In the Dark

I was late out of work tonight. Adrian was locking up when I left and the street seemed empty but when I turned into the passage I thought I heard footsteps behind me. For a second I wondered if he’d followed me, then remembered Pete. I walked the quieter streets with pricked ears, turning once or twice to catch him out but saw nothing, thought I must be cracking up. I was still spooked when I got to Naidoo’s so I dodged in and sidled around the shelves. I stayed awhile pretending to decide what to buy until Mr Naidoo, whose name is Tapan, made me go into the back to see Binita. We were drinking char and eating more of the little yellow cakes when he came back.

‘Jazz,’ he said, ‘is it possible that you are being followed?’

I jumped half out of my skin – I’d forgotten Pete what with the char and everything. I told him about the feeling I’d had on the way there and about Pete, and Tapan asked me what he looked like.

‘That’s him precisely,’ he said when I’d described the big old coat and the cowboy hat. ‘He’s just across the road in the doorway of the empty house. Shall I telephone the police?’

I said no, thinking maybe that wouldn’t be such a good idea what with Marz and Danny both on their books, so Tapan had a think and then lit up like a light bulb.

‘I have just this moment thought of a plan,’ he smiled. He spoke to Binita in Hindi as she doesn’t understand much English and she smiled too and beckoned me, took me by the hand.

I was totally in the dark as we went up the stairs and wondered what the hell I’d got myself into when she gestured for me to take off my puffy jacket and then began to undo my pink top with her long fingers. She had to open her wardrobe, show me all her saris hanging there like the wings of tropical birds and make all sorts of signs before I finally caught on.

Fifteen minutes later Tapan walked me home. We could just see Pete in the shadows by the front door of the empty house as we left the shop, unmistakable in the big coat and the cowboy hat. I was wearing one of Binita’s saris and her spare winter coat, her black gloves. She’d darkened my face with charcoal from one of the barbeque sets and covered my pale hair with a black scarf, draped the end of the sari over my head. I almost laughed aloud tripping along the cold pavement in her little heels, my trainers and other stuff in a plastic bag. It had been fun getting dressed up. Binita showed me how to pleat the sari through your fingers, how to tuck it in to the underskirt so it didn’t slip.

Tapan made sure I got in okay then went back to Binita. Marz nearly had a fit when she saw me, and I got more attention from Danny than I have since I brought him home. Maybe he likes this look. I could wear a sari sometimes, darken my face. It might be interesting.