ Maryann felt a lump come up in her throat again. ‘’E never came in last night and I dunno where ’e is. Our Mom said to come looking over ’ere.’
‘I’ll ’elp yer,’ Nance said. She’d changed out of her school clothes and put on a grubby pair of boy’s trousers.
Maryann was pleased to have some more company for the search besides Tony who kept saying ‘Where d’yer fink ’e’s gone, Maryann?’ until she wanted to scream at him. They asked round some of the backyards in Garrett Street, Maryann saying hello to some of their old neighbours who asked a bit sniffily how they were getting on. Flo hadn’t been back to visit a single one of them. Then they went back to Anderson Street. As the afternoon wore on, Maryann grew more and more dispirited. No one had seen Tiger.
‘Ow can ’e just’ve disappeared into thin air?’ she said to Nance. ‘Someone must’ve seen him.’
‘Yer never know with cats, do yer?’ Nance said. She grinned, showing her wonky teeth, trying to cheer Maryann up. ‘Knowing ’im ’e’ll be back large as life. P’raps ’e’s gone and got ’imself a lady friend!’
Maryann tried to smile. ‘I ’ope so. It’s lonely at home without ’im. Come on, Tony – we’d best go back. D’yer wanna come round ours for a bit?’
‘Will yer dad be there?’
‘ ’E ain’t my dad. ’
‘No, I know. Sorry, Maryann. I daint mean anything by it.’
They went back to the house where Flo put out a plate of broken biscuits for them. ‘Ooh!’ Nance cried, her face lighting up. This was sheer luxury by her standards. She tucked in as hard as she could and sat at the table chatting away happily to Maryann and Tony. Then Tony went to the back door, trying to open it, clutching himself urgently at the front with his other hand.
‘D’yer need a wee?’ Maryann opened the door as Tony nodded emphatically and ran out to the privy in the yard and pulled the door squeaking shut.
A few moments passed, the back door swinging open into the darkening afternoon, then they heard Tony shouting, ‘Maryann, Maryann! Come ’ere – ’s a nasty fing!’
He was standing at the end of the yard, his eyes wide, fascinated, beckoning urgently.
‘What’s up, Tony?’
Maryann and Nance both went out and looked along to see what he was staring at. Between the privy and the low wall at the back was a gap of almost a yard, which had a load of rubbish chucked into it by the last occupants. It was smelly down there, the corner of the yard best avoided. But Tony’s gaze was fixed on the pile of refuse. What had caught his eye was a little patch of white, the white of a small, furry throat.
It was Nance who went down the gap and very carefully picked up the cat’s cold, rigid body. She kept her head down as she came back, and only when she was standing right in front of her did she look at Maryann.
‘Tiger?’ Maryann whispered. ‘No – not Tiger!’ She just stood and looked, dumb with horror. Then she shouted, ‘What’s happened to ’im? Oh, Tiger!’
Beside herself, sobbing, she took him from Nance, who also had tears in her eyes, and hugged him to her.
‘Oh, Tiger – my poor little Tiger!’
She held him away from her, looking for signs of blood, of injury. There was nothing to see, but as she did so, his head flopped back all at the wrong angle.
‘Oh my God – look! His head’s all – oh look, Nance!’
Tony was crying as well then and Flo Nelson came out of the back door to see what the matter was with them all. As she did so, Nance said, ‘Someone’s broke ’is neck. They must’ve throttled ’im and broke ’is neck.’
Maryann started running then, still hugging the cat’s body to her, through the house and out of the front door .
‘Maryann – where’re yer going? Wait for me!’ By the time Nance reached the front step Maryann was off down the road, disappearing into the dusk.
Her eyes were
‘It’s Tiger – ’e’s gone missing.’ Maryann felt a lump come up in her throat again. ‘’E never came in last night and I dunno where ’e is. Our Mom said to come looking over ’ere.’
‘I’ll ’elp yer,’ Nance said. She’d changed out of her school clothes and put on a grubby pair of boy’s trousers.
Maryann was pleased to have some more company for the search besides Tony who kept saying ‘Where d’yer fink ’e’s gone, Maryann?’ until she wanted to scream at him. They asked round some of the backyards in Garrett Street, Maryann saying hello to some of their old neighbours who asked a bit sniffily how they were getting on. Flo hadn’t been back to visit a single one of them. Then they went back to Anderson Street. As the afternoon wore on, Maryann grew more and more dispirited. No one had seen Tiger.
‘Ow can ’e just’ve disappeared into thin air?’ she said to Nance. ‘Someone must’ve seen him.’
‘Yer never know with cats, do yer?’ Nance said. She grinned, showing her wonky teeth, trying to cheer Maryann up. ‘Knowing ’im ’e’ll be back large as life. P’raps ’e’s gone and got ’imself a lady friend!’
Maryann tried to smile. ‘I ’ope so. It’s lonely at home without ’im. Come on, Tony – we’d best go back. D’yer wanna come round ours for a bit?’
‘Will yer dad be there?’
‘ ’E ain’t my dad. ’
‘No, I know. Sorry, Maryann. I daint mean anything by it.’
They went back to the house where Flo put out a plate of broken biscuits for them. ‘Ooh!’ Nance cried, her face lighting up. This was sheer luxury by her standards. She tucked in as hard as she could and sat at the table chatting away happily to Maryann and Tony. Then Tony went to the back door, trying to open it, clutching himself urgently at the front with his other hand.
‘D’yer need a wee?’ Maryann opened the door as Tony nodded emphatically and ran out to the privy in the yard and pulled the door squeaking shut.
A few moments passed, the back door swinging open into the darkening afternoon, then they heard Tony shouting, ‘Maryann, Maryann! Come ’ere – ’s a nasty fing!’
He was standing at the end of the yard, his eyes wide, fascinated, beckoning urgently.
‘What’s up, Tony?’
Maryann and Nance both went out and looked along to see what he was staring at. Between the privy and the low wall at the back was a gap of almost a yard, which had a load of rubbish chucked into it by the last occupants. It was smelly down there, the corner of the yard best avoided. But Tony’s gaze was fixed on the pile of refuse. What had caught his eye was a little patch of white, the white of a small, furry throat.
It was Nance who went down the gap and very carefully picked up the cat’s cold, rigid body. She kept her head down as she came back, and only when she was standing right in front of her did she look at Maryann.
‘Tiger?’ Maryann whispered. ‘No – not Tiger!’ She just stood and looked, dumb with horror. Then she shouted, ‘What’s happened to ’im? Oh, Tiger!’
Beside herself, sobbing, she took him from Nance, who also had tears in her eyes, and hugged him to her.
‘Oh, Tiger – my poor little Tiger!’
She held him away from her, looking for signs of blood, of injury. There was nothing to see, but as she did so, his head flopped back all at the wrong angle.
‘Oh my God – look! His head’s all – oh look, Nance!’
Tony was crying as well then and Flo Nelson came out of the back door to see what the matter was with them all. As she did so, Nance said, ‘Someone’s broke ’is neck. They must’ve throttled ’im and broke ’is neck.’
Maryann started running then, still hugging the cat’s body to her, through the house and out of the front door .
‘Maryann – where’re yer going? Wait for me!’ By the time Nance reached the front step Maryann was off down the road, disappearing into the dusk.
Her eyes were
Similar Books
