The School Gate Survival Guide by Kerry Fisher Page A

found her?’
    ‘I’m sorry, no, Ms Etxeleku. The police thought it would be quicker to have a chat with us both together before I take them up to the school to speak to her form teacher. I said I’d meet them here. I couldn’t get through on your mobile.’
    ‘Sorry, I was trying to contact my partner.’
    The rain started to come down in earnest. Mr Peters held his umbrella over me as I turned up my own path.
    ‘Keep an eye open for me, won’t you, Sandy?’ I shouted over the fence.
    ‘Of course, love. I’ll get meself dressed and have a scout round the estate. Take care. Try not to worry.’
    Mr Peters took my arm. ‘Come on, you need to get dry. Let me make you some tea before the police get here. They shouldn’t be too long.’
    Mr Peters filled the kettle while I emptied the biros, pencils and money-off coupons out of the teapot. He didn’t look like a teabag in the mug sort of guy. I couldn’t believe I was even having that thought when some madman might be slitting Bronte’s throat at that very moment. I went upstairs to get changed. As I peeled off my wet clothes, I heard the squeak of the back door opening and the thud as the handle crashed into the kitchen wall, followed by ‘Who are you?’ then ‘Mai! Mai!’
    I pulled on a dry T-shirt and still in soaking wet jeans, belted down the stairs two-by-two, thumping my shoulder on the door jamb as I came to a halt.
    ‘Mr Caudwell, Ms Etxeleku will explain everything.’ Mr Peters had his hand up like a stop sign as Colin hurled his coat onto the table with a clank of keys.
    ‘Maia, what the hell is going on? I just bumped into Sandy and she said Bronts is missing. How can she be missing? Didn’t you take her to school this morning? What’s he doing here?’
    ‘Mr Peters is Head of Upper School. He’s been helping me look for Bronte. She didn’t go into school after I dropped her off this morning. The police are on their way.’
    Mr Peters handed me some tea, much sweeter than I normally drank.
    ‘Police. The police are coming here? What? You don’t think something serious has happened, do you? She’s just having a strop over that fucking disco, isn’t she?’ Colin was pacing about, scratching at his stubble.
    ‘I don’t know. I think so. I hope so. God, I don’t know. Mr Peters has had the whole school searched. I’ve looked in the back lane. Sandy hasn’t seen her,’ I said.
    Colin turned to look out of the window. ‘Do you think the police will want to search the house?’
    I saw the dots join in Colin’s brain to form the shape of a marijuana leaf. I looked to Mr Peters who shrugged and said, ‘They might want to look in her bedroom, or perhaps examine your computer.’
    ‘That’s easy, we ain’t got no computer,’ Colin said. ‘I can’t just sit here. I’ll drive the route to school. And you, you make sure you frigging well phone me this time if anything happens.’
    He jabbed his finger in my direction. I didn’t need to win at that moment. He grabbed the van keys and left without bothering to put on a coat. What freaked me out most was that he didn’t even bother to fetch the stash of dope that he kept hidden in the battery compartment of the CD player. I took a deep breath and steeled myself for Mr Peters.
    ‘Sorry about that, I do really appreciate your help,’ I said.
    ‘It’s fine. People react to fear in different ways. Some people get aggressive, some people swear, some people lash out. I see all sorts of behaviour in my job.’ He sounded so gentle and so capable that I started to cry again.
    ‘And some people just bawl their eyes out.’ My feeble attempt at humour backfired and a sob stiffened my whole body. I pressed my fingers against my eyes but the tears forced their way through. ‘I hope she’s okay. I should never have moved her to Stirling Hall.’
    Mr Peters put his hands on my shoulders and looked right into my eyes. Firm, reassuring, certain. ‘She’s your daughter. You wouldn’t be normal