Part Seventeen   "Shirt Sleeves"

 
 
Monday 26th January Continued
 

Tammy's face dropped. "Can you repeat that?"

"I said I stole a top when she wasn't looking."

"When Sarah wasn't looking?"

"Yeah." She shuffled on the sofa, plainly uncomfortable.

"You realise that theft is something that would get you thrown out of school?"

Lori nodded.

"Joan?"

"Mrs Small at school, please."

Tammy resisted a sarcastic 'yes, mum', just.

"Anyway, your turn."

"The school rules are very clear, if it can be shown that a student stole and that it affected another party, then they are suspended pending an interview with parents present. For many students that means they are withdrawn immediately, so effectively it is being thrown out because."

"So, how do we fix this? That I presume is what you want to do?"

"Yes, if possible."

"Well, Lori goes to see Sarah and admits what she's done. It's then down to Sarah to decide if it goes any further."

"Lori, how old are you?"

"Fifteen."

"When's your birthday?"

"May the fourth."

"Star Wars Day."

"Eh?"

"Never mind. Did you steal anything when you went into Sarah's Boutique last Saturday? The seventeenth?"

"No, it was too busy and I was frightened."

"So you went in there this Saturday to steal?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"My brother holds back almost all my allowance. I have to explain why I want the money before he'll let me have it, otherwise I just get two or three pounds a week."

The students didn't need to spend any money in school under normal circumstances and had free transport into town at weekends.

"That still does not justify theft."

"I know."

"Have you stolen from any of the other shops in town?"

Lori nodded.

Joan became serious. "Ryan Jenkins, I am asking Mr Thompson for permission to search your room."

He suddenly took off and flew out of the door. Tammy thought he turned left, towards the main entrance but that also led to the stairs to the residential wing.

"Joan, I'm sorry but I guess I spooked him." Tammy stood and closed the door.

"Tammy, he wouldn't open up to me at all, I knew nothing about the clothes or even that he'd been in town on Saturday. How did you guess he'd been to other shops?"

"He was wearing leggings on Saturday, Sarah doesn't sell them. He wasn't expecting to see me in the shop either."

"Does his brother know you're doing Macbeth at the theatre?"

"Yes, I mentioned it on Friday, and the previous Friday."

"What's your thoughts here?"

"That Ryan is a thief with a clothes fetish."

"So not transgendered?"

"I don't think so Joan, but you'd need to get a professional opinion. Oh, he's under sixteen!"

"Yes, so parental consent is needed for most things outside of normal school life." That rules out an appointment with Jill Davison.

She picked up her mobile and called Mike Thompson, Deputy Head.

"Mike, we have a problem."

She quickly explained and said she'd meet him at Ryan's room. They would have to locate his room-mate, Bobby Keane, so anything of unknown ownership could be attributed.

What was assumed at this time was that Jenkins had not left the school buildings. Outside it was sub zero, with plenty of ice off the roadways. The school was a couple of miles outside of Thurso, along a road that was not recommended even for suitably equipped hikers owing to the lack of a footpath.

They arrived at the correct room a few minutes later, having retrieved a concerned Keane from a maths class. Jenkins was laying on his bed sobbing, Tammy warned Keane not to say anything and not to repeat anything he heard. Some chance of that, she thought.

The Deputy Head ordered Jenkins to stand in the corridor whilst storage space ownership was established between Jenkins and Keane. Finally every cupboard was opened, every drawer checked, the carcass of the chest of drawers was searched. The bed was pulled away from the wall and every bag, box, tin and pot under the bed opened.

"Miss, is it drugs?" Asked Keane. "No."

The search moved to the wardrobe which has a raised dais covered by a couple of empty bags. Mike Thompson removed the bags and tested the bottom panel, finding it loose. There was a small knot hole into which he asked Tammy to insert a finger, in order to raise the panel. Jenkins became very uncomfortable and wanted to leave but the Head had now arrived and had a firm hand on him.

In the recess were the leggings Tammy had seen on Saturday, as well as the top identified coming from Sarah's shop as it was from the 'bargain bin' she had stocked that Saturday morning. The Deputy Head was not finished, however as he next removed packets of underwear, hosiery and tops. The final straw was a collection of unused costume jewellery, a mass of confectionery and several soft porn magazines. The Head had seen enough.

"Jenkins, my office now! Mrs Small, can you locate his form tutor as we'll need him too. Miss Smart, can you identify if any of this comes from Miss Bonney's shop and please let her know we have a thief."

Keane was sent back to his class with strict instructions to keep his mouth shut. Tammy actually had a text from John Hibbert four minutes later asking if the rumours were true.

Mike Thompson laid the items on Jenkins bed, as he had stopped searching and was now removing them from the hiding place. Tammy scanned the clothing, nothing else appeared to come from Sarah's shop indeed much of the clothing was obviously cheap, low quality and definitely not stylish.

Tammy could only remember one similar case in her years at the school. A boy had been caught running a tuckshop for smokers, about eight or nine years earlier. He not only had cigarettes, but loose tobacco, papers, lighters, and even lighter gas refills. This was all stored in his room under his bed in a wooden box and was found by chance. The boy was moved to a special room until he could be collected.

"Miss Smart, can you locate some plastic bags, clear bin bags would do?"

"Yes, Sir."

She went off to find one of the janitors and swung past the sixth form common room on her way back.

"John, can you lend me a hand?"

"Sure, Tammy."

She brought him up to speed as they walked. John proceeded to search other places in the room missed the first time. The stolen clothing and trinkets were bagged up and Tammy was asked to take them to the Head's office whilst all of Jenkin's legitimate possessions were loaded onto a trolley read for transportation.

"Sir, what about his brother?"

"You'd best get him to the Head too."

Tammy's day was rapidly going downhill. She didn't need to find Jenkins Senior as Tony Jenkins had found his own way to his brother's former room.

"What the bloody hell is going on?"

"Calm down Tony. Come with me, I'm going to the Head, your brother's with him."

"What am I going to tell Dad?"

"The Head will call him."

"But he'll blame me, I'll have to leave."

"Tony, let the Head sort this out."

"Tammy, I'm not sure he can." He turned to Tammy and gave her a hug before kissing her on the cheek.

"Thanks for trying to help, but I still don't know what to do. Let's walk."

Tammy picked up the bags and they walked down the stairs towards the school's main entrance and the central hallway. The bell had just rung for the end of second period and the start of morning break so suddenly there was a mass of students coming from all directions. They reached the Head's study, it was clear that Tony Jenkins had not been in here often. Tammy knocked and received permission to enter.

The Head had Ryan's form tutor plus Joan Small in the room with him, Ryan himself was sat on one of those uncomfortable wooden chairs that are found in most headteacher's rooms. Tony Jenkins was told to sit off to the side, to observe at this point, and Tammy was asked to leave the bags in the corner then leave.

She shut the door behind her then went up to the sixth form common room. As expected she was barraged with questions.

"Whoa!"

"Come on everyone, she looks like she needs caffeine, intravenous probably."

"Thanks James."

"No problem, sit down and gather your thoughts. I'll make a coffee. Oh, Mrs Adams delivered a supply of Hob Nobs!"

That news generated a smile. Everyone calmed down and waited, Tammy sipped her hot drink before speaking again.

"Firstly, what are the rumours? James?"

"Various, but Keane earned himself a detention and was sent out of the classroom because of the disruption he was making. He told everyone that he'd always suspected his room-mate to be a pervert and now knew it was true. I found him in the corridor, he seemed quite pleased with the detention, strangely."

"Right, various things were found in Ryan Jenkins room and he has admitted to stealing. He's with the Head right now and his parents will be called. His brother is in there with him too."

"Will Tony go as well?"

"That depends on their parents, but there's no refunds for fees if a student leaves part way through the year. Tony, obviously is close to finishing his A levels, although Ryan has GCSEs in a few months too."

The reality of the situation was hitting the sixth formers. The room was silent.

"Tammy, what's your best guess?"

"I don't want to guess, but the outlook isn't good. It could even bring the school into disrepute."

There was a knock on the door, that meant that one of the staff wanted to enter. John, who was at the back of the room, opened the door and spoke to the visitor.

"Tammy, Mr Davison would like to speak to you."

"Harry?"

The door opened wider, "Mr Davison to you, Miss Smart!" Tammy blushed brightly. "Bring your coffee."

Angela arrived at the common room, Tammy could only suggest that James Hunter brought her up to speed. Harry took her to the Head's conference room using the door from the secretary's office. Waiting were the Reverend, Elsie, Mr Thompson and her father, four governors.

"Sit down, Tammy. Sorry for embarrassing you earlier, protocol you know." He smiled.

"My apologies, Harry, that was a mouth before brain moment."

"Apology accepted. Now, what do you know? We'd like the full story as Steven and Joan are indisposed and Mike came in a bit late in the day."

Tammy started with her concerns over Jenkins senior and her initial problem getting anything out of Joan. Then she recounted Saturday's incident but neglected to mention her call to the school. She finished with the morning's events so far, leaving off her amateur psychological analysis but including her thoughts on bringing the school into disrepute.

"I see, what's your analysis?"

Tammy sighed. "That he's a common thief with a clothes fetish."

"Not like you and Miss Small?"

"I don't think so, but even that wouldn't excuse the thieving."

A door slammed in the adjacent study and raised voices could be heard. They sat for a few seconds before Richard started to rise. Tammy quickly made her way out of the room and into the entrance hallway as several adults ran out of the main door, plainly chasing someone.

The warning bell for the end of break sounded and a group of boys ran into the hallway, slowing as they saw the senior teachers and governors all stood looking at the main door. The whispers started immediately.

"Boys, go to your classes!"

There was a number of murmers of "yes, sir." and they started to move, looking around to see what was going on until the last had cleared the corner.

Someone came back in the main entrance, it was the school messenger, he shook his head as he approached the Head.

"Lost him, Sir, he might have headed for the cottage or for the road but was too fast for me."

"Damn! Get a minibus down to the gates and wait there in case he's still in the grounds." The messenger went to collect the keys.

"Excuse me Sir?" It was Tony Jenkins, coming out of the Head's study. He was holding a school blazer.

"Has my brother just run out there without his blazer?"

The Head nodded.

"Shit!"

No-one chastised him.

"I was in the loo, If I'd been there I could have stopped him." Tony started to cry, Joan went to comfort him but he went to Tammy instead.

Harry spoke. "Headmaster, we need to call the Police."

"I'll do that, could we please get a search party organised."

The group started to move, Tammy didn't know what to do but her father told her to follow him out to his 4x4. A collection of vehicles moved off, keeping to the gritted roadways. Richard engaged four wheel drive and turned left, away from the house and not towards the main gates.

"What are you doing, Dad?"

"Everyone else is looking near or beyond the gates, what if Jenkins tries to circle back to the rear of the buildings?"

"True."

They rolled slowly, scanning the area. A display in the central console gave the outside temperature of minus five, not shirt sleeve weather. With wind chill that could be close to minus ten, the car however was now warming up and comfortable.

They'd been searching for nearly fifteen minutes when Tammy spotted something black behind one of a large tree, at the back of a small group of trees.

"There!" It was the boy's trousers she had seen.

They got as close as they could but Tammy was not equipped to walk on the ice in her ballets. Richard reached behind his seat and brought around a pair of wellington boots which he quickly pulled on.

"Wait here."

Richard exited the car and walked over to the still boy, Tammy could now hear whimpering. Her father's phone started ringing, showing Harry Davison as the caller on the car's display. She touched the screen to answer the call.

"Richard?"

"Harry, it's Tammy. We've found him."

"Where?"

"We're below the cottage, by a copse. Dad's gone to him, he's lying on the ground."

"Good news."

Richard had reached Ryan but it was clear he couldn't walk.

"Harry, call an ambulance, he can't walk. We'll try to get him back to the school."

"Already done."

Tammy climbed over into the rear seats and opened the door nearest to her father, who had picked up the boy. Richard set off back towards the car but it was not easy and took two minutes before they reached the vehicle. Tammy immediately became very concerned as Ryan had stopped whimpering. She helped guide the seemingly unconscious schoolboy and stayed on the seat to hold him. Richard closed the door and got back in, starting the car.

"Harry called, an ambulance is on its way."

"Good."

Richard set off, initially slowly as he cut across the grass to the Small's cottage where he was able to join the road. He accelerated as the four wheel drive was still engaged and reached the school entrance just as a helicopter was landing off to the side. A police Landrover was also now parked there.

Richard got out and signalled to a paramedic who ran across the gravel from the air ambulance. A red jump-suited doctor was there as well and went straight to the rear seat of the warmed car. Tammy was still sat there, unsure what to do.

"He's arrested!"