Purple People

by Kate Bulpitt

  Eve sat down beside him.

  ‘It’ll be alright,’ she said, desperately worried that it would not, and feeling far more affected by this fight than any her parents had had.

  *

  Some hours later, Eve and Womble were perched on the sofa, trying to keep their eyes off the clock and on whatever nonsense was flickering across the TV screen. So far they’d sat through a detective show, the week’s edition of future-technology programme Tomorrow’s World (featuring new self-cleaning sports kits and school uniforms that Eve had already seen on television in America, and a hot-drinks-making robot created for use in hospitals, which Womble had remarked was ‘a teasmade on wheels’), plus an episode of Victory Way, one of the nation’s most watched soap operas. A popular but troubled Victory Way character had just been Turned, which was proving to be controversial. At the end of a recent programme she was seen getting into a brawl outside a nightclub, and in the opening moments of the next instalment, clambered hung over out of bed, noticing as she passed a mirror that she was now Purple. The station’s switchboards had apparently been swamped with calls, mostly complaining that this should happen to a likeable character. In response, the show’s producer had appeared in a brief interview at the start of this evening’s episode.

  ‘We’re really pleased that Kayleigh’s being Turned Purple has had such a passionate reaction,’ the producer said. ‘At Victory Way we’ve never shied away from the big issues, and we try to reflect what’s going on in our homes and communities, and of course at the moment this is something that everyone feels very strongly about. It wasn’t a decision we took lightly for it to be Kayleigh that is Turned… Not only is this part of an ongoing storyline about Kayleigh’s battles with drinking, drugs and increasingly anti-social behaviour; we felt it important that if we Turned a character, it be one that viewers sympathise with, and are rooting for, not a typical villain. As many people in this country are experiencing, finding yourself Turned is something that can happen to anyone who’s behaved outside acceptable boundaries, so hopefully this will not only help people imagine the experience of being a Purple person, but will also serve as a caution that it can happen to anyone, not just the stereotypical “yobs” we associate with crime and anti-social behaviour.’ When asked how the character was Turned, he added, ‘Ah, well of course we don’t actually know about that. So, as seems to be the way, it happens offscreen, and we find out about the change afterwards, at the same time as Kayleigh.’ ‘Will she get Turned back?’ the interviewer asked. ‘Not before anyone else does.’

  Eve imagined the actress playing her must be thrilled about that. Though at least she could wash the Purple off at the end of the day.

  *

  Eve looked at the clock.

  ‘Should we call anyone? Where might Hels have gone?’

  ‘I don’t know. There are a few friends I could ring, but I’m going to be persona non grata, so they’re not going to be thrilled to hear from me.’

  ‘I could call.’

  ‘That’d be worse – getting you to ring instead of doing it myself. Hopefully she’ll be back soon. Maybe we’ll just wait a tiny bit longer.’

  ‘Just a bit, then.’

  ‘What should I do? About the whole thing.’

  ‘I don’t know what to say,’ said Eve. ‘If I was any good at knowing the best way to conduct relationships, I wouldn’t have been on my own for a hundred years.’

  ‘I am allowed to have an opinion.’

  ‘Of course. It’s just tricky that the one thing you’re so passionate about besides the Svengalis—’

  ‘And Helena,’ said Womble.

  ‘Is the one thing that she’s so adamantly against.’

  ‘So I should just keep quiet then? Even if I don’t say anything, I’m still going to think it. And why can’t she ever see things from the other side?’

  ‘But you need to do that, too, don’t you think? She feels so strongly about this.’

  ‘I know, and I see what she’s saying, but I think there’s something else at stake here. I want to be respectful, I really do, but this scheme has a strong purpose, and I believe in it. I think the negatives are outweighed.’ He sighed. ‘Sorry, I know that what with Duncan…’

  ‘But even if you can agree to disagree about the scheme itself, of course she was going to be furious about you doing the Turning, wasn’t she?’

  ‘I know. I shouldn’t have carried on talking to them. I kept thinking, I’m not going to be able to do this, if Hel found out she’d go mad…’ He looked at Eve.

  ‘Rightly observed.’

  ‘But I liked the idea of getting to be part of it, of being involved in something I really believe in, feeling I’m doing something important. Worthwhile.’

  ‘Your job is that, isn’t it?’

  ‘It can be. But it can be frustrating,’ Womble said. ‘Anyway, I couldn’t imagine what would happen if I actually did it… But it hadn’t got that far, so I’d think, oh, I’ll just talk to them, and then maybe I’ll meet them… And so far I hadn’t got to a point of no return, if you know what I mean.’

  ‘But would you want to do it if it caused irreversible damage with Helena?’

  Womble gave a long sigh. ‘No,’ he said, ‘Of course not. I can’t say I wouldn’t have an opinion, but I can see it was dangerous to think about Turning people.’

  ‘Dangerous?’

  ‘Stupid,’ said Womble, with a smile.

  ‘Have you really not got any idea how they might have got in touch with you?’

  ‘No, I thought it was unusual. At first I wondered if it was a hoax.’

  ‘That’s what all the silent phone calls were about – because they didn’t want to speak to Helena.’

  ‘I think so, yes.’

  ‘Could you trace the number?’

  ‘I tried it, no.’

  ‘And they didn’t give you any contact details?’

  ‘No, they always called me.’

  ‘And you hadn’t met them.’

  ‘No, that was supposed to be today.’

  ‘I’m surprised they haven’t called to find out what happened to you.’

  ‘That’s true, I hadn’t thought of that.’

  ‘Where were you supposed to meet?’

  ‘I was supposed to go to a phone box, and they’d call with instructions.’

  ‘Blimey! It’s just like a spy film. Of course this wouldn’t be staff room chit-chat, especially if you’ve been sworn to secrecy, but you’ve not heard of anyone else being approached, have you?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘It just seems to get more bizarre and tangled. There’s no logic to any of it. And if random local folk are doing the Turning, how would no one know about it?’

  ‘I don’t know.’

  ‘I almost wish you were going to go through the training, so we could find out what’s happening.’

  ‘Helena would kill me.’

  ‘If I was encouraging you to do it she’d kill us both. It would be amazing though, having you on the inside.’

  ‘But if you knew the truth, you’d want to expose it, wouldn’t you? Which would jeopardise the whole scheme. I wouldn’t want that.’

  ‘You really wouldn’t? You don’t think people should know?’

  ‘Then the scheme wouldn’t work, would it? If everyone knew how it was happening. Besides, if it got traced back to me, the government would kill me, if Helena hadn’t already.’

  ‘Maybe you can recommend me! In your place.’

  ‘And then what? You’d find out the truth and expose it, and then you’d be in massive trouble, and I’d be in trouble, too, for suggesting you.’

  ‘This is such a huge piece of information though, knowing they’re using ordinary civilians to Turn people.’

  ‘We don’t know that.’

  ‘Why would they ask you if you weren’t going to be doing it?’

  ‘Maybe it was to test how committed I am.’

  ‘I can’t believe we’re not going
to infiltrate the scheme. This feels like such an opportunity.’

  ‘I’m not getting into more trouble with all this, and I’m not letting you, either.’

  ‘It would transform my career, and get you back in Helena’s good books,’ Eve teased.

  Womble looked at her.

  ‘You could do it,’ Eve said.

  ‘No. For Helena’s sake, assuming she speaks to me again, I’m not going to Turn anyone, or be trained to do it. But for the scheme’s sake, I’m also not going to go ahead with it for the wrong reasons. Sorry.’

  ‘That’s understandable,’ said Eve. ‘Frustrating, but completely understandable.’

  She wished the fine threads of speculation and information – Carla De Lora and InTan, Womble being approached – could somehow be spun into something more illuminating. But just now there were more important things to worry about.

  ‘Is it time to make some calls, do you think?’ Eve asked.

  ‘Maybe,’ said Womble.

  Then the dogs ran towards the door, pre-empting the sound of a key in the lock. Helena was home. She stood in the hallway, wearily dropping her keys on the table.

  ‘Here I am,’ she said, ‘still not happy.’

  ‘I’m glad you’re back,’ said Womble.

  ‘Me too,’ said Eve, giving her a hug before glancing between them. ‘I’m off to bed now, I’ll see you two in the morning.’

  *

  Womble having been approached was quite the revelation. Eve had yet to figure out how – if – his recruitment experience could be harnessed into something more useful. That required further thought. But that random citizens were involved… Well, on the one hand it explained why more police officers hadn’t been seen on the scene when people had been Purpled, and why those who were there appeared so innocuous. And yet, it didn’t provide any insight as to the how. Take Finn – was it the hen who’d Turned him, then? Eve pictured her, tried to recollect even a fleeting glimpse of some kind of Turning device, but all she could remember were hands clutching tiaras and swathes of trailing satin. Why was it that none of these jigsaw pieces fitted together and that every one was blank? No snatches of shapes, bursts of colour, or suggestions of an outline. It seemed unfathomable that all these clues could be thrown into a pot and yet, however long they were left to simmer, still boiled down to a big fat zero.

  *

  Having got little sleep, Eve was up early, scratching her head and ruminating on her notes about the Purpling. She examined the details of those she’d met who’d been Turned, searching for a pattern, some link that she might have missed.

  *

  Finn (2nd time)

  Where: Outside pub

  Incident: Fight with Simon

  Police: Not right there, but had recently been on the scene.

  Hen an undercover officer?

  Witnesses: Hen party, couple leaving restaurant, man walking dogs

  Duncan

  Where: Outside pub

  Incident: Is attacked after stepping in to back up Simon, who had provoked fight

  Police: Not that he noticed

  Witnesses: Four friends, other blokes involved in altercation, pub neighbours who shouted out of window, people who’d come out of pub and were further up road, man with dog outside fish and chip shop, woman who walked past and was harassed (ugh, these blokes… )

  Mr Rees, the Cardiff cabbie

  Where: Outside pub

  Incident: Steps in to help gal being harassed, is attacked

  Police: Not that he noticed

  Witnesses: Friends, pub landlord

  Bike thief, talking to Humane rep at rally

  Where: On street

  Incident: Bike theft

  Police: No

  Witnesses: Blokes outside nearby pub, a dog walker (maybe), man using a pay phone (none close by)

  Finn (1st time)

  Where: In pub

  Incident: Theft of charity collection box

  Police: No?

  Witnesses: Other people in pub?

  Luke

  Where: In prison

  Incident: Was Turned post-arrest

  Police: Yes

  Witnesses: No (?)

  *

  There was also Drew, Womble’s student. Eve didn’t yet know the definitive details of where or when he thought he’d been Turned, though experience thus far had taught her not to expect any enlightening revelations. She stared at her words on the page, as though they might animate themselves, speech bubbles appearing with a pop and filling with scribbled secrets.

  I need coffee, Eve thought, padding downstairs. The duvet strewn across the sofa betrayed where Womble had spent the night; he and Helena were in the kitchen, silently making breakfast and preparing packed lunches. Both mustered overly bright greetings when Eve appeared, then, after a curt exchange with one another, they left for work.

  Eve told herself that getting some air would be just the ticket, invigorate her flagging brain cells. Outside, neighbours wearing their best summer take on smart casual climbed into cars for the morning commute, some shooing school uniformed children trailing backpacks and munching slices of toast into the back seat. An early bird older gent watered his garden, a woman walked a rather tubby Bassett Hound, and the a-while-after-dawn chorus was the clink of milk bottles being deposited on doorsteps. There was a whir as a milkfloat trundled past; the milkwoman gave Eve a friendly wave, and Eve smiled, waving back (some elements of the Repeal were kind of nice, she thought).

  Reaching the local shopping parade, Eve ducked into the newsagent’s to buy the day’s papers.

  Stepping back into the street, she took in the headlines.

  ‘LITTERBUG LAV!’ shouted one, showing an accompanying photo of a lilac lad holding aloft an empty crisp packet.

  A student was shocked to discover he’d been Turned – for DROPPING LITTER. David Smith, 18, from Darlington, woke to find himself Purple, but had no idea why.

  ‘I hadn’t been in any fights or anything, so I thought there must have been a mistake,’ he said. But when David went to his local police station to explain, and ask to be Re-Turned, he was told there was no error. ‘I couldn’t believe it,’ he said. ‘Since when was dropping a bit of rubbish such a big deal?’

  A government spokesman said: ‘It is unfortunate that David has been Turned, but everyone should remember that the Purple Initiative isn’t solely concerned with criminal and unlawful acts, it’s also about anti-social behaviour, and not showing respect to your community and your environment. Already many vandals have been Turned, and rightly so. I would imagine that David will serve a short term, and will have learned his lesson – I shouldn’t think he’ll drop litter again!’

  Bonkers, thought Eve, tucking the news fix under her arm and trotting along, taking the short-cut down an alley. Which was where she felt someone tightly grab her arm, and their grasp didn’t feel very friendly.

  Chapter Seventeen

  With an arm now twisted uncomfortably behind her back, the mystery man frogmarched Eve towards the middle of the alley. She considered screaming, but despite a scolding from the sensible half of her brain, first wanted some inkling as to what was going on before she attempted to exit the proceedings (also, she asked herself: what would Annie do? Immediately shout for help, or try to stick with the story? Surely she had to try and be brave?). Plus, the man was dressed in beige slacks and a blue striped shirt, a sartorial choice so bland she just couldn’t convince herself that he could be deadly.

  They stopped, and he pushed her, not very forcefully, against the wall. A lock of dark hair flopped in his eye; he looked annoyed as he moved it away.

  ‘Miss Baxter,’ he said, his face contorting into a lemon-sucking configuration.

  ‘Who’s asking?’

  ‘I am.’

  Clearly, thought Eve, imagining Saffron rolling her eyes and saying, ‘Oh, man,’ at the lacklustre commencement to this interrogation (Eve could have guessed though, from the trousers).

 
‘Miss Baxter, you don’t seem to realise that you’re on a very unwise path. What you’re looking into right now is none of your business. It seems you need me to spell out the seriousness of what you’re doing, and the penalties for the breach of security that you seem so keen to make.’

  ‘I’m not sure what you mean.’

  ‘Is that so?’

  Eve was watching him twitch, frustrated as the lock of hair drooped back in his eye, and so wasn’t expecting the tightening squeeze on her arm.

  ‘Ow!’

  ‘You’ve been asking a lot of questions, enquiring about things that are none of your business.’

  ‘I think you’ll find anything I might have been asking about is very much in the public interest.’

  ‘I’m going to have to disagree with you. Such behaviour falls under the Landell Responsible Reporting Act, as I’m sure you’re well aware.’

  ‘That’s a bit of a stretch,’ said Eve.

  ‘It’s only one part of your investigation’s unlawfulness. You’d also do well to remember that private companies are entitled to keep their operational information private.’

  ‘Like Crayne Industries, for example? That’s handy to know.’

  ‘This is very, very serious. I’m advising you, in the strongest possible terms, that you need to cease your amateur hour investigation or there will be dire consequences.’

  ‘Is that so?’

  Beige didn’t appreciate the mimicry, and actually Eve was wondering if, in a case of double-bluff blandness, she’d underestimated him. But still…

  ‘Don’t underestimate us, Miss Baxter, please.’

  ‘Who is “us”?’

  ‘Still asking questions…’ Beige leaned in. ‘As they say, curiosity killed the cat. And I believe you know plenty about cats.’

  Harsh, thought Eve.

  ‘You’ll do best to remember what I’ve said. I hope we don’t need to meet again.’

  Beige released her arm, which was now red and blotchy. She watched him walk away, then leant back against the wall, heart pounding, arm throbbing, and flutteringly out of breath.