that.’
They both turned around to find Dr Tame standing right behind them. Caro’s face froze, aware that the new headmaster must have heard everything she had said. “Headcase” in particular.
‘Things will be a little different perhaps, Caro,’ said Tame with a sickly smile, ‘But I think you’ll find it an improvement. I find the, uh, more unconventional students really respond to these methods.’
‘You’re saying unconventional as if it’s a bad thing, Dr Tame,’ said Caro, quickly recovering her poise.
‘On the contrary, Caroline, I think this school needs as many original thinkers as it can get.’
‘Oh, you can count on me for original thinking,’ smiled Caro. ‘Original I can do.’
‘I’m very glad to hear that,’ he said, ‘Disruption, however, I will not tolerate. Is that clear?’
‘Crystal, chief,’ said Caro, giving him a mock salute. ‘Never dream of it.’
Tame turned to April. ‘And you, Miss Dunne. I wonder if you’d mind stepping into my office?’
April looked at Caro. ‘Why? Is something the matter?’
Tame gave a laugh. ‘Relax, April. I just wanted to have a little chat, that’s all.’
She reluctantly followed him up the stairs, her feet dragging as they approached the office marked with the neat sign reading “Headmaster”. She wasn’t all that surprised that Dr Tame had decided to take over Mr Sheldon’s old office – it was exactly the sort of thing that would appeal to his macabre sense of humour – but April wasn’t looking forward to going inside. The last time she’d been here, she’d been forced to watch Benjamin Osbourne burning Miss Holden with his lighter.
‘Come in, come in,’ said Tame impatiently, holding the door open for her. Feeling she had no choice, April walked in. She was slightly surprised to find the office as it had always been, a rather shabby and cluttered workspace with overflowing filing cabinets. He might have had a spring clean, at the very least.
‘Take a seat,’ said Tame, walking behind the desk and sitting down. It was only then that April’s eyes widened and her heart began to hammer as she realised that the desk was the same one. The same one ! The desk Miss Holden had been tied to, the one on which her throat had been cut. How could he? How could Tame sit down so calmly behind that desk, as if nothing had happened?
But of course, that was why Dr Tame had invited her up here, wasn’t it? April knew she shouldn’t – couldn’t – forget that the police had employed Charles Tame for his unorthodox methods of questioning a suspect. Tame’s psychological techniques had caused more than one hardened criminal to crack and April had no doubt that pressure was being applied right now. He wanted her to know that he didn’t mind sitting there inches from the spot where her mentor was brutally killed, and he wanted her to know exactly what lengths he was prepared to go to achieve his ends. He had already shown her that when he had visited her at home. She knew he was a monster, perhaps even more so than the vampires. And given Ravenwood’s purpose, she had no doubt that the governors had chosen their new headmaster well.
‘I suppose this is something of a surprise for you,’ said Tame with a smile. Did he mean the desk or his appointment? thought April. She didn’t think it really mattered to him. The idea was to get her off balance – and she certainly had no intention of playing his game.
‘Not such a surprise, actually,’ said April as calmly as she could. ‘I seem to remember you had been a teacher, maybe even a headmaster before?’
Tame nodded. ‘Well remembered – “know your enemy” and all that, I suppose. And that is actually why I asked you here. I’ll get straight to the point: April, you’re a liability.’
April swallowed. ‘A liability?’
‘Come now, April, let’s not be coy. You know very well what I’m getting at. Far too many of Ravenwood’s pupils seem to be turning up
They both turned around to find Dr Tame standing right behind them. Caro’s face froze, aware that the new headmaster must have heard everything she had said. “Headcase” in particular.
‘Things will be a little different perhaps, Caro,’ said Tame with a sickly smile, ‘But I think you’ll find it an improvement. I find the, uh, more unconventional students really respond to these methods.’
‘You’re saying unconventional as if it’s a bad thing, Dr Tame,’ said Caro, quickly recovering her poise.
‘On the contrary, Caroline, I think this school needs as many original thinkers as it can get.’
‘Oh, you can count on me for original thinking,’ smiled Caro. ‘Original I can do.’
‘I’m very glad to hear that,’ he said, ‘Disruption, however, I will not tolerate. Is that clear?’
‘Crystal, chief,’ said Caro, giving him a mock salute. ‘Never dream of it.’
Tame turned to April. ‘And you, Miss Dunne. I wonder if you’d mind stepping into my office?’
April looked at Caro. ‘Why? Is something the matter?’
Tame gave a laugh. ‘Relax, April. I just wanted to have a little chat, that’s all.’
She reluctantly followed him up the stairs, her feet dragging as they approached the office marked with the neat sign reading “Headmaster”. She wasn’t all that surprised that Dr Tame had decided to take over Mr Sheldon’s old office – it was exactly the sort of thing that would appeal to his macabre sense of humour – but April wasn’t looking forward to going inside. The last time she’d been here, she’d been forced to watch Benjamin Osbourne burning Miss Holden with his lighter.
‘Come in, come in,’ said Tame impatiently, holding the door open for her. Feeling she had no choice, April walked in. She was slightly surprised to find the office as it had always been, a rather shabby and cluttered workspace with overflowing filing cabinets. He might have had a spring clean, at the very least.
‘Take a seat,’ said Tame, walking behind the desk and sitting down. It was only then that April’s eyes widened and her heart began to hammer as she realised that the desk was the same one. The same one ! The desk Miss Holden had been tied to, the one on which her throat had been cut. How could he? How could Tame sit down so calmly behind that desk, as if nothing had happened?
But of course, that was why Dr Tame had invited her up here, wasn’t it? April knew she shouldn’t – couldn’t – forget that the police had employed Charles Tame for his unorthodox methods of questioning a suspect. Tame’s psychological techniques had caused more than one hardened criminal to crack and April had no doubt that pressure was being applied right now. He wanted her to know that he didn’t mind sitting there inches from the spot where her mentor was brutally killed, and he wanted her to know exactly what lengths he was prepared to go to achieve his ends. He had already shown her that when he had visited her at home. She knew he was a monster, perhaps even more so than the vampires. And given Ravenwood’s purpose, she had no doubt that the governors had chosen their new headmaster well.
‘I suppose this is something of a surprise for you,’ said Tame with a smile. Did he mean the desk or his appointment? thought April. She didn’t think it really mattered to him. The idea was to get her off balance – and she certainly had no intention of playing his game.
‘Not such a surprise, actually,’ said April as calmly as she could. ‘I seem to remember you had been a teacher, maybe even a headmaster before?’
Tame nodded. ‘Well remembered – “know your enemy” and all that, I suppose. And that is actually why I asked you here. I’ll get straight to the point: April, you’re a liability.’
April swallowed. ‘A liability?’
‘Come now, April, let’s not be coy. You know very well what I’m getting at. Far too many of Ravenwood’s pupils seem to be turning up
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