Кара Хантер - In the Dark

‘We’re not sure,’ she says.

He frowns again. ‘I confess I’m confused. Why do you want to know about one specific day, unless you think that was the day the girl was abducted?’

She flushes slightly. ‘Actually, it was the day Hannah Gardiner went missing. You may remember the case. We believe there may be a connection. And if there isn’t, we need to rule it out.’

‘And you think Donald Walsh could be that connection?’

‘I’m afraid so.’

There’s a silence. She can see him thinking.

‘Obviously we don’t want that information getting into the public domain.’

He waves a hand. ‘Of course not. I understand that. I’m just trying to reconcile what you just said with the Donald Walsh I know.’

‘And who is that?’

‘Diligent, hard-working. A little tiresome if I’m honest. And a bit reactionary, which can make him seem hostile on occasion.’

She nods, wondering if the real problem was Geare’s sexuality.

‘And in case you’re wondering,’ he says, ‘I’ve never made a secret of the fact that I’m gay. Either to the staff or the parents.’ He sits forward, suddenly earnest. ‘Look, PC Somer – Erica – I’ve only been in this job nine months and there are a lot of changes I want to make. This school may look like a museum piece but I have no intention of running it like one. This room,’ he says, gesturing, ‘is a better indication of the sort of school I want this to be than the crusty armchairs in the staff common room. Which is why I bring prospective parents here, long before I take them round the rest of the school.’

‘Perhaps you should change them as well.’

‘The staff?’

She smiles. ‘The armchairs.’

‘It’s on the list. But yes –’ more serious now ‘– it wouldn’t surprise me if there were some changes in the staff too.’

Somer can’t help herself glancing towards the door, and when she looks back Geare is smiling drily. ‘Miss Chapman was already planning to retire at the end of this term. Sometimes it’s best not to make too many changes all at once, don’t you find? But some of the teaching staff may choose to move on of their own accord. Not everyone shares my vision of where we need to go.’

‘And Walsh is one of them?’

‘Let’s put it this way, I suspect he’d probably have left already if he had another place to go. Or enough money not to care.’

‘I was going to ask you about that – well, indirectly. I believe Mr Walsh has had three different jobs in the last ten years. This one is the longest he’s had in that time. Is there anything you can tell me about that – about why he left the two previous schools?’

He frowns. ‘I’m not sure how much I can say, what with data protection –’

‘That doesn’t apply in a murder inquiry, sir. But feel free to check if that would give you some reassurance. To be honest, it’s in Mr Walsh’s interests that we get as full a picture as possible. If it turns out he had nothing to do with any of this, the sooner we establish that, the better. I’m sure you know what I mean.’

Geare is silent.

‘It would be especially important to know if there’d been any incidents with young women – any suggestion of sexual harassment. Or –’

‘Or interfering with the children?’ He’s shaking his head. ‘Absolutely not. The only reason I wasn’t saying anything was because I was wondering how best to put it, that’s all. Donald Walsh is a difficult man. A bit brusque on occasion. I often wonder why he went into teaching at all given that he clearly doesn’t like children. All that irony – he’d no doubt call it wit but the kids just think he’s being sarky. It makes them wary of him, so he struggles to build rapport. He’s not much good at being part of a team either. Not “collegiate”. That’s a Donald word by the way. Personally, I’d just say “friendly”.’

There’s a knock on the door and the secretary puts her head round. ‘Mr Geare, your appointment has arrived.’

Somer gets up and shakes his hand. ‘Thank you. If anything else occurs to you that you think we should know, please get in touch.’

*

Down in the car park, Gislingham is waiting. The PC from Walsh’s office is being loaded into the forensic team’s van.

‘I spoke to some of the teachers as well,’ he says as she gets in the car and closes the door. ‘They don’t like him, but they don’t think he’s actually dodgy.’

‘Richard Geare said the same. Broadly.’

Gislingham looks at her. ‘Richard Geare? Seriously? ’

She shakes her head. ‘Poor sod. It must be the first thing everyone says.’

‘So is he?’ asks Gislingham, pulling on his seat belt.

‘Is he what?’

He grins. ‘You know, An Officer and a Gentleman. ’

She smiles. ‘If only you knew.’

***

The curtains are open on the first floor of 81 Crescent Square. Robert Gardiner can be seen moving about, talking on his mobile. At one point he stoops suddenly and lifts his son on to his shoulders. Quinn sits watching for a moment, then gets out of his car and walks across the street.

‘Detective Sergeant Quinn,’ he says, when Rob Gardiner opens the door.

Gardiner frowns. ‘What do you want? Has something happened? Have you arrested someone?’

‘For the murder – no. Not yet. It’s your childminder . Pippa?’

Gardiner’s eyes narrow. ‘What about her?’

‘Do you know where she is?’

‘No bloody idea.’

‘Can you give me her number then? You must have it on your phone –’

‘I did but I’ve deleted it. And no, I don’t have it off by heart, sorry.’

‘What about an address for her family?’

‘Nope, don’t have that either.’

‘ Really? ’ says Quinn, openly sceptical now. ‘She was looking after your child – didn’t you check her out, take references?’

‘Hannah hired her, not me. She met her at that Farmers’ Market on North Parade. At one of the stalls. Pottery or artisan coffee beans or some such. Anyway, they met up a few times after that and she told Hannah she’d been training to be a nanny but the money ran out. Hannah took pity on her and gave her a chance. She was like that. Always seeing the best in people.’ He stares at Quinn with undisguised hostility. ‘What do you want Pippa for, anyway?’

‘Don’t worry,’ says Quinn. ‘It wasn’t that important.’

***

Everett locks her car and walks back up to the Iffley Road; if Vicky was living in a bedsit, this is as good a place to start as any. She has a list of rented properties and the only way forward is to start knocking on doors. Though she has that sinking feeling of looking for a needle in a city-sized haystack.

She consults her map. The first house on the list is in the street opposite. A pile of bikes outside, wheelie bins stuck anyhow across the front garden. She rings the bell and stands, waiting, until the door opens.

‘DC Verity Everett,’ she says, holding up her warrant card. ‘Could I ask you a few questions?’

***

Interview with Robert Gardiner, conducted at St Aldate’s Police Station, Oxford

5 May 2017, 2.44 p.m.

In attendance, DI A. Fawley, DC A. Baxter, P. Rose (solicitor)

AF: Mr Gardiner, thank you for making time to come in. I apologize for the short notice. We wanted to talk to you because we have some additional questions in relation to the death of your wife.

RG: [ silence ]

AF: Mr Gardiner?

RG: I’m waiting to see what you have to say. I can’t imagine what you could possibly ask that you haven’t already asked me a hundred times over. The answers aren’t going to be any different. But go ahead – knock yourself out.