looking at me like suddenly I’ve done something awful but I could hardly help overhearing, could I? And I’m standing there not knowing what to say and I say, no, well, yes, I mean the walls are very thin. And he sort of frowns. He says, what did you hear? What did you make of it?
I say, make of it, Headmaster? I couldn’t very well make anything of it. It was just Samuel. Just Samuel being Samuel.
And the headmaster says, yes. Well. Quite. Still, he says, and then he’s thinking. He says, Janet. Do me a favour, would you?
Of course, Headmaster. What is it?
He says, send Samuel home.
I say, home, Headmaster, and he says, home. Let’s see, he says. It’s almost lunchtime. He should be in the new wing, classroom three or four. Catch him there and send him home. Tell him to take some time off. The police, they’ll be back this afternoon to follow up on this Samson business. They want to talk to the children. To the staff too. I don’t think Samuel’s really up to that. Not in the state he’s in.
I say, no, Headmaster. You’re probably right.
Good, he says. Good. Oh, and Janet.
Yes, Headmaster?
What did you tell the governors? Did you reschedule?
I told them something urgent had come up. I told them I was waiting to talk to you.
See if you can set it up for tomorrow morning. Send my apologies and tell them what’s happened but make it clear that the assault took place outside of school. I don’t want them worrying. I don’t want them distracted.
Yes, Headmaster. I’ll do it right away, Headmaster.
After you’ve dealt with Samuel, he says.
I say, of course. After I’ve dealt with Samuel.
One more thing, he says. I suppose we should schedule an assembly. Better make it Wednesday. First thing. All the pupils are to be there. All the staff too. No exceptions, Janet.
And I say, yes, Headmaster. Will there be anything else, Headmaster?
But there isn’t anything else so that’s when I go looking for Samuel. He’s in classroom three, just as the headmaster said he would be. Although I could have found him without directions because the classroom, it’s utter chaos. The new wing – we call it the new wing but really it’s not so new any more, it must be ten years old at least – the new wing is right at the northern end of the building but I can hear Samuel’s class from the dining hall. He’s teaching year sevens. I say teaching but when I look through the glass he doesn’t seem to be doing very much of anything. He’s at his desk. He’s leant forwards on his elbows and he’s got one hand on his head. The children, they seem to be doing whatever they feel like doing: just chatting, most of them, but one or two are running about and there’s even one little girl standing on a chair, over by the window, I mean she’s virtually falling out. And I probably should have interrupted but I don’t. I just wait outside until the bell.
After a minute or two it goes and it’s barely finished ringing before the children are out the door. The ruckus seems to nudge Samuel from his daydream and slowly he gets to his feet. I’m waiting for him by the door.
I smile at him but he doesn’t smile back. He would have walked right past me if I hadn’t said his name.
Janet, he says. What do you want?
Which is not the way to talk to someone, is it? It’s not the way to talk to one of your colleagues and not what I would have expected of him. So I was rather brusque, I’m afraid. I say, the headmaster says to go home. He says to take some rest. He doesn’t expect you here this afternoon, nor tomorrow I assume.
Is that all? says Samuel and he’s already walking away.
I say, yes. I’m rather taken aback. I say, yes, then I say, no. Because I forgot to tell him about the assembly. So then I say, you’re to be here on Wednesday morning. The headmaster will be addressing the school, to talk about what happened to Elliot Samson. And Samuel can’t know what I’m talking about but he doesn’t even wait for me to explain. He just leaves. He looks at me, he looks me in the eye, and then he leaves.
And that, Inspector, was the last I saw of him. It was the very last time I saw him. I don’t suppose I’ve been very helpful but I don’t know what else I can tell you. I saw Samuel in the morning and he was upset about something but I couldn’t say what. It was unusual, his behaviour, but not that unusual, not for Samuel. Then the police arrived and there was this business about Elliot, which was terrible of course, truly dreadful. Although he is getting better, so I’m told. He’s in hospital but he’s doing fine, which is one piece of good news at least. But yes, the police arrived and then I spoke to the headmaster and we agreed it would be best if we sent Samuel home. So I found him and I did. And that’s it. That’s everything. I mean, if there’s anything else, I can’t think of it. Because I’d tell you if there was, of course I would. Because I do tend to talk, Inspector. I do tend to prattle on. You’ve probably realised that for yourself. Most people have to stop me. It’s not always easy once I get going but most people have to stop me from saying too much.
.
It was the hottest day.
Ever, said the headlines. Since records began, ran the small print. It was like labouring up an incline, Lucia thought, and finally reaching the summit. Although it occurred to her too that it in fact felt no hotter than yesterday, than any other day since the heatwave had begun.
She entered the lobby and nodded a greeting to the staff at the desk. A facilities worker wheeled up a trolley beside her as she waited for the lift, and when the doors to the elevator shuddered open, she gestured him in ahead of her before squeezing in behind. Lucia pressed button three. The facilities worker pressed six. The doors closed and a motor whined and the winch strained audibly to hoist them upwards. Lucia focused on her distorted reflection in the chipped brass panelling of the doors, her thigh pressing against the metal handle of the trolley and the aroma of coffee from the urn on top making the air seem thicker and more humid than it already was.
The whole cast was assembled. Harry was there, Walter was there, his two goons huddled beside him. No court appearances today. No suspects to interrogate, no crime to solve. No reason to be anywhere but as close to centre stage as possible.
Lucia caught Harry’s eye and offered him a glimpse of a smile. She crossed the office and stopped at Cole’s door. It was closed so she knocked and she waited. She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She breathed.
‘Come in,’ a voice called.
Lucia glanced at Harry again, then levered down the handle and stepped inside.
‘Lucia,’ said Cole. He was behind his desk, half standing, his weight on the heels of his hands. He was smiling. She had not expected him to be smiling.
‘Guv,’ Lucia said. She closed the door behind her.
‘Come. Sit. Coffee? You don’t want coffee. It’s too damn hot for coffee. Water?’
‘Thank you,’ Lucia said. ‘I’m fine.’ She crossed the office and lowered herself into the chair her boss had indicated. Across from her, Cole sat down too. He was still smiling.
‘This isn’t formal,’ he said. ‘This isn’t official.’
‘No. I realise that. But before you say anything—’
Cole held up a hand. ‘I need some help, Lucia. I need your help.’
‘Guv—’
‘Please, Lucia. Give me a moment.’
Lucia fell silent. Cole reclined in his chair. His hand drifted to his upper lip but stopped short when he noticed Lucia watching.
‘The toothpaste,’ he said. ‘It didn’t work. It burnt like hell, if you want the truth.’
Lucia shifted. The chair, plastic and unyielding, was scraping the backs of her knees. The rest of her felt sticky, starved of air. ‘I’m sorry,’ she said. ‘It was just something I read. I shouldn’t have mentioned it.’
Cole waved a hand. He leant forwards, folding his arms and propping his elbows on the desk.
