首发偶发空缺 (临时空缺)-第14章

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en’s　pyjama　bottoms。　She　was　the　same　height　as　Kay；　but　shrunken；　the　bones　of　her　face　and　sternum　showed　sharply　through　the　thin　white　skin。　Her　hair；　which　was　home…dyed；　coarse　and　very　red；　looked　like　a　wig　on　top　of　a　skull；　her　pupils　were　minuscule　and　her　chest　virtually　breastless。

‘Hello；　are　you　Terri？　I’m　Kay　Bawden；　from　Social　Services。　I’m　covering　for　Mattie　Knox。’

There　were　silvery　pockmarks　all　over　the　woman’s　fragile　grey…white　arms；　and　an　angry　red；　open　sore　on　the　inside　of　one　forearm。　A　wide　area　of　scar　tissue　on　her　right　arm　and　lower　neck　gave　the　skin　a　shiny　plastic　appearance。　Kay　had　known　an　addict　in　London　who　had　accidentally　set　fire　to　her　house；　and　realized　too　late　what　was　happening。

‘Yeah；　righ’；’　said　Terri；　after　an　overlong　pause。　When　she　spoke；　she　seemed　much　older；　several　of　her　teeth　were　missing。　She　turned　her　back　on　Kay　and　took　a　few　unsteady　steps　down　the　dark　hallway。　Kay　followed。　The　house　smelt　of　stale　food；　of　sweat；　of　unshifted　filth。　Terri　led　Kay　through　the　first　door　on　the　left；　into　a　tiny　sitting　room。

There　were　no　books；　no　pictures；　no　photographs；　no　television；　nothing　except　a　pair　of　filthy　old　armchairs　and　a　broken　set　of　shelves。　Debris　littered　the　floor。　A　pile　of　brand…new　cardboard　boxes　piled　against　the　wall　struck　an　incongruous　note。

A　bare…legged　little　boy　was　standing　in　the　middle　of　the　floor；　dressed　in　a　T…shirt　and　a　bulging　pull…up　nappy。　Kay　knew　from　the　file　that　he　was　three　and　a　half。　His　whining　seemed　unconscious　and　unmotivated；　a　sort　of　engine　noise　to　signal　that　he　was　there。　He　was　clutching　a　miniature　cereal　packet。

‘So　this　must　be　Robbie？’　said　Kay。

The　boy　looked　at　her　when　she　said　his　name；　but　kept　grizzling。

Terri　shoved　aside　a　scratched　old　biscuit　tin；　which　had　been　sitting　on　one　of　the　dirty　frayed　armchairs；　and　curled　herself　into　the　seat；　watching　Kay　from　beneath　drooping　eyelids。　Kay　took　the　other　chair；　on　the　arm　of　which　was　perched　an　overflowing　ashtray。　Cigarette　ends　had　fallen　into　the　seat　of　Kay’s　chair；　she　could　feel　them　beneath　her　thighs。

‘Hello；　Robbie；’　said　Kay；　opening　Terri’s　file。

The　little　boy　continued　to　whine；　shaking　the　cereal　packet；　something　inside　it　rattled。

‘What　have　you　got　in　there？’　Kay　asked。

He　did　not　answer；　but　shook　the　packet　more　vigorously。　A　small　plastic　figure　flew　out　of　it；　soared　in　an　arc　and　fell　down　behind　the　cardboard　boxes。　Robbie　began　to　wail。　Kay　watched　Terri；　who　was　staring　at　her　son；　blank…faced。　Eventually；　Terri　murmured；　‘S’up；　Robbie？’

‘Shall　we　see　if　we　can　get　it　out？’　said　Kay；　quite　glad　of　a　reason　to　stand　up　and　brush　down　the　back　of　her　legs。　‘Let’s　have　a　look。’

Robbie’s　wailing　ceased；　he　took　the　figure　and　put　it　back　inside　the　cereal　packet；　which　he　started　to　shake　again。

Kay　glanced　around。　Two　small　toy　cars　lay　upside　down　under　the　broken　shelves。

‘Do　you　like　cars？’　Kay　asked　Robbie；　pointing　at　them。

He　did　not　follow　the　direction　of　her　finger；　but　squinted　at　her　with　a　mixture　of　calculation　and　curiosity。　Then　he　trotted　off　and　picked　up　a　car　and　held　it　up　for　her　to　see。

‘Broom；’　he　said。　‘Ca。’

‘That’s　right；’　said　Kay。　‘Very　good。　Car。　Broom　broom。’

There　was　a　pause　before　Terri　said；　‘All　righ’。’

‘Just　to　explain：　Mattie　has　been　signed　off　sick；　so　I’m　covering　for　her。　I’ll　need　to　go　over　some　of　the　information　she’s　left　me；　to　check　that　nothing’s　changed　since　she　saw　you　last　week；　all　right？

‘So；　let’s　see：　Robbie　is　in　nursery　now；　isn’t　he？　Four　mornings　a　week　and　two　afternoons？’

Kay’s　voice　seemed　to　reach　Terri　only　distantly。　It　was　like　talking　to　somebody　sitting　at　the　bottom　of　a　well。

‘Yeah；’　she　said；　after　a　pause。

‘How’s　that　going？　Is　he　enjoying　it？’

Robbie　crammed　the　matchbox　car　into　the　cereal　box。　He　picked　up　one　of　the　cigarette　butts　that　had　fallen　off　Kay’s　trousers；　and　squashed　it　on　top　of　the　car　and　the　purple　Buddha。

‘Yeah；’　said　Terri　drowsily。

But　Kay　was　poring　over　the　last　of　the　untidy　notes　Mattie　had　left　before　she　had　been　signed　off。

‘Shouldn’t　he　be　there　today；　Terri？　Isn’t　Tuesday　one　of　the　days　he　goes？’

Terri　seemed　to　be　fighting　a　desire　to　sleep。　Once　or　twice　her　head　rocked　a　little　on　her　shoulders。　Finally　she　said；　‘Krystal　was　s’posed　to　drop　him　and　she　never。’

‘Krystal　is　your　daughter；　isn’t　she？　How　old　is　she？’

‘Fourteen；’　said　Terri　dreamily；　‘’n’a　half。’

Kay　could　see　from　her　notes　that　Krystal　was　sixteen。　There　was　a　long　pause。

Two　chipped　mugs　stood　at　the　foot　of　Terri’s　armchair。　The　dirty　liquid　in　one　of　them　had　a　bloody　look。　Terri’s　arms　were　folded　across　her　flat　breast。

‘I　had　him　dressed；’　said　Terri；　dragging　the　words　from　deep　in　her　consciousness。

‘Sorry；　Terri；　but　I’ve　got　to　ask；’　said　Kay。　‘Have　you　used　this　morning？’

Terri　passed　a　bird’s　claw　hand　over　her　mouth。

‘Nah。’

‘Wantashit；’　said　Robbie；　and　he　scurried　towards　the　door。

‘Does　he　need　help？’　Kay　asked；　as　Robbie　vanished　from　sight；　and　they　heard　him　scampering　upstairs。

‘Nah；　’e　can　doot　alone；’　slurred　Terri。　She　propped　her　drooping　head　on　her　fist；　her　elbow　on　the　armchair。　Robbie　let　out　a　shout　from　the　landing。

‘Door！　Door！’

They　heard　him　thumping　wood。　Terri　did　not　move。

‘Shall　I　help　him？’　Kay　suggested。

‘Yeah；’　said　Terri。

Kay　climbed　the　stairs　and　operated　the　stiff　handle　on　the　door　for　Robbie。　The　room　smelled　rank。　The　bath　was　grey；　with　successive　brown　tidemarks　around　it；　and　the　toilet　had　not　been　flushed。　Kay　did　this　before　allowing　Robbie　to　scramble　onto　the　seat。　He　screwed　up　his　face　and　strained　loudly；　indifferent　to　her　presence。　There　was　a　loud　splash；　and　a　noisome　new　note　was　added　to　the　already　putrid　air。　He　got　down　and　pulled　up　his　bulging　nappy　without　wiping；　Kay　made　him　e　back；　and　tried　to　persuade　him　to　do　it　for　himself；　but　the　action　seemed　quite　foreign　to　him。　In　the　end　she　did　it　for　him。　His　bottom　was　sore：　crusty；　red　and　irritated。　The　nappy　stank　of　ammonia。　She　tried　to　remove　it；　but　he　yelped；　lashed　out　at　her；　then　pulled　away；　scampering　back　down　to　the　sitting　room　with　his　nappy　sagging。　Kay　wanted　to　wash　her　hands；　but　there　was　no　soap。　Trying　not　to　inhale；　she　closed　the　bathroom　door　behind　her。

She　glanced　into　the　bedrooms　before　returning　downstairs。　The　contents　of　all　three　spilt　out　onto　the　cluttered　landing。　They　were　all　sleeping　on　mattresses。　Robbie　seemed　to　be　sharing　a　room　with　his　mother。　A　couple　of　toys　lay　among　the　dirty　clothes　strewn　all　over　the　floor：　cheap；　plastic　and　too　young　for　him。　To　Kay’s　surprise；　the　duvet　and　pillows　both　had　covers　on　them。

Back　in　the　sitting　room；　Robbie　was　whining　again；　banging　his　fist　against　the　stack　of　cardboard　boxes。　Terri　was　watching　from　beneath　half…closed　eyelids。　Kay　brushed　off　the　seat　of　her　chair　before　sitting　back　down。

‘Terri；　you’re　on　the　methadone　programme　at　the　Bellchapel　Clinic；　isn’t　that　right？’

‘Mm；’　said　Terri　drowsily。

‘And　how’s　that　going；　Terri？’

Pen　poised；　Kay　waited；　pretending　that　the　answer　was　not　sitting　in　front　of　her。

‘Are　you　still　going　to　the　clinic；　Terri？’

‘Las’　week。　Friday；　I　goes。’

Robbie　pounded　the　boxes　with　his　fists。

‘Can　you　tell　me　how　much　methadone　you’re　on？’

‘Hundred　and　fifteen　mils；’　said　Terri。

It　did　not　surprise　Kay　that　Terri　could　remember　this；　but　not　the　age　of　her　daughter。

‘Mattie　says　here　that　your　mother　has　been　helping　with　Robbie　and　Krystal；　is　that　still　the　case？’

Robbie　flung　his　hard；　pact　little　body　against　the　pile　of　boxes；　which　swayed。

‘Be　careful；　Robbie；’　said　Kay；　and　Terri　said；　‘Leave　’em；’　with　the　closest　thing　to　alertness　Kay　had　heard　in　her　dead　voice。

Robbie　returned　to　beating　the　boxes　with　his　fists；　for　the　pleasure；　apparently；　of　listening　to　the　hollow　drumbeat。

‘Terri；　is　your　mother　still　helping　to　look　after　Robbie？’

‘Not　m’mother；　gran。’

‘Robbie’s　gran？