Carved in Stone: Monochrome Destiny

by T L Blake

  Andrew straightened, a smile gracing his lips. “You like the necklace? You should wear it.”

  With that, he turned back to his car and was gone.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Apprehension turned Robyn’s feet to lead on Monday morning as she walked through the main entrance intending to head towards her classroom. With everything that had transpired in the previous week, she was under no illusion that she would be welcome at the school, but she had been given a second chance and was not going to squander it. She needed this to work.

  Her first two lessons went smoothly. Lesson three was more challenging. Year ten, her most difficult class, were a middle set, all expected to gain a grade C or above, but were unwilling to work for it. They constantly pushed at boundaries and often ended up with detention. The disruption began as they entered.

  Stuart Yelland, a tall, lanky boy who had grown nearly six inches in the six months Robyn had known him, walked through the door with his coat on, shirt untucked and headphones plugged into his ears. Robyn stepped into his view, stopping him. She then gestured with her hands to indicate that he should pull his earphones out.

  “Coat off please, Stuart.” The school had a dress code and, despite the cold weather outdoors, was sufficiently heated to make the coat unwarranted. “And tuck the shirt in.”

  Stuart was her most challenging pupil. Quick-witted and happy to become the centre of attention, he was a leader to the others. Robyn needed to react quickly.

  “No Miss, please, I’m cold.” He shuddered but she was having none of it.

  “You know the rules and the consequences for breaking them.” Robyn didn’t raise her voice, knew not to. Taking on a teenager, raging with hormones, in front of their friends was a delicate practice. Stuart and many others just like him would rather fight than appear defeated, so she needed to be firm but not challenging. Today, however, she needn’t have worried as he shrugged out of his coat and moped to his place.

  The lesson continued without further disruption. Stuart, head down for the most part, was unusually quiet and without his influence the others remained subdued. Robyn began to relax.

  At the end of the lesson, Robyn had prepared a short quiz as a revision exercise. Being keen to get the pupils moving and use all that she had been taught during training, the quiz involved choosing a multiple choice answer by standing in one of the four corners of the room. She had stuck a large letter A, B, C or D in each corner. The quiz was designed to get maximum participation whilst being able to make a quick assessment of how well the topic had been absorbed.

  “Right everybody. Pack away. Then move the tables and stools to the sides please.”

  The noise was riotous as benches were shoved across the parquet but the furniture was soon moving, all but that which Stuart still had his head on.

  She walked over. “Stuart, get up please and move your table.”

  He didn’t lift his head. “Leave me alone. I’m tired.”

  The noise stopped. All eyes were on Robyn. “That’s enough of that. Get up. It’s your last chance.”

  “Go to hell.”

  Crunch time. Robyn lowered her voice and spoke in staccato. “Get up, right now, and go and stand outside the door.”

  Stuart raised his head to find her standing over him, pointing at the door. He was pale she noticed and clearly something was indeed wrong, but Robyn couldn’t allow him to speak to her like that. So, she stood her ground, saying no more and continued to point. All the while, she could feel many sets of eyes boring into her. The class awaited Stuart’s response.

  To Robyn’s relief Stuart stood, before angrily shoving his stool back and slamming his fists into the bench. He grabbed his bag and headed for the door.

  Robyn’s victory however, was short lived. Stuart got to the centre of the room, faltered, appeared to right himself and then went down. His legs collapsed from under him and he hit the solid wood floor deadweight.

  Training kicked in and got Robyn through the shock. She slammed a stool down between Stuart and the assembled class and instructed the other pupils not to cross in front of it, to give Stuart room. She then sent the most responsible pair for help and got to Stuart in the blink of an eye. His eyes were closed, unconscious, though she couldn’t be certain that it was from his illness or the fall, and his skin was pallid. He had no obvious injuries, thankfully, but he was cold and clammy to the touch and no matter what Robyn did, she couldn’t revive him.

  Time then blurred. The first-aider arrived making Robyn step back feeling helpless. She could do no more than watch, along with the rest of the class, as the first-aider, a technician from the technology department, went through the process of checking Stuart’s airway and looking for injuries. When he asked a question, Robyn answered, but she had little to tell.

  The bell rang, the raucous clanging brash against the comparative silence of the room, but it stirred Robyn into action. Her clear instructions had the remainder of the class packed up and ushered on to their next lesson within two minutes, and year twelve, who had begun to gather by the door, swiftly dismissed to personal study. Then David Rowe, Head Teacher arrived.

  Stuart was conscious when Robyn came back into the room after dismissing her sixth form class, but clearly weak and a little incoherent. The first-aider was happy that the boy had not sustained injury from his fall so Stuart, on unsteady legs, was removed from the room, flanked by the two men.

  Alone and left in an abandoned classroom, Robyn felt the burden of guilt. Had she believed Stuart, seen that he was actually unwell, she could have sought medical attention sooner, but she’d allowed her own animosity to the troublemaker to impair her judgement. She stared out the window, unable to focus.

  As Robyn watched, Stuart’s parents arrived in a beaten-up, light coloured car. They loaded Stuart into the backseat, intent on seeking out a medical professional no doubt and spoke for a while with the Head Teacher before leaving. The mood outside her window as she watched the exchange was sombre. There was something almost resigned about the Yelland’s. With a last shake of hands the family left.

  “Miss Darrow, would you accompany me to my office.” Robyn hadn’t noticed the Head Teacher walk around to the rear entrance of her room.

  “Oh God, is Stuart alright?”

  David Rowe stepped into the room and allowed the door to close behind him before continuing. “He will be. Stuart has a substance abuse problem. He has had for a while. We don’t know exactly what he took, but he’s conscious and responsive. His parents are taking him to be checked over.”

  Robyn furrowed her brow. “Should he not have been sent in an ambulance?”

  Mr Rowe looked at her and shook his head. “Things don’t work here as well as you are perhaps used to. It’s far quicker for his parents to take him, than to wait for an ambulance to get here, they aren’t stationed close.”

  He was right. The remoteness of Porthmollek made everything slow and emergency help was no exception. They had police, part of the time, but no hospital or ambulance. The local GP would normally be called in an emergency.

  “That’s not why I’m here. Come with me please.”

  Confused, Robyn stood and followed Mr Rowe to his office, fear niggling in her spine with every step. Was she to be blamed for Stuart’s collapse? She already blamed herself for being too hard on him.

  When the Head opened the door to the office, Robyn saw PC Godwin sitting at the desk. Her heart sank.

  “Please, take a seat. I thought that you should hear this directly from the police officer.”

  PC Godwin stood. “Miss Darrow.”

  She sat as directed and waited.

  “Go ahead, Brian, tell her what you told me.”

  “I’m here to tell you that we have closed the investigation into Katherine Harris’s disappearance.”

  Robyn’s mouth fell open but she didn’t get a chance to voice her question.

  “We checked her financial records and found that she purchased a train ticket
to Europe. After speaking to members of her department and other staff here, we found that Katherine was not perhaps as happy with her employment as she had led you to believe.”

  “What?”

  Mr Rowe broke in before Robyn could continue.

  “Katherine was already on a final warning. I know that she’s your friend, but I must tell you that she has been lying to you, Miss Darrow. Katherine’s Head of Department was less than pleased by her slapdash way of working and I myself had written her a warning letter the same week that she left. She was not getting along here and, to be frank, I would not have been renewing her contract.”

  Robyn stared dumbfounded at the Head Teacher, listening but unable to believe.

  “But she loves it here. The squads?”

  “There is no doubt that our girl’s netball and hockey teams have gained dramatically in proficiency since Miss Harris took over, but that in no way counterbalances her lackadaisical approach to the curriculum, or her terrible timekeeping. I’m sorry Miss Darrow, but Miss Harris was fully aware of the situation.”

  Robyn stared open-mouthed at the two men, but she had no more words. There was nothing that she could say.

  “We believe that Miss Harris intends to join her parents,” PC Godwin filled the silent void, “There were also tickets for a sea excursion into Tunisia from Italy. I could have ports check that she passed through, but, frankly, I have neither the resources nor the time.”

  “Tunisia?”

  “Yes, that’s the last known location of the Harris’s.” PC Godwin glanced at the Head before continuing. “We were given access to her school email account. She had contact from them three weeks ago.”

  Robyn was stunned. Three weeks ago? Why hadn’t she told her?

  The PC turned in his chair to face Robyn directly. “The car she left behind is actually hired. She contacted the company and asked to cancel her contract a couple of weeks ago. They will be picking the vehicle up shortly.” He paused to allow all of this to sink in. “I know that you have trouble believing this, but Katherine left of her own accord and she deceived you. ”

  “She wouldn’t.” Robyn’s thoughts and words jumbled with desperation. “I know her. She loves this job, this school, she is a great teacher.”

  PC Godwin looked at the Head and then back to Robyn. “Miss Darrow, I am aware that you have come to us following some . . . issues shall we say.” He shifted in his seat and stared at her with deep sympathy. “Can you be certain that your devotion to Miss Harris was not misguided under the circumstances?”

  The words were slow, soft, reassuring and yet hit like sharp knives. Robyn watched as the two men glanced knowingly at each other before returning their focus to her. How could they know?

  The Head Teacher stood as Robyn sat numbly. “Thank you, Brian. I hope you don’t mind me saying that I wish we never have to meet again.”

  “I fully understand, Sir.” He stood and the two men shook hands. “I must be going.”

  Robyn felt broken, not quite there. The slogan over her board returned to her, “What have I learned today?” How apt and taunting. They knew. The Head knew and she couldn’t shake the truth of it.

  It also appeared that she had no ability to read people, no matter how close, no matter how much time she spent with them.

  Today Robyn had learned that Katherine Harris had left her.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Robyn knew all too well that to dwell on things was pointless. She’d made that mistake once before. There was no point in overthinking Kat’s departure, the facts had been laid out and she had to face them. Her friend had left and she had to either implode or move on. Robyn chose to move on.

  A young man named Mark with light spiky hair stood in front of the gathered group. Robyn sat on a plastic chair with fourteen other members of staff, all dressed in dark overalls, having signed up to this staff outing on the spur of the moment. It was Saturday and Mark had just finished explaining the rules that would govern the next two hours. Finished with his briefing, Mark sauntered to a side door, opened it and led the way for all to follow.

  “Come on,” Jane Symonds from English grabbed Robyn’s arm and led them to follow the rest of the group. Robyn didn’t immediately respond to the sudden camaraderie. It was the first time any of the group had spoken to her, but she had arrived slightly late and sneaked in during the first few minutes of the briefing.

  Jane’s baggy overalls and huge, obviously badly fitting gloves, emphasized her diminutive size, but with her hair hanging in wild curls around her shoulders and a broad smile on her face, she seemed deliriously happy and a little wild. Her grip on Robyn was firm and Robyn quickly fell into stride beside her new partner and felt a little warmth seep into her system. Perhaps this was not going to be as torturous as she had first thought.

  When they stepped outside, Robyn watched as a group of young male staff huddled. She recognised them all but only knew the names of some. Daniel Bray from Humanities was tall with a head of light shaggy hair, Peter Grigg the Drama teacher was dark and stocky and Jonathan Cotton, who she believed taught German, was perhaps the most average man she had ever seen, average height, average build, medium hair. The others, who she could not name, talked with the ones she recognised animatedly.

  Mark walked the group to a row of parked Go Karts and continued his briefing. They had seen the video, had the safely briefing and would be racing these karts all afternoon, but now seeing them, Robyn wondered how the small frames which seemed dominated by the twin engines behind the plastic seats could possibly be capable of reaching speeds up to fifty miles per hour as stated.

  Mark led the group, on foot, around the long track, pointing out braking zones and the best lines around corners. He stated what to do if they spun or stopped and he warned them about dangerous driving.

  “We’ll give them a run for their money won’t we, Robyn.” Jane said, squeezing her arm where she still held tight. “Show them how it’s done?”

  “You two may think you can drive, but owning a sporty little car does not make you a driver.” Jonathan Cotton stated.

  So the TT in the car park was Jane’s then. There was nothing else to call sporty apart from Andrew’s.

  “I don’t suppose you’d like to wager on that?” Jane stepped forwards, one eyebrow cocked. It was a side of her Robyn hadn’t seen before, playful, less business-like. She liked it.

  “Oh Symonds, you can’t help yourself can you? Okay a tenner.”

  “Make that twenty.” One of the others put in.

  “Hey, I’ll have some of that action. I could do with a couple of free drinks later.”

  The men chuckled as wagers were shouted and agreed.

  “You’d better put me down too.” Andrew stepped out from the briefing room pulling one glove on. Robyn hadn’t expected to see him and from their reaction, neither had the others.

  “Oh, bloody hell, there goes a tenner then.”

  “Shit, I thought you weren’t coming.”

  “Damn it.”

  Andrew’s lips quirked as the men raised their hands in surrender before patting him on the back.

  Jane eyeballed him openly. “You’re no gambler, Obursen.”

  Andrew walked up to the two women but his stare was on Robyn. “Oh, I don’t bet unless I’m sure to win.” The half grin he gave her had her blood heating and it wasn’t just because she was incensed that he thought he would be victorious.

  The rest of the men were walking away shaking their heads. Clearly they believed that Andrew couldn’t be beaten, as did he. Robyn had different ideas.

  “You’d better be prepared for a fight, Andrew.” Her words were slow and confident and she meant every single one.

  “It’s not any fun if I win too easily.” He looked down upon her, his posture stiff and unrelenting but there was something in his eyes that made her believe he was being playful. She was correct, because he leaned down to her and whispered in her ear. “Good to see you here.”

&nb
sp; There would be several races with each of them having a chance to start at front or back. Points would be awarded for moving up places and at the end, the person with the most points would win, the trophy and the money.

  Pulling her helmet into place and securing it, Robyn drove the parade lap, dutifully following Daniel Bray as instructed and taking the opportunity to test different lines through the corners, getting a feel for the grip and balance of the kart. When they came around the last bend and onto the straight, one of the marshals lined them up in two rows. Robyn sat at the back of the row on the right, half a cars length ahead of Andrew who was at the back of the other row. Eagerly awaiting the dropping of the flag, she readied herself to start.

  The marshal stood at the side of the track, holding a green flag which, after an eon, he finally dropped.

  Robyn slammed her foot down on the accelerator and took off. The kart in front of her didn’t get off to a very promising start and she quickly veered around it before turning sharply for the first corner. The back of her kart tried to slip out but she just found grip before flying around the tight bend and putting her foot down to drive out of the turn.

  By the end of the first lap, Robyn had taken another kart, Peter Grigg, and was bearing down on the next. She bided her time around the intricate bends, over the bridge and through the tunnel and then she took another competitor on the straight.

  By the final lap, Robyn was third.

  The two teachers in front of her were having such a duel that neither was aware of Robyn’s presence. She intended to go the long way around the first corner to overtake, knowing that their duel made them slow, but just as she levelled with the two karts, the car on the inner part of the track braked sharply for the bend and fishtailed. The kart between him and Robyn shifted quickly to the left to avoid a collision and all of a sudden he was right on top of her. She hammered the brake and narrowly avoided a crash, but in her peripheral vision she saw Andrew, who had been behind her, shoot through the gap.