Doctor Who_ The Hollow Men - Keith Topping [15]
The boy in question was already scrabbling around on the cobwebbed floor like a dog, woofing animatedly.
„Get up!‟ screamed the old postmistress. „Get off the floor, you little hooligan.‟
Bingo found a bag of dog food and began yelping.
„Look,‟ said one of the other children. „The poor kid‟s got BSE. Too many school dinners.‟
Bingo‟s pièce de résistance was to pretend to cock his leg against the bag.
Mrs Cluett flipped open the counter, and marched towards the lad. „Get up, you tearaway, and get out of my shop!‟
With that, Billy Tyley clicked his fingers, just out of sight of the woman, and two of the boys ducked into the aisle that contained the alcohol. „Now, Mrs Cluett,‟ said Billy, using what he assumed to be his most adult-sounding voice. „He don‟t mean any harm. He‟s just mucking about.‟
Bingo got to his feet, partly because the diversion had worked, and partly because his left ear lobe was caught in Mrs Cluett‟s pincer-like grip. „You little so-and-so,‟ she said, ignoring Billy. „If my husband were alive he‟d give you a damn good hidin‟.‟
„If you don‟t let go of my ear,‟ said Bingo suddenly, „I‟ll get my dad on to you.‟
„Will you, indeed?‟ queried the woman. „Now, that might work with your teachers, Mark Luston, but I know your father well. I think he‟d be quite keen to hear my side of the story.‟
There was a sudden clanging crash as two boys pushed their way out of the shop, laughing hysterically. Mrs Cluett recognised the bulges under their blazers.
„Oi!‟ she screamed, letting go of Bingo‟s ear. „You come back here with that!‟ She went to open the door, but Billy‟s friends blocked her way.
„Mrs Cluett,‟ said the ringleader in a quiet voice. „I only came in for some sweets...‟
The boys started laughing, but Mrs Cluett recognised the darker tone to Billy‟s voice. „All right, lads,‟ she said. „Just be on your way, and no more will be said.‟ At least, until PC
Stuart Minton came in for his evening paper.
Billy Tyley advanced on her, his face hard and fixed. The room was silent and even more claustrophobic than usual.
„Who‟s to say that we‟ve finished. Eh?‟ He took another step forward, a sick, leering grin on his face. „Maybe we want to
borrow some more things from your shop.‟ Now he was only inches away from the old woman, who recoiled at the smell of the drink on his breath. „Maybe we should just take what we like.‟
„No, lads, don‟t.‟ Mrs Duett‟s appeal was to the whole group. Some of them glanced away nervously, but no one responded to her.
„Don‟t?‟ Billy shouted in the woman‟s face, making her flinch again.
„Don‟t be wicked,‟ continued the woman in a low voice, her eyes half closed, „or the hollow men‟ll come for you.‟
With a scream of rage, Billy Tyley shoved the old woman in the chest. She sprawled backward, pulling a shelf of sugar and flour down with her. The back of her skull clipped the hard metal edge of the ice-cream freezer, and her body thumped into the floor like a dead weight.
A little pool of blood emerged from her silver curls, like a halo.
„Jesus,‟ whispered one of the boys, his eyes as wide as saucers. „You‟ve gone and done it this time, Billy.‟
Billy Tyley snorted, and pushed a path through his now frightened disciples. „Come on,‟ he said. „We‟ve got what we came for.‟
* * *
Rebecca drove the red sports car down the twisting country lanes towards Hexen Bridge. The roof was down and the wind caught her hair, billowing it behind her like the plume of a comet. Trevor was whistling something tunelessly beside her.
„What was that?‟ she asked through the roar of the engine.
„Nothing,‟ he said, then he turned to her. „I‟ve got tickets for the Star Jumpers at Wembley in August. Interested?‟
She shrugged.
„Johnny Astronaut are supporting!‟ Trevor continued.