‘Mr Walsh,’ she had said. ‘You pay fees to ensure your daughters receive a first class education, and that you most certainly get. You only have to look at Charlotte’s GCSE results last summer to know that. In addition we take enormous care over the safe-guarding of your daughters as well as the rest of the pupils. In short, we are the experts when it comes to education. I am not trained to be a detective, although I sometimes think I could be one when I delve into the misdemeanours of some of the girls.
But I do have faith in the police to get it right, and to do so sensitively. The inspector and I have spoken at length,’ she said with her fingers crossed under the desk, ‘about the enquiry and how to minimise the impact on the girls. I haven’t let you down yet. Why would I do so now?’
‘I suppose so,’ Mr Walsh grudgingly agreed. ‘But Sophie is taking her GCSEs in a few weeks and Charlotte has her AS exams. It couldn’t have come at a worse time.’
‘I expect Mr Hart would agree with you about that, not to mention his wife Shirley.’
Mr Walsh managed to look a little shame-faced, and he left feeling that everything possible was being done.
The telephone on Laura’s desk rang telling her there was an internal call. The display said it was from Josie.
‘Hi, Josie.’
‘How was that?’ asked Josie.
‘As expected,’ said Laura, ‘but I think he left a little happier.’
‘Well, your afternoon continues to get better. I’ve just seen the Chairman pull into the drive.’
‘Oh great!’ exclaimed Laura. ‘You’d better bring in some strong coffee.’
Arthur was a tall man, with a balding head and a ruddy skin. He was an imposing figure and well respected by the staff and the parents. They saw him as a man who got things done. Over the years he had managed the school’s finances well to provide outstanding facilities. He had many contacts in the local business community and had persuaded several of them to donate very generous sums to a scholarship fund, and to a fund for the artificial playing surface. He could be a very persuasive man.
And the teaching staff liked the fact that he showed an interest in their work. He often came in and walked round the school. He would pop into classrooms, especially if the girls were doing something practical like science or drama and he would chat to them. He had a really soft spot for the new entrants each year. It was a source of satisfaction to him that another cohort of pupils would be working their way through the school, his school.
As far as the education was concerned he let Laura get on with it, saying ‘We employed you because you know what you’re doing. I’m a business man and I‘ll do my thing. You’re an academic. You do your thing.’
But in this matter, Laura knew he was going to push for results. He was keen for the whole matter to go away, and to go away now.
‘Hello, Arthur,’ Laura said as he was shown into her office. ‘I was just about to ring you.’
‘Yes, well I was passing so I thought I’d call in. I’ve just taken Jenny to her yoga class, so I’ve got about an hour.’
‘On a Bank Holiday?’ she asked.
‘Yes, they’re very keen.’
Laura hoped the frustration didn’t show in her eyes. She needed to prepare her assembly for the following morning and it would take her some time to find the right things to say and to strike the right tone. Chatting to the Chairman for an hour didn’t feature in her agenda at all.
‘How are they getting on? Have they cracked it yet?’
‘They seem to be linking it to other murders in the area. I expect that will make it easier to solve.’
‘So they’ve ruled out any connection with school?’
‘I’m sure the inspector would tell me they’re keeping an open mind,’ Laura replied. ‘But I don’t think they’ve found any connection so far.’
‘Oh, that’s good news,’ said Arthur. ‘I was sure it couldn’t be connected.’
‘All they’ve said is that he was killed on Friday night and was hit over the head.’
‘Do they know what the weapon was?’
‘The sergeant told Josie it was a baseball bat.’
‘Oh, what makes them think that?’
‘I don’t know. Their examination of the body I assume.’
‘And have they found anything else? Any fingerprints or anything?’
‘The only thing the inspector said was that there wasn’t much forensic evidence and they’ve finished searching the site. It’s still cordoned off though.’
The Chairman looked relieved that a scandal had been averted, and his beloved school was safe. Laura was very grateful for his support for the school, but still found it slightly odd that he was so involved. Even if he was paying something back for the education his wife had received all those years ago, the debt had surely been paid ten times over.
‘Has there been any reaction from the parents?’ asked Arthur.
‘Not too much,’ Laura replied. ‘Our e-mail seemed to do the trick, and we’ve had lots of responses expressing sympathy for Mrs Hart. I did have Mr Walsh, Chairman of the PTA, in just now and he was a bit difficult, but I think he went away reassured.’
‘Well, it looks as though you’ve handled it well so far,’ congratulated Arthur. ‘Let’s hope this Columbo chappie keeps looking elsewhere.’
Laura laughed. ‘His name’s Jenkins. Please don’t call him Columbo if you meet him.’
‘I don’t suppose I shall need to do that,’ said Arthur.
‘I think we shall have a difficult day tomorrow. The girls are going to be upset, and I’m sure the press will be on the doorstep,’ continued Laura. ‘But we’ll get through it.’
‘Are you still having your sports’ thing?’
The following afternoon a mini sports day had been planned for the younger girls, and parents had been invited to attend. Although the weather would have permitted an outdoor event, it was scheduled to be indoors.
‘Yes, it’s in the sports hall, so it shouldn’t be affected,’ Laura replied. ‘And we really need to carry on as normal for the sake of the girls.’
‘Yes, I’m sure you’re right,’ agreed Arthur. ‘What time does it start?’
‘Two o’clock.’
‘I thought I’d come along and support you, and take some photographs.’
‘That would be helpful. Thank you. You know some of the parents will be there, don’t you? It’s years 7 and 8.’
The hour passed slowly and Laura was very relieved when Arthur finally stood up to take his leave.
‘Right, I’ll go and see if Jenny’s survived her class. She seems to enjoy it and says it’s doing her good. I think she’s just trying to prove she can still bend and stretch.’
‘Yes, well I’m impressed,’ said Laura. ‘The only exercise I get is walking, and not much of that most days.’
Chapter Thirteen
‘So, Mr Banks,’ the inspector began. ‘I gather you knew Richard Hart.’
Tony Banks was a wiry looking man with grey hair thinning on top. His clothes smelled of damp as if they were never dried properly, and they had certainly never seen an iron. His skin was badly wrinkled and pallid. He didn’t look a well man, and he looked nervous.
‘Yeah,’ agreed Banks. ‘I’ve known him since we were kids. We went to school together.’
The inspector reflected on that fact. Richard Hart was 52. The man in front of him looked at least ten years older.
‘And were you still in touch?’
‘We’d meet up most weeks.’
‘What did you do together?’
Banks shifted in his chair and started to move his fingers nervously.
‘Oh, you know. This ‘n’ that.’
‘No, I don’t know, Mr Banks. That’s why I’m asking.’
Banks started to relax a little. The inspector ‘didn’t know’.
‘We’d have a dri
nk. We went to the Masons’ sometimes and into the Toon sometimes.’
‘Where in town?’ Jenkins wasn’t a Geordie and refused to use the colloquial expressions of the locals.
‘Lots o’ places. You know what it’s like,’ he laughed nervously. ‘A pint here ‘n’ a pint there. It all blurs into one.’
‘So you haven’t been to The Crazy Lady then?’
Banks tensed again. The inspector did know something! But how much was the question. Banks wondered how little he could get away with telling him.
‘Yeah, now and then,’ he agreed and then stopped. It was no good giving away too much.
‘When were you last there?’
‘Thursday night.’
‘And before that?’
‘The previous Thursday.’
‘So would it be fair to say this was a regular haunt on Thursdays?’
‘I suppose so,’ Banks grudgingly agreed.
‘There, that wasn’t too difficult, was it?’ the inspector continued. ‘Just think how much easier it would have been if you’d told me that in the first place. So you and Richard liked a little gamble then?’
‘I suppose so,’ repeated Banks.
‘Did you win?’
‘Sometimes. I’d say I broke even. Sometimes I’d win and sometimes I’d lose, but it was never much.’
‘And what about Richard?’
Banks’ fingers tightened and he rubbed his thumb across the side of his curled index finger. It was obvious the inspector knew about Richard’s little gambling problem. Well, not so little really.
‘Yeah, he liked to gamble.’
‘So, you said. Did he win?’
‘Sometimes.’
‘Did he lose?’
‘Sometimes.’
The inspector decided he had to move it up a gear. This was a bit like pulling teeth and they’d be here all day.
‘So we’ve heard he went through a bad patch about a year ago and had to borrow some money.’
‘Yeah.’
‘And you arranged the loan for him.’
‘Who told you that?’ Banks was now definitely nervous. ‘I just told him I’d heard of someone who helped people out from time to time. I didn’t have anything to do with it other than that.’
‘And who was this someone?’
‘Andy Logan.’
Andy Logan was well known to the police in Newcastle. Originally from Edinburgh he had moved down to Newcastle ten years before and was the owner of a nightclub in Tynemouth. Sparkle had a reputation with the youngsters in the area for wild, no-holds barred nights out, and was a favourite venue for stag parties that sometimes got out of hand. Andy Logan professed to run a clean establishment and had made one or two high profile appearances on local TV about the dangers of drug abuse. He employed a team of well-built henchmen dressed in black suits and brown boots who ensured unsavoury characters were refused entrance. On the surface Andy Logan was an honest man trying to make a decent living, but the police were not convinced.
There had been suggestions of illegal gambling, of prostitution and, of course, drugs. None doth protest their innocence and all that. Nothing had ever been proved, and it had been rumoured Logan had inside information to make sure he was always clean when raided. He was one slippery character, and Jenkins started to salivate as he imagined being the one to catch him. That would be a feather in his cap!
As far as Jenkins knew there had been no suggestions of loan sharking, but it wouldn’t surprise him. It fitted with the rest of the activities. Jenkins imagined the accolades that would come his way if he solved not only three murders, but a whole host of other illegal operations. He would be an overnight media sensation! Hell, they might even ask him to be mayor!
‘And how do you know Andy Logan?’ he asked calmly.
‘I told you. I just heard he helped people out.’
‘So Richard went to see him?’
‘I suppose so. He got enough money from somewhere to pay his debts. Then he had a couple of wins so everything was fine for a while.’
‘Was that when you started going to The Crazy Lady?’
‘Yeah, about then.’
‘And you said ‘for a while’, pressed Jenkins. ‘Did he continue winning?’
‘No, he started losing badly, and he had to borrow more money. I think he must have gone back to Andy.’
‘Why do you think that?’
‘Well, I don’t know where else he would get it.’
‘So why are you so nervous?’
‘Whadya mean?’ asked Banks nervously.
‘Come on. It’s obvious. You’re twitching and sweating and trying to avoid giving me straight answers. Something’s got you spooked.’
‘Don’t know what you mean?’
‘No, of course you don’t. We understand Richard was planning a trip to Vegas?’
‘Yeah, he told me. I just thought it was one of his fantasies.’
‘Where would he get the money from?’
‘Dunno. He didn’t say.’
Jenkins didn’t think they’d get any more out of Banks today. At least he had confirmed some of their information and he had given them Logan. He was itching to start investigating Logan.
‘Show him out, Todd, but we might want to talk to you again. Don’t leave town.’
Jenkins always liked saying that. It reminded him of the westerns he had watched as a kid when the sheriff would eye up the villains and say ‘Don’t leave town’. He could imagine himself with a bright shiny star and a pair of six-shooters in large leather holsters slung round his hips. He had been born out of his time!
Todd returned a few minutes later, and Jenkins was continuing his daydream of solving the majority of the crime in Northumbria. Todd jolted him out of his reverie, by asking:
‘Do you really think Andy Logan might be mixed up in all of this?’
‘Well, stranger things have happened, Todd. At least there might be a motive tied up in all of this. We need to get hold of Hart’s bank statements and such. See what you can find out.’
‘But if he’s borrowed money, loan sharks don’t usually kill. They’ll never get their money that way.’
‘No,’ agreed Jenkins. ‘But there’s lots of possible explanations. Maybe Banks had borrowed money as well and Logan was trying to send a message to him. He was certainly very nervous about something. Or Logan sent one of his heavies to frighten Hart and it got out of hand.’
‘So what about the other two murders? Did they all get out of hand?’
‘OK,’ said Jenkins impatiently. Todd was very annoying at times! ‘So maybe Hart got more involved with Logan in some of his other business interests. We have a lot to do, but let’s keep this Andy Logan connection between the two of us for now. See what we can uncover first.
Chapter Fourteen
By 9.30 on Tuesday morning Laura thought she’d already done a day’s work. As predicted there had been reporters and television crews outside the school gates and everyone had to run the gauntlet to get into school. More parents than usual had chosen to drive their daughters into school and the car park was exceedingly busy. Those not rushing off to work themselves stood around in small groups discussing the weekend’s events. Laura had noticed Mr Walsh holding court and trusted that her conversation with him the previous afternoon had done the trick. She, Jack and Amy had wandered amongst the parents chatting and reassuring them that everything was under control.
The staff briefing had gone well; although Laura noticed that Sally Cox looked very pale and probably still believed she had somehow been responsible by leaving the sports store unlocked. She would have to speak to her later. Mary Lewson, the Head of Drama, appeared to be auditioning for some highly emotionally charged role as she sobbed bitterly in the corner of the staff room. Laura took the opportunity to remind them that they had to put their own emotions on hold as their major responsibili
ty today was to look after the girls. Mary looked disappointed but then, remembering she was a trooper and that her role now called for stoicism, she put on a brave face.
The assembly was as emotional as Laura had expected, and she had to let it happen. Telling the girls not to cry wasn’t going to do any good at all. She always remembered when her own father died, her mother-in-law told her not to cry. Something to do with the British stiff upper lip she supposed. She knew it was just one of those phrases people use when they can’t think of anything else to say, but really it was such a stupid comment and not at all helpful. There’s nothing wrong with a little grief. Keeping things as normal as possible from now on would be the sensible way to proceed, but she had to let them express their sadness and distress during the assembly.
But now for a few minutes Laura could relax. Josie brought her the morning’s mail and her second cup of coffee of the day.
‘I spoke to Shirley again last night,’ she said.
‘How is she?’
‘Better now that Josh has turned up.’
‘What was that all about?’
‘Apparently he’d met this lad through some internet chat room. Seemingly they both had some interest in new bands. Anyway this other lad managed to get some tickets for something called the Bushstock Festival in London. Josh knew his mother wouldn’t be keen on him going, but she was going to be away for the weekend and he persuaded Richard to cover for him.’
‘Well, I’m pleased there was an innocent explanation. Shirley must have been going through torment wondering whether he was involved.’
‘Yes, I think so. She’s coming back home today, and would like to come into work tomorrow.’
‘Is that wise? Is she ready for it? There’ll be so many reminders as they both worked here.’
‘She knows it’s going to be difficult, but she said she’d like to try. I’ll rearrange things so she doesn’t have to be on reception. She can work in the general office, and then if it’s too much for her she can easily go home.
‘OK, then. I’m sure everyone will be very protective of her, but keep Mary Lewson away from her. That woman can turn any crisis into a drama!’