Page 73 of Dying Truth

He raised his hand. ‘It’s fine. I believe you. If you want to talk to my boys they’ve been sent to the pool block to shower.’

Kim said nothing. It took him two seconds to realise she was waiting for him to introduce himself.

‘Philip Havers, sports coach, PE teacher and general fitness expert,’ he said, offering his hand.

Bryant took it and shook it.

‘You found Shaun?’ she asked.

‘Yes, but not quickly enough to save his life,’ he said, swallowing and looking away.

‘Was he gone when you found him?’ Bryant asked.

Havers nodded, touching his lips. ‘They were blue, and his eyes were just staring. It’s like he was looking straight at me. I’ll never forget it.’ He turned towards her. ‘And yet the picture in my head is of him looking peaceful.’

She could understand that. After what Keats had described ravaging his young body, eventual death must have come as a kind of relief.

‘Could you give us the timeline?’ she asked.

Havers nodded. ‘The gym lesson was a good one. The kids love a basketball session. Guys went to shower up. Coffee-Todd hung back, as usual, putting away the equipment and being the last into the locker room.

‘I don’t supervise their shower time, officer, but I do stay close by in case I hear any issues arise in there,’ he explained.

‘Is that a safeguard for the children?’ she asked.

‘No, Inspector – it’s a safeguard for me,’ he explained.

She could imagine that false accusations could occur as well as genuine ones. And both could destroy a career.

‘I was tidying the girls’ locker room when the bell went and the boys all tumbled out and headed for their next lesson. After the rabble left I headed to the staff room for a coffee…’ He paused. ‘If only I hadn’t gone to the—’

‘Wasn’t he known for hanging back?’ Kim asked, to be sure.

Havers pulled himself out of his regret. ‘Yes, he was often the last to leave but the truth of it is that I never gave the kid a thought.’

The guilt of his honesty flashed across his face.

Kim was beginning to suspect that happened a lot with this child. By all accounts he was average. He wasn’t memorable academically or physically and was no troublemaker either.

‘So, you came back around—?’

‘Roughly ten past three. I got talking—’

Kim held up her hand. ‘I don’t want to know.’

She didn’t need him to explain himself to her. If she allowed it, he would then expect some kind of understanding or empathy from her, which she wasn’t prepared to give. He had forgotten a child and she didn’t make excuses for that.

ShaunCoffee-Todd had been left alone for fifteen minutes and was now dead, and she wasn’t about to start offering guilt pardons.

Mr Havers looked as though he wanted to say more. To explain himself, excuse himself but that wasn’t why she was here.

‘And could you show us exactly where you found Shaun?’ Kim asked.

‘I’ve already shown the crime scene guys.’

‘It would be most helpful,’ she said, lifting the crime scene tape for him to pass through.

They followed him along a tiled corridor that opened up into a locker room. Full-sized cabinets all had keys dangling from their locks. Long wooden benches separated the row of lockers. Beyond was a wall that wound around to a row of six showers.