Dead of Winter

Chapter 27

Cain’s finally kicked the last punter out and closed its doors. Tanya sat at the dressing-room mirror in her T-shirt and knickers and looked across at Anna hiding in the corner. Tanya put down the cotton wool pad caked in makeup and smiled at her as she waved her over. Anna stared back, unsure, until a second wave saw her get to her feet and walk cautiously across. Tanya turned the chair next to her round and Anna sat down.

‘Close your eyes,’ Tanya said and mimed the action when Anna didn’t understand.

Anna felt the cool cream spread over her skin as Tanya wiped her face in sections. She cupped Anna’s face in her hands when she was done. Anna’s eyes opened slowly: reluctantly she emerged from a memory stored in her senses where a mother she had once known had cared for her just like that; had touched her just like that. Tanya smiled at her, looked deep into her eyes and then hugged her. Anna lay limp in her arms and started to cry.

Digger didn’t knock before he entered the dressing room. The dancers were used to it. Anna sat back in her chair. Tanya turned back to the mirror and picked up a fresh cotton pad.

‘Tanya, I have a client for you. Get dressed and hurry. A taxi is coming in ten minutes.’

Tanya nodded her agreement but her face clouded over as she reapplied foundation to hide her bad skin and scraped her hair back. She drew kohl into the rims of her eyes and applied mascara again. She stood and pulled on her floor-length military-style coat and stopped as she saw Anna still watching her. She went across to her and rested a cold hand against Anna’s baby face. Anna reminded her of her four-year-old son Jakub who she’d left behind for her mother to look after. Tanya smiled and leant in.

‘Close your eyes.’ Anna did as she was told. Tanya kissed each eyelid in turn. That was the last thing she’d done when she said goodbye to Jakub. She’d kissed his eyelids and said: ‘Remember me when you close your eyes, I will be with you.’

Outside, the taxi was waiting, Tanya stepped inside and closed the door and it pulled away. Inside the taxi someone was waiting for her. She smiled. She remembered him from somewhere. At first she thought it was a punter. Was it a man she’d been sent to meet in a hotel room? He was good-looking anyway. As he moved across towards her on the back seat of the cab, she looked down at the bruising on the inside of her elbow and then she remembered that this was the man who had wanted her tested.

Carter heard the buzz of his phone as his alarm went. He’d set it because he knew Ebony would give him a few minutes longer than he’d asked for. He washed his face in the bathroom, spent five minutes re-gelling his hair. Then he sprayed deodorant inside his shirt and sniffed his armpits to make sure he was passable before emerging to locate Ebony, who wasn’t at her desk. He found her with Robbo.

‘Greetings. .’ Robbo looked up as Carter entered.

‘Any coffee?’ He looked around and saw the half full cafetière then helped himself.

‘Ebb, you better get a few hours’ kip now.’

‘I feel fine, Sarge.’

‘Yeah, but you’ve got a long day ahead. I need you to head back to Carmichael’s farm today and check on him. Things have gone a little quiet.’

Tanya felt the cold air whoosh around her as she moved through the air horizontally. Trolley wheels rumbled, vibrating below her body, and then everything echoed around her as she entered into a building and the wheels found a smoother surface. When her eyes managed to stay open for a few seconds they saw a high ceiling with pipes running across it.

She was lifted from the trolley, guided onto a bed, hands held her weight. She opened her eyes briefly and looked around the unfamiliar room. It wasn’t a hotel room. It was a hospital.

Tanya’s eyes were struggling to stay open. ‘What are you doing?’ She saw a nurse walk around the bed and then start undressing her. She felt the cool air in the room flow over her body as the nurse drew back the covers and began to wash her. She took her time — long, slow, warm strokes that soon turned cold on Tanya’s skin. But Tanya didn’t mind as the warm flannel stroked her tired limbs. Her mind wandered back to being in a bath with Jakub; the first time he had laughed. Then she thought she could hear his breathing as he lay beside her sleeping. Feeling heavy now. Her arm was being pulled out straight. In her dream it was her son Jakub pulling it. What did he want? Mama? Mama? Tanya felt a sting in her hand but still she could hear the rhythmical breathing of someone asleep. She felt another’s body next to hers.

‘Jakub?’

She struggled to open her eyes and turn her head to see her son. A woman’s face was inches from her own, watching her.