in so short a time would look like the school’s fault.
He thought about the mirror writing on Kira’s hands and the daisy tattoo on the small of her back. He didn’t want to reveal either fact but he was interested in finding out if they could have had anything to do with this supposed pact.
‘Did any of these girls have a tattoo?’
‘Parents are advised that tattoos and piercings other than in the earlobe are not permitted.’
In his experience, forbidding a teenager to do something often achieved the opposite result. You needed evidence of being eighteen to get a tattoo in a licensed parlour but fake ID wasn’t uncommon.
‘I’d like the names of the other pregnant girls.’
‘You plan to interview them?’ She looked concerned.
‘You said these girls were close friends, maybe even close enough to form a pregnancy pact. I need to speak to them about Kira. I also need to see their school records.’
‘Our student records are normally confidential . . .’
‘But not to the police,’ he said firmly.
She rose. ‘Everything’s on computer now. We don’t store hard copies. I’ll organise Joan to help you access them.’
‘Thank you. Also, did Kira have a guidance teacher, someone responsible for her pastoral care?’
‘We have a tutee system in our sixth form. Dr Frank Delaney was Kira’s tutor.’
‘May I see him before I look at her records?’
‘Of course.’
She walked over to the desk and buzzed through to her secretary, summoning Dr Delaney to her office.
‘This may take a few minutes. If he is with a class, his Head of Department will have to organise cover.’
She returned to the coffee table and asked if he wanted more tea. Her calm demeanour had returned, her hand steady as she poured.
‘Do you have any idea why Kira was killed?’ she asked.
‘No, we don’t.’
‘And what about the baby?’
‘We’re still looking for it.’
Dr Delaney arrived a few minutes later. He was very tall, easily six foot four, and stick thin. His face was all angles, the nose prominent and sharp, the look penetrating. Bill imagined him flapping the black gown as he strode around the classroom like a giant raven.
The Principal introduced them, then said, ‘I’ll have Joan retrieve Kira’s records for you. If you just come through when you’re finished here.’
‘Thank you.’
Bill thought he glimpsed concern in Delaney’s eyes at the thought of being abandoned, but it didn’t last long. When Ms Porter had closed the door behind her, Delaney folded his long frame into the seat.
‘This is a terrible business. I still can’t believe it. Kira was so alive. Her parents must be devastated. Is there anything I can do to help?’
‘Tell me about her.’
‘That’s easy. Multi-talented. Fun. A powerful intellect, particularly in Maths. She was one of my best pupils.’
‘Is that why you became her tutor?’
‘The girls are allowed to choose a tutor. Provided not too many choose the same one, they are usually matched with their first choice.’
‘So you had a special bond?’
Delaney gave him an inscrutable look. ‘It’s not unusual for a pupil to choose a tutor who is an expert in her area. It’s a sensible career move.’
‘That’s why she chose you?’
‘I assumed so.’
‘Do you have any other tutees?’
He looked a little uneasy. ‘I had three originally, including Kira. Only one remains.’
‘What happened to the other one?’
‘Samantha left for the same reason as Kira.’
‘Because she was pregnant?’
‘Yes.’
‘Do you think the group of girls who got pregnant had formed a pact?’
He didn’t look surprised by the question.
‘“Pact” is probably too strong a word. Despite being brainy, Kira was also regarded as cool. That’s one of the advantages of single sex education for girls. They don’t need to pretend they’re not good at something to be cool. No boys in the classroom to play down to.’
‘You think Kira had influence over the
He thought about the mirror writing on Kira’s hands and the daisy tattoo on the small of her back. He didn’t want to reveal either fact but he was interested in finding out if they could have had anything to do with this supposed pact.
‘Did any of these girls have a tattoo?’
‘Parents are advised that tattoos and piercings other than in the earlobe are not permitted.’
In his experience, forbidding a teenager to do something often achieved the opposite result. You needed evidence of being eighteen to get a tattoo in a licensed parlour but fake ID wasn’t uncommon.
‘I’d like the names of the other pregnant girls.’
‘You plan to interview them?’ She looked concerned.
‘You said these girls were close friends, maybe even close enough to form a pregnancy pact. I need to speak to them about Kira. I also need to see their school records.’
‘Our student records are normally confidential . . .’
‘But not to the police,’ he said firmly.
She rose. ‘Everything’s on computer now. We don’t store hard copies. I’ll organise Joan to help you access them.’
‘Thank you. Also, did Kira have a guidance teacher, someone responsible for her pastoral care?’
‘We have a tutee system in our sixth form. Dr Frank Delaney was Kira’s tutor.’
‘May I see him before I look at her records?’
‘Of course.’
She walked over to the desk and buzzed through to her secretary, summoning Dr Delaney to her office.
‘This may take a few minutes. If he is with a class, his Head of Department will have to organise cover.’
She returned to the coffee table and asked if he wanted more tea. Her calm demeanour had returned, her hand steady as she poured.
‘Do you have any idea why Kira was killed?’ she asked.
‘No, we don’t.’
‘And what about the baby?’
‘We’re still looking for it.’
Dr Delaney arrived a few minutes later. He was very tall, easily six foot four, and stick thin. His face was all angles, the nose prominent and sharp, the look penetrating. Bill imagined him flapping the black gown as he strode around the classroom like a giant raven.
The Principal introduced them, then said, ‘I’ll have Joan retrieve Kira’s records for you. If you just come through when you’re finished here.’
‘Thank you.’
Bill thought he glimpsed concern in Delaney’s eyes at the thought of being abandoned, but it didn’t last long. When Ms Porter had closed the door behind her, Delaney folded his long frame into the seat.
‘This is a terrible business. I still can’t believe it. Kira was so alive. Her parents must be devastated. Is there anything I can do to help?’
‘Tell me about her.’
‘That’s easy. Multi-talented. Fun. A powerful intellect, particularly in Maths. She was one of my best pupils.’
‘Is that why you became her tutor?’
‘The girls are allowed to choose a tutor. Provided not too many choose the same one, they are usually matched with their first choice.’
‘So you had a special bond?’
Delaney gave him an inscrutable look. ‘It’s not unusual for a pupil to choose a tutor who is an expert in her area. It’s a sensible career move.’
‘That’s why she chose you?’
‘I assumed so.’
‘Do you have any other tutees?’
He looked a little uneasy. ‘I had three originally, including Kira. Only one remains.’
‘What happened to the other one?’
‘Samantha left for the same reason as Kira.’
‘Because she was pregnant?’
‘Yes.’
‘Do you think the group of girls who got pregnant had formed a pact?’
He didn’t look surprised by the question.
‘“Pact” is probably too strong a word. Despite being brainy, Kira was also regarded as cool. That’s one of the advantages of single sex education for girls. They don’t need to pretend they’re not good at something to be cool. No boys in the classroom to play down to.’
‘You think Kira had influence over the
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