Under Mary's Oak

by Tanya Carlysle

  Laura and Josie started to write down the hundred and one things that had to be done. Luckily the scene of the crime was well away from the main school buildings so, subject to police approval, there shouldn’t be any problem in opening the school as usual on Tuesday. The sports hall would shortly be used as a base for the public examinations at GCSE and A Level, and again that was well away from the Pavilion. But before then Laura had to speak to her Chairman and decide what and how to tell the parents. She had no doubt the press would be keen to publish all the gory details, and she had to try to forestall that. Again, she hoped the police would be able to help her to decide what to say.

  She wondered whether the police would want to set up an incident room at the school. If so, they could use the Pavilion. The separate entrance and car park would mean it would not interfere with school, and there were no neighbours near that entrance so it would not attract too much attention. Surely this terrible event couldn’t be connected with school. After all, it happened over the weekend, and they didn’t lock the Pavilion Gates at night so anyone could have come in. Laura really hoped they could solve the crime quickly and as quietly as possible, but she knew that was probably a vain hope.

  The school had a very efficient telephone chain system used to communicate with everyone in the case of an emergency, but in this case Laura felt all the staff had to be contacted personally by one of her Senior Management Team. She would need to call them in shortly. And most of the parents had provided e-mail addresses so that would help. But, being a Bank Holiday weekend, some would have gone away and might not be able to be contacted. Well, they could only do their best.

  Bob had said the sports store was open, so the police might want to talk to the PE staff who were, at the moment, accompanying the girls playing tennis and Rounders in Durham. She would have to find out when they were due back. She hoped they had remembered to fill in the office diary with the details. As Laura and Josie worked out an order of priority, the Inspector arrived accompanied by DS Todd.

  ‘Mrs Jessop, I’m Detective Inspector Jenkins,’ said this rather non-descript man. ‘Perhaps we could have a word in private?’

  DI Jenkins came into the room, followed by his sergeant, both showing their ID cards. ‘I believe you’ve already met my sergeant?’

  ‘Yes, do come in,’ said Laura as Josie and Robert cleared their dirty cups from the desk. ‘Can I offer you coffee?’

  ‘No, thank you. We won’t take up too much of your time just now.’

  Chapter Four

  Laura eyed the two policemen before her. Detective Inspector Jenkins was unsmiling. She supposed he was in his mid to late forties and quite untidy in appearance, wearing a raincoat in spite of the warm spring weather and lack of a cloud in the sky. He looked a bit like Columbo, the American TV detective but his brisk, businesslike manner was at odds with the character Laura had in her mind. Columbo appeared to be a bit of a fool, although this was an act allowing him to gain the confidence of the villains and so outwit them. Was Jenkins as clever? She certainly hoped so.

  Sergeant Todd opened his note book and the two of them sat down at the opposite side of Laura’s desk. Laura tried hard to rid herself of the image of Columbo, but it was difficult. The man in front of her had untidy greying dark hair and his shirt collar was grubby, one side of the collar lifted at an odd angle, as if he had dressed in a hurry. Had it been one of her girls in front of her, Laura would have insisted she straightened up her tie. She was grateful the no smoking laws meant he could not smoke the cigar favoured by Columbo. By contrast the sergeant, a younger man, was very smartly dressed in a grey suit and rather fetching blue shirt with a navy and white spotted tie. They made an odd couple, Laura thought.

  ‘I can’t give you much information at the moment,’ Jenkins began, ‘but you are aware that the body of a Mr Richard Hart was found in the school grounds?’

  ‘Yes, he’s our Head Caretaker. He lives in a cottage behind the school buildings, number three.’

  ‘We shall need to visit his home shortly. I believe he lived with his wife and son?’

  ‘Yes. Shirley is our school receptionist. Josh is Shirley’s son, not Richard’s.’

  ‘Are you aware of anyone who might want to harm Mr Hart?’

  ‘No,’ said Laura. ‘As far as I know Richard was well-liked by everyone here. But it surely can’t be anyone from school who did this terrible thing?’

  ‘We have to keep an open mind, as you will appreciate. Can you tell us where you were last night?’

  ‘I was at school until about 6.30. I drove home calling at the supermarket, Morrisons in Killingworth. I suppose I got home about eight, and Robert, my husband, was cooking the evening meal. We watched television until about 10.30 and then went to bed.’

  ‘Did anyone see you in Morrisons?’

  ‘No, but I’ve got the receipt somewhere. Won’t it have the time on it?’

  ‘How did you pay?’

  ‘With my debit card. I’ll have that receipt somewhere as well.’

  ‘We shall need to see both of those.’

  ‘I suppose this is where I’m supposed to say you can’t possibly think I had anything to do with it,’ Laura smiled. ‘But I know you have to eliminate me from your enquiries.’

  DI Jenkins did not smile back. ‘Quite so.’

  So he was killed last night then. It’s terrible to think of him lying there all night. I suppose if Shirley had been at home the alarm would have been raised earlier.’

  ‘Do you know where Mrs Hart was last night?’

  ‘I believe she was at her mother’s. Josie, my PA, can probably give your more information. I’m not sure about her son, Josh.’

  ‘We shall need to talk to anyone who might have had access to the school grounds last night.’

  ‘As you’ve probably noticed, the entrance behind the Pavilion is quite secluded. We don’t lock the gate, so anyone could have come in. The wall is so low at that end of the estate it hardly seems worth it. There weren’t any functions on in school so there was no reason for anyone from school to be here. I would have to check whether the sports hall had a booking last night.’

  ‘Do you have CCTV?’

  ‘Yes, but not in that area. You’re welcome to see the footage. Mr Hinchcliffe, my Bursar, will arrange it.’

  ‘Right, well that’s all for now,’ said the Inspector standing.

  ‘I do have one or two questions myself, if that’s all right?’ asked Laura. ‘Do you have any idea how long your enquiries will take?’

  ‘Obviously not at this stage,’ replied Jenkins abruptly.

  ‘Will you need an incident room here at school?’

  ‘No, thank you. We’re close enough to the station. But we would appreciate a room where we can interview people.’

  ‘Perhaps the Pavilion would work? It’s quite comfortable, with all the necessary facilities and you could come and go as you please. And there’s a telephone link to the school.’

  ‘Yes, that would work. Thank you.’

  ‘Can you give me any guidance on what I can say to my staff and the girls and their parents? I need to reassure the parents that their daughters will be safe.’

  ‘I understand. I hope that by the end of today, I can give you some information. The press haven’t picked up on it yet, although I’m sure it’s only a matter of time.’

  By this time, the two men were standing at the door and Laura realised they were intent on leaving.

  ‘You will keep me informed won’t you? I will have to make arrangements for school on Tuesday.’

  ‘Yes, I will. Goodbye.’

  And he swept out, his raincoat belt catching on the door handle which rather spoiled the effect. Laura couldn’t help but smile. There goes Columbo, she thought.

  Chapter Five

  Robert re-entered Laura’s office with another cup of coffee.

  ‘Thought you might need the extra caffeine today,’ h
e said. ‘How was it? Did you find out anything?’ he continued.

  ‘Not really, other than they think he was killed last night. I had to provide my alibi,’ Laura said.

  ‘What?’ gasped Robert incredulously. ‘They can’t possibly think you had anything to do with it?’

  Laura laughed. ‘You’ve been watching too many crime films! That’s a real cliché.’

  ‘I suppose they have to be sure,’ Robert grudgingly agreed.

  ‘I think I’m going to have to stay here most of the day. I need to get the Senior Management Team in and start contacting people. There’s not a lot I can tell them, but it’s better they hear the news from us rather than the TV.’

  ‘Yes, of course you do. Do you want me to stay?’

  ‘No. It’s sweet of you to offer, but you’d be bored out of your mind. I’ll ring you when I’m done and maybe we can salvage something of the day.’

  ‘Yes, it’s a pretty rotten way to spend your birthday,’ Robert replied. ‘We’ll reschedule it to a less hectic time.’

  Laura walked to the door with her husband, and as they passed her PA’s office, she could see through the glass panel the two policemen talking to Josie. DS Todd seemed to be hanging on her every word. Josie was an attractive woman, and even though she was in her forties she looked much younger and regularly turned men’s heads. The sergeant looked like yet another conquest.

  Laura returned to her office and picked up the telephone. This was going to be a difficult call.

  ‘Hello, Arthur,’ she said when the call was answered. ‘It’s Laura. Sorry to disturb you on a Saturday. I’m afraid we have a bit of a problem. Richard Hart was found dead this morning.’

  ‘Oh, my word! That’s terrible,’ Arthur replied. ‘What happened?’

  Laura described the events of the morning. Arthur seemed to take the news calmly, and Laura reflected that his army background had probably given him the experience of dealing with sudden violent death. Arthur Connolly had been a decorated Colonel serving in the Falklands and Northern Ireland prior to his retirement almost thirty years before. Since his retirement from the army he had been the CEO of a company owned by his wife’s family and now, completely retired, he spent his time working for the school and enjoying his great passions of gardening and photography.

  Laura often marvelled at the commitment of her Governors. They received no payment for their involvement with the school and yet most of them devoted hours of their time. In Arthur’s case, his wife Jenny had been a pupil there in the 1950s. She had very fond memories of her schooldays and believed it gave her the grounding for an extremely successful career. Turning her back on the family business, Jenny had studied law and trained as a Barrister making her name in the Criminal Courts. They didn’t have children and Laura had never asked whether it was by choice, although she did notice what appeared to be a look of regret sometimes, when Arthur was watching the girls playing sport. Arthur’s involvement with the school was an attempt to pay back something on his wife’s behalf.

  ‘We have to keep on top of this,’ Arthur said. ‘We can’t allow it to harm the reputation of the school. Something like this could make parents question whether their daughters are safe.’

  ‘Yes, I agree,’ replied Laura. ‘I’m getting the SMT in this morning and we’ll sort out what we need to do.’

  ‘And you need to keep me informed. I’d like to know everything you find out about the inquiry. If it’s not going well, I can always talk to the Chief Constable.’

  ‘I’ll do my best,’ promised Laura. ‘Will you contact the rest of the Board and let them know?’

  ‘Yes, leave that to me,’ Arthur said.

  As she replaced the receiver, Josie tapped on her door and entered.

  ‘I’ve just spoken to the Chairman,’ explained Laura. ‘I saw you being grilled!’

  ‘Not quite,’ smiled Josie. ‘That inspector is a bit of a cold fish, isn’t he? But the sergeant seemed a bit more friendly.’

  ‘Hmm, I noticed.’

  ‘What do you mean?’ asked Josie colouring slightly.

  ‘He couldn’t keep his eyes off you. I’m not sure he was writing down everything you said, but he was certainly taking down your particulars.’ Laura emphasised the last few words and gave Josie a knowing look. ‘I think if we want to find out anything he’s the one to ask, not the inspector. Maybe you need to cultivate him.’

  ‘That won’t be too difficult,’ agreed Josie. ‘By the way, Bob called in. He’s been up to Richard’s cottage and there’s no-one there. It looks as though Josh was away as well last night.’

  ‘Well, let’s hope he has an alibi. I’m sure the inspector will fancy him as a suspect, particularly if he hears he didn’t get on with Richard.’

  ‘That was years ago,’ Josie replied. ‘I think he and Richard were actually very close. When Josh came in over Easter to help in the IT department I saw them on a couple of occasions having quite intimate chats, and there didn’t appear to be any problem between them.’

  Josh had a considerable talent when it came to computers. Shirley was extremely proud of her son and Laura could understand why. He was hoping to go to university in the autumn, the first in his family to do so. He wanted to study Computer Science unsurprisingly, but he had more skill already than the technicians employed by the school, and was often called in to give a helping hand when there was a problem. Computers had completely changed the way most subjects were taught in schools, and at Mary Montgomery there were hundreds of PCs and laptops linked to a server in the IT department. It seemed as though every week there was some new development, and some exciting software to be bought.

  ‘No, I’m sure he had nothing to do with it. I just don’t have a lot of confidence in the inspector, although it’s early days yet,’ Laura admitted.

  By noon Laura and Josie had contacted the members of the Senior Management Team and all but one were now assembled round a large table in the Board Room. Jack Gibson, one of Laura’s deputies, was away in Manchester for the weekend although she had spoken to him on his mobile. Bob and Josie were well up-to-date with what had happened but Laura quickly outlined the events for the benefit of Amy Winston, her other deputy, and Reena Verma, the School Development Officer. Josie wasn’t a member of the SMT but she sometimes attended meetings to take notes, and this was one occasion when she would be particularly useful.

  ‘Now,’ Laura continued. ‘We’re in a bit of a difficult position. We need to reassure the staff and the parents but we don’t have anything much we can tell them. The inspector has said he’ll try to get back to me by the end of the day, but I’ve no idea what time that will be and I don’t know how much he’ll want to tell me anyway. And although I assume the police have managed to speak to Shirley by now I don’t know for sure.’

  ‘Do the press know anything yet?’ asked Reena.

  ‘I think they would have been in touch if they did, but I don’t think it will take them long, so we need to be prepared. Can you start work on a press release urgently, Reena? Make sure we show our sympathies. Richard will be sadly missed, and Shirley will be devastated as will Josh. But make it reassuring as well for the parents.’

  ‘What about Shirley?’ asked Josie.

  ‘Oh, I really can’t stop thinking about how awful it will be for her, and it’s only just beginning,’ Laura replied, emotionally. ‘She’ll need to know she has our every support. She might decide to stay with her mum for a while. I think it’s unlikely she’ll be in school. You’ll have to organise a rota to cover reception. Do you have her mum’s address?’

  ‘No, I know she lives in Gateshead, and I think her surname is Carr. The sergeant was trying to locate her. I gave him her mobile number as well, but I don’t think it’s the sort of news you deliver over the phone. Maybe Sue will know. I’ll ask her when I speak to her later. I assume you want me to call the office staff?’

  ‘Yes, thanks. Have we found out when the PE staff
will get back?’ Laura asked Josie.

  ‘Yes, they’re estimating 2.30 to 3 o’clock although I gather it’s a bit difficult to predict how long tennis matches will last.’

  ‘Right. We need to keep an eye open for them and stop them going down to the Pavilion. Bob, can you take that on please?’

  ‘Yes,’ replied Bob. ‘And the inspector wants to talk to them about the sports store when they get back.’

  ‘I expect it was just an oversight,’ said Amy. ‘I can’t imagine why it would be connected.’

  ‘Maybe someone was breaking in and Richard caught them in the act,’ suggested Reena.

  ‘Yes, but what would they be stealing? A few tennis balls? Hardly worth killing someone, is it?’ replied Amy.

  ‘I don’t think we’ve got time to speculate,’ said Laura. ‘Let’s start by splitting the staff list between us and try to contact everyone just to let them know what has happened. Then we need to draft an e-mail so we can inform parents before they hear it on the news first.’

  Bob had organised sandwiches so that everyone could eat while they worked. By 3 o’clock most of the staff had been given the grim news and a draft e-mail had been prepared. Reena had completed the press release just in time as a reporter from The Journal rang wanting information. As they didn’t yet know whether Shirley had been contacted she was able to put them off for a while, but promised to ring back later.

  Chapter Six

  Meanwhile, Detective Inspector Jenkins and Sergeant Todd were meeting in the Pavilion to exchange the information they had gathered so far. The body had been removed, but the area was still cordoned off while it was being painstakingly searched for evidence.

  ‘So, Todd,’ began Inspector Jenkins. ‘What have we got?’

  ‘Well, sir. As you know Wainwright, the pathologist, has been and inspected the body. First indications give a time of death between 7 and 10pm last night. That’s based on body temperature and the fairly advanced state of rigor mortis.’