A Pocket Full Of Posies: A British Murder Mystery by Gatland Jack

Author:Gatland, Jack
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Hooded Man Media
Published: 2024-09-25T00:00:00+00:00

Anjli had found Billy in various stages of excitement over the years when she had arrived at Temple Inn. Often though, it was because he’d spent the night hopped up on caffeine trying to solve a dilemma, or some kind of mystery. He would usually be either tired or very agitated, excited at what he’d found. Sometimes he’d whistle, sometimes he’d hum little tunes.

This, however, was the first time she saw him actively speaking the words to poetry.

‘“Ducks, ducks, quack, quack. Ducks, ducks, quack, quack,”’ he was muttering to himself, as he moved from the printer to his computer. ‘“Look closer and you may recoil in surprise, at web-footed fascists with mad little eyes⁠—”’

‘What are you going on about?’ Anjli asked.

Billy jumped; he was so engrossed in what he was doing, he hadn’t even noticed that she was in the office.

Calming, he grinned as he looked at her.

‘“Ducks, ducks, quack, quack.”’

‘And I’m supposed to get what you’re talking about?’ Anjli queried.

‘It’s a song by the Sinister Ducks, sung by Translucia Baboon, who was later outed to be Alan Moore,’ Billy explained. ‘One of the greatest writers of all time. He did Watchmen and Halo Jones.’

Anjli knew the name of the first book, and so just smiled and nodded.

‘And he hates ducks?’

‘Oh, he knows the truth about ducks,’ Billy chuckled. ‘“Dressed in black jackets and horrible shoes, getting divorces and turning to booze.” But that’s not why I’m singing it.’

He tapped some paper on his desk and Anjli, looking closer, realised it was the list of staff working at Kelsey Primary School.

Anjli took the paper in her hand as she read the names.

‘I’m guessing you found something,’ she mumbled, ‘or else you wouldn’t be singing your little song.’

Billy nodded.

‘Look at it,’ he said. ‘What do you see?’

‘I see people,’ Anjli read down the list. ‘Names I don’t recognise. Nothing that’s come up with the case.’

‘I’m not on about the names,’ Billy spoke. ‘Look at the letter heading. Kelsey Primary.’

‘Billy …’ Anjli trailed off as she looked at the logo of the school. ‘Is that …?’

‘Yes,’ Billy finished. ‘It’s a stylised image of a duck. Apparently Kelsey Primary School, since it opened in nineteen sixty-two, has had a duck as its logo.’

‘It’s quite stylised,’ Anjli said. ‘Almost unrecognisable. I wouldn’t have said it was a duck at first view. It’s only because you’re singing that bloody silly song.’

‘True,’ Billy nodded, opening up the school’s webpage. ‘But, once I started down this rabbit hole, I had a look at their photos. Here’s one from five years ago.’

Anjli leant closer to the monitor screen, staring at the image.

‘I can’t see what I’m looking at here,’ she muttered.

‘It’s a school sports day. Banner at the back,’ Billy pointed. ‘Kelsey School’s old logo. This was a far more obvious duck design.’

Anjli nodded as she saw the defined silhouette of a duck facing to the left.

‘Well, that’s definitely a duck, as you said⁠—’

Her eyes widened as she tapped on the picture.

‘The teacher, there.’

‘The one wearing the baseball cap?’ Billy asked with a smile.

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