already know about, he’s clean as a whistle. Similarly, the lodge keeper, Ken Randall. He’s sixty-two and a widower. His wife died from cancer five years ago.’
‘ Children? Previous employment?’
‘ Two sons, both married, both in full-time employment, both living along the coast,’ Jack answered. ‘Randall used to be a Department of Transport driving examiner. He took early retirement when his wife was dying, then probably found afterwards he couldn’t cope without something to do. He’s been at the Hermitage going on four years and, although his old job must have honed his powers of observation, I wouldn’t lay odds he knows much more than Dewi’s already wormed out of him. Dewi reckons he’s exceedingly disaffected and therefore quite likely to shoot off his mouth at the first opportunity.’
‘ I wouldn’t bet on that,’ McKenna commented. ‘Disaffected or not, he’ll temper whatever he says with the security of his job and housing in the forefront of his mind. Anyway, he’ll be formally interviewed, once we’re fully organised. For now, the girls and staff take priority. The security guards,’ he went on, ‘are very much part of your logistical nightmare and not only because they live all over north Wales. The company operates a rolling system where no guard works the same site for any length of time so, for the sake of efficiency, I asked headquarters to handle the initial interviews.’ With a wry look, he continued, ‘And, for a change, none of the guards has a criminal record. I expect we’ll find they alibi each other.’
‘ Only up to a point,’ Jack remarked. ‘They must be very thinly spread. There are four on duty between six in the morning and ten at night, and two overnighters, which is wholly inadequate by any standard in a place as big as that, teeming with the offspring of the mega-rich. Still, I’m sure we’ll find a lot more to criticise before we’ve finished.’
‘ As long as no one gets sidetracked by prejudice,’ McKenna commented quietly. ‘Nonetheless, everyone needs to be aware of the fact that the Hermitage is effectively a closed institution and no doubt riddled with institutional neuroses. The school’s norms of behaviour and thought will probably seem dysfunctional, if not actually disordered.’
‘ If my experiences so far are any indication, the school’s norms are dictated by the headmistress.’ Getting to his feet, Jack shrugged on his jacket. ‘I’d better be off. By the way,’ he added, face betraying his feelings, ‘who’s breaking the news to Sukie’s parents? Poor devils! This is every parent’s worst nightmare come true.’
‘ Berkshire police. They’ve also been asked to pass on anything known about the family’s background and to find out if there was a boyfriend on the scene.’
‘ I’d be surprised if there weren’t,’ remarked Jack. ‘Sukie was a very pretty girl.’
*
The first stupendous shock hit Freya when she looked on Sukie through the window of the mortuary viewing room and in the minute or so she remained there more shocks buffeted her from every direction. When Jack led her from the cool, gloomy building into the heat of the car park, she groped and stumbled like a soldier blinded by mortar fire.
Instead of taking her back to the school, he drove her to the police station and left her in a cluttered but tidy office with a young policewoman whose name Freya immediately forgot. Offered a hot drink, she asked for tea, hoping the errand would force the policewoman to disappear for a while, but she returned, it seemed, within minutes.
Freya tried to ignore her. Beyond the initial civilities, the young woman made no attempt to impose herself, but her presence alone was sufficient distraction. Desperate for time and peace to retrench, Freya began to feel angry. When she could no longer contain her tears she was furious, even though she had no idea why she should weep. Little by little, she had been steeling
‘ Children? Previous employment?’
‘ Two sons, both married, both in full-time employment, both living along the coast,’ Jack answered. ‘Randall used to be a Department of Transport driving examiner. He took early retirement when his wife was dying, then probably found afterwards he couldn’t cope without something to do. He’s been at the Hermitage going on four years and, although his old job must have honed his powers of observation, I wouldn’t lay odds he knows much more than Dewi’s already wormed out of him. Dewi reckons he’s exceedingly disaffected and therefore quite likely to shoot off his mouth at the first opportunity.’
‘ I wouldn’t bet on that,’ McKenna commented. ‘Disaffected or not, he’ll temper whatever he says with the security of his job and housing in the forefront of his mind. Anyway, he’ll be formally interviewed, once we’re fully organised. For now, the girls and staff take priority. The security guards,’ he went on, ‘are very much part of your logistical nightmare and not only because they live all over north Wales. The company operates a rolling system where no guard works the same site for any length of time so, for the sake of efficiency, I asked headquarters to handle the initial interviews.’ With a wry look, he continued, ‘And, for a change, none of the guards has a criminal record. I expect we’ll find they alibi each other.’
‘ Only up to a point,’ Jack remarked. ‘They must be very thinly spread. There are four on duty between six in the morning and ten at night, and two overnighters, which is wholly inadequate by any standard in a place as big as that, teeming with the offspring of the mega-rich. Still, I’m sure we’ll find a lot more to criticise before we’ve finished.’
‘ As long as no one gets sidetracked by prejudice,’ McKenna commented quietly. ‘Nonetheless, everyone needs to be aware of the fact that the Hermitage is effectively a closed institution and no doubt riddled with institutional neuroses. The school’s norms of behaviour and thought will probably seem dysfunctional, if not actually disordered.’
‘ If my experiences so far are any indication, the school’s norms are dictated by the headmistress.’ Getting to his feet, Jack shrugged on his jacket. ‘I’d better be off. By the way,’ he added, face betraying his feelings, ‘who’s breaking the news to Sukie’s parents? Poor devils! This is every parent’s worst nightmare come true.’
‘ Berkshire police. They’ve also been asked to pass on anything known about the family’s background and to find out if there was a boyfriend on the scene.’
‘ I’d be surprised if there weren’t,’ remarked Jack. ‘Sukie was a very pretty girl.’
*
The first stupendous shock hit Freya when she looked on Sukie through the window of the mortuary viewing room and in the minute or so she remained there more shocks buffeted her from every direction. When Jack led her from the cool, gloomy building into the heat of the car park, she groped and stumbled like a soldier blinded by mortar fire.
Instead of taking her back to the school, he drove her to the police station and left her in a cluttered but tidy office with a young policewoman whose name Freya immediately forgot. Offered a hot drink, she asked for tea, hoping the errand would force the policewoman to disappear for a while, but she returned, it seemed, within minutes.
Freya tried to ignore her. Beyond the initial civilities, the young woman made no attempt to impose herself, but her presence alone was sufficient distraction. Desperate for time and peace to retrench, Freya began to feel angry. When she could no longer contain her tears she was furious, even though she had no idea why she should weep. Little by little, she had been steeling
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