No, he never mentioned it to me. I hadn’t even realised he was doing it. We didn’t really talk about work if we could avoid it.
‘So you don’t know what Steve thought of Leon, or if they’d had any disagreements in the past?’ Forest persisted.
I’m sorry, no, Jess replied, more firmly this time.
Despite further questioning, she couldn’t tell the detectives anything about what might have happened over the weekend, and they sent her back to her class. I’d been wondering if I should mention what I’d seen the previous day, with the students talking about someone called Joe, but I thought better of it. I wanted to make sure I was doing the right thing first, and that meant looking for Sasha and seeing what she knew before I spoke to Singh.
After reassuring the DI that I had my mobile on me, should they need me back, I walked out of the front door and round the side of the building, heading towards the residence where I expected Sasha would be. The building was locked, but I rang the bell and waited. After a couple of minutes I tried again, but still nobody appeared. The students would be in class, and it was possible that no staff were in there, but I thought I’d have a wander round the building just in case someone was around.
Turning the corner, I looked at the windows, but they were all covered with net curtains; thinking back to when I’d been inside, I realised the rooms on this side were all student bedrooms. Carrying on down the side of the building, I heard footsteps behind me and spun around, but couldn’t see anyone. I paused, assuming they were about to come round the corner, but nobody appeared. I felt a creeping sense of dread as I remembered the footprints leading up to my car. Could there be someone trying to get me alone? You’re imagining things, I told myself, shaking my head and approaching the large window to one of the communal rooms.
I cupped my hands around my eyes and pressed my face up to the glass to see if anyone was in the residence common room. Once my eyes had adjusted, I realised there were two adults in there, standing close together with their backs to me and signing. I didn’t stop to try to see what was being said, but knocked gently on the window. Mike turned round and looked at me, a mixture of surprise and guilt on his face. Sasha followed Mike’s gaze and raised a hand in greeting when she saw where he was looking.
Can you let me in? I signed through the glass, and Mike nodded. By the time I walked back round to the front door, he was holding it open for me.
‘Sorry,’ he said. ‘I heard the bell but I thought it was one of the students. They’re not meant to come back here during lesson time.’
‘It’s okay. I was looking for Sasha, actually.’ It felt strange to be talking so civilly to Mike, and I was surprised to find it wasn’t as difficult as I would have expected.
‘Sure, she’s in there,’ he said, with a nod towards the common room.
When I walked through, the three of us stood there awkwardly for a moment. Sasha and Mike had obviously been in the middle of a conversation that they didn’t want to continue in front of me, but also I didn’t really want to involve Mike in my questions about Joe, whoever he was. Sasha must have realised this, because she gave Mike a pointed look and he made his excuses and shuffled off up the stairs with a swift backward glance.
How can I help you? Sasha asked with a taut smile. I noticed the set of her jaw and shoulders looked very tense, and my curiosity was piqued. Had she and Mike been arguing? And if so, what about?
I wanted to ask you if there’s a student called Joe? Either current or past.
Joe? Sasha’s eyes widened for a moment, before her expression settled into a frown. Why do you ask?
Yesterday, the four students who were on the trip were talking about someone called Joe, about whether or not they could trust him, and if he had anything to do with what happened on Saturday. I wondered if it was someone they knew from school.
Sasha seemed to be taking in what I’d told her, before she shook her head slowly. No, I don’t know of a student called Joe. But I haven’t been working with the school for as long as someone like Liz, so perhaps you should ask her. I was just on my way over to see her actually. Why don’t you come with me?
She glanced over her shoulder in the direction of the stairs, before guiding me towards the door.
Do you need to finish your conversation with Mike? I asked, picking up on the tension in her body language.
Sasha laughed but there wasn’t much amusement in her tone, and I wondered what they’d been discussing. She was probably wondering how long I’d been there when they noticed me, but I hadn’t seen what they’d been signing to each other.
No, it’s fine, she replied, and as we walked back round to the main building she stayed one step ahead of me, preventing me from asking her anything else. Once we were inside, Sasha walked straight into Liz’s office without knocking, which surprised me. I hesitated for a moment before following her in.
The deputy head didn’t appear to be busy for once, sitting in the chair behind her desk and staring out of the window. She smiled when she saw Sasha, but the smile became more rigid when she noticed that I was there too.
Paige, Sasha and I have a meeting arranged. I’m afraid it’s confidential, discussing students. You understand.
I was about to reply when Sasha got in there before me. It won’t take long. Paige wanted to ask you something about past students, she told Liz.
Well, not exactly, I signed, wondering if this was a good idea. I didn’t want to get the kids into any trouble, and it was probably something completely harmless.
Yes, what is it? Liz asked, doing nothing to hide her impatience.
I looked over at Sasha, who was leaning by the window, then looked back to Liz.
I was wondering, are there any students called Joe? Or who might use that as a nickname?
I thought I saw a flicker of recognition in Liz’s eyes, but then it was gone and she shook her head. No, not currently. Why?
What about past students? Anyone who left in the last couple of years?
No, nobody that I can think of. What is this about?
It’s nothing, really, I replied, turning to leave, but Liz stood up and came around her desk to stop me.
Paige, if a representative of the police is asking me questions about my students, I’d appreciate knowing why. Her words were polite, but her face was stony.
I don’t work for the police, I’m just the interpreter, I replied. I saw some of the students chatting about someone called Joe yesterday, and I wondered who he was, that’s all.
Liz looked confused. What made you assume it was a student? It might not have been anyone they knew at all. Maybe it was a footballer or some other celebrity.
You’re right, I replied with a nod, knowing full well she wasn’t but desperately wanting to end the conversation. I just wondered, that was all.
I left her office, feeling as if I’d been shoved out of the door.
When I got home that afternoon, Anna was more animated than I’d seen her in a while.
I’ve asked around a bit, about the school, she told me before I’d even had a chance to take off my shoes. Nobody knows exactly why Ms Villiers left, but someone told me it was to do with a major safeguarding incident.
Safeguarding? That’s serious. I’m surprised they kept that out of the papers. I was also surprised the police didn’t seem to have any knowledge of it. So, what actually happened?
Anna pulled a face. I don’t know. I haven’t found anyone who knows the details. But I’ve been thinking.
I groaned. I got the feeling I wasn’t going to like what she told me next.
I managed to get hold of an email address for Jane Villiers, and told her I wanted to catch up.
What did she say? I asked.
She said she’s always happy to see ex-pupils, and invited me to meet her tomorrow.
I sighed. Are you really going to go and grill her about why she left? If it’s true and she really was shoved out a year early, she’s hardly going to want to talk about it, is
she?
No, I’m not going to grill her, Anna replied with a triumphant smile. You are.
Twelve hours before the murder
Jess hovered in the entrance hall, wondering if she could get in and out without being seen. She hadn’t counted on anyone else being in school this late, so had been irritated to see Liz’s car outside in the staff car park. The minibus had gone hours ago; Steve would be safely in Scunthorpe, giving her ample time to do what she needed to do.
The door to Liz’s office was open, and Jess could see the deputy head moving about inside. What was she still doing here anyway? Approaching Steve’s office, she tried the door as gently as she could, not wanting to attract any attention from Liz in the neighbouring room. Locked. Time for plan B.
Jess opened the door to the admin office, knowing spare keys were kept in there. It took a few minutes of hunting, but she eventually discovered the key for the head teacher’s office, still marked with Jane Villiers’ name. Slipping it into her pocket, she went back into the entrance hall, noting that Liz’s door was now closed. Maybe she’d gone, but Jess knew she still had to be vigilant.
Stepping into Steve’s office, she closed the door carefully behind her. It had taken only a couple of attempts to see his password, by coming to see him in his office at lunchtime and after school and constantly hanging off his neck. He was trusting, which was an excellent quality that she valued in the men she dated.
Jess logged on to Steve’s computer and started looking through files until she found what she was looking for. A movement from the courtyard outside made her jump, but it was just her reflection in the big bay window. Ignoring it, she went back to work.
She was so engrossed in what she was doing that she didn’t notice the door opening until it was too late. Liz Marcek stood over her, and Jess quickly minimised the windows she had open. Had she been fast enough, or had Liz seen what she was up to?
What do you think you’re doing? Liz’s face was pinched with anger as she glared at Jess, demanding an explanation.
Steve asked me to check something for him, she replied, her mind moving quickly to come up with a plausible explanation.
Really? Liz asked, disbelieving. And why would he ask you, instead of me?
Jess laughed, a short, nasty bark. What use have you ever been to him? You don’t even notice what’s going on right under your nose. Steve told me you’re lucky you kept your job after what happened with Jane.
Liz’s face turned scarlet. Get out of the head teacher’s office. I’ll be letting him know what you’ve been up to.
Jess tried to close down the computer, but Liz smacked her hand away. She had no choice but to step back, leaving the room with a final glance at the deputy head.
Chapter 15
Wednesday 28th November
A feeling of guilt gnawed away at me as I thought about my day ahead.
Anna and I were visiting Jane Villiers that afternoon, and I hadn’t told Singh about it. I knew I should have, but I didn’t want to be accused of interfering again. There was a part of me that felt that accusation would be justified; who was I to be digging around into someone else’s past? Would it actually help Leon, or was it an unnecessary distraction?
Walking into the main school building, I bumped into Saul, the IT teacher.
‘Sorry,’ I said, helping him to pick up the heavy textbooks and files I’d knocked out of his hands.
‘It’s fine, one more inconvenience won’t make a difference,’ he grumbled.
‘Have you been thrown out of your room by the tech team?’
‘Yeah. I mean, I could have helped. I know these systems better than anyone. If they let me help I bet they’d be finished quicker.’
I patted his arm sympathetically. ‘It’s probably a policy they have to follow, just to make sure any evidence they find is recorded properly. Don’t take it personally.’
He nodded.
‘Where are you taking all these, anyway?’
‘Staffroom. I’ve got assignments to mark.’
‘Want a hand?’
‘Sure,’ he said with a shrug.
I followed him down the corridor to the staffroom, which was empty once again. I assumed when teachers had any free time during the day they spent it at their desks. Max was a teaching assistant and often regaled me with tales of how many hours the teachers at his school worked.
I put the files down next to Saul as he sat, and he looked around the room.
‘You know, we asked Steve if we could do up the staffroom, but he told us he couldn’t possibly justify using some of the budget for our comfort when he could use it for something for the students instead. I get that funds are always tight, but that man had never heard of the concept of employee wellbeing.’
I cast a critical eye over the sink and the stack of mugs. ‘You could do with a cupboard, at least.’
‘Exactly, we weren’t asking for a sauna and a two-thousand-pound coffee machine. We just wanted to feel comfortable in here. But according to Steve Wilkinson, it wasn’t our job to feel comfortable. He’d even talked about taking away the comfy chairs and lining the room with work desks, so this could be “productive space”,’ he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm on the last two words. ‘He expected everyone to be here by seven thirty every morning, even those who have young kids themselves, and he once told one of the primary teachers that if she was leaving at four every day he’d have to work her a bit harder. He made a joke out of it, but you could tell he honestly thought people should spend their every waking hour at work.’
I sank into a chair as Saul ranted on, about how Steve had organised a motivational speaker to come in and spur them on to work harder.
‘Essentially, the woman told us that if we were stressed it was our own fault, and we needed to change the way we reacted to situations if we wanted to prevent stress. I’d never heard such a load of bollocks in my entire life, but half of the staff lapped it up. Some of them even printed out some little pithy quotes to stick above their desks, to remind themselves that stress is a choice, or some other nonsense. That was the thing about Steve. He got people to work harder by convincing them it was what they wanted to do, and when they were stressed to shit and burnt-out he told them it was their own fault. And most of them believed that too.’ Saul shook his head as he paused in his tirade. ‘You know the strangest thing?’
‘What?’
‘I still liked him, in a way. He had that sort of charisma that means you can’t help but like someone, even when you can’t stand them at the same time.’
I nodded, having some idea what he meant. In the interviews I’d interpreted, the staff had been very positive about Steve, about his desire to improve the school’s results and create a wider range of opportunities for the students, but this was the first I’d heard of this other side to him. Maybe, as Saul suggested, many of the staff had been taken in by him. Or maybe they didn’t see his demanding nature as relevant to his death. But how could so many of them be singing his praises?
‘Has anyone asked you to speak positively about Steve, to the police?’ I asked casually.
There was a heavy pause. ‘No, nothing like that,’ he replied eventually, but I noticed that he didn’t make eye contact with me as he spoke. I decided not to push it, however, and maybe mention to Singh all that Saul had told me.
A moment later the bell rang and Saul left to teach a class. I hung around in the staffroom for a little while, but nobody else appeared so I went back outside.
The snow from the previous day had mostly melted, leaving piles of slush at the edges of the path. As I turned the corner towards the residence I heard footsteps and saw a movement out of the corner of my eye – a flash of a red coat disappearing around the side of the building, where I’d ventured yesterday to peer through the window. I followed whoever it was and rounded a corner to be faced with Samira, Leon’s best friend.
She made a half-hearted attempt to hide the cigarette she was holding behind her back, b
ut I raised an eyebrow at her when a plume of smoke escaped from the corner of her mouth. With a shrug, she took another drag then looked me up and down.
You going to tell on me? she signed, the orange glow at the tip of her cigarette tracing a pattern in the air as she did.
I’m not a teacher, it’s not my job to tell you off, I replied. Besides, you already know it’s bad for you and it’ll make you stink. Me telling you that won’t make you quit.
She stifled a laugh. What do you want?
I saw you coming down here, thought I’d see who it was, I replied honestly.
And now you know, she replied with a combative stare.
You always smoke round here?
She nodded.
I thought about the footsteps I’d heard yesterday. Have you ever seen anything you shouldn’t?
A sly smile crept across her face. Maybe. Why?
Because your best friend is missing, I reminded her. And your head teacher is dead. The police need to know anything you’ve seen.
Her face fell. Oh, nothing like that, she replied, waving a hand dismissively. I know who’s sleeping with who, who’s fighting, shit like that. I know what’s going on with staff and students, because I stand quietly and watch. Cassie seems to think she knows shit about everyone, but she spends more time telling everyone how clever she is than she does actually observing anything.
She blew out a cloud of smoke. Leon will be fine, I know he will. He’s been through some terrible shit, and he came out okay. The hand holding the cigarette shook slightly as she took another drag.
You don’t seem very worried about where he is.
She shrugged. He’ll have found somewhere to stay. He’s resourceful.
As she signed, I watched her body language. Her leg was jiggling constantly, and she kept looking up and blinking. Were her eyes watering because of the cold, or was her body betraying signs of something that she refused to admit to?
I smiled at her. Well, if you think of anything, please tell the detectives. They just want him back safe.
Silent Night Page 12
