Ann Purser - Threats At Three

“It happens every so often in most schools,” she said now. “I remember when Josie was a teenager and dabbled briefly with substances, as they call them. It wasn’t nice at the time, but it was a phase that passed. You should ask some of the kids, the bigger ones. They probably won’t tell you, Inspector, but Chris might have more luck, especially if she’s not in uniform.”

“And the thefts? Any connection, do you think, Lois?” Cowgill said with a sigh. He knew his Lois, and could see they were getting nothing of interest from her this morning.

Lois shook her head. “A tramp, maybe? We’ve got no gypsies to blame this time, have we? No, I should think it’s a cunning old tramp. That’s how they survive, though there’s not many around now. Welfare State, an’ all that.”

Cowgill stood up. “Well, thanks, Lois. Can’t say you’ve been a great help, but thanks anyway. We shall be around the village for a while, calling on parents who have children at the Tresham school. We don’t want to spread alarm, but it could be serious. We have a list of these children, but if you think of anything that might help, you know how to findme.”

“Before you go, and speaking of being a great help,” Lois said acidly, “is there anything new on the corpse in the canal?”

“Oh, yes,” said Chris. “He was one of the homeless lot, mostly drunk on anything he could get. Nothing to do with any of our investigations. His brother turned up finally and identified him. At least he’ll get a decent burial.

“Well, thanks for letting me know, Inspector,” snapped Lois.

Sod it, thought Lois, after they’d gone. Now she had to move quickly, to find Paula before they did. She looked at her watch. Paula would be at the hall now, and there’d be nobody at home in the Hickson house.

“Mum! Something’s come up, and I have to go out. Shan’t be long. If Floss gets here before I’m back, ask her to wait. Thanks.”

Gran tut-tutted. Lois would never change. Good thing she had an iron stomach, always rushing hither and thither, not giving herself time to digest. There’d been a pile of biscuits on the tray of coffee she’d taken in, and now the plate was empty.

“Take care!” she shouted to the retreating New Brooms van, and reflected that she might just as well save her breath.

AS SHE DROVE INTO THE STABLE YARD, LOIS SAW A FAMILIAR FIGURE disappearing into the kitchen garden. Tall, thin, but a lot smartened up from when she saw him last, holed up in a derelict cottage in a rainstorm. She wondered how Paula was coping with this situation, and was even more determined to soften the impact of the visiting police investigators if she could.

Mrs. T-J was in the kitchen and answered the door. “Mrs. Hickson? Yes, she’s here. Working upstairs,” she added, with emphasis on “working.”

“I wondered if I could have a quick word with her,” Lois said firmly. “It is urgent, otherwise I wouldn’t bother you.” At that moment Paula came into the kitchen, carrying her cleaning things.

“Excuse me,” she said. “I’ll just get a fresh floor cloth. Sorry to interrupt.”

“It’s you Mrs. Meade has come to see,” Mrs. T-J said crossly. “I’ll leave you together, but I’m expecting the police soon. We’ve had a theft from our storeroom. Perhaps you could tell me when you go, Mrs. Meade.”

“Old bag,” whispered Paula, then apologised. “Is it about Jack, husband Jack?” she said. “He’s here now, in the garden, if you want a word. I don’t have anything to do with him, but he tries to sweeten me up. It’s probably him what took the food.”

Lois shook her head. “No,” she said, “it’s about Jack Jr.”

Paula groaned. “Oh, no, not in trouble again. I tell you honestly, Mrs. M, I don’t know what to do with that boy. What’s he done this time?”

Lois explained as briefly as she could about the man at the school gates, and said she knew young Jack was scared. She told Paula about Hazel giving him a lift, and then said the police were in the village, following up complaints from other parents, as well as investigating the theft. “They’ll have Jack Jr.’s name on a list of children in Farnden who go to that school, so they’ll be wanting to talk to you. I hoped to give you time to think before they found you. You may have to tell them about your husband an’ that.”

“Oh, my God,” said Paula. “So there is somebody pushing drugs. That’s the last thing my son Jack needs. Poor kid. It’s all that sodding gardener out there’s fault! Maybe I’ll put them on to him.”

“You’d better get back to work now. But think carefully, Paula. I shouldn’t be telling you to keep things from the police, but your first concern is young Jack, isn’t it? I’m off now, but keep me posted. Bye.”

After she had called to Mrs T-J that she was leaving, she drove off out of the stable yard and saw Jack Hickson standing by the gate, staring at her. It was not a friendly stare.

LOIS FOUND FLOSS WAITING FOR HER WHEN SHE GOT BACK. “SORRY I’m late,” she said. “Had to have a quick word with Paula.”

“That’s fine,” Floss said. “I’ve got a couple of hours before I go over to Fletching. Nothing bad happened, I hope? Mrs. Weedon said you’d had to rush out unexpectedly. I saw the police in the High Street, outside the shop. I wondered if anything had happened to Josie.”

Lois shook her head. “Probably quizzing her,” she said grimly. “Village shopkeeper knows everything. You know the kind of thing. It’s about the school in Tresham. There’s been a dealer trying to sell to the kids, apparently. Parents have complained, and the police are going around talking to families who have kids at the school.”

Floss looked at her sharply. “Hicksons?” she said. “Hazel told me about giving Jack Jr. a lift, and him telling her how he was scared of this man.”

“Right,” said Lois. “Well, that saves me telling you. Yes, Jack’s been approached. But I wasn’t sure that his mother knew, and I had to get to her before the police.”

Floss nodded sympathetically. “Poor old Paula. She’s got more than enough on her plate, without a kid on drugs,” she said. “Did you find her?”

“Yes. I only hope she has time to think things out before the police catch up with her.”

“Why shouldn’t she tell them straight that she knew nothing about it? After all, she’s got nothing to hide.”

Lois took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Then she brushed a hand over her eyes wearily. “She suspected. But no, that’s right,” she said, “she’s got nothing to hide.”

IT WAS AFTER TWO O’CLOCK WHEN COWGILL AND CHRIS FINALLY caught up with Paula Hickson. She had had an hour to herself before collecting little Frankie from nursery, and then the twins from school, and had been frantically turning over in her mind what Mrs. M had told her. She wouldn’t admit it to anyone, but she had suspected for a while that Jack Jr. had been experimenting with something. Once or twice he had been very shaky in the mornings and had cried off school, saying he felt sick. His violent mood swings were suspicious, too.

She remembered sadly what a nice little boy he had been before all the trouble with his father. A real charmer, people had said. She had taken him as a baby back to the development company where she’d worked to show him off to her friends, and the Dutch boss had come in and been so nice about him. Quite soppy, he had been. Funny, she thought now, she could have sworn she saw him staring at the village hall from his car the other day. It was probably someone else, but he’d smiled at her in that rather smarmy way the girls had reason to mistrust.

She dragged her thoughts back to Jack Jr. What should she tell the police? She lit a forbidden cigarette and stood out in the garden, staring out at the road as if she could will the police to pass her by.