Bang Bang You're Dead by Narinder Dhami Read Free Book Online Page A

people weeping. 'They want to know why you haven't come out yet. The armed police are going to be here in ten minutes. You have to get out of there now —'
    'Ms Kennedy is lying in the corridor near classroom Seven B,' I cut in. I am gabbling wildly because I am so desperate to get this information across. 'She's OK, but she had an accident and hit her head and she's unconscious. Someone will have to come and help her.'
    Without waiting for a reply, I fumble to switch the phone off. But I'm not quick enough and Ms Powell comes through loud and clear.
    'Who is this?' she demands, her voice sharpening. 'What's all this about an accident?' There's a pause and in my panic to cut the connection as fast as possible, the phone almost slips through my trembling fingers.
    'Oh, God!' I mutter. 'How do I turn this thing off?'
    There is an intake of breath from Ms Powell at the other end of the line. 'Mia! Is that you? Where are you, and—?'
    The phone goes dead as I finally manage to find the right button to cut the call. But almost immediately it begins to ring again. Swearing and sweating and shaking uncontrollably, I finally manage to work out how to turn the phone right off, and there is blessed silence as the display screen goes dark. But now everyone, including the police, will know that I'm still in the building. Maybe by now they have also discovered the identity of the gunman.
    I untie my sweatshirt from around my waist, roll it into a pillow and slide it gently under Ms Kennedy's head. Then I replace the phone in her pocket. At first I think about taking it with me. I haven't had my own phone for months because we couldn't pay the bill, and it might be useful if I need to ring Mum or Bree. Or maybe the police.
    But vague fears of being tracked by the phone signal on my way over to the annexe stop me. So I leave the phone behind.
    I take a last look at Ms Kennedy; I hope that she will be all right and that someone will come for her very soon.
    As I run off down the corridor I try to recapture that rush of heady adrenalin from before, but all I am feeling now is real, undiluted fear.
    This time there is no going back.

Seven
    I want you to understand that Jamie is not a monster.
    I'm telling you about things that he might have done when we were younger. Maybe he did them, maybe he didn't. Like I said before, I don't have proof of any kind.
    Perhaps it was just a coincidence that our Year Two teacher, Mrs Merriman, had her handbag stolen the day after she scolded me for talking to Jamie in class. She was so harsh and so cutting, I was completely crushed and humiliated. The school caretaker was blamed for stealing Mrs Merriman's bag, amongst other things, and he was sacked. Nobody liked him, he wasn't a nice man, so it all made perfect sense and everyone was satisfied.
    But a secret doubt still lingers.
    And there might have been other things.
    I am sure there were other things.
    Mr Culpepper was one of our neighbours, and he was very proud of his garden. Grandpa told us that Mr Culpepper always won prizes for his plants at the local gardening show, although I much preferred the blowsy, tangled mass of wildflowers, grasses, butterflies and bees in our garden to the regimented blocks of colour next door. Jamie always said that Mr Culpepper hid in his kitchen with a water pistol, ready to blast out of existence any insects that had the cheek to stray into his garden.
    Mr Culpepper did not like children. He kept any of our footballs that accidentally went over the fence between our gardens and burned them on his bonfire. When my special bubblegum-pink I AM 6 birthday balloon escaped, the string sliding through my hot little hand, it floated next door and Mr Culpepper burst it with a needle. I sat down on the back doorstep and cried so much that eventually Jamie gave me his own blue balloon to cheer me up. Meanwhile Mr Culpepper sprayed his roses with insecticide, looking grimly pleased with himself as he destroyed hundreds of