peculiar.'
'Because I don't use the Ladies' or, in your case, the Bisexual Toilets, that's why.'
'Oh for God's sake,' said the Principal, 'there's obviously been some mistake and if we all keep calm...'
The Vice-Principal returned. 'No sign of her,' he said.
The Principal got to his feet. 'Well, that's that. Evidently there's been some mistake. Mrs Bristol may have imagined...' But any aspersions on Mrs Bristol's imagination he was about to make were stopped by the V-P's next words.
'But I did find this in the trash can,' he said, and produced a blood-stained lump of paper towel, which looked like Wilt's handkerchief.
The Principal regarded it with disgust. 'That hardly proves anything. Women do bleed occasionally.'
'Call it a jamrag and be done with it,' said Wilt viciously. He was getting fed up with bleeding himself. Miss Hare turned on him.
'That's typical, you foulmouthed sexist,' she snapped.
'I was merely interpreting what the Principal was...'
'And more conclusively, this,' interrupted the V-P, this time producing a hypodermic needle.
It was Mrs Bristol's turn to bridle. 'There, what did I tell you. I wasn't imagining anything. There was a girl up there injecting herself and I did see her. Now what are you going to do?'
'Now we mustn't jump to conclusions just because...' the Principal began.
'Call the police. I demand that you call the police,' said Miss Hare, determined to take this opportunity for airing her opinions about Wilt and Peeping Toms as widely as possible.
'Miss Burke,' said the Principal, flustered into sharing Wilt's feelings about the PE lecturer, 'this is a matter that needs cool heads.'
'Miss Hare's my name and if you haven't the decency...And where do you think you're going?'
Wilt had taken the opportunity to sidle to the door. 'To the men's toilet to assess the damage you did, then the Blood Transfusion Unit for a refill and after that, if I can make it, to my doctor and the most litigious lawyer I can find to sue you for assault and battery.' And before Miss Hare could reach him, Wilt was off down the corridor and had closeted himself in the Men's toilet.
Behind him Miss Hare vented her fury on the Principal. 'Right, that does it,' she shouted. 'If you don't call the police, I will. I want the facts of this case spelt out loud and clear so that if that little sex-maniac goes anywhere near a lawyer, the public are going to learn the sort of people who teach here. I want this whole disgusting matter dealt with openly.'
It was the last thing the Principal wanted. 'I really don't think that's wise,' he said. 'After all, Wilt could have made a natural mistake.'
Miss Hare wasn't to be mollified. 'The mistake Wilt made wasn't natural. And besides, Mrs Bristol did see a girl taking heroin.'
'We don't know that. There could be some quite ordinary explanation.'
'The police will find out soon enough once they've got that syringe,' said Miss Hare adamantly. 'Now then, are you going to phone them or am I?'
'If you put it like that, I suppose we'll have to,' said the Principal, eyeing her with loathing. He picked up the phone.
Chapter 4
In the Men's toilet, Wilt surveyed his face in the mirror. It looked as unpleasant as it felt. His nose was swollen, there were streaks of blood on his chin and Miss Hare had managed to open
