recalled.
‘But I —’
‘Shush,’ whispered Noah. He was shaky and very red in the face. ‘Don’t say anything and don’t look behind you, but the security guy has clocked you and he’s been following you around for a couple of minutes.’
‘What do you mean?’ she asked. She realised her legs had stopped walking, although she couldn’t remember telling them to. Now her feet were stuck fast to the floor, while everything around her seemed to be spinning faster and faster. How was it possible that she hadn’t noticed the brightness of the lights before? How had she been unaware of the music and the low purr of chatter that wove its way through it? It was as if she’d been brought suddenly out of a trance.
‘He saw you take that scarf and he’s waiting for you to leave the store,’ Noah said. ‘I saw him talking into his radio about you.’
Ruby giggled, involuntarily. The weird, raspy noise that erupted from her didn’t even sound like her normal laugh. She thought of saying, ‘What scarf? I don’t know what you’re talking about’ or ‘It was an accident’ but she knew it would sound pathetic. ‘I, uh …’ she stuttered. She felt sick and wobbly. She tried again: ‘I, didn’t, uh …’ She stared straight ahead. Perhaps if she didn’t look at Noah she could pretend this wasn’t happening. For a moment, she wondered if being arrested might be preferable. At least a security guard or a policeman wouldn’t know her, or live in her street.
‘You’ve got to put the scarf back,’ Noah said, asfirmly as he could. ‘And, if there’s anything else you’ve taken, you’ve got to put that back too. He’s waiting for you to go outside so he can stop you and arrest you. That’s how they work.’
‘I … I … don’t know what to do,’ she stuttered. She felt she was on the brink of tears, but didn’t want to cry in front of Noah.
‘It’s OK,’ he said. ‘Just go back over to the scarf table and take it out of your pocket and leave it there. If you go out the shop and you haven’t taken anything, it’s not shoplifting, is it?’
Ruby shook her head.
‘So I’ll wait here for you and then we’ll leave together, OK?’
Ruby nodded. ‘OK,’ she whispered. She wasn’t convinced that she could do it. Maybe, she thought, if I pray really hard, or click my heels three times, or say a magic word, I can make myself disappear instead.
Chapter 7
Noah watched as Ruby walked back through the shop to the table on which the scarves were neatly piled. Her head was bowed, her steps an uneven shuffle. He hadn’t seen Ruby appear so fragile, or so lacking in confidence, at least not since they were little. She looked crestfallen, just like she always used to when they were about six and her dad told her off for lying or being cheeky. He couldn’t explain why, but if he tried not to think about the fact she was a thief, her vulnerability made her even more attractive. It made him feel stronger too, like he was in control for once, like he mattered to her. He felt he wanted to protect her.
Ruby had almost reached the table when he saw the security guard, heading straight for her, his radio to his ear. He realised with alarm that Ruby, her back to him, still had the scarf in her pocket. He had to do something. He had todo something fast. ‘Think! Think!’ he repeated under his breath. He launched himself across the shop with such speed that he was able to double back on himself and block the security guard’s path to the table. ‘Excuse me,’ he said. ‘Can you tell me where the nearest cashpoint is?’
The guard stopped. ‘Um, uh, yeah, it’s across the road,’ he said, distracted, trying to peer past Noah. For once, Noah was glad of his height and the span of his arms.
‘Where exactly?’
The security guard sighed. ‘Come out of the shop, cross the road and turn left,’ he said. ‘It’s about fifty yards away. You can’t miss it.’ He started walking
‘But I —’
‘Shush,’ whispered Noah. He was shaky and very red in the face. ‘Don’t say anything and don’t look behind you, but the security guy has clocked you and he’s been following you around for a couple of minutes.’
‘What do you mean?’ she asked. She realised her legs had stopped walking, although she couldn’t remember telling them to. Now her feet were stuck fast to the floor, while everything around her seemed to be spinning faster and faster. How was it possible that she hadn’t noticed the brightness of the lights before? How had she been unaware of the music and the low purr of chatter that wove its way through it? It was as if she’d been brought suddenly out of a trance.
‘He saw you take that scarf and he’s waiting for you to leave the store,’ Noah said. ‘I saw him talking into his radio about you.’
Ruby giggled, involuntarily. The weird, raspy noise that erupted from her didn’t even sound like her normal laugh. She thought of saying, ‘What scarf? I don’t know what you’re talking about’ or ‘It was an accident’ but she knew it would sound pathetic. ‘I, uh …’ she stuttered. She felt sick and wobbly. She tried again: ‘I, didn’t, uh …’ She stared straight ahead. Perhaps if she didn’t look at Noah she could pretend this wasn’t happening. For a moment, she wondered if being arrested might be preferable. At least a security guard or a policeman wouldn’t know her, or live in her street.
‘You’ve got to put the scarf back,’ Noah said, asfirmly as he could. ‘And, if there’s anything else you’ve taken, you’ve got to put that back too. He’s waiting for you to go outside so he can stop you and arrest you. That’s how they work.’
‘I … I … don’t know what to do,’ she stuttered. She felt she was on the brink of tears, but didn’t want to cry in front of Noah.
‘It’s OK,’ he said. ‘Just go back over to the scarf table and take it out of your pocket and leave it there. If you go out the shop and you haven’t taken anything, it’s not shoplifting, is it?’
Ruby shook her head.
‘So I’ll wait here for you and then we’ll leave together, OK?’
Ruby nodded. ‘OK,’ she whispered. She wasn’t convinced that she could do it. Maybe, she thought, if I pray really hard, or click my heels three times, or say a magic word, I can make myself disappear instead.
Chapter 7
Noah watched as Ruby walked back through the shop to the table on which the scarves were neatly piled. Her head was bowed, her steps an uneven shuffle. He hadn’t seen Ruby appear so fragile, or so lacking in confidence, at least not since they were little. She looked crestfallen, just like she always used to when they were about six and her dad told her off for lying or being cheeky. He couldn’t explain why, but if he tried not to think about the fact she was a thief, her vulnerability made her even more attractive. It made him feel stronger too, like he was in control for once, like he mattered to her. He felt he wanted to protect her.
Ruby had almost reached the table when he saw the security guard, heading straight for her, his radio to his ear. He realised with alarm that Ruby, her back to him, still had the scarf in her pocket. He had to do something. He had todo something fast. ‘Think! Think!’ he repeated under his breath. He launched himself across the shop with such speed that he was able to double back on himself and block the security guard’s path to the table. ‘Excuse me,’ he said. ‘Can you tell me where the nearest cashpoint is?’
The guard stopped. ‘Um, uh, yeah, it’s across the road,’ he said, distracted, trying to peer past Noah. For once, Noah was glad of his height and the span of his arms.
‘Where exactly?’
The security guard sighed. ‘Come out of the shop, cross the road and turn left,’ he said. ‘It’s about fifty yards away. You can’t miss it.’ He started walking
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