Part Thirty Two   "Going down a bomb"

 

 
Wednesday 18th February (Continued)
 

Tammy's lunch was rather subdued, with Tanya on seemingly best behaviour. Sandy Franklin had followed Tanya to the Ladies loo and had a little chat with her, as well as making certain she was suitably refreshed before finally joining Tammy and DC Ben Franklin at the table.

Sandy's main point of conversation was the following day's plans for the shop opening.

"Could you use Yusuf?"

"Do we have a costume that would fit him?"

"How about Lieutenant Shrank? We have Mark standing in as Bernardo, you and Tanya as Anita and Maria, John as Riff, Josie as Velma ..."

"Hey, that's Riff's girlfriend."

"Do you know the part?"

"No, but .."

"Tanya, it's only for a few songs and you know them, plus it's a play and not real life - or had you forgotten?"

"No."

"Good, although Tammy's idea seems to have caused a few troubles amongst the cast!"

"Don't blame me, Sandy, if people can't manage their private lives!"

"Look Tammy, this thing, your idea, isn't easy for any of us. The whole thing will only last about ten minutes if you do three songs, but is taking umpteen hours to setup."

"Do we have posters for Macbeth?"

"Yes, they'll go up in the morning in case someone decided to vandalise them overnight."

Tammy looked at Ben who shrugged. "That was my suggestion, we've had a few undesirables wandering around at ten or eleven some evenings causing mischief."

"Will anyone be around in the morning?"

"You'll have the two special constables who you know."

"Andrew and Neale?"

"Yes, none of the regulars can be spared because of sickness. It's that time of year!"

They were done with lunch by two and Tammy was at a loose end. The temperature was dropping rapidly so window shopping was not the best plan. Ben found her in the street, looking lost.

"Where are you heading?"

"Home I think but I'm short on transport."

"I've got to head over to Scrabster to meet someone off the ferry so I'll drop you off on the way if you like."

"Thanks, you know we've moved don't you?"

"Yes, not much happens around here without my knowledge."

They'd reached his car.

"How's your driving lessons coming along?"

"I've only done a few hours, my illness scuppered any plans for this week."

"Well, it sounds like you could do with a car."

"I have one, a Mini Cooper."

"In green I bet?"

"Yes, racing green."

"Make sure it's alarmed as they're highly prized. Even this far North we have car thieves operating."

Ben set off, negotiating the narrow streets away from the carpark until they reach Olrig Street and turned North on the A9.

"What did you mean about my clearance earlier, how do you know?"

"Iain received a request to do some background checks on you and passed it to me as I worked in Special Branch and know the drill. He didn't want one of the other officers sniffing around."

"It's not as if I've done anything wrong."

"It's not that, but there's a few homophobes in the force, even if it's officially fully non-discriminate, and Iain didn't want to run the risk of one of them looking into your past, or your father's for that matter."

"Thanks for the thought."

"It's okay, we did wonder if I needed to speak to you to ask a few questions but we had everything we needed from elsewhere. Your Special Branch file has been marked Secret now so most of them can't look at it."

"My Special Branch file?"

"Yes, because of your involvement with the terrorists, a file was created on you because you were a 'person of interest'."

"Great, being spied upon."

"It's ironic isn't it, although I don't really know what the clearance was for and you shouldn't tell me."

He pulled up. "We're here."

"Thanks for the lift, will I see you tomorrow?"

"Only if something goes wrong, I'm on a one day course on form filling and I'm not joking!"

"I can believe it, bye."

"Bye."

Inside the house all seemed quiet, she found Joan in the lounge reading.

"Hi, did you grab lunch?"

"Yes, we met Sandy Franklin and her husband."

"We?"

"Tanya."

"Okay, how did you get back?"

"Ben just dropped me off, I really need to get lessons organised."

"I've made some enquiries, there's a woman instructor who can do Sunday mornings at nine for an hour and then take you for longer lessons at Easter before your test."

"That sounds good, can we call to book it?"

"Already done. I booked some taster lessons for Angela too but I wonder if she's ready?"

"You can only try, where is she?"

"In her room listening to music, that's if she hasn't fallen asleep. She hasn't told me very much and Sarah wouldn't say alot on the phone."

"We found Josie, it seems everything was going fine until Josie went to kiss Angela."

"That all?"

"That's what Josie said."

"Do you believe her?"

"Yes, I can't see that she'd deliberately hurt Angela but Josie is about two years younger."

"Eighteen months really, it seems. That reminds me, Angela's birthday is coming up in a couple of weeks, we need to co-ordinate."

"Sure, but what day does it fall on?"

"Sunday, March the fifteenth."

"What do you have in mind?"

"Well we can get out of here for the weekend, anywhere you can suggest Tammy?"

"It would take too long to go into England, we'd spent the whole time travelling. Dundee perhaps, or Aviemore for some skiing?"

"I can't see her on skis but Dundee sounds good, plenty of shops and history. We can use the helicopter, can't we?"

"Maybe, anyway Mum, what do we buy her?"

"I have no idea."

"Oh well." Tammy stood to leave.

"Sit down, I went to see my solicitor this morning, I need to bring you up to speed."

"What did she have to say?"

"Probate is going through, the Sheriff has agreed that shouldn't wait any longer."

"Won't the other will still cause a problem?"

"No, because it was produced more than thirty days after George's death and her excuse is too flimsy to sway the Sheriff."

"That is good news."

"There's more, the Sheriff's indicated he will award compensation so my solicitor's discussing that, but it's unlikely Police Scotland will admit responsibility."

"That's a shame. What are we talking about?"

"She said it's a formula based on future earning potential and a few other things, about quarter of a million."

"That's handy, you'll invest it won't you?"

"Yes, most of it. There's more, George was a union representative and had an income from that, although I thought it was only expenses. We've found an account I didn't know about with twenty thousand in it. The union also has a death in service compensation scheme which they'll pay out."

"Blimey, I wonder if there's any more? Have the union said how much?"

"No, but it should be around ten thousand."

"All good news. Does Angela know yet?"

"Some of it, but I'll have a long talk with her later. What time do you need to be in town tomorrow?"

"Nine, at the hairdressers."

"Okay, is Angela needed?"

"Not as such, but we could always do with another pair of hands."

"So if she doesn't feel up to it, it won't be a problem?"

"No."

 
Thursday 19th February
 

"Hi Tanya, Sandy."

"Good morning Tammy, straight in the chair please. If Joanne comes looking for you I will lock her in the waxing room!"

Tammy was out of there in twenty five minutes. Sandy had put Tammy's hair up, it was held in place with scaffolding and industrial quantities of hairspray giving her a fifties look. Her makeup was simple, a clean look with just enough enhancement. Tanya had gone for a much louder look, her hair was similarly piled up although she'd done it herself with obvious practised ease.

"When did you learn to do that?"

"I don't know, just picked it up as I went along. As my hair grew I was able to try different styles, it helped having a mum who's a stylist though!"

"It's just something else I missed out on, not growing up as a girl."

"You're managing fine, it's only the technical stuff that you wouldn't come across very often that might give you trouble,"

"I suppose so, some on we'll be last ones there if we don't hurry."

"I can't run in these heels, Tammy."

"Then why didn't you bring them in a bag like I did?"

"I didn't think."

"I have to change my shoes at school every day so I'm used to it."

"One up on me then."

They followed the noises in the normally subdued library to a room at the back.

"Come on everybody, let's get you all changed and checked. Who needs makeup?"

Tammy and Tanya were okay but some of them definitely needed something, including the boys. The way they shook their heads, especially Yusuf and Mark, showed that they were not used to this aspect of the theatre.

"Girls, use that room, boys over there. Hop to it!"

Tammy and Tanya were changed quickly as they knew their costumes. Josie took slightly longer and could be seen checking Tammy out when they were down to their underwear. although nothing was said. Only Josie, from amongst the girls, needed her makeup attended to, something that Tanya was able to manage.

Once she confirmed they were decent, Joanne entered the room the boys were using. Various noises were heard but eventually it settled down; one by one the boys emerged. Joanne had a smile on her face when she'd packed her kit away.

"How did you manage that?"

"Easy Tammy, I told them they could be models for my IPL machine and I described it in extreme detail for their benefit. They'll be fine, in fact they'll go down a bomb."

"Nice. Come on Tanya, Josie, let's get going as it's almost show-time."

Outside the library the troupe was gathered ready for the short walk around to Sarah's new shop. A decent sized crowd was gathering, as were the press. A BBC camerawoman was fixing a camera onto her tripod whilst a radio reporter was recording the public's opinions.

She smiled when she saw a photographer running from a car that was not delicately parked. Her smile broadened when Constable Neale Fraser politely told the photographer to move his car.

"But I'm here for this job."

"Then you should have arrived earlier."

"My editor only just gave me the job, I was on my way to the Ladies Guild cake competition."

"I couldn't care less if it was the knit and natter either, move that car before we have it towed."

By now the troupe was outside the shop where Constable Andrew Fraser was keeping everyone at bay. A ribbon, suspiciously in the colours of the Clan McPherson, was strung across the open doorway ready for the guest of honour. Tammy was quite surprised when she was ushered forward to join Sarah by the ribbon, being handed a pair of dress-making scissors. There was a hush.

"Thank you everyone for coming here today. It was only a few months ago that I feared having to close and lose my business but one person had faith in me. Those who shop on a Saturday will know Tamara, some will also know her from the recent play at the Mill Theatre. I could think of no-one better, someone who has had such an impact on me and my business, to open my new store."

There was a round of applause, Tammy guessed she had to say something, however unprepared she was.

"Hello everyone, I've worked with Sarah for almost a year and hopefully I've been able to help a little without causing too many problems!"

There was a ripple of polite laughter.

"Anyway, I think it's important that we support small independent shops, the newest of which is Sarah's Boutique. I now declare this shop open."

She snipped the ribbon and stood to the side as Sarah rushed in, followed by a large number of the onlookers. Tammy could see Emily stood by the till, ready and waiting for trade.

Tammy returned to her troupe and they opened with "Something's Coming". Those who hadn't entered the store were now listening to the cast, thoroughly enjoying themselves. It was only a minute into the song when sirens could be heard approaching, drowning out the music.

PC Andrew Fraser ran over.

"Get back to a safe distance, there's been an anonymous bomb threat."

"Where?"

"The Boutique!"