Shame the Devil by Graeme Hampton

Author:Graeme Hampton
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Hera
Published: 2022-02-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirty-Two

Alice Hennicke greeted Denning and Neeraj with a warm smile when they pitched up at Thomas Blake Primary School and showed her their ID, asking to speak to Rachel Atherton. They’d phoned ahead to make sure she was free to see them; neither had the time nor the inclination to wait outside her office like a pair of naughty schoolboys. This was a murder investigation and Denning was already suspicious as to why the head teacher had felt the need to deliberately mislead Molly.

‘I’ll show you to her office,’ Alice said, still smiling. ‘I believe she is expecting you.’ She led them along a short corridor that smelled of boiled cabbage and beeswax. Alice tapped lightly on the door and waited until a voice shouted to come in.

Rachel Atherton was sitting behind her desk, unsmiling and looking annoyed. Denning and Neeraj showed her their ID and explained why they were there.

‘I went over all this yesterday,’ she said, indicating for both men to take a seat. ‘I spoke to a DS…’ She shook her head trying to remember.

‘DS Fisher,’ Denning said. ‘And I appreciate that. However, you didn’t actually tell DS Fisher the whole story, did you?’

She pulled a puzzled face. ‘I don’t know what you mean. I confirmed that the members of staff she mentioned worked here and all had now left the school. I was sorry to hear about what had happened to them, but I don’t see what more I can tell you.’

‘You could tell us exactly what happened two-and-a-half years ago,’ Denning said. ‘The accident in the park. Noah Daniel being knocked down and killed.’ He looked directly at her, ensured he held her gaze. ‘You worked here at the time, Mrs Atherton, as deputy head teacher, so you must have been aware of exactly what happened that day.’

She stared back at Denning; an intimidating look that probably worked with young children, and possibly their parents, but its effect was wasted on Denning. McKenna had perfected the gimlet stare and this wasn’t even in her league.

‘I really don’t know what you’re insinuating,’ she replied icily. ‘It was a terrible accident and a member of staff resigned as a consequence. As far as I’m concerned, the matter was handled appropriately at the time and the school was in no way responsible. It was also over two years ago. I don’t want to lecture you on your job, Inspector, but as I told DS Fisher yesterday, these awful murders have nothing whatsoever to do with this school. The connection is nothing more than circumstantial. I would be looking elsewhere for your motive.’

Denning had read up on Rachel Atherton and Thomas Blake Primary School before coming round to see her today. The school certainly had a reputation to be proud of: it had been judged Outstanding by Ofsted the previous year, while Rachel Atherton had generally been credited with turning the place around after two or three years of average results and mixed grades. She had a trenchant reputation: both for getting results and for running a good school.

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