Dogs and Doctors by Elen Caldecott

Author:Elen Caldecott [Caldecott, Elen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781408876077
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Published: 2017-02-03T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

Sylvie and Flora stood in the middle of the big laundry room, alone with the woman.

‘I’m Flora, this is Sylvie,’ Flora said hopefully.

‘Tania,’ the woman said, ‘I’m supposed to be in charge of the laundry, but that idiot of a guard has just ruined that spin cycle.’ She looked at the silent machines in disgust. ‘Who does she think she is?’

She pulled open the door of the nearest machine. The seal gave with a wet squelch and drips of water splatted on to the lino floor. ‘Still sopping! I’ll have to start all over again. That’s an hour wasted. And they’ll blame me when there’s no clean sheets.’

Sylvie looked at the well-stocked racks that lined one wall. There were hundreds of sheets there. But she was getting a strong sense that Tania wasn’t someone who would see reason easily.

‘Can we help at all?’ Flora asked.

What? Sylvie didn’t know the first thing about washing machines, or ironing! When she was older she was only ever going to wear Lycra and wool – things that stayed flat of their own accord. She threw Flora a look which clearly said, ‘You’re ironing alone.’

But Tania gave a mirthless laugh. ‘No, I’m used to doing this all by myself.’

‘Doesn’t John work here too?’ Flora asked.

Tania scooped washing powder and dumped it in a dispensing drawer. She rammed the drawer closed. ‘If by work you mean sit drinking tea and reading magazines all day, then, yes, John works here. If you mean getting any of the laundry done, then, no, I’m on my tod down here.’ She jabbed a few buttons and the machines began to turn slowly.

‘What do you know about John?’

Tania tutted. ‘I don’t know. No one ever tells me anything. They think that all their clean uniforms come from the laundry fairy. They forget about us down here. You know three of my machines are broken? I complain and what happens? Nothing.’ The machines picked up pace, almost in time with Tania’s grumbles. Thump – moan – thump – moan.

Sylvie wasn’t all that surprised that John didn’t talk to Tania much.

‘Do you know his full name?’

‘John Doe,’ Tania said.

‘Really?’ Flora sounded doubtful.

‘Yes, really. Why would I lie?’ Tania snapped.

‘Sorry,’ Flora said. ‘Is there anything else you can tell us?’

‘I can tell you plenty. That management couldn’t care less about what goes on down here. That they’ll take for ever to replace John, assuming he isn’t coming back. If he did steal that dog, I suppose he won’t.’

‘But about John,’ Flora pressed. ‘What do you know about him?’

‘He’s a waste of space. Pass me that basket, would you? Hey, you two look really similar, did you know that?’

They were getting nothing from Tania.

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