Crime in the School

by Catherine Moloney

  Clearly shaken, the minister nevertheless managed to deliver the funeral address albeit without mentioning the deceased by name. Afterwards, Markham remembered only the concluding words, ‘In my end is my beginning’, drawing some private consolation from the thought that somehow, somewhere Harry Mountfield was beginning the world again.

  The yellow curtains screened the coffin from view as it slid gently away into the smiling jaws of the furnace beyond.

  Afterwards, Markham and Olivia repaired to The Grapes where the team were waiting. Burton and Doyle ducked their heads shyly in greeting, while Olivia twitted Noakes about his unusually dapper appearance. Observing how the DS’s ears turned pink, an almost goofy expression softening the trade-mark truculence, Kate reflected wryly that she was not the only one sighing for the moon.

  When they were settled with drinks, the conversation turned to Mountfield’s funeral, his colleagues listening in stunned silence as Markham described the rent-a-mob disruption of the service.

  ‘That’s shameful!’ Burton exclaimed disgustedly. ‘The man had to be disposed of somehow, and his family had some rights after all. Anyway, what did folk think he was going to do – pop up behind the trolley like something out of a horror movie?’

  ‘You’re right, Kate.’ Olivia’s voice was warm. ‘People should let the dead rest in peace. All of them.’

  Noakes bit back what he had been going to say. Olivia Mullen was too soft-hearted for her own good. Just as well she was one of the family. The police always looked after their own.

  There was a sardonic glint in the DI’s eyes which Noakes didn’t much care for. Almost as though the guv’nor knew exactly what he was thinking.

  Time to drink up …

  Gradually, the conversation turned into more cheerful channels, Olivia congratulating Burton on the news of her permanent promotion to CID.

  The DC glowed. ‘Yep,’ she confirmed proudly. ‘And the force is sponsoring me for an M.A. in Gender and Modern Policing.’

  She looked across the table at Noakes, bracing herself for the expected put-down, but to her surprise none was forthcoming. Instead the DS’s gaze was disconcertingly benign. There had been an uneasy period when she worried that Noakes had somehow detected her thumping great crush on Markham (for that’s all it was, she told herself firmly). But as he sat there mildly quaffing his ale, she told herself there was nothing to worry about on that score.

  ‘And Doyle’s had some good news too.’ Burton was anxious to shift the spotlight away from herself. ‘His secondment’s come through.’

  ‘Ah yes, welcome aboard,’ Markham said.

  He was pleased to see the youngster was looking less lovelorn these days, having apparently transferred his affections from the stony-hearted Sally of yore to an attractive young DS in Traffic who, rumour had it, was not averse to his attentions.

  ‘Things should be better at Hope after Christmas,’ Olivia was keen to update them. ‘Helen Kavanagh’s off to work for the LEA, and they’re going to bring in a new executive head. Poor Dave Uttley’s on sick leave after that nervous breakdown, so Matt’s going to take over as the new deputy with Doctor Abernathy as Assistant Head. A fresh start all round.’

  ‘S’pose it’ll be business as bloody usual then,’ Noakes growled, his mood of sweet reason evaporating. ‘You scratch my back an’ all that.’

  Olivia was determinedly upbeat. ‘Not with Matt at the helm.’ She added, seemingly inconsequentially, ‘Word has it he’s quite a useful footballer, you know.’

  Noakes was clearly engaged in some sort of internal struggle, but his love of the beautiful game prevailed. ‘Well, if Sullivan’s still there, it’s not all bad news then.’

  His colleagues stifled their grins. In a changing world, the reactions of DS Noakes were as reassuringly predictable as Bromgrove’s bad weather.

  Later that evening, Markham and Olivia lay stretched out on the rug in front of their woodburner.

  There was something intensely comforting about being indoors in front of a fire on a wild autumn evening, Olivia thought. All the ghouls and goblins at bay.

  ‘A penny for them.’ Markham smiled lazily at her.

  ‘I’m just thinking how well it’s finally worked out,’ she answered dreamily. ‘The doc and Matt’ll make a great team.’

  ‘I think old Abernathy knew far more than he ever let on about all the sexual tensions swirling around Hope. Looks a new man now it’s out in the open and Sullivan’s in the clear.’

  ‘Yes, I think he cares a great deal about Matt. But with him it’s a case of “the love that dare not speak its name”.’ She smiled rather sadly. ‘Matt has no idea.’

  ‘Between them they’ll steer Hope into calmer waters,’ said Markham comfortingly. ‘You know,’ he added musingly, ‘Abernathy was right about Helen Kavanagh. He told Kate Burton she was a decent woman underneath it all—’

  ‘Provided you dug deep enough!’

  ‘Something like that. Apparently, she, JP and Uttley engaged in a spot of “creative accounting”. Ashley found out and put the squeeze on them.’

  ‘God, how utterly toxic.’ Olivia spoke with feeling. ‘Helen must have hated being under the cosh.’

  ‘Yes, the school was her whole life and she couldn’t bear to lose it. Hence the samurai superhead act.’

  Behind the big mask and the speaking-trumpet, there must always be our poor little eyes peeping as usual and our timorous lips more or less under anxious control.

  ‘What about you, dearest? Will you go back to Hope?’

  Markham scrutinized his girlfriend under half-shut lids.

  ‘Too many bad memories,’ she replied wistfully. ‘But I won’t lose touch with the old place entirely … Maybe I’ll start looking at higher education … D’you think Noakes’ll be too creeped out if I sign up for that new Women’s Studies course at the university?’

  Markham burst out laughing.

  ‘I think you could convert him to just about anything, if you put your mind to it.’

  Chuckling at the thought of his erstwhile Sancho Panza’s likely reaction to such an announcement, he drew Olivia closer.

  They turned to each other, away from the night and storm and loneliness outside, forming a tableau of perfect contentment.

  And the future held no terrors.

  THE END

  The D.I. Gilbert Markham Series

  Book 1: CRIME IN THE CHOIR

  Book 2: CRIME IN THE SCHOOL

  Book 3: CRIME IN THE CONVENT

  Book 4: CRIME IN THE HOSPITAL

  Please join our mailing list for updates on D.I. Gilbert Markham, free Kindle crime thriller, detective, mystery books and new releases.

  http://www.joffebooks.com/contact/

  Thank you for reading this book. If you enjoyed it please leave feedback on Amazon, and if there is anything we missed or you have a question about then please get in touch. The author and publishing team appreciate your feedback and time reading this book.

  Please join our mailing list for free kindle crime thriller, detective, mystery, and romance books and new releases.

  http://www.joffebooks.com/contact/

  Our email is office@joffebooks.com

  http://joffebooks.com

  We hate typos but sometimes they slip through. Please send any errors you find to corrections@joffebooks.com

  We’ll get them fixed ASAP. We’re very grateful to eagle-eyed readers who take the time to contact us.

  A Selection of Books You May Enjoy

  THE MURDERER'S SON

  By JOY ELLIS

  https://www.amazon.co.uk/MURDERERS-gripping-crime-thriller-twists-ebook/dp/B01LWY0PUJ

  https://www.amazon.com/MURDERERS-gripping-crime-thriller-twists-ebook/dp/B01LWY0PUJ

  What if your mother was a serial killer?

  A BLOODY KILLER SEEMS TO HAVE RETURNED TO THE LINCOLNSHIRE FENS

  A gripping crime thriller by the best-selling author of the Nikki Galena series. Twenty years ago: a farmer and hi
s wife are cut to pieces by a ruthless serial killer. Now: a woman is viciously stabbed to death in the upmarket kitchen of her beautiful house on the edge of the marshes.

  Then a man called Daniel Kinder walks into Saltern police station and confesses to the murder.

  But DI Rowan Jackman and DS Marie Evans of the Fenland police soon discover that there is a lot more to Daniel than meets the eye. He has no memory of the first five years of his life and is obsessed with who his real mother is.

  In a breathtaking finale, the truth about Daniel’s mother comes to light and DI Jackman and DS Evans race against time to stop more lives being destroyed.

  Full of twists and turns, this is a crime thriller that will keep you turning the pages until the shocking ending.

  MURDER ON THE OXFORD CANAL

  BY FAITH MARTIN

  https://www.amazon.co.uk/MURDER-OXFORD-gripping-mystery-twists-ebook/dp/B0763RXLRV

  https://www.amazon.com/MURDER-OXFORD-gripping-mystery-twists-ebook/dp/B0763RXLRV

  DISCOVER THE MILLION-SELLING SERIES NOW.

  MEET DI HILLARY GREENE, A POLICE WOMAN FIGHTING TO SAVE HER CAREER.

  Not only has she lost her husband, but his actions have put her under investigation for corruption.

  Then a bashed and broken body is found floating in the Oxford Canal. It looks like the victim fell off a boat, but Hillary is not so sure. Her investigation exposes a dark background to the death.

  Can Hillary clear her name and get to the bottom of a fiendish conspiracy on the water?

  This is a crime mystery full of well-observed characters, which will have you gripped from beginning to end.

  MURDER ON THE OXFORD CANAL is the first in a series of page-turning crime thrillers set in Oxfordshire.

  HE IS WATCHING YOU

  BY CHARLIE GALLAGHER

  https://www.amazon.co.uk/WATCHING-absolutely-gripping-thriller-massive-ebook/dp/B07KKK5N7W

  https://www.amazon.com/WATCHING-absolutely-gripping-thriller-massive-ebook/dp/B07KKK5N7W

  DISCOVER AN ABSOLUTELY GRIPPING RACE-AGAINST-TIME THRILLER FROM BEST-SELLING AUTHOR CHARLIE GALLAGHER.

  MEET DETECTIVE MADDIE IVES IN THIS NEW SERIES THAT WILL HAVE YOU GRIPPED FROM THE EXPLOSIVE START.

  A young woman’s body is left in a metal container in a remote location. The killer is careful to position her under a camera that links to his smartphone. He likes to look back at his work.

  HE IS WATCHING HER. BUT SHE ISN’T DEAD.

  So he will return to finish the job.

  Detective Maddie Ives is new to the area. She is handed a missing person report: a young woman with a drink problem who’s been reported missing fifteen times. It looks like a waste of time. But DS Ives has a bad feeling about the woman’s disappearance.

  DI Harry Blaker is called to a hit and run of an elderly man left to die on a quiet country road. There is no motive and it looks like a tragic accident. But he’s been working Major Crime long enough to know that something isn’t quite right. The two officers find their investigations intertwine and they will need to work together.

  BUT THEY MUST WORK FAST. TIME IS RUNNING OUT FOR THE WOMAN IN THE CONTAINER.

  Glossary of English Slang for US readers

  A & E: Accident and emergency department in a hospital

  Aggro: Violent behaviour, aggression

  Air raid: an attack in which bombs are dropped from aircraft on ground targets

  Allotment: a plot of land rented by an individual for growing fruit, vegetable or flowers

  Anorak: nerd (it also means a waterproof jacket)

  Artex: textured plaster finish for walls and ceilings

  A Level: exams taken between 16 and 18

  Auld Reekie: Edinburgh

  Au pair: live-in childcare helper. Often a young woman.

  Barm: bread roll

  Barney: argument

  Beaker: glass or cup for holding liquids

  Beemer: BMW car or motorcycle

  Benefits: social security

  Bent: corrupt

  Bin: wastebasket (noun), or throw in rubbish (verb)

  Biscuit: cookie

  Blackpool Lights: gaudy illuminations in seaside town

  Bloke: guy

  Blow: cocaine

  Blower: telephone

  Blues and twos: emergency vehicles

  Bob: money

  Bobby: policeman

  Broadsheet: quality newspaper (New York Times would be a US example)

  Brown bread: rhyming slang for dead

  Bun: small cake

  Bunk: do a bunk means escape

  Burger bar: hamburger fast-food restaurant

  Buy-to-let: Buying a house/apartment to rent it out for profit

  Charity Shop: thrift store

  Carrier bag: plastic bag from supermarket

  Care Home: an institution where old people are cared for

  Car park: parking lot

  CBeebies: kids TV

  Chat-up: flirt, trying to pick up someone with witty banter or compliments

  Chemist: pharmacy

  Chinwag: conversation

  Chippie: fast-food place selling chips and other fried food

  Chips: French fries but thicker

  CID: Criminal Investigation Department

  Civvy Street: civilian life (as opposed to army)

  Clock: punch

  Cock-up: mess up, make a mistake

  Cockney: a native of East London

  Common: an area of park land/ or lower class

  Comprehensive School (Comp.): High school

  Cop hold of: grab

  Copper: police officer

  Coverall: coveralls, or boiler suit

  CPS: Crown Prosecution Service, decide whether police cases go forward

  Childminder: someone who looks after children for money

  Council: local government

  Dan Dare: hero from Eagle comic

  DC: detective constable

  Deck: one of the landings on a floor of a tower block

  Deck: hit (verb)

  Desperate Dan: very strong comic book character

  DI: detective inspector

  Digestive biscuit: plain cookie

  Digs: student lodgings

  Do a runner: disappear

  Do one: go away

  Doc Martens: Heavy boots with an air-cushioned sole

  Donkey’s years: long time

  Drum: house

  DS: detective sergeant

  ED: accident and emergency department of hospital

  Eagle: boys’ comic

  Early dart: to leave work early

  Eggy soldiers: strips of toast with a boiled egg

  Enforcer: police battering ram

  Estate: public/social housing estate (similar to housing projects)

  Estate agent: realtor (US)

  Falklands War: war between Britain and Argentina in 1982

  Fag: cigarette

  Father Christmas: Santa Claus

  Filth: police (insulting)

  Forces: army, navy, and air force

  FMO: force medical officer

  Fried slice: fried bread

  Fuzz: police

  Garda: Irish police

  Gendarmerie: French national police force

  Geordie: from Newcastle

  Garden Centre: a business where plants and gardening equipment are sold

  Gob: mouth/ can also mean phlegm or spit

  GP: general practitioner, a doctor based in the community

  Graft: hard work

  Gran: grandmother

  Hancock: Tony Hancock, English comedian popular in 1950s

  Hard nut: tough person

  HGV: heavy goods vehicle, truck

  HOLMES: UK police computer system used during investigation of major incidents

  Home: care home for elderly or sick people

  Hoover: vacuum cleaner

  I’ll be blowed: expression of surprise

  Inne: isn’t he

  Interpol: int
ernational police organisation

  Into care: a child taken away from their family by the social services

  Iron Lady: Margaret Thatcher, applied to any strong woman

  ITU: intensive therapy unit in hospital

  Jane Doe: a person whose identity is unknown/anonymous

  JCB: a mechanical excavator

  Jerry-built: badly made

  Jungle: nickname given to migrant camp near Calais

  Lad: young man

  Lass: young woman

  Lift: elevator

  Lord Lucan: famous aristocrat who allegedly killed his children’s nanny and disappeared in 1974. Has never been found.

  Lorry: a truck

  Lovely jubbly: said when someone is pleased

  Luftwaffe: German air force

  M&S: Marks and Spencer, a food and clothes shop

  Miss Marple: detective in a series of books by Agatha Christie

  MOD: ministry of defence

  Mobile phone: cell phone

  MP: Member of Parliament, politician representing an area

  MRSA: A strain of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

  Myra Hindley: famous British serial killer

  Naff: lame, not good

  Naff all: none

  National Service: compulsory UK military service, ended in 60s

  Net curtains: a type of semi-transparent curtain

  NHS: National Health Service, public health service of UK

  Nick: police station (as verb: to arrest)

  Nowt: nothing

  Nutter: insane person

  Nursery: a place which grows plants, shrubs and trees for sale (often wholesale)

  Old bag: old woman (insulting)

  Old Bill: police

  OTT: over the top

  Owt: anything

  Pants: noun: underwear adjective: bad/rubbish/terrible

  Para: paratrooper

  Pay-as-you-go: a cell phone you pay for calls in advance

  PC: police constable