A Bump on the Head, Caroline Tailby [good books to read txt] 📗

definitely a girl.”
The girl was puzzled for another second, but she regained her composure. “My apologies,” she said, walking out from behind the counter. “Step this way.” She led us to a table for two right near the window. I love sitting by the window. And I think Bugsy and I both worked out that we could open it so I could have some fresh air. I still felt pants.
We sat down and the girl brought us some tea on a tray. Bugsy thanked her and she nodded and retreated back to wiping her counter. I picked up a cup and decided to make some conversation.
“So Fat Sam and Dandy Dan,” I said. “What’s the conflict between them?”
“You should know, shouldn’t you?” Bugsy said.
“Yeah, but it seems like they’re still fighting. Wouldn’t they be working together now?”
“Mmm. Good point. To admit it, Dandy Dan is the nastiest hoodlum in the city.”
“Would he hurt me?”
“Probably not. I don’t think he’d hurt a kid. But that rivalry’s been going on for some time now.”
“Tell me.”
I listened as Bugsy explained Fat Sam and Dandy Dan’s rivalry. It sounded pretty violent. Apparently Dan hadn’t given up trying to take over Fat Sam’s organisation even after the big splurge fight and now he’d go to extremes to do it. That worried me a little. Maybe he would hurt someone. And if it wasn’t me, it might be Blousey or Tallulah or even Bugsy. Most likely Tallulah, because she was Sam’s girl and he loved her to pieces.
“But you know somethin’?” said Bugsy after this long speech. I leaned forward slightly. “Yeah?”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if I found Dandy Dan was just a power-crazed dummy!”
I burst out laughing. “You think he is?!”
Bugsy smiled at my laughter. “I dunno. But I’ll tell you somethin’; ever since he found he couldn’t get hold of the business he’s been out to get me. Can’t think why.”
“So why did the gang run away when you found me?” I asked.
“They’re scared stiff of me!” chortled Bugsy. “Must be because I nearly shot ‘em with splurge guns. You know what they are?”
“Yeah,” I said. “Guns that shoot this cream mixture. But how do they kill you? I don’t get it,” and this in puzzled tones, “it’s only cream.”
“Ever felt the force it gives when it hits you?” Bugsy answered. “You can’t survive it.” His tone changed to a little worried. “And I think Dan might be trying to shoot me.” He suddenly seemed to shake that thought off and changed the subject. “Anyway, I’ve kinda got to do a job for Fat Sam tonight, Liana. Are you OK to go around to Blousey’s?”
“Fine by me,” I said, “if she’s OK with it. I can walk myself back to yours if you like.” I thought he might get worried at this, but he didn’t.
“She is. That’s what I had to arrange!” He laughed, and I laughed too. But I suddenly got the being-stared-at feeling again. I had no idea why at the time, but I drooped and rested on the table.
“You feelin’ ill again?” Bugsy asked. “You’ve gone pale.”
“Yeah. I feel faint again.”
“Maybe we should go back to my place. You should get some rest,” he said, sounding concerned. He looked up and turned to the waitress. “Can we have the bill, please?”
She looked like she’d recognised him. Probably heard our conversation. “It’s on me, Mr. Malone.” She had. “You and the kid don’t have to pay a dime.”
“What luck!” I said. Bugsy smiled and walked with me out of the coffee shop. I still felt like I was being stared at.


Entry 7

The second dream

Once we were back at Bugsy’s place, I made my way up to the spare room and flung myself on the bed. My head was swimming and I couldn’t open my eyes. So you can guess what happened; I fell asleep.
I had another dream. I was in the same living-room, and invisible again. The same man was on the nearby chair, but this time the newspaper was gone. He didn’t seem to be doing anything, just thinking. And another thing. Four of the men who had come through the door in my last dream were clustered around him. None of them had their guns this time.
The door at the end of the room suddenly swung open and the last member of the gang came in. He didn’t have his gun either, and I was so glad I couldn’t make any noise, because if I could I would have gasped very loudly.
It was the same short man who had started people staring at me.
“Hey, boss,” he said casually, presumably to the leader, who looked up.
“Hello, Yonkers,” he said to the gang member, who I now knew the name of. “You haven’t been out very long.”
“No, but I saw the girl and found out a little more.”
So that was why I’d felt dizzy! He’d been watching me!
“Let’s hear it then,” said another of the gang, who had a small moustache. The gang clustered around Yonkers and he prepared himself for a speech. “I found out that she knows what splurge guns are. She also asked Malone about our fighting with Fat Sam.” Uh-oh. Surely that couldn’t mean…
“And he told her its current circumstances?” asked the leader.
“Yeah, and…I’m not sure I should say this, boss, but…”
“Yes?”
“He kinda…called you a dummy.”
The leader sighed in anger. “I’ll get that Bugsy Malone if it’s the last thing I do,” he said. But then he regained his composure. “Anyway, do you think she might be of some use to us?”
“I think so,” replied Yonkers. “She’s just a kid, I think she’ll spit it out.”
“Did you find out where she’ll be tonight?” God, the leader had a lot of questions!
“At Blousey Brown’s house.” Yonkers answered. Then the tallest of the gang cut in. “We know where that is.”
“And one more thing,” added Yonkers. “It looks like Bugsy’s kinda taken her under his wing. And I thought…maybe…we could use her to kill him.”
“You mean like bait?” said the leader, leering slightly. I couldn’t see his face that well, but it was quite a frightening look, even from a distance.
“Mm-hm,” replied Yonkers with a nod.
The leader smiled, looking impressed. “Nice idea,” he said. “OK boys, here’s the plan. And try and keep a cool head while you’re executing it.”
The gang huddled around him, and then I woke up.
I felt a lot better. Sleeping must have helped. Either that or I just wasn’t being stared at anymore. I took a moment to ponder on the dream.
Had the leader of that gang been who I thought he was? Or was I just having a silly nightmare after everything Bugsy had told me about Dandy Dan? I don’t really tend to have nightmares, so I considered the first option. But if it had been Dandy Dan, wouldn’t I have recognised him? His voice had sounded familiar. And there were a lot of clues in what the men were saying that might give the game away. But there was still the option of it just being a silly dream…
I gave up. I’m rubbish at putting clues together and coming to a conclusion. It’s like a jigsaw puzzle. Like what they say in Enid Blyton’s Secret Seven books. When you have some clues, you piece them together and you get a picture, just like a jigsaw. And I’m rubbish at real jigsaws, so you can see I wasn’t in the best of positions.
I decided to just dismiss the dream as another stupid fantasy. I might not have nightmares very often but maybe this was an exception. There was suddenly a knock on the door.
“Come in, I’m awake!” I called. Bugsy opened the door.
“Good nap?” he asked.
“Yeah. But another weird dream.”
“What about?” He sat on the bed beside me. By now I’d started to climb off it.
“Nothing. Just some gang plotting something.”
“Plotting what?” He was frowning now.
“A kidnap. But anyway,” I changed the subject. “What time is it now? I’m starving!” I’m not kidding. My stomach was rumbling.
“It’s four o’clock already,” Bugsy said, smiling again. “You’ve been asleep for hours. I just thought I’d better wake you because you don’t actually know the way to Blousey’s. It’s pretty simple.”
“Tell me.”
“I’ll take you there, but back here it’s down the lane, left at the grocery store and you’ll recognise the street. And my house.” He emphasised each instruction. I nodded at each one, making sure I knew it before storing it away at the back of my mind for later tonight. “You got that?”
“Yep. I’ll remember. I’ve got a pretty good memory.”


Entry 8

Kidnapped

It was about six when he took me around to Blousey’s. She lived quite near him (“Surprised I didn’t know before I’d met her!” laughed Bugsy), ten minutes walk away. About the same distance Bugsy’s house was from the Grand Slam, but in the other direction. The street her house was on was pretty similar to his, but it was different. It had a kind of serenity that was difficult to describe, compared to Bugsy’s street which seemed to be buzzing with activity (there was always someone walking through a front door, in and out, or a car driving past or something like that). Bugsy knocked on the door of what was, presumably, Blousey’s house. She answered it.
“Hi, Bugsy!” she said, hugging him. “Hey, honey,” he replied, and then she turned to me. “Hello, Liana!”
“Hiya, Blousey!” I said. “You OK?”
“Yeah, I’m great, thank you,” she said, and turned to Bugsy. “So you’re leaving Liana with me while you go see Fat Sam?”
“Is that OK?”
“It’s fine. When do you think you’ll be back?”
“I’ll call you when I’m home.” He turned to me. “You alright to walk back by yourself, Liana?” I was exasperated. He’d been a little worried all afternoon; he didn’t seem to like the fact that I was by myself.
“Bugsy,” I said. “You’re beginning to sound like my mum.” That’s true, he was. “I’ll be fine.”
“I’ll call to check she gets back OK, if that helps,” said Blousey. Bugsy relaxed. “OK, cool. I’ll see you both later, then. For those of you that know him, you know what Sam’s like when I’m late!”
“You don’t have to tell me,” Blousey replied. Then he kissed her and walked away from the door.
I stifled a retch.
“Come on in, Liana,” said Blousey. “You want a coffee?”
“I don’t drink coffee, thanks,” I said, walking into Blousey’s house. It had a similar layout to Bugsy’s, but it was decorated differently. It also seemed a little cosier, probably because she had a huge chest against the staircase wall, whereas Bugsy didn’t. She led me into the kitchen.
“If you don’t want coffee, what would you like?” she asked.
“Can you make cocoa?” I asked hopefully. Maybe Bugsy had shared his special recipe with her.
“Sure.” She changed the subject as she started making it. “So Bugsy showed you town today?”
“Yep. Only I nearly fainted because a load of people were staring at me.” I sighed. “Can’t they accept that I’m from the future?”
“There’s nothing to accept,” said Blousey, placing my cocoa on the table. “You’re not from the future, Liana. You’re confused.”
“I’m not!” I objected indignantly.
“You are, you know,” Her tone was very matter-of-fact.
“Oh, never mind.” There literally was no point in arguing any more. “Anyway, Bugsy waved them off and they left me alone.” I paused, then wondered out loud, “Why does everyone do what he says the instant he says it? And the waitress in the