Read Online The Girl by the Thames by Peter Boland - Free Book Online
Authors: Peter Boland
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quiet but confident.
“You ready?” asked Duff.
“Yep,” said Lena.
“I’d get your race face on if I was you,” said Vicks. Lena didn’t understand what that meant. She didn’t say anything because she didn’t want to look stupid.
“Okay, go to it, then.”
Lena hesitated, as the information filtered through her mind. She wasn’t frightened and had nicked things from shops plenty of times before. But it had been when an opportunity had presented itself, a spur of the moment thing. This was different. She had to follow a plan. She had just heard the instructions but her mind couldn’t keep hold of them. Maybe she should go back and get Duff to repeat them. No, that would make her look even more stupid.
Lena strode as confidently as she could towards the door. She was aware of her hands swinging too much, like a cartoon character so she anchored them in her pockets.
Inside, the store had rows of high dusty shelves with a long counter near the door. Two heavy men sat behind it talking in a foreign language that was probably Polish. They both ignored her, which pleased Lena. She glanced over at the counter but couldn’t see the charity box. There was too much stuff piled by the till. All she could see were racks of chewing gum and scratch card dispensers. Confusion nailed Lena to the spot. Should she keep moving or stay there looking awkward, until she’d spotted the box?
Lena edged a little closer to the counter. She got near enough to tell that neither of the men behind the till was wearing any deodorant. A horrible whiff of sweat found its way up both nostrils. It threw her for a second. All she could think of was Seb and Duff in a struggle with these two men, and the pong they’d have to put up with. Why the hell was she thinking about this? She needed to focus. Fast.
The men stopped talking and looked at her. One of them raised his eyebrows as if to ask what she wanted. Lena looked back at them as her brain struggled to get into first gear. They eyed her as if she had special needs.
“Er, have you got a …” Lena was about to say charity box when her wits caught up with her, “… er, spaghetti.”
One of the men, who had several day’s growth of thick bristles around his chin, nodded to towards an aisle. Lena couldn’t tell which aisle he’d aimed his nod at, so she just picked one at random and headed towards it.
There was a sharp whistle from behind her. Lena turned and looked back.
“No, next one,” he said in a heavy accented voice.
Lena gave him a thumbs up and smiled crookedly. So much for being inconspicuous. As she walked to the aisle she heard the door open, then clatter as it closed. Lena couldn’t help herself and turned to see if it was Mack. She caught his eye. In return, he gave her a furious look and carried on towards the back of the shop. She probably wasn’t supposed to make eye contact, judging by his nasty look. The mistakes kept piling up in Lena’s brain as she realised she was heading in the wrong direction. Lena was supposed to be going towards the till, not away from it. There was no option but to keep moving, she’d look even more suspicious if she suddenly doubled back now.
Lena pretended to look for pasta, scanning up and down the shelves. She felt like the world’s worst actor. Every move she made seemed so obvious and deliberate. The storekeepers must know she was up to something. Curiosity made her steal a glance at them. They were both locked in an important discussion.
Then she saw it.
The collection box.
It was tucked well behind the till, no wonder she couldn’t see it when she came in. But from a side angle it was in plain sight.
There was a huge bang from the front of the store. It sounded like the door had been opened by a stampeding elephant.
“Hey,” said the guy with bristles, “Not so hard or you pay for it.”
Lena couldn’t see what was happening, she didn’t need to. A second later, she heard a noise she knew well – the
“You ready?” asked Duff.
“Yep,” said Lena.
“I’d get your race face on if I was you,” said Vicks. Lena didn’t understand what that meant. She didn’t say anything because she didn’t want to look stupid.
“Okay, go to it, then.”
Lena hesitated, as the information filtered through her mind. She wasn’t frightened and had nicked things from shops plenty of times before. But it had been when an opportunity had presented itself, a spur of the moment thing. This was different. She had to follow a plan. She had just heard the instructions but her mind couldn’t keep hold of them. Maybe she should go back and get Duff to repeat them. No, that would make her look even more stupid.
Lena strode as confidently as she could towards the door. She was aware of her hands swinging too much, like a cartoon character so she anchored them in her pockets.
Inside, the store had rows of high dusty shelves with a long counter near the door. Two heavy men sat behind it talking in a foreign language that was probably Polish. They both ignored her, which pleased Lena. She glanced over at the counter but couldn’t see the charity box. There was too much stuff piled by the till. All she could see were racks of chewing gum and scratch card dispensers. Confusion nailed Lena to the spot. Should she keep moving or stay there looking awkward, until she’d spotted the box?
Lena edged a little closer to the counter. She got near enough to tell that neither of the men behind the till was wearing any deodorant. A horrible whiff of sweat found its way up both nostrils. It threw her for a second. All she could think of was Seb and Duff in a struggle with these two men, and the pong they’d have to put up with. Why the hell was she thinking about this? She needed to focus. Fast.
The men stopped talking and looked at her. One of them raised his eyebrows as if to ask what she wanted. Lena looked back at them as her brain struggled to get into first gear. They eyed her as if she had special needs.
“Er, have you got a …” Lena was about to say charity box when her wits caught up with her, “… er, spaghetti.”
One of the men, who had several day’s growth of thick bristles around his chin, nodded to towards an aisle. Lena couldn’t tell which aisle he’d aimed his nod at, so she just picked one at random and headed towards it.
There was a sharp whistle from behind her. Lena turned and looked back.
“No, next one,” he said in a heavy accented voice.
Lena gave him a thumbs up and smiled crookedly. So much for being inconspicuous. As she walked to the aisle she heard the door open, then clatter as it closed. Lena couldn’t help herself and turned to see if it was Mack. She caught his eye. In return, he gave her a furious look and carried on towards the back of the shop. She probably wasn’t supposed to make eye contact, judging by his nasty look. The mistakes kept piling up in Lena’s brain as she realised she was heading in the wrong direction. Lena was supposed to be going towards the till, not away from it. There was no option but to keep moving, she’d look even more suspicious if she suddenly doubled back now.
Lena pretended to look for pasta, scanning up and down the shelves. She felt like the world’s worst actor. Every move she made seemed so obvious and deliberate. The storekeepers must know she was up to something. Curiosity made her steal a glance at them. They were both locked in an important discussion.
Then she saw it.
The collection box.
It was tucked well behind the till, no wonder she couldn’t see it when she came in. But from a side angle it was in plain sight.
There was a huge bang from the front of the store. It sounded like the door had been opened by a stampeding elephant.
“Hey,” said the guy with bristles, “Not so hard or you pay for it.”
Lena couldn’t see what was happening, she didn’t need to. A second later, she heard a noise she knew well – the
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