Vicky Newham - Turn a Blind Eye

Before he had time to escape, she’d pinned him down. ‘I’m Suzie James . . . from the . . . Stepney Gazette ,’ she stammered, out of breath from running but still able to flash her teeth, her head on one side in the sort of coquettish pose that Steve’s fifteen-year-old students adopted sometimes when they were late with their homework.

He stifled a groan. This was all he needed. To commit some dreadful faux pas to the press just to make his start at the school even better.

‘Are you staff?’ she simpered.

He got a waft of her minty breath. ‘You need to speak to someone from school management or the police.’ Steve felt flustered and cornered. ‘We’ve all been asked not to speak to anyone.’ He was just about to walk away when –

‘So you are staff then?’

He’d fallen into that one. ‘Sorry,’ he said, using his hand to indicate he wanted her to back off. ‘I don’t want to be rude but . . .’ and he accelerated his pace away from her.

Undeterred, she was running alongside him. ‘Do you know who found the head teacher?’

‘No comment.’

‘Do you think this has anything to do with the Pakistani girl who committed suicide last term? Or the boy who was stabbed on Christmas Eve?’ She was alongside him, almost running now, and puffing as she moved. ‘Thing is . . . if there’s a link . . . we have a duty . . . to keep the community . . . informed.’

Steve heaved in a breath. This woman was testing his patience. She was like a dog with a bloody bone. He was desperate for a fag.

‘Right, that’s enough .’ He wheeled round to face her. Leaned over so he was at her height and pressed his face near hers. ‘I’ve tried to be polite and you won’t take a hint. Now – piss off .’ He sped away, just catching her say, ‘Can I quote you on that?’

He shifted his thoughts to today. And school. He’d been about to ring Andrea.

Suddenly the reporter was at his side again, making him jump. ‘Here’s my business card. If you decide you want to talk to the paper, give me a bell. Yeah? I can make it worth your while.’ She pushed her hand at him.

Freaked out at the arrogance of her renewed approach, Steve stepped backwards and the fancy business card fell to the pavement. ‘Oops. Sorry,’ he said. ‘Clumsy me.’ And this time he thought about Lucy with her new boyfriend, and channelled as much menace into his stare as he could summon.

The woman harumphed loudly, flicked her shiny locks and marched back over to the posse of journalists.

He still had his phone in his hand, so he dialled. Andrea answered quickly and he took in the information. ‘Okay, I’ll walk back to Bow Road tube and meet you.’

As he left Tredegar Square and headed for Mile End Road he remembered Roger Allen turning up at the Morgan Arms yesterday afternoon and how anxious it had made everyone. It was odd behaviour not to come into school because he was ill, yet arrive at the pub a few hours later and down several pints of beer. Steve had the distinct impression he’d come to get the gossip.

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