Page 10 of Silent Scream

A light knock sounded on the door. They both shouted ‘come in’ at the same time.

Courtney entered with a piece of paper and a smile that was trying to climb out of her mouth. So, Mr Whitehouse was not all that popular.

‘Mr Addlington is outside when you’re ready.’

Kim nodded. ‘Please show him in.’

‘Can I get you anything else? Coffee, tea?’

‘You most certainly can. Coffee for both of us.’

Courtney headed to the door and reached it before Kim remembered. ‘Thanks, Courtney.’

Courtney nodded and held the door open for the first interviewee.

Six

By four fifteen p.m., after twelve identical conversations, Kim’s head hit the desk. There was something satisfying about the thunk of her skull on wood.

‘I know what you mean, Guv,’ Bryant offered. ‘Looks like we’ve got ourselves a real life saint in the morgue.’

He took a pack of mentholyptus cough sweets from his pocket. By her count that was his fifth.

Two years ago a chest infection had prompted an instruction from the doctor to give up his habit of thirty cigarettes a day. In an effort to get rid of the ripping cough Bryant had popped the sweets non-stop. The smoking had gone but an addiction to the cough sweets had remained.

‘You really need to cut down on those, you know.’

‘It’s that kind of day, Guv.’

And like a seasoned smoker, he indulged more when stressed or bored.

‘Who’s next?’

Bryant consulted the list. ‘Joanna Wade, English Language.’

Kim rolled her eyes as the door opened. In stepped a woman wearing tailored black trousers and a lilac silk shirt. Her long blonde hair was tied back in a ponytail revealing a strong square jaw and little make up.

She sat without offering her hand and crossed her right ankle over her left. Her hands landed neatly in her lap.

‘We won’t take up too much of your time, Mrs Wade. We just need to ask you a few questions.’

‘Ms.’

‘Excuse me.’

‘It’s Ms, Detective, not Mrs, but please call me Joanna.’

The voice was low and controlled with a hint of a northern accent.

‘Thank you, Ms Wade. How long have you known Principal Wyatt?’

The teacher smiled. ‘I was employed by Principal Wyatt almost three years ago.’

‘How was the working relationship between the two of you?’

Ms Wade fixed her gaze on Kim and cocked her head slightly. ‘Really, Detective, no foreplay?’

Kim ignored the innuendo and returned the gaze.