Part Fifteen   "Coincidences"

 

Tammy's Tales Book 6
 

 
Thursday 24th September (Continued)
 

Tammy rushed out of the consulting room, closely followed by Dr Adi. Tanya was a sight, stood in the doorway to the toilet with her leggings down past her knees. She was pointing back towards the loo.

"There, can't you see it?"

"See what?"

"That spider!"

Tammy laughed, but Tanya wasn't impressed. "Hey, it's not funny!"

"Tanya, it's a crane fly and they're harmless. As for those knickers, though, there ought to be a health warning!"

Tanya went a shade of scarlet and pulled her leggings up.

"I still need a wee, can you get rid of it?"

"No, don't be a wuss!"

"Come in there with me and check."

"I thought you were a big girl, no I am not going in there with you."

Dr Adi called the next patient into her room and shut the door, trying to stifle a giggle. The others in the waiting room were not impressed. Finally Tanya's bladder took control of the situation and she dashed in, slamming the door, Tammy just hoped Tanya hadn't wet herself.

***

"Where are we going?"

"Work, Tanya, your place of employment."

"But ..."

"But what?"

"But I'm not dressed for work, I don't think leggings are allowed."

"They're not part of the boys' uniform."

"You know what I mean. I need to change."

Tammy had pulled into the staff parking but relented and drove across to the cottage.

"Thanks, I won't be a minute."

"Just put a skirt over the leggings."

Tanya disappeared upstairs so Tammy took a look in the kitchen. Judging by the empty takeaway containers John had stopped at a Chinese restaurant in town on his way home the previous evening.

Tanya arrived back in the lounge having changed into a maxi dress.

"Tanya! I'm amazed."

"My bump was showing, you can hardly see it in this."

"Bump? That's probably down to your eating habits."

"Are you saying I'm fat?"

"No, but I seriously doubt if you're showing yet."

"So I am fat?"

"Do you practice healthy eating?"

"There wasn't much sauce on the ribs last night."

"Oh Tanya, what about home cooked food?"

"At weekends, John cooks something."

"Why?"

"He's better at it than me."

"Yet you're doing a seven or eight hour day here, including a meal break - if you go in that is! John on the other hand has a two hour drive each way so what time does he get back?"

"Eight at night, sometimes later."

"And I bet he's out of here early?"

"Half six, after he's prepared my breakfast."

"Tanya, there is something seriously wrong here. What if he went on a residential course?"

"He has one booked for early October, I've told him he can't go."

"Then he'll lose his job, whose fault will that be?"

"I hate you, Tammy, you're so nasty to me!"

"The truth can hurt, you are running him into the ground whilst sitting on your rear end all day. You're not eating healthily, exercising or attending ante-natal groups. What does your mum think?"

"She doesn't know."

"Your sister?"

"Debbie hasn't said anything."

"Now, it's nearly half ten, go back up there, clean your face and don't bother with any more mascara."

"Why not?"

"I guess you don't have any waterproof?"

"No."

"Well, in any case, fluttering your eyes at the Head or any other males is kind of pointless right now."

"But not for you, double standards!"

"I'm not in a relationship and I'm not pregnant."

"Yeah"

"Come on."

It was another fifteen minutes before Tanya reported to Joan for work, but nothing was said about her tardiness or the missing days. Tammy, however, wasn't excused.

"The Head has decided to bring all of the lower sixth girls together and give the worst ones a last chance. He would like you and me there at eleven."

"But I'm not here any more, this isn't my show."

"Nevertheless, you know the rules as you helped write many of the female-specific ones."

"That's not true, the boys couldn't wear three inch heels or excessive make-up either."

"Well, we'd never needed those rules before you started here so you're best place to explain that the girls have to comply or leave."

"That's the Head's role, I can't impose anything."

"You can back him up, let's go to his office and get the game plan out of the way."

The meeting, which now included Deputy Head Mike Thompson, Lori and the caretaker Tammy had seen earlier, took fifteen minutes so all the female lower sixth were waiting for a few minutes. The noise from the room had already attracted the angst of several masters and prefects who were struggling to control the girls.

"Silence!"

Silence did indeed happen, momentarily. Then one of the girls popped some bubblegum that was in her mouth, the Head ignored it.

"Now, a small minority in this room are intent on disrupting the school, this cannot go on. We've already today had an attempted assault and a case of criminal damage was narrowly averted. In both cases Miss Smart was the target. I have no idea why anyone would feel the need to target Miss Smart as she is an upstanding member of the community and already a successful businesswoman. She is also a school ambassador who will represent the school at events across the UK. If any of you still think that physical harm is justified then you have no place in this school and arrangements will be made for you to leave immediately."

The room was still but one girl sniggered, Annabella.

"So you think it's funny, Miss Thakes?"

"I didn't want to be in this poxy school anyway."

"Then you won't be an issue any more, I spoke to your father half an hour ago and he is intent on removing you unless you could convince me that you could conform. A train ticket will be available at Thurso station within the hour."

Joan went over to the girl and suggested they went to the girl's dorm room to pack. She was actually booked on the sleeper at half four that afternoon which arrived in London Euston just before eight in the morning. That meant she had time to have lunch, although a small room off the main refectory would be used by her, and some minders.

The Head continued, "I have spoken to several of your parents in the last few days and I must say that they are very disappointed. We have video evidence of bullying and of girls smoking near the rear carpark. Each girl will be interviewed and given the choice to sign a contract. We have offered the same contracts to boys for several years but seldom needed them. If you break the contract then you are out of here, if you refuse to sign it then a different route would be taken. Not all of you will be needing contracts, just the ones we've identified so far."

He passed the floor to Tammy. "Good morning, I'm Tammy Smart and I was the first girl in St Andrews. Most of the rules resulted from my testing of the boundaries, but we struck a happy medium that is fair and mirrors other schools. There is a minimum kilt length for the boys and a minimum skirt length for the girls, I know from experience that some of the teaching staff will insist that Mrs Small deals with you. Make up and jewellery are other issues that I have noticed in just a couple of hours today. This is a happy school, one that I was proud to be at. The school has a good reputation worldwide and I know the Head will do everything to maintain it, as will I in my Ambassadorial role."

"Thank you Miss Smart, Mr Westmorland?"

The caretaker used a remote to activate the classroom projector, the images showed girls around the grounds smoking, taunting the boys and damaging sports equipment.

"Following a security alert earlier in the year, all of the exterior grounds are covered by CCTV, as are communal areas inside the school. If you do anything wrong then it will be recorded."

"Thank you Mr Westmorland. So, you have all been warned and some will be invited to speak to senior staff over the next few days about your future here. You are dismissed."

The girls shuffled out of the room, most were clearly surprised at the Head's attitude. Lori decided to follow in order to pick up any questions or single out troublemakers.

"Thank you Miss Smart. When you see Miss Sturgeon I believe you can offer a place, subject to the governors of course; there's a meeting on Monday."

"I believe it'll be Wednesday or Thursday before Ellie will be discharged. She's told me quite a bit of the family history and has my mobile number if she needs support outside of the school."

"Good, thank you again." He turned and walked towards his study, plainly pleased with the outcome.

Tammy returned to her car, it was nearing lunchtime and she didn't want to be in the school any longer than necessary. She parked in town and walked first to the bakery for a roll, then it was up the stairs at Caithness Marine.

"Hi Tammy, I have some information for you."

"I was hoping for that, Hilary, and a coffee."

"Help yourself to the coffee, some of us are here to work."

"Unlike a lady I was with this morning."

"Was that Tanya?"

"I forgot my car was bugged."

"That's such a harsh word."

"But true, you were listening in."

"Whenever you have a passenger I need to be certain you are not being coerced, kidnapped or otherwise doing something unwilling, it's all about protection not eavesdropping."

"Okay, okay."

"I hope she gets the support she plainly needs."

"So do I. Anyway, Martina Gore?"

"Yes, her parents are John and Anita Gore from Birmingham."

"So no connection to Martin Gore, it was a bit too much of a coincidence?"

"There is one but it's so far removed that the probability of a link between the two is near zero. However there is another connection."

"Like?"

"John and Anita Gore were in Sofia at the same time that the parents of Daisy and Finlay O'Shaughnessy were murdered, staying in the same hotel."

"Damn, and the daughter of the Gores is in the same school as the O'Shaughnessy children."

"Again that may be a coincidence."

"Evidence, Hilary?"

"Working on it but children do not leave enough information to track their movements nor their involvement in crime."

"Martina is sixteen?"

"Yes, she'll be seventeen just before Christmas."

"What was her last school?"

"Edgbaston High School for Girls."

"Doesn't that school offer a sixth form?"

"Hang on."

Tammy finally made it to the kettle to make her drink and munched her roll while Hilary worked.

"Okay, the school does indeed have a sixth form and a very successful one."

"So why did she move?"

"Well, a couple of weeks into the new term Daisy was pulled from year nine and moved to be with her brother."

"But Martina was already here."

"Quite, Tammy, but Daisy had also been at Edgbaston High School for Girls."

"Oh."

"So, coincidence or not?"

"Not."

"So now the hard work starts. and you can begin by writing a report."