by Sally Rigby
‘That sounds mysterious,’ Frank said.
‘I want to be sure of my facts before making accusations,’ Ellie said.
‘That’s fine. There’s no point in telling us bits and pieces as you go. Just remember that we need to move on this as soon as possible, so work quickly.’
She wasn’t sure why she’d said that, because the speed with which Ellie could work was mind-boggling.
‘I know, guv. Leave it with me,’ Ellie said.
‘Where did the kids go to school?’
‘Eden Vale Secondary, guv,’ Meena said.
‘Were they all at the same school?’
‘Yes. Tyler was in year nine, Harvey in year ten, and Keira in year twelve.’
‘Good. It makes it easier when we go to visit if they were all at the one place. Do we have further details about the parents’ workplaces? Brian, you were looking into that, weren’t you? What did you find?’
‘Gillian Barker worked part-time as a physiotherapist at Lenchester Physio and David Barker was a senior technology consultant at Hutt Consulting which is based in Birmingham. His work involved travelling around the country visiting clients and providing technical support. He spent a lot of time away from home,’ Brian said.
‘Thanks. What do we know about the extended families of David and Gillian? Other than David was an only child, and his mother is dead, which Belinda Douglas told me.’
‘David Barker’s father is still alive, but he’s got dementia and is in a nursing home in Bath. He’s been in there for three years. Other than that, David’s closest living relative was an aunt on his mother’s side,’ Doug said.
‘That’s Belinda Douglas’s mother. What about Gillian’s family?’
‘She had a younger sister, Penny Burn, who still lives in Poole, where the family moved to in the nineties, as do her elderly parents. The police down there informed the family of the deaths. Penny is coming to view the bodies and formally identify them later today.’
‘Okay. You can coordinate that. You’ll need to speak to Dr Dexter to let her know when you’ll be there.’
‘Yes, guv.’
‘When you’re with the sister, find out what you can about the family and if she knows of any reason for them to be targeted.’
‘Will do, guv.’
‘What else did you find on social media, Meena?’
‘Out of the three of them, Keira, posted the most. There are lots of photos of her with her friends, also of her with Corey Hudson. She’d recently been posting photos of herself with her new boyfriend. There was nothing out of the ordinary on her account that I could see. Harvey’s posts were mainly him with his friends at school or playing football. Usual teen boy stuff. The youngest, Tyler, had a social media account but seldom posted.’
‘Okay, now we have some background, Brian and I will go to the school to speak to the children’s teachers and classmates. We’ll see if there’s anything they can add to what we already know. Then we’ll head to Gillian’s workplace because it’s close. We’ll need to visit David’s workplace, too. Because it’s in Birmingham that might have to wait until tomorrow. Frank, did you speak to Zak Lyle?’
‘Yes, guv. He wasn’t aware of Hudson following him and Keira. At school, Hudson had ignored him, but not threatened him or caused any aggravation. Hardly surprising, because Lyle’s a lot bigger.’
‘I want you and Doug to go back to Beech Avenue and scour the area for any security cameras. We’re looking for any footage that can corroborate the time Hudson said he left. I know there’s no CCTV in the vicinity, but Meena, check footage leading to the Westcliffe area to see if there’s anything unusual.’
‘Yes, guv.’
‘Okay, everyone knows what they’re doing. Come on, Brian, let’s go. We’ll take your car.’
‘No Dr Cavendish today?’ Brian said as they were on their way to the car park.
‘She’s at work.’
‘Which is why I’m going with you.’
Despite being on the team for over six months, Whitney still wasn’t quite sure what he meant with comments like that. Was he stating a fact, or feeling second best?
‘Not necessarily. Is it an issue?’
‘Merely an observation.’
She still wasn’t sure what that meant, but she didn’t have time to ruminate over it. They had a job to do.
‘Once we get to Eden Vale, we’ll arrange to interview the teachers first, and then we’ll speak to the pupils. If there was anything untoward going on, it might have affected their schoolwork. Also, speaking to the children’s friends should give us a better picture of the family. If there were issues, the kids might have confided in their close friends.’
‘If they’re at school today. They might have stayed at home because of the shock.’
‘Maybe, but my guess is they’d rather be at school with their friends so they can comfort each other. That tends to be what happens.’
‘True,’ Brian said, nodding.
Chapter 16
They drove in silence towards the school, allowing Whitney time to think about the previous night. Martin had clearly been upset when they’d asked George to be a guardian to Ava should anything happen. Was he justified? She got that he’d want to be in their lives, but he’d hardly been around long enough to be considered suitable for being Ava’s guardian. Plus, his situation was far from practical. He lived alone in London. George was the perfect choice. She lived close by. She had Ross. And she had an unbreakable bond with Tiffany, after saving her life.
It was all hypothetical, anyway. Nothing was going to happen to her or Tiffany.
‘We’ll see the head teacher to arrange meeting with the form teachers,’ she said when they pulled into the school car park and found an empty space close to the front entrance.
They walked through the entrance and turned left, following the directional signs to the school office. They walked over to the woman seated behind a desk which had a School Secretary nameplate on it.
She held out her warrant card. ‘I’m DCI Walker and this is DS Chapman. We’re here about the Barker children. We’d like to speak to the head, please.’
‘We’re all devastated. They were such lovely children.’ The woman’s eyes filled with tears, and she pulled out a tissue from the box on her desk and wiped her eyes. ‘I’ll let Dr Johnson know you’re here. She’s been expecting your visit.’
‘Thank you.’
The woman left her desk and headed over to a closed door to the right. She knocked and walked in without waiting for a response, closing the door behind her. Whitney could hear voices but couldn’t make out the words.
After a few minutes, the door opened and a tall woman in her fifties, with wavy grey hair, wearing a navy trouser suit and pale-blue blouse, came out. The school secretary followed and skirted behind her and returned to her desk.
‘I’m Deirdre Johnson, the head teacher. Please come on through and take a seat.’ She gestured for them to go through into the office and once in there Whitney and Brian sat on the low chairs surrounding a coffee table.
‘It must be very difficult for everyone here at the school,’ Whitney said, once the head teacher had joined them.
‘It’s yet to sink in properly for most of us. Staff and students alike. We have counsellors ready for any of the pupils who might require it, although so far not many have taken up the offer. It’s early days though. After discussing with the senior management team, we decided to continue with lessons, as usual, to give the children a sense of normality, although in a more relaxed manner. The whole atmosphere in the school is one of shock and disbelief, and I don’t expect it to change for a while yet. Not while it’s the focal point in the media.’
‘I agree, and the media won’t leave it alone until we have found the killer. While we’re here, we’d like to interview the form teachers of Keira, Harvey, and Tyler, and then any of their friends who are in school. If we could do so in here that would help. It’s private, comfortable, and
out of the way.’
‘Yes, here would be the best place for you to talk freely to them. I’ll arrange for the form teachers to see you straight away and they’ll let you know who their friends are. Do you want me to sit in on the interviews?’
‘It would help if you were here while we speak to their teachers. You may be able to give us some information. We’d like to speak to the children alone in case they feel intimidated with you present.’
‘That seems the most appropriate course of action. Would you like some coffee while I arrange for the teachers to come here? It might take a while to find them and have someone sit in their class while they leave it.’
‘That would be lovely, thank you,’ Whitney said.
‘Did you go to this school?’ Brian asked once Dr Johnson had left.
‘No, I went to North Lenchester Academy on the other side of the city. This school wasn’t around when I was young. It was built when the city expanded.’
‘Is that where you started singing? I’ve heard you’re awesome.’
‘Who told you that?’
‘Frank. He said you sing in a choir, and they’ve been to watch your concerts.’
‘I’m a member of the local Rock Choir, but I miss more rehearsals than I attend. Perks of the job. But—’
The school secretary came in carrying a tray with two mugs of coffee and a plate of biscuits which she placed on the table and then left.
Brian handed Whitney a mug, and she sniffed before placing it on a coaster on the coffee table. She helped herself to a biscuit, and they waited for Dr Johnson to return.
‘You were saying,’ Brian said.
‘Only that I belong to the choir, but it’s hard because of the job.’
‘When’s your next concert? I’d love to watch.’
Whitney glanced at him. Was he being serious?
‘We usually do three a year. Most likely August, and if not, definitely one at Christmas. I’ll let you know, but don’t feel obliged to watch.’
‘If the rest of the team go then I’d like to be with them.’
‘Okay, that would be great.’ If he was trying to be more involved then she wasn’t going to stand in the way.
After a further ten minutes, the door opened and the head walked in, followed by two men and one woman.
‘This is Anne Parkinson, Keira’s form teacher. Bill Asher, who was Harvey’s and Eric Robinson, who was Tyler’s,’ Dr Johnson said, nodding at each of her staff in turn.
They all sat around the table and stared directly at Whitney.
‘I’m DCI Walker, and this is DS Chapman. We’re very sorry for your loss. It must have been a shock for you all and your students.’
‘I couldn’t believe it when I saw it on the news,’ Anne Parkinson said, the oldest of the three teachers, her eyes filling with tears, which she blinked away.
‘We’d like to speak to the children’s closest friends. But before we do that, what can you tell us about each of them? If we could start with Keira.’ Whitney scribbled some notes while focusing on Anne Parkinson.
‘Keira was an excellent student and planning to go to university to study languages. She was popular and a delight to have in the class. She was close friends with two other girls, Phoebe Tindall, and Isobel Norman. The three of them were inseparable at school.’
‘Are Phoebe and Isobel in school today?’
‘Yes. I’ve spoken to them privately and said that if it gets too much to find me. They said they’d rather be here together and with the rest of their class, than at home. I think it’s for the best.’
‘I agree. We know that Keira recently finished with her boyfriend, Corey Hudson, and started dating Zak Lyle. Neither boy was from this school. Do you know anything about that?’ Whitney asked.
‘No, sorry. I don’t. Keira didn’t ever confide in me regarding her boyfriends. Why would she?’ Anne Parkinson said with a small shrug.
‘Is there anything that you can think of concerning Keira that I should know?’
‘Nothing other than what I’ve told you. I’m sorry.’
‘That’s fine. What about Harvey?’ Whitney asked, turning to Bill Asher, a short, stocky man in his forties, who was leaning forward in his chair his fists clenched.
‘It’s such a tragedy. Harvey was a lively and popular boy. He hung around in a gang of four or five boys in the class. He wasn’t the best behaved, and at times pushed the boundaries, but it was harmless pranks and nothing serious. I liked him. He certainly wasn’t academic, like his sister, but he was good at sport and was on the football and cricket teams. I understand that Dylan Fletcher found the bodies.’
‘Who told you this?’ Whitney asked. They hadn’t released any of the details to the media.
‘He did this morning, when he came back to school.’
‘How’s he coping?’
‘Trying to act all manly about it in front of his peers, but when we were alone, I could see how much it had affected him. I’ve spoken to him at length about having counselling. I hope he goes.’
‘We suggested it to his parents. What can you tell us about Tyler?’ She turned to face Eric Robinson, the youngest of the three teachers, and dressed more casually in chinos and an open shirt.
‘Tyler was a loner and would mainly hang out with Rex Smith. Both of them were hard workers, and appeared content with their own company, or just being with each other. I rarely saw them with any other students in the class.’
‘Did Tyler appear unhappy? Was he bullied or teased by others in the class?’
‘No. Tyler’s peers accepted that he preferred to be on the periphery rather than the centre of attention. His older brother and sister were hard acts to follow, for different reasons. Whether that had any bearing on his behaviour in school, I can’t say.’
‘Was he academic or sporty?’
‘He achieved good marks because of his diligence and no doubt would have gone on to higher education. He didn’t show any interest in sport, other than during designated PE time.’
‘We’d like to speak to their closest friends if you could bring them here. Before that, did any of you notice anything out of the ordinary at school over recent weeks? Anything which gave you cause for concern. Someone hanging around who looked suspicious. The Barker children acting differently from normal. Any deviation whatsoever in their behaviour and routine.’
The teachers exchanged glances with each other and then all shook their heads.
‘Thank you. If you could find the children and ask them to come to the office, please. Also find Mrs Allen and ask her to join them. She’s our pastoral care teacher,’ Dr Johnson said, turning to Whitney.
‘Are you speaking to all of them at the same time?’ Bill asked.
‘Yes, it will be less intimidating for them. They’ve had enough to deal with already, without having the worry of speaking to the police,’ Whitney said.
Dr Johnson opened the door for the teachers to leave and returned to sit opposite Whitney.
‘Before the students arrive, there’s something that I’ve remembered. I don’t know if it’s relevant. A few months ago, I saw Keira with her friends outside during the lunch break. She appeared upset and was crying.’
‘Did you ask her what was wrong?’ Whitney asked.
‘Yes, and she told me it was nothing. I didn’t pursue it as her friends were taking care of her. At that age, young people are full of hormones and get emotional over things that we’d consider not to be huge in the grand scheme of things. It most likely has nothing to do with the deaths, but I thought you should know.’
‘Thank you. I’ll keep the girls back after we’ve interviewed the students and ask for further details. That way, they might open up more.’
There was a knock at the door, and it opened immediately. The school secretary ushered the seven students into the room and they were followed by an older woman.
Once the students were seated, Dr Johnson introduced each of them, including Mrs Allen, who was seat
ed in the corner observing.
‘I’ll leave you to it,’ the head said to Whitney, on her way out.
Whitney turned to the students, who sat in silence staring directly at her, every one of their faces ashen.
‘I’m Detective Chief Inspector Walker and this is Detective Sergeant Chapman. We’re here because of what happened to Keira, Harvey, and Tyler. We understand from your teachers that you were all close friends with one of them and we’re very sorry for your loss. We’re going to find whoever did this, and we need your help to identify anyone who might have been involved. Is there anything you can tell us? Anything at all that might help with our enquiries?’
The students stared at them. None of them speaking. Had she gone in too broad? Maybe she should be more direct.
‘Rex, how was Tyler when you last saw him?’
‘Okay,’ the youngster replied, keeping his head lowered.
‘When was this?’
‘At school on Friday.’
‘Did you arrange to meet over the weekend?’
‘No.’
‘Did he tell you what he’d got planned on Saturday and Sunday?’
‘No, we didn’t talk about it.’
The teacher had told them about Tyler and his friend being loners, but she hadn’t realised quite how much. Were his parents concerned? She’d have been.
‘Thank you, that’s very helpful. What about Harvey?’ she asked, turning to his four friends.
‘We’d all arranged to play football on Sunday morning. I don’t know what he did on Saturday,’ one of them said.
‘He went shopping with Mrs Barker on Saturday because he wanted to buy some clothes for cricket camp in the summer holidays,’ Dylan said, his face pale and drawn.
‘Thank you. Can you think of anything that Harvey was concerned about?’
‘His report. He talked about it all the time because his dad said if he didn’t improve from last time he might not be able to go to camp. But it was too late to do anything about it,’ Dylan said.
‘And was it going to be better than his previous one?’ Brian asked.
‘I don’t know. None of us have really good reports. But they’re not totally bad,’ Dylan said, shrugging.
