Her Last Lie by J. S. Lark

Author:J. S. Lark [Lark, J.S.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bloodhound Books

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

The ringing bell calls time on the second lesson of the day.

‘Pack up then. Off you go.’

I used an online quiz to fill time in the lesson. I can get away with it this last week of the school year. We are allowed to have purely fun lessons in the last week. I consumed my mental energy navigating the first lesson. I only came here to teach Eli’s class. But now I am here I have two more lessons to cope with before the day is over.

‘Bye, miss.’

‘See you, miss.’

‘Thanks, miss.’

The children call as they exit.

There were some awkward silences and odd looks early on, but within a few minutes, they’d become used to the presence of the mother of a murder victim and just saw me as Miss Easton again.

I walk over to the window, unsure what to do with myself for the lunch hour, arms folding over my chest and hands clutching my bare upper arms beneath the short sleeves of my blouse.

There’s a police car in the school car park.

My arms unravel. I move quickly, close the laptop and books, pick everything up and follow the crush of children heading along the hall and downstairs.

The administration staff don’t seem to be aware that the bell has called lunchtime. They are all speaking into phones or keying numbers in to make phone calls.

I walk through the room again and tap on the door of Paula’s office, with a single knuckle.

‘Come in.’

Wendy and Arla are standing in front of Paula’s desk.

‘Hello, Jen,’ Arla acknowledges.

‘Why are you here?’

‘The police want to take some children out of classes to interview them,’ Paula says. Which means the staff are busy ringing their parents.

‘Do you need me to do anything?’ I offer instinctively.

‘No,’ Wendy answers. ‘Although, perhaps, go home. I am not sure you should be teaching.’

‘Patricia is counselling some of the children tomorrow,’ Paula says. ‘Perhaps you should—’

‘If I think a counsellor will help. I’ll find someone outside the school.’

Tomorrow, Patricia will find Maddie’s empty file. But I’m sure she won’t think it’s anything to do with me. She’s such a muddle-head she’ll think she put them into the wrong file.

The walls of the tiny office close in. I turn away from them all and walk out with no goodbye. I need fresh air. I’ll lock my laptop and books away in the staff room, walk down to the lake and eat my lunch there, with Eli.

When I close the door of my locker, shutting everything safe inside, I take a deep breath, lining up the bones of my spine one on top of another, so I stand straighter, so I can stand at all. Before I walk away, I glance through the window. My gaze catches on Aiden and Maddie in the playground. They’re standing by a wall near the tennis courts with a group of others from their school year.

I can’t help myself, my plan to walk to the lake evaporates in a second. Instead, I am heading to the playground.

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