Part Twenty Three   "Suzie"

 
Friday 15th May
 

Tammy, Lori and Helen walked out of the gymnasium at the end of the two and a half hour exam. Tammy and Lori had just completed the first GCSE A Level English Literature paper, whereas Helen had done the Scottish Highers equivalent.

"That wasn't too bad," offered Tammy. The other girls stopped and turned.

"What?"

"I said it wasn't too bad."

"That was easy for you to say."

"Come on Lori, you shouldn't have struggled on that paper. I don't know the Higher paper so I can't comment on your's Helen."

"I wasn't ready, I didn't do enough revision and I found the Macbeth questions a problem. All I did was see one performance at the Mill and watch a video in class, I didn't even have a script at home."

"We put on a performance here before the theatre production, Tammy directed the school production."

"You're in a private school, I'm sure that kind of thing happens all the time?"

"No, it was meant to be a classroom play but the English master decided the whole school could see it. He then got into trouble with the Head, who asked me to look after it. The whole thing was done very quickly, too quickly."

They continued walking, having caused a logjam of boys, some of whom were taking an interest in the girls' conversation.

"The lunch bell is going in a minute, are you staying, Helen?"

"I'm not hungry and I came on this morning. It's a good job I don't have another exam until Wednesday."

"I see."

"Oh, sorry, you don't suffer - do you?"

"No, I don't, but if it's a problem you should see your GP."

"I don't have one, at least I don't think so. Mum had an argument with an old Doctor, Huskens I think, and stopped going there."

"That was Dr Hoskins. He retired a few months ago then Dr Sutherland took over, she's good. She runs a well woman clinic on a Wednesday morning, just drop in."

I don't know if I can get there, can you ask your father again if I can move?"

"I'll ask, but I suspect the answer is going to be the same until half-term."

"That's another week."

"Yes. I'm heading directly into town as I need to see someone. Who wants a lift?"

Lori, unsurprisingly, wanted to go home. Helen shrugged and went to the common room, pulling her phone out of her bag.

"Put that away!"

One of the masters was passing Helen in the corridor when he spotted the phone.

"Put that away."

"No, I've just done badly in an exam, I'm on my period and I want to book some transport out of here!"

The entire corridor fell silent.

The Head, who had walked up to speak to Tammy, was the next voice.

"Miss McPherson, my office, now!" He turned to Tammy, "You did tell her the rules?"

"Yes, Sir. If you don't mind, I have a meeting in town."

"By all means."

Tammy and Lori made a quick exit and headed to Tammy's car, Tammy wondered how harsh Dr McIntosh would be, given that the Head would not normally become involved in a minor issue. Helen's reaction, however, probably changed that. She guessed there was no precedence in this case.

Somehow, the press had got wind of Helen's presence at the school and this prompted a few phone calls. Chairman of the Governors, Harry Davison, had put out a terse statement that offered nothing. It hadn't taken long for the boys to identify Helen McPherson aka Salmond aka Lady Foreland but a few reminders during assembly had minimised the problem.

The activities around her mother were of greater interest to the press, as an application had been made by the Procurator Fiscal of the High Court in Edinburgh to have Veronica Salmond's case transferred there from London.

The reasoning was sound, Helen's trust fund had been invested with a Scottish bank, although a London branch had been used for convenience. The incarceration of Helen in Thurso by her mother was deemed to be a lesser offence, ironically.

The application had been granted that morning and arrangements were made to relocate Veronica to Cornton Vale women's prison in Stirling. A bail application was dismissed on the spot.

Tammy parked and waited until Lori had walked away before she allowed herself into Caithness Marine. Once in the main office she was surprised to find Suzie Small.

"Tammy!"

"Hi Suzie, I had no idea you were going to be here?"

"I was asked yesterday as Hilary needed to be elsewhere, so I travelled up overnight. I was told to keep a low profile."

"Oh, so you can't tell your own mother that you're here?"

"That's how it seemed?"

"When do you go back?"

"Sunday."

"You'll have to stay with us."

"No, there might be too many questions. I booked at the Regent guest house."

"Don't be silly, we have a pool party tomorrow so you're invited."

"I'l have to check with Jenny."

"Fine, did Hilary leave anything for me?"

"No, I don't think so."

"Okay, I'll be back in a while. Do you want a sandwich?"

"Please, a tuna mayo roll?"

"Sure."

Tammy's next stop was the sports shop, she decided that she needed to replace the one-piece swimsuit she'd loaned Helen plus she could do with a second bikini, plus a matching wrap. While she was there, she made enquiries.

"Do you stock volleyball nets? Needs to be at least 10m wide and suitable for a pool."

"Yes, we have one in our stock room, it's fully adjustable."

"Can you deliver?"

"Yes, it would be around five thirty?"

"Great, I'll need some soft balls too." She giggled at her double-entendre, although the assistant was doing his best not to blush. Tammy gave him the address then paid for the swimwear as well. She needed to get Helen into the store, but that might have to wait.

Tammy had finally concluded that she was definitely not ready for a relationship, she'd been telling herself this since the previous week but it took Monday's incident to shake her into common sense. Helen was engaged in a full snogging session when there was a knock on the dorm room door.

Stood outside was Joan, there to speak to Helen about school welfare arrangements. She'd taken one look at Tammy's smudged lipstick, turned and walked away. Her only words were "later, young lady, later!"

That night she had been accused of bringing the school into disrepute, putting her career in jeopardy as well as having a lack of common sense. Any possibility of Helen moving across to Dunbankin' had been put on hold 'for the time being'. Tammy had also lost access to her dorm until the half term break.

She next paid a visit to the bank. Tammy needed some cash but was also tasked to collect Helen's bank cards.

Finally she made it to the sandwich shop and picked up two tuna mayo rolls, plus a couple of sticky buns.

Suzie was just off the secure phone when Tammy let herself back into the office.

"Jenny says that's fine."

"Great. By the way, do you know how Heather is?"

"Haven't you called?"

"Dave Brown said I was to give her some time after her stay in hospital."

"Well, Jenny wasn't happy when Heather started work two days after she got home!"

"So it was major surgery?"

"Oh yes, but it's not for me to say anything more. Anyway, you have exams to worry about."

"It's not that long before they're finished, just over a month."

"There's still plenty of time, anyway we haven't finalised what you'll be doing."

"Okay, so long as I know where I'm going?"

"We'll confirm that nearer the time. Don't sit down, I've boiled the kettle, can you make us a cuppa?"

***

Tammy had one last appointment of the day, having directed Suzie to buy herself a swimsuit - she'd wrongly decided that she didn't need one for her short trip to Thurso.

"Come in Tammy, take a seat."

"Hello Doctor Abi, I'm not sure why I needed this appointment and no-one would tell me over the phone."

"I've some concerns about your latest blood results."

"Oh, I feel fine so what's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, but there are some signs that need a second test."

"Okay, best do it now."

"It's not that simple Tammy, unfortunately this will have to be a fasting test."

"Fasting?"

"Yes, nothing to eat after eight in the evening until after the test has been completed."

"So why isn't it called a 'starving' test?"

"I wish I had a few quid for every time I heard that, Miss Smart?"

"So, isn't this a test for diabetes?"

"It can be used for that, but in this case it's your liver function that needs to be checked."

"Why?"

"It's purely precautionary, but you were taking blockers for a while when they weren't needed and then had a serious infection. We've been able to compare the bloods you gave us last week to the previous results, and it needs further investigation."

"Fine, when?"

"You had best avoid a day when you have an exam."

"Okay, next week I'm free on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday."

"I'll book you in for eight thirty on Tuesday morning with the nurse, you don't need to see me. Remember, nothing except water from eight on Monday evening."

"Understood."

"One last thing, here's a prescription for your HRT, the last one was six months ago and has run out."

"Thanks."

She was barely back indoors when her father accosted her.

"Suzie called, she has something for you."

"I only left her half an hour ago."

"Well, she called ten minutes ago as she couldn't get you on your mobile."

"It was off, I went to see the Doctor."

"Something wrong?"

"I don't think so, but I have to have another blood test on Tuesday morning and can't have any breakfast beforehand."

"I see, that might be a problem then."

"Why?"

"The Head has asked that Helen be accompanied everywhere for the next week, apparently she has a Politics exam on Tuesday morning."

"Someone else will have to do it."

"What actually happened this morning?"

Tammy recounted the incident. "So you left her there?"

"Yes, Dad, she has to realise this isn't Thurso High and being dragged into the Head's office is a good reminder."

"I see, now back to Suzie?"

"Has she asked you if she can stay?"

"She has, but weren't you supposed to let me know?"

"Suzie wasn't even supposed to let any of us know she was in town!"

"So I gather, she used the secure phone and wouldn't let me inform anyone."

"Anyway, what does she have for me?"

"She didn't say."

"Oh, I have a delivery coming after five."

"Thanks, but it arrived an hour ago."

"Typical."

"The pool team were still here so they put it up, fancy a look?"

"Sure."

 
Saturday 16th May
 

Suzie insisted that Tammy had to accompany her back to Caithness Marine on Saturday morning. Tammy meanwhile had booked Suzie in with Joanne.

"I don't need a wax."

"I beg to differ, Suzie, your appointment is at nine."

"Well, enjoy yourself while I'm over there - you have to read the staff handbook and sign the receipt."

"Can't I take it home?"

"It can't leave this office and goes back in the safe when you're done, see you later."

Suzie dashed out of the door so Tammy wandered across to the kettle to make a coffee. She opened a biscuit jar and took a chocolate Hobnob out. The secure phone in Heather's office rang.

"Those are my Hobnobs you're stealing!"

"Damn those pesky cameras!"

"It's for your safety, Tammy."

"Sure, Hilary, I'll remember that. What are you doing in the office on a Saturday?"

"Working, what else? I see you managed to corrupt Suzie."

"It was a bit cruel telling her she couldn't let her mum or sister know she was in town."

"She followed procedure, anyway you're supposed to be reading the handbook. Can you remember your secure login for the network?"

"I think so."

"Okay, log in and check your emails, there are some tasks for you."

"I'm in the middle of my exams!"

"You have a week off coming up."

"Thanks, but I was hoping for some revision and free time?"

"Well, this isn't hard work and won't involve more than a few days."

"What is it, then?"

"Sorry, you'll just have to read the emails. Got to go, bye."

Tammy tried to login but her password had expired, forcing her to call the IT helpdesk. Of course, she first had to establish who she was, and wave at one of the office cameras for the helpdesk's benefit.

Finally she logged in and found the tasks Hilary had referred to; she was to photograph the harbours at Thurso and Scrabster between seven and eight each morning on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday during half term, including every boat in the harbour and any people working in and around the harbour. She was to alternate between the two local harbours, whether to see Thurso before Scrabster or vice-versa.

Tammy was directed to look in the office safe, except she didn't have access.

Going back to the emails, she saw that she had a secondary email account under the Caithness Marine banner, opening that inbox she found several emails from the local harbour masters. It seemed Tammy was undertaking a survey with the full knowledge of the harbour authorities, but she needed to check in with the duty harbour master each time.

Tammy sent a few replies and worked out how to put the Caithness Marine email account on her phone.

She'd mostly finished the staff handbook when Suzie returned.

"I'd like to see your face when Joanne gives you a Brazilian!"

"I had one a week or so ago!"

"Okay, Miss Smarty-knickers, have you finished that?"

Tammy signed the sheet, "yes. I need to get into the safe though."

"Okay, why?"

"This needs to be put away and there's a package for me, apparently."

Suzie took a minute or so to open the large steel container, which included answering a phone call from the security folk. Inside were an envelope for Tammy and a camera bag. The envelope included a Caithness Marine identity card and a pack of business cards, identifying Tammy as an 'Assistant Survey Officer'. The identity card was interesting as it looked nothing like the secure access card Tammy would use to get into the office.

Tammy unzipped the camera bag to have a quick look but decided she could do that better at home.

"I'm done, Suzie. Let's go find a party."