Take a Good Look Read online

‘Look, my eyes might be funny, but they’re not boss or cross or anything, so shut up calling me that.’

  ‘What’s your name then?’ said the girl.

  ‘Mary.’

  ‘OK. I’ll call you Mary. I’m Sue and this is Mick. Come on, we’ve got to get back to school. See you, Mary.’

  ‘See you,’ said Mary.

  She waved in their direction and she thought they waved back, though she couldn’t be sure. She was so pleased with herself she forgot to be cautious going into the shop and barged right into some wire baskets, banging her knee.

  ‘Oh dear, are you all right, miss?’ came Mr Soli’s voice from behind his post office cage.

  Mrs Soli rustled from behind the food counter. She seemed to have two faces, but when she was near enough to rub the sore knee Mary could see she was carrying a little Soli on her hip.

  ‘It’s OK, really, it doesn’t even hurt,’ said Mary. ‘Can I have a can of coke, please? And a packet of crisps – salt and vinegar, I think. And I want some chocolate.’

  ‘Chocolate is this way, on the counter. I’ll show you,’ said Mrs Soli, gently leading Mary by the elbow.

  She held up bar after bar right in front of Mary’s eyes so that she could see what was on offer. The baby Soli did his best to grab for the chocolate, making them all laugh. An old lady came into the shop for a loaf of bread.

  ‘I’ve left my specs at home,’ she said to Mary. ‘Have I got the right packet, dear? Small sliced wholemeal?’

  Mary laughed at the idea of anyone asking her to look for them.

  ‘This little girl can’t see so well herself,’ said Mrs Soli.

  ‘I can a bit,’ said Mary, and she brought the packet of bread right in front of her eyes. ‘Yes, that’s a small sliced wholemeal,’ she said proudly.

  She still couldn’t decide whether she wanted a Mars or a Kit Kat. Well, why not have both, seeing as this was such a special day?

  She paid for the coke, crisps and the two bars of chocolate.

  ‘You are a clever girl, managing so well,’ said the old lady with the bread.

  ‘Shall I help you out of the door, dear?’ said Mrs Soli.

  ‘No, thank you, I can manage,’ said Mary.

  ‘Well, mind those baskets,’ Mr Soli called.

  ‘I’m minding them,’ said Mary, moving cautiously forward towards the door.

  And then she was knocked right over by two people rushing madly into the shop. She went sprawling on the floor, dropping her coke and crisps and chocolate.

  ‘Watch the little girl!’ Mrs Soli cried indignantly.

  ‘Don’t move! This is a hold-up!’ a man shouted.

  The other man pushed past Mary. He was close enough for her to see the long knife in his hand.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Mary crouched on the floor, terrified. She couldn’t see what was going on, but she could hear.

  ‘Hand over the money!’ one man shouted, banging on the post office counter.

  The other man had got Mrs Soli over by the window. He took hold of her by the hair. She cried out in her own language, and Mr Soli answered her.

  ‘Don’t jabber like that!’ the man shouted. ‘Don’t play games with us. And you can leave that alarm bell alone. One stupid move and we’ll hurt your wife and kid.’

  The baby Soli started wailing in a high-pitched panicky way, as if he understood.

  Mary crouched down even smaller, wanting to cry too. The old lady with the wholemeal bread was stumbling about, making little whimpering noises.

  ‘You there! Keep still and shut up,’ the man shouted. ‘Come on, give us the money. All of it. Don’t try messing with us.’

  ‘I’ll give you all the money. Just don’t hurt anybody. Get away from my wife, my baby. You’re frightening them.’

  ‘We give the orders round here. Now hurry!’

  Hurry! Mary begged silently, her head almost on the floor.

  She still couldn’t believe it was actually happening. One minute she’d been so happy and proud and confident, buying chocolate at the corner shop like any other girl. And the next minute she was part of this nightmare robbery, and it was all so quick, so cruel, so frightening.

  ‘Hurry him up!’ the man called from the window. ‘There’s kids running round outside. They look as if they’re up to something. Quick!’

  ‘Hear that? Hand it all over now or I’m telling you, your wife gets it, and your kid.’

  ‘Here! This is all, I swear. Take it. But for pity’s sake, don’t hurt anyone,’ said Mr Soli desperately.

  The baby cried harder. Mary clenched her fists so tightly her nails dug into her palms.

  The other man suddenly swore. ‘Those kids, they’ve fetched the copper from the school crossing. Come on, mate, we’ve got to get out of here!’

  ‘Right, here’s the cash. Quick, catch! Let’s go.’

  ‘The copper! He’s coming, he’s coming!’

  The man with the knife started running. Mary cowered away from him. He seemed to have a strange green face that made him even more frightening. He suddenly stopped, reached down and grabbed her by the shoulder.

  ‘Get up, kid.’

  ‘No!’ Mary whispered.

  ‘Just do as you’re told,’ said the man, and he yanked her to her feet. He thrust the knife right in her face. ‘No silly tricks now. Come on, move it.’

  He pushed her and she blundered helplessly, knocking into the shelves. The man grabbed her round the chest and hauled her along so quickly that the tips of her boots barely scuffed the floor.

  ‘Leave the poor kid alone!’ the old woman shouted, and she tried to waddle after them.

  ‘Get out the way, you silly old bag,’ yelled the other man.

  He must have given her a push because the old woman grunted and then hit the floor with a bump. There was a series of soft thuds as a pile of toilet rolls fell on top of her. The man stumbled through them and got to the door. Then he yelled as a big burly shape loomed up. There was a bang, more thuds, and a gasp for help as they struggled.

  ‘Leave him, copper!’ shouted Mary’s man. ‘Let him go or the kid gets it.’

  The scuffling stopped. The two indistinct figures seemed to freeze.

  ‘Now, come on, lads. I’ve put a call out, the place will be crawling with police by now. There’s no point in any silly stuff. Let the little girl go.’

  ‘Oh no! She’s coming with us. And you’d better stand out of our way or she’ll get cut.’

  He waved the knife wildly and then stuck the blade right under Mary’s chin, so close she could feel the cold steel.

  ‘All right! All right, just don’t hurt her,’ the policeman called.

  ‘Let my mate go.’

  ‘OK. There. See, he’s free now.’

  ‘Come on, quick!’ yelled Mary’s man, and he picked her right up and ran with her. The knife bobbed up and down in front of her and she stared at the terrible gleam of it.

  There were shouts and gasps and running feet. She was suspended helplessly, not daring to move or speak or even cry, not while the knife was an inch from her face.

  ‘What are we going to do?’ gasped the other man.

  ‘We’re going to get out of here, that’s what we’re going to do,’ Mary’s man panted. ‘The car, let’s get in the car.’

  They ran wildly across the road, although the man was gasping for breath now and his grip wasn’t as tight. As he got across the road he tripped on the kerb and very nearly dropped Mary. She tensed, ready for the sharp slap of the pavement, desperately determined to run for it no matter how much it hurt.

  But it was no use. He clutched at her, the knife slipping for a moment, but then he clasped it again, and he had Mary in a new fierce grip too, her head jerked right back.

  ‘Get the car, get the door open, get it going!’ he gabbled to his friend.

  He stayed still, one leg up against the car to take some of the weight. His arm was so hard against her throat she could hardly swallow. The hairs on hi