Reginald Hill - An Advancement of Learning

Dalziel groaned.

“I couldn’t bear them both at once. Scotby preferably, but Disney if you must.”

There was a list of staff numbers beside the internal phone. Neither Miss. Scotby nor Miss. Disney answered.

“They keep later hours than I’d have thought,’ said Pascoe.

“Or else they’re in bed. Look, scout around see if you can dig up either of them. I’ve got some phoning to do.”

Pascoe left, not certain where he was going. The building they were in seemed completely deserted. Outside, his gaze was immediately attracted to a row of brightly-lit windows in one of the new buildings. The curtains were only partly drawn and inside he could see what looked like a colourfully decorated lounge bar.

Ellie! The memory of their appointment for a drink after dinner rushed back into his mind. Their first encounter had not gone particularly well. This could kill it dead, he thought as he pushed open the door.

He was certain she would have left long before. Five minutes had always been her limit even in the days of their closest relationship.

But she was still there. His mind had become used even in their short previous meeting to the changes half a dozen years can make; and now, comparisons over, he was suddenly reminded of how attractive she was.

She looked up and smiled. For a moment Pascoe thought she had seen him, then he saw a tall, slim young man moving from the bar clutching a couple of glasses before him.

He would have retreated at this point, not wanting to compound unpunctuality with unwanted interruption, but Eleanor glanced his way and he was forced to go on, though the smile had faded and the line of her jaw became set in an aggression as memory-stimulating as her beauty.

“Sorry,’ he said. ‘ was work to be done.”

“A bore,’ sympathized the young man putting a gin in front of Ellie. He looked with interest at Pascoe.

“I’m Halfdane,’ he said. ‘ Halfdane.”

“This is Sergeant Pascoe. I was telling you about him,’ said Ellie, making it sound unpleasant.

“Can I get you a drink?’ asked Halfdane.

“No, thanks,’ said Pascoe.

“Duty,’ murmured Ellie. ‘ on the telly.”

“It’s quiet in here,’ said Pascoe, attempting the light touch. ‘ expected wild revelry.”

“It usually is pretty quiet mid-week. But even the regulars haven’t turned up tonight. Roote and his mob haven’t been in, have they?” “No,’ said Ellie. ‘ since I arrived and that was a long time ago.

Perhaps there’s a party.” “Roote?’ said Pascoe.

“Franny Roote, the student president. A man of power.”

“Oh. One of those.”

Ellie and Halfdane exchanged glances.

“Better clap him in irons before he demonstrates against you,’ said Ellie.

Pascoe shrugged. He reckoned he’d just about compensated for being late.

“I must be off,’ he said. ”m looking for Miss. Scotby and/or Miss. Disney. Do you know where I’ll find them?” “Next block,’ said Halfdane cordially. ‘ left through the main door. There’s a Christian Union meeting. They’re having a drive. It’s Find-a-Faith week. I believe Walt does a nice line in turning water into Nescafe. It should be over just now. You’re not going to arrest one of them, are you?”

Halfdane spoke lightly, friendlily, his attitude conciliatory. Even Ellie looked interested. Pascoe toyed with the idea of telling them what had happened. Why not? Everyone would know soon enough.

But why should he have to use tid-bits of professional information to attract friendship? No one else did.

The door burst open and a small knot of students entered.

“You’d better hurry,’ said Halfdane. ”s half the congregation.” “Thanks,’ said Pascoe. I’ll see you again. Sorry about being late.”

The Misses Scotby and Disney proved difficult to prise apart. He made the mistake of approaching Disney first, who claimed to be irretrievably committed to an important discussion with two students who looked desperate for escape. Scotby then came into view, so Pascoe quickly switched the attack. The senior tutor said yes, she would be pleased to spare the superintendent a few minutes of her time, upon which Disney cut herself off in the middle of a reminiscence of her last tour of the Holy Land and joined the party before they had gone three paces.

So Pascoe, poker-faced, ushered them in together; Dalziel to his credit took it in his stride. He came from behind the desk to greet them like a headmaster welcoming important mothers.

All rubbery smiles like the Michelin-tyre man, thought Pascoe.

But once they were all seated, he put on his bad-news face.

“Now Miss. Scotby, and you too, Miss. Disney, I would like to ask you one or two questions whose relevance may not at first be apparent to you.”

“He’s been rehearsing,’ thought Pascoe.

“I would be grateful if you would just answer the questions, painful though this may be, without requiring from me any further information to start with.”

That’s a bit tortuous, thought Pascoe. Get on with it!

“Please go ahead, Superintendent,’ said Miss. Scotby in her precise tones. Miss. Disney said nothing.

“The questions concern Miss. Girling, your late principal. Now, I believe she died in Austria, some five years ago.” “Five years last Christmas,’ said Miss. Scotby.

“In a ski-ing accident?’ asked Dalziel.

“Not exactly,’ said Miss. Scotby.

“Asshaschlange.’ The strange outburst came from Miss. Disney. The wisp of lace had appeared again and she was having difficulty with her articulation.

“Sorry?’ said Dalziel.

“An avalanche,’ she snapped quite clearly. She essayed another sob, Miss. Scotby opened her mouth as though to speak, the sob was contained and she went on. ”t you recall that dreadful avalanche near Osterwald which swept the hotel coach off the road and over the mountainside? She, Alison… Miss. Girling… was in it.”

“How dreadful,’ breathed Dalziel with a light in his eyes which belied the statement. ‘ her body, if you’ll forgive the expression, where…?”

“They never found it,’ said Miss. Scotby. ‘ were half a dozen who were not recovered. It was a terrible business.”

“There was a service, Superintendent. On the mountainside. It was most moving,’ interrupted Miss. Disney. ‘ quite in order. That was later, of course, much later.”

“You were present?”

“Of course.’ The Disney bosom swelled. ‘ else should I be? I was dear Al’s oldest friend, after all.” Miss. Scotby said nothing but shifted her feet in a minutely, eloquent gesture.

“If they never found Miss. Girling’s body,’ said Pascoe, ‘ all the passengers were killed, how were they certain she was on the coach?”

Miss. Disney glanced at him coldly but did not deign to answer a subordinate. Miss. Scotby had no such qualms.

“Remember it wasn’t just a coach, any coach. It belonged to the Gasthof where Miss. Girling stayed every year. They were expecting her that night. She was probably a little delayed by the fog… ” “Fog? Which fog?’ asked Dalziel.

“Well, it was very foggy that December, I remember. There were lots of delays. I remember watching on my television and hoping the principal had got off all right. I’ve often thought that if it hadn’t been for the fog, the coach would probably have picked her up earlier. And she would not have travelled along the road at just that fateful time.”

“I see. And the coach…?”

“It was split in half, I believe, before being swept over the edge into a ravine. It was one of those terrible curving roads with a precipice on one side and a cliff-face on the other. The part of the coach with the luggage boot in it was recovered almost intact. Miss. Girling’s luggage was there.”