Reginald Hill - An Advancement of Learning

The headmaster went on enthusiastically. Dalziel was interested to note how the old phrases like ‘-rounder’ managed to survive in the ranks of the new vocabulary. But at the same time he extracted all that was relevant and useful from the man’s song of praise.

Roote, it seemed, had risen to the dizzy heights of school-captain (this was Dalziel’s translation of Co-First man in the School Council) and had been universally loved. Except, Dalziel got a hint, by his fairly wealthy parents who kept him plentifully supplied with funds, but did not care overmuch if he spent most of the holidays elsewhere. The Head saw this as a conscious effort to let him develop his social potential.

There seemed to have been no shortage of ”. His decision to apply for admission to the Holm Coultram College had come as a slight surprise. It was of course then an all-female college for training teachers and it was for a place among the pioneer group of men to start the following autumn that Roote had applied. This, the headmaster suggested, was probably one of the place’s attractions for Francis.

Breaking new ground.

Oh yes, thought Dalziel coarsely, virgin territory.

Had Fallowfield’s application for a post there influenced him in any way? He couldn’t really say. Perhaps. He was a great admirer of Fallowfield’s, certainly, and this was one of the cases where Fallowfield’s influence had produced nothing but good. As for their travelling to Yorkshire together, he had no idea. The school term ended early in December and the interviews were well on in the vacation, weren’t they? Surely Roote himself could tell?

Curiously enough, the man concluded, the mere prospect of the new job seemed to work a change in Fallowfield. During his final two terms at Coltsfoot he had been unusually subdued, much less contentious than before, so much so that there had been some concern about his health.

Roote? Oh no, Francis had been just the same as ever. A nice boy, an interesting boy. Give him all our good wishes, won’t you?

Indeed I’ll do that, thought Dalziel after the headmaster had gone back to his bridge. But first he looked again at Roote’s file which had given him the hint of a connection in the first place. He was curious to learn why the man was still here at the end of nearly four years. It appeared that as the courses available at the college proliferated under the energetic leadership of Landor, Roote had decided that he would rather not commit himself to being a teacher and had changed horses in mid-stream, necessitating an extra year’s study.

He’s twenty-three! thought Dalziel. Christ, when I was twenty-three I had… but he didn’t have time to think of all the magnificent things he had done by this tender age as the phone had rung at that precise moment and he had concentrated his mind on shouting at Pascoe. a Clever bugger, he thought after he put the receiver down. But not so clever; why couldn’t he have thought that lot out this morning? For that matter, why couldn’t I? It’s obvious enough, if there’s anything in it. Still, it leaves a chance that no one else thought of it either. But they might have done, in which case it’ll have gone. Or whoever it was addressed to might have picked it up and be saying nowt. Or Fallowfield might have sent it via the post office in which case it’ll turn up tomorrow.

Or perhaps the stupid bastard didn’t write one at all. Unlikely, he thought scornfully. Bloody words were all these fairy intellectuals were good for. Pascoe, thank God, had learned the art of silence, sometimes the hard way. And there was nothing puffy about Pascoe, lots of lead in his pencil. Randy young bastard, thought Dalziel, surprised to find himself feeling almost affectionate. A good-looking woman, that Ellie Soper. Something there to grapple with. Not many of those in a pound.

His train of thought had carried him almost unconsciously out of the admin, block into the fresh air of another glorious evening. He glanced at his watch. Twenty past nine. The shadows were very long now. There were still no clouds in the sky but the sun had almost disappeared. The air-staining grime of the industrial North lay all to the west here and the whole horizon was breaking out in a multi-coloured rash.

Nice, thought Dalziel automatically. He had been brought up to think that sunsets, along with the Royal Family and the Liberal Party, were nice. It was difficult to lose all your conditioning.

Now for the senior common room, probably a wild goose chase. But a necessary diversion first, it being Sunday and the police being what they were about licensing hours.

The bar was packed. It was the first time he had been in here, he realized with surprise. (I’ve been working too hard, he told himself.) They did themselves well too. None of your spit and sawdust; plush, well-padded comfort. But some of these bloody students — talk about out of place! They looked more suitable for a Sally Army doss-house than these comfortable, middle-class lounge bar surroundings. And some of the staff he could see dotted around didn’t look that much different. At least the students stared honestly.

“A bottle of scotch, malt if you’ve got it,’ he said to the barman.

“I’m sorry, sir,’ said the man, ‘ have you been signed in?”

“What? Oh, no.’ Of course, it was a club.

Then you can’t buy drink, can you?’ said Cockshut’s voice just behind him.

“That’s right, Mr. Cockshut,’ said Dalziel calmly. ”m glad to see you’ve got some grasp of the law.”

The student secretary was obviously well on the way to being drunk. This could be unpleasant. But Dalziel had never bothered to avoid unpleasantness.

“That’s all right, Bert,’ said another familiar voice. It was Roote talking to the barman. ”ve signed the superintendent in.”

Bert’s eyes widened at the title. He wouldn’t have had the nerve to refuse me if he’d known, thought Dalziel. Cockshut would have been on to that.

“What would you like, Super?’ said Franny with a smile. Tint?”

“No thanks. I just wanted a bottle of scotch to take out. Can you manage that?”

Franny spoke quietly to the barman who bent down and surfaced with a bottle of Glen Grant.

“That’s your brand, isn’t it?’ asked Franny politely.

“That’s right.”

“Nice drop of stuff that,’ leered Cockshut.

To those who are mature enough to appreciate it. That right?’ he said counting out some money on to the bar. ‘ you, Mr. Roote. Good night.”

He turned to go and almost bumped into Marion Cargo who smiled. Behind her was Landor who looked worried.

“I’m glad I’ve found you, Superintendent. Our switchboard operator — she’s one of our secretaries really, they take turns at weekends — told me you were in the registrar’s office. I wondered what… ” “Just prowling,’ said Dalziel blithely. The door was open. Bad security that after last night.”

“Oh dear,’ said Landor. ‘ see. Well, could we talk for a moment?”

“Fifteen minutes suit you? In the study. I just have something to do. I want to pop into the SCR. Is that all right?”

He kept his voice down, conscious of the crush of people around them.

“Yes. Of course. But you won’t be able to get in. No one uses it on a Sunday, well very rarely, and after last night, I’ve had it locked all day. It was rather badly damaged once before in a rag of some kind. So the locks were changed and I took the precaution of limiting the number of keys. Here you are.”

He undid a key from his key-ring and handed it over.

“Shall I come up with you perhaps,’ he suggested diffidently.

“Oh no. Not necessary. I’ll lock up. Fifteen minutes then in the study?”

He glanced at his watch. It was nearly half past nine.