Part Eighteen   "Interior design"

 

 
Monday 26th January Continued
 

The doctor started working on Ryan Jenkins' limp body but Tammy was suddenly told to vacate her position so a paramedic could get into the space.

She stood by, shivering until she was sent into the school to collect her jacket by her father. As she came back Ryan was being loaded onto a trolley ready for wheeling to the air ambulance, covered by blankets. They'd apparently managed to restart the boy's heart but he needed a respirator and was still unconscious.

A few minutes later the helicopter lifted off, his brother and Joan Small went with him.

"Where are they taking him, Dad?"

"Inverness."

A police officer, who Tammy didn't recognise, now approached them.

"Sir, Miss, could you come with me?"

They returned to the conference room where the Head and Janet Adams joined the original group. Angela was in the hallway, with James Hunter and John Hibbert but none were invited into the room.

They sat around the table, waiting for the officer to start. Janet had a shorthand pad and was ready to make notes.

"Does anyone know why he would do this?" Asked the officer.

***

The police officer took time to speak to each person there who'd had contact with Ryan Jenkins during the morning, before trying to make sense of the overall picture.

"Miss Smart, why did Mrs Small believe you could help the boy?"

"I'm transgendered myself."

"I see. Does that make you an expert?"

"No, but I'm the best on site. Had the boy been a bit older we would have already rung the local shrink as she is the expert."

"Does Mrs Small have any expertise?"

"Her daughter is also transgendered, but is this relevant?"

"These are questions my sergeant could ask me. Now, has this boy run off before?"

The Head answered, "no and in fact he has not had any serious problems in the five years he's been here. His older brother, Tony, has certainly had a good effect on him."

"Thank you, Tony Jenkins will be interviewed at Inverness Hospital, as will the younger brother when he regains consciousness."

The officer contacted her control and relayed key information.

"I or one of my colleagues may be in touch."

"The school is contactable twenty four hours a day."

The constable was shown out of the conference room and left the school soon after.

"Smart, my study please."

Tammy resigned any idea that this day could be classed as normal and walked through to the Head's room, choosing one of the softer chairs. Richard asked if he could join Tammy, the Head nodded but asked Richard to close the connecting door.

"Miss Smart, firstly you are not in trouble, but I'm still at a loss to understand how this situation escalated so quickly."

"I believe Headmaster that it was simply a matter of time before something was discovered. How long was it going to be before he was picked up shoplifting in town?"

"Correct, and that is something I will take to his parents when I speak to them again. What is still a concern is why a senior teacher was not brought in sooner?"

"I can only speak from my own knowledge, Sir, but from the time Jenkins arrived at Mrs Small's office to the time Mrs Small phoned Mr Thompson was less than twenty minutes. I believe she took that decision as soon as it was clear that this was no longer a welfare issue and I can't see that we lost an opportunity or our approach was inadequate."

"Neither did I but I needed a second opinion, thank you. I will be speaking to Mrs Small separately when she returns and I'd ask that you don't prompt her."

Tammy and her father nodded, she now realised how all of this was sat on the shoulders of the Headmaster, if there was an inquiry then his own head (sic) would be on the block. It was clearly important to thrash out any procedural inadequacies now and not in a formal interview.

"I have a phone call to make."

That was their cue to leave his office, they went back to the conference room instead of out into the hallway. The other governors were waiting.

"Under the circumstances, Richard, the committee meeting is postponed."

"Okay Harry, I'm sure it can wait another few days."

"Under the circumstances, yes."

"Elsie, Tammy, lunch?" Richard's priority changed.

There was a tap on the connecting door to the Secretary's room and Janet opened the door.

"Excuse me, but Angela Small is here."

"Let her in."

Angela came in, clearly she'd waited outside long enough.

"Where's mum gone?"

"In the helicopter, didn't you see her go?"

"We weren't allowed outside."

"Well, she's gone to Inverness and it could be several hours before she can leave Ryan, even then it could be a few hours more before she gets back."

Elsie spoke. "Angela, you'll come back with us. I'll have one of the staff drive to Inverness to wait for your mother."

"Thank you Elsie, but shouldn't I wait at home for mum?"

"What are you going to achieve?"

"In that case, I'll stay at school and get schoolwork done after I've had some lunch. I'll walk to the cottage at three, by which time we might have a better idea. There's a dinner in the slow cooker so I won't go hungry."

She turned and walked out of the room. Tammy looked at Richard, who looked at Elsie, who shrugged. Elsie was not used to failing to get her own way.

"Come on then, let's go home."

Harry coughed, "can we agree a statement to the press before we all depart?"

"I think I'll go to phone Sarah, and change my shoes."

***

Elsie and Richard had kept in touch with the school during the afternoon and early evening, it seemed to take just an hour for the first journalist to call the school. Given that the boy was under sixteen and had been found there was a limit to how much they could say.

Joan finally made it home at nine that evening, by which time Angela was frantic, despite regular updates while her mother was en route.

The good news was that Ryan had regained consciousness whilst in the aircraft and didn't appear to have suffered frostbite, although mild hypothermia was easily diagnosed, meaning he could expect to stay in hospital for several days. He also had a badly twisted ankle. His mother had arrived at the hospital at six o'clock in a distressed state and it had taken Joan, Tony and a local paediatrician to calm her. Ryan had broken down but was insistent that his older brother should not suffer. Tony had therefore returned to the school with Joan.

Once Joan and Tony were back everyone settled down, the shared stress dissipating. Tammy found her father in the sitting room before she went to bed.

She remembered what Sarah had said on Saturday but asked her father nonetheless. "Does this shop I've bought have a flat or storage above it?"

"A flat but it requires gutting as it's apparently not in a good state, why do you ask?"

"I have an idea, what would I need to do to refit the place, furnished?"

"I collected the keys this morning and dropped a set to Sarah. I reckon you'll need a plumber, electrician, decorator, carpet fitter and the furnishings. What date are you looking at?"

"Eight weeks maximum."

"That's fine, I was hoping you weren't asking for it to be ready in two weeks. Now, who do you have in mind?"

"Can you trust me on this one?"

"It's your place, but please talk to me before you arrange any contracts."

"Sure. I'd like to look at the plans."

"Tomorrow, it's too late."

"Fair enough, good night."

 
Tuesday 27th January
 

Thurso woke to a thick coating of snow. The ploughs had been out since pre-dawn keeping the major routes open but many of the smaller roads were still blocked at seven o'clock. The grounds staff at St Andrews School started clearing the way to the main gate, as well as access to the kitchens, but it was clear that day students couldn't get in before nine. It had stopped snowing but further falls were due from lunchtime.

Tammy's phone pinged.

St Andrews day students are to work from home

Deciding that she had just qualified for a 'duvet day' she rolled over and closed her eyes. It took less than a minute for her bedside telephone to ring.

"What?"

"Good morning to you too, I hope you're not staying in bed?"

"No, Dad, I figured a run around the grounds was a good idea this morning."

"Sarcasm doesn't suit you. As you don't have school I thought we could go to the shop?"

"How do you know I don't have school?"

"I got a text too."

"Oh."

"So get yourself up and showered, we've work to do."

***

Elsie's groundstaff had the driveway cleared by half-eight and had then gone to help their neighbours at Dunbankin where a removals van was due. Although George and Janet Doherty were moving today it would be the following morning when Richard officially took hold of the keys.

Elsie had a phone call during breakfast which she took in the study.

"That was the police. John was in court for a committal hearing yesterday, he was additionally charged with conspiracy to murder on top of the other offences. His trial has been set for the end of March, the twenty third."

"Am I going to be needed in court?"

"Probably Tammy, apparently he didn't enter a plea. The other thing is that James Dougall will be tried at the same time for Michael's knifing as well as the attempted robbery on Sarah in December."

Talk switched to happier topics including the move into Dunbankin. First though, was Tammy's mother's visit.

"When's she getting here Dad?"

"I've persuaded her to take the sleeper from London so she'll get here late lunchtime Friday."

"Is that the same train I used to get?"

"Yes Tammy."

"Oh good, now she'll appreciate how far it is!"

"That's cruel."

"But true."

"I still don't expect to hear it."

"Dad, I'm not a spotty faced school kid any more."

"No, you've matured in many ways." Tammy blushed.

"The thing is, in all the years I've been up here she came to the school twice and moaned the whole time she was here about it."

Elsie and the twins laughed.

"I'll have to correct you, she actually came here three times but brought the wrong shoes for walking in snow so refused to leave the hotel until we left. I had to tell you she was at home unwell."

"I knew she was here that time."

"How?"

"You had an awful tie on, one that you'd never wear unless mum insisted."

That comment meant any prospect of sensible conversation ended. Richard gave up and went into the study, he summonsed Tammy a few minutes later.

"We'll look at the plans for the shop in a bit, then we'll go down there. First I'd like to tell you what's happening in Dunbankin."

"Okay."

"We're not making any structural changes until at least the spring, especially if we need authority from the council in advance so right now we're concentrating on security and interior decoration."

"How did my colour scheme ideas go down with Joan?"

"She liked the pastels and the idea of naming the rooms after colours, especially any that would be used by guests, but disagreed over the kitchen."

"Why?"

"She wanted a straight-forward gas oven and hob."

"No! Doesn't she realise what the Aga can do? Anyway, who says she'll be cooking?"

"Hey, climb down off that hobby horse, young lady. Leanne will be working for us and will be responsible for breakfast and lunch as well as housekeeping five days a week. I've also hired her sister Julie as a cook, five days a week."

"What about the other two days? Saturday and Sunday I presume?"

"No, there will be times when we don't need help mid week so the rota will vary, but it does mean that some lunchtimes and some evenings we'll have to look after ourselves."

"Right, what about Joan's complaint?"

"Julie and Leanne are both used to a range, so it stays."

"Good. A thought, is Julie one of Cathy's friends?"

"She might be, Elsie knows of her."

"I think I met her at Cathy's hen party?"

"You'll know soon enough when you meet her."

"Okay, what's the moving in date?"

"Saturday week, the seventh."

"But Angela and I will be at the theatre for rehearsals."

"Exactly!"