Carved in Stone: Monochrome Destiny (11 page)

“Normally
we wouldn’t investigate the disappearance of an adult unless there were
extenuating circumstances but I can see how certain you are and I have a little
time at the moment to look into it.  I can’t promise anything though and
you have to understand that this is not going to take priority.”

Robyn
sighed “Yes, I understand.”  She had to accept whatever he offered.

“I’ll
check around and tell you what I find, but Katherine is an adult, she has never
expressed any interest in hurting herself.  She doesn’t suffer from any
kind of mental illness and has received no threats against her.  The fact
is,
that in most of these cases, the person in question has
disappeared because they want to disappear.”

“But the car?”

“Vehicles
are too traceable.  If I wanted to disappear, I’d go for the train just as
Kat might have done.  If you purchase a ticket with cash, there’s no
trace.”

Robyn
frowned.  He was right, but she didn’t want to think about that.

“In
the meantime,” the PC stood, “if she should contact you or if you have anything
else to add, you have my contact details there, alright?” He pointed to the
information pack that he had given her at the start of their conversation,
finished his tea and collected his notepad and the photo she had given him.

“I’m
sure it’s all a misunderstanding,” he said as he opened the door to leave, “but
I can assure you that I will look into it.”

“Thank
you.”

Replacing
his hat, and giving Robyn a reassuring smile, PC Godwin walked away and took
with him Robyn’s only hope as he trudged to his car.  She stayed at the
door, watched him get in and start the engine and knew that she had done the
right thing, because for the first time in days, she didn’t have knots in her
stomach.

A sleepless
night had Robyn arriving early the next morning.  There had been no use
trying to sleep any longer.

Scurrying
to her classroom, Robyn kept her head down and was putting out the textbooks
for her first lesson when she noticed the police car cruising up the school
drive.  White paint with the familiar checks pushed through the drifting
fog until the lights on the roof slowly crept past her window.

There
was no way that it could be a coincidence, but Robyn hadn’t expected to see the
police at school when it was supposed to be a low priority investigation. 
Robyn was happy that her report was being taken seriously, but worried that the
Head Teacher, who already had issues with her after yesterday, would not take
kindly to further interruption.

Needing
time to bolster herself for the inevitable break-time discussions, Robyn hoped
that the morning would go slowly.  Unfortunately, the threat of the police
car, parked right outside her window, made the pupils attentive and hard
working.  The time flashed by and all too soon it was morning break. 
Anxious to find out what was happening with the police, who were still parked
outside, Robyn decided to head to the staffroom.

Descending
the staircase, Robyn expected to hear the drone of voices engaged in the usual
chatter but strangely, she could hear nothing.  It wasn’t until she got
through the door that she realised why.

Two
uniformed police officers stood against the wall near the door with the Head
Teacher, his secretary and the bursar.  Staff hurried through the kitchen
before getting a seat and awaiting further instruction, their faces unanimously
intrigued and wary.

Too
late to turn around, especially as one of the uniforms was PC Godwin, Robyn
skirted the room and perched on a chair in the far corner.

It
was then that Andrew walked through the doorway.  His black suit had a
razor sharp pin stripe and was, as always, cut perfectly, but Robyn’s speeding
heart was not caused by Andrew’s physique.  Her nerves were tripped
waiting to hear what the police had to say.  At least, that was the reason
until Andrew looked around the room and finally set eyes on her.

He
was furious.  Andrew stopped walking, stood near the Head at the opposite
end of the room, showing that his camaraderie did not lie with Robyn, and
stared at her, letting the full force of his wrath burn into her with not a
blink.

Robyn
couldn’t breathe.  Instead of a nervous thrum, her heart began to pound
heavily.  She couldn’t avert her eyes despite the animosity in the
stare.  Andrew’s anger was a solid presence between them.  It was as
if a long arm reached out and strangled the life out of her.  She knew
Andrew’s eyes were expressive, a true window to his soul, but she had not seen
the full power in them until now.  Her instincts cried out, screamed of
danger, as she glared back, but trapped as she was, she could only sit and take
it as she clung to the chair beneath her.

The
Head cleared his throat and stepped forwards to speak.

“Just
a quick word to keep you informed of recent events.”  He looked around the
room and stopped when his eyes fell on Robyn’s face.  He examined her shrewdly,
a hawk marking its prey. “Sorry for the inconvenience to you all, but PCs
Godwin and Driscoll here will be in and around school today, and probably
tomorrow, to speak to several of you about Katherine Harris.  Please give
them your time and answer their questions as fully as you can, so that we can
get this over with as quickly as possible and get on with our work.  Thank
you.”

With
that, the Head turned and left the room, the secretary and bursar in tow. 
He neither looked at nor acknowledged the two police officers as he left and
neither did his entourage; the ignorance being David Rowe’s way of dismissing
the police, and their interruption, without being obviously difficult.

The
staff, silent at first, slowly started to talk to each other and as the noise
level rose, Robyn was of no misapprehension as to the topic.  Mouths moved
and bodies twisted but eyes remained steadily on her.

The
two PCs began mingling, engaging in chatter and clearly hoping to get some
information about Kat, but their presence didn’t appear to interest the other
teachers as much as Robyn’s did.

Everywhere
she turned, Robyn met a pair of inquisitive eyes; until she looked back at
Andrew.  He was half way across the room, heading in her direction. 
Hampered by other staff members, who now stood talking in groups, gossiping no
doubt, his progress was slowed but his eyes never wavered.

The
urge to be away from that stare pushed Robyn to her feet.

Inside
the kitchenette, at the back of the staffroom, there was a fire door. 
Glass paned, top and bottom, it opened out onto the school sports field.
 Robyn headed for it, intent on making her escape.  She got to the
door quickly, no-one stopping her, and pushed the bar to disengage the
lock.  Flying out into the cold morning air, the fog was damp against her
face as she marched as fast as she could away from Andrew.  Following a
path, she headed around the building intending to go past the car park and up
and around to reception.  When she was on the last of three steps up to
the front of the school, she was yanked off the path.

Andrew
pulled Robyn onto the grass of the playing field and behind a large collection
of overgrown shrubs and trees.  Secluded from prying eyes, he spun her
around to face him before letting go of her arm.  Robyn, for once, didn’t
notice the perfect line of his jaw or the contrast between the blackness of his
lashes and his flawlessly pale skin.  She only saw his rage, burning
bright in his irises.  When he spoke, he almost spat his words.

“Did
I not make it absolutely clear yesterday, that you shouldn’t stir things
up?  Wasn’t it bad enough to insult the Head Teacher and be threatened
with your job?” His teeth were tightly clenched and anger pulsated off of
him.  He was magnificent in his deadliness and Robyn could tell he wanted
to shout, to let the rage go, but instead he kept tight control to avoid being
overheard.

“You
had to go and get the police involved didn’t you?”  He snarled.  His
knuckles were white where he clenched his hands into tight fists.  The
ferocity of his anger was obvious but rather than worry Robyn, it just fuelled
her own.

“My
best friend is missing,” Robyn surprised herself with the amount of malice in
her voice, “Why shouldn’t I call the police?”

Why
should she explain herself?  Why
was Andrew
so
opposed to her finding out what had happened to Kat?  Calling in the
police was the right thing to do.  If Kat had a family, they would be
doing just that.  Robyn was not going to be ridiculed for doing the right
thing.

“She
called in, she explained, she left.  Why won’t you accept that?”
 Andrew gestured with jerky arm movements.

“Because it’s wrong.”
Her voice was
raised, unlike his.  She could not control the ire that flowed within her
and actually, she liked it. “She would not have made such a monumental decision
without me.  She’s my friend.  I know her.  She just wouldn’t do
this.  I did not drive her away.”  Each word was accentuated with arm
gestures as Robyn’s body shook with anger.  She stared at Andrew until he
got it, until he understood that she wouldn’t give up on this and she watched
him raise his arms in defeat.

“Don’t
you understand what will happen if you continue?”  He grabbed her
shoulders and shook her.

“What
are you talking about?”  She shrugged him off and stepped back.

“They’re
going to get rid of you.  You’ll be replaced if you don’t stop.”  His
hand ran through his hair in frustration.

“Don’t
be ridiculous.”  Lifting her chin, Robyn shouted back.

“You’re
causing all this. . . ” Andrew gestured towards the school, “disruption.  You’ve
got the police here.  They’re not going to like that and you’ve already
been warned.”  His body was shaking with fury yet Robyn wasn’t
afraid.  She watched as Andrew closed his eyes tightly, trying to remain
in control.  When he opened them, some of the anger had gone.

“She’s
been missing for six days, Andrew.  Because of me, she’s been missing for
six days.”  The truth in those few words held a deeper meaning than Robyn
could possibly have expressed at that moment.  “If anything has happened
to her during that time, it’s my fault.  I should have reported her
missing on Wednesday, the moment that she was not on that train.  I knew
something was wrong and I should have contacted the police then.  It
doesn’t matter how much trouble I get into now.  I have to find her.”

Andrew
stormed forwards.  It took all Robyn had not to step away.  “I
doesn’t matter how much trouble you get into?”  Too late, Robyn saw the
tempestuous look in Andrew’s eyes.   “It matters a great deal.” 
Her arms were suddenly caught in his solid grip and then with a swift jerk he
pulled her to him.

Robyn
stood pinned, Andrew’s face precariously close to hers, his gaze fiery and
searching.  She could see indecision, anger and a healthy dose of fear and
she knew he thought about taking her, then and there, closing his mouth over
hers.

He was
enraged.  A dangerous emotion when he held her like this.  She was
like a limp puppet in his arms and he knew she would yield to him.  The
fight had gone out of her the moment her body had slammed into his.  She
felt so bloody good moulded against him.  She looked at him with such
need.  Her eyes were wide with yearning and her breasts pushed against his
chest with each panted breath she took.  He knew it would feel good to
taste her, to take her, but he also knew that was dangerous.  It took the
last thread of his control to push her back and walk away.

Robyn stood
breathless and watched Andrew’s retreating form.  He’d held her until she
was melting, falling into a fluid puddle at his feet, and then he’d pushed her
away.  She’d yearned for him to close the gap between them.  She
could no longer deny her attraction.  There was something powerful drawing
them to each other.  Robyn trembled.  She knew that Andrew was
someone she should not tangle with and yet, she didn’t know if she could stay
away.

The police
cruiser returned the next morning during registration and sat, parked
ominously, underneath Robyn’s window once again.

After
a disturbed night where thoughts of both Kat and Andrew had plagued her dreams,
Robyn’s morning flew.  Year seven made their own indicators from fruit
teas, red cabbage, and various berries that she had picked up from the
supermarket; then tested their concoctions with weak acid and alkali to see any
colour changes.  Year thirteen kept her busy and awake with the difficult
concept of lattice enthalpy.  The idea that you needed energy to make or
break a chemical lattice was not the problem.  It was the complex way that
you needed to go about working out the value of that energy that stumped them.

At
break, Robyn remained in her room, hiding.  She wasn’t ashamed to admit
the truth.  Afterwards, the Science Department had booked a special double
session with Year ten.  They were blocked off of the timetable to complete
some practical coursework and Robyn was doubly grateful that she didn’t have
her usual free period.  She neither wanted to sit and think about Kat’s
predicament nor
get
cornered by the police officers in
front of the other staff.

By
the end of the day, she had spoken to no-one over the age of eighteen and had
managed to think of Kat as little as possible.  She couldn’t say the same
for thoughts about Andrew.

Thursday morning
saw her arriving for work uncharacteristically early.  Wanting to avoid
other staff, she had come in early to descend to the staffroom and grab her
mail before others arrived.

Heading
back up the stairs, the building was so quiet that she was shocked when her
hand touched someone else’s on the bannister.  Snapping her head up, Robyn
saw the dark, hate-filled eyes of Derek Ellis.  He
stood,
statue still, on the step above her.  She couldn’t even detect his
breathing as he stared down, knowing that his presence alone was enough to make
her nervous.

Robyn
snatched her hand back as if burned and didn’t know what to do.  Derek
just kept staring at her like a lifeless mannequin.  His stillness was
more nerve racking than his usual obvious hatred.  She still didn’t know
why the man had such a strong negative reaction to her, but he was not someone
she should attempt to reason with.

Tightening
her grip on her paperwork, Robyn stepped to the side, expecting Derek to move
and block her way.  He didn’t.  Instead, he stayed deathly still as she
slowly stepped up and around him.  When she stepped onto the same stair as
Derek, she held her breath expecting a reaction, but still he didn’t
move.  Taking the next step to get away before making a run for it, Robyn
worried that Derek’s changing tactics could only mean further enhancement of
his bullying.

Unsettled,
she dumped her paperwork onto her desk when she got back to her classroom and
slumped onto her stool.  The sun streamed in the windows but did nothing
to thaw the ice in her veins.  Derek had left her feeling cold and she no
longer had Kat for support.

Sighing,
Robyn picked up the papers she had grabbed from her pigeon hole and began
reading.  Memos about auditions for the forthcoming production and the
next non-uniform day were on the top and she put them to one side, the next
memo was personal.

The
sharp black words swarmed and rose off of the page as she read the hand written
note.  Robyn’s mouth hung open.  It was a half-page sheet from the
office, signed by the Head Teacher, demanding a meeting straight after the
final bell of school, today.  She must not be late and she could bring
union representation if she so wished.

It
was the mention of union representation that stuck out.  If Robyn needed
her union, then it couldn’t be good news.  She had pushed the Head too far
and was about to be dismissed.

While
teachers held a great deal of protection in their posts due to contracts,
unions and employment law, Robyn was in a different position from most. 
The clear sequence that must be adhered to in order to remove a member of staff
didn’t need to be followed in her case.  Whereas for most, only gross
misconduct could ensure a swift dismissal, Robyn was not a fully qualified
teacher and therefore didn’t have the same protection as she would after she
fully qualified.  Not only was this her first year of teaching, but the
post was temporary.  Temporary positions were normal for new teachers as
schools protected themselves from hiring hopeless individuals.  It was, in
most cases, a formality.  As the Head had told her the day he had hired
her, ‘It was her job to lose’.  Robyn didn’t need to be dismissed. 
All the Head needed to do to get rid of her was to not make her contract
permanent.

Looking
at the typed memo, the precarious position Robyn was in became clear. 
With only part of a year in post and no permanent contract offered, she would
struggle to find another position in teaching and her CV, through little fault
of her own
, was already a mess.  Firing her or not
giving her a contract would not only jeopardise her career in teaching, but as
this was a last ditch attempt to get her high aspirations back on track after
the last few years, it could ruin her life entirely.

Shocked
to the core, Robyn taught her lessons in a daze.  During her free period,
she made sure that all of her books were marked up to date according to the
department’s guidelines and she tidied up the noticeboards.  She wasn’t
going to give them any ammunition, because she really loved her job. 
Aside from all the politics and gossip, the pupils were great.  She
enjoyed seeing their enthusiasm when they did practical work.  She was
thrilled when their faces lit up when they finally understood something that
had been giving them difficulty.  It gave her immense satisfaction to know
that, at the end of the day, each pupil left her room knowing something new.

This
was her career and whole life they were messing with, but Robyn couldn’t see
what she could do.  She couldn’t involve her union representative, as a
firm friend of Derek’s he would hardly sit in her corner, and there was no-one
else to turn to.

When
the bell rang to signify the end of the day, Robyn grabbed her keys and locked
the door on her way out.  Breathing deeply, carrying the same feeling of
dread that had hung over her all day, she walked down the corridor to the
office.

Mrs
Young opened the door at her knock.  The secretary smiled and stood
self-satisfied as she stepped back and indicated a chair next to the door to
the Head’s office.  There was clearly very little that went on at the
school that she didn’t know about.

Robyn
held her hands firmly in her lap to stop the shakes and sat with her ankles
crossed under the chair.  The office was silent as the three occupants
made no effort to hide their curiosity and had stopped all work.  With all
eyes on her, Robyn couldn’t stop her feet from bouncing up and down under the
chair in nervous anticipation.  She just wanted to get this over
with.  In fact, if she could have avoided the whole meeting, she would
have just cleared out her desk and run out of the back door.

The
handle of the Head Teacher’s door turned slowly downwards.  The slight
squeak of the metal handle swivelling on its axis caught Robyn’s
attention.  She was about to face her destiny.

The
door had a half glass panel, but it was obscured.  The lights in the
secretary’s office were bright but those in the Head Teacher’s office were
dark.  Robyn could only make out the shadow of a figure standing on the
other side of the glass.

‘Here
we go,’ she thought.

The
door opened silently, as Robyn’s heart pounded and her stomach fluttered, but
it was not the Head who emerged.  Black suit, dark shirt, no tie, collar
unbuttoned, Andrew walked casually out of the office.  He looked down but
he did not stare as he passed.  In his wake he left a trail of earthy,
spicy scent.

It
took Robyn a minute to realize that the Head was stood in the doorway, waiting
for her to enter.  She rose from her seat and walked tentatively in. 

The
office was large with one oversized desk surrounded by several chairs.  It
was easy to envisage larger meetings taking place around the desk.  The
desktop was immaculately clean holding just a laptop, small tray with water jug
and glasses, and a single folder.

Robyn
sat, as instructed, in one of the chairs facing the Head and noticed that the
folder had her name on it.

The
Head settled into his luxury padded chair and leaned back comfortably whilst
Robyn perched on the smaller, chrome framed, chair that he had indicated.

“Are
you bringing a union rep with you?” David Rowe looked at her down his sharp
nose.

“No,
I didn’t think it would help.” She didn’t want to sound defeated so said her
words precisely and breathed deeply.  She would not give away her panic.

The
Head leaned forwards and rested his elbows on the table either side of the
folder.

“Well,
I don’t think you need one, now.”  He opened the folder to reveal the CV
and cover letter Robyn had submitted to apply for the job in the first place.

She
sat in silence as he picked through her application, a spread sheet with data
on it, that she couldn’t work out from her position, and some hand written
pages.

“Well,
what a pickle we appear to be in, Miss Darrow.”  He leaned back in his
chair and undid the button of his dark grey suit.  He was wearing a white
shirt, neatly pressed and his dark tie was attached to the shirt with an
expensive looking gold tie bar. “You have caused a lot of distress in the last
few days, young lady.”  The head had an air of authority that he carried
easily, but he always looked weary, gaunt, because of the dark patches around
his eyes.  Robyn felt a small wave of guilt for adding to his obvious
burden.

“I
have some stats here, from your Head of Department that show your pupils are
doing very well under your tutelage and that your books are always marked up to
date, with pupil’s knowing exactly what they need to do to improve.”  He
picked out the data sheet from the folder and waved it. “I have testimonials,
from pupils of both school and sixth form, stating that they enjoy your lessons
and they like the new ways you find to teach the subject.  I even have
pupils expressing interest in further study, as long as you are teaching the
course.  It seems that you are, in fact, achieving the goal I set for you
at the beginning of the year.” He waved the hand written papers before
returning them to the file. “And now, I have a well-liked and respected member
of staff, whose opinion I value greatly, coming to tell me that you are a
valuable member of our school and we would be foolish to lose you.”

Shocked,
Robyn didn’t know if she was supposed to reply because her brain couldn’t
focus.  Andrew had been so angry when he left her standing on the
grass.  He couldn’t get away from her fast enough.  Yet he’d come in
here today to speak for her.
 
And how was
he such a highly respected member of staff when he’d only been there for two
months?
 
Okay he headed his own
department, but damn it, she’d been there for triple the time he had and the
Head clearly didn’t class her as highly respected or she wouldn’t be sat where
she was now.
 
Robyn warred with her inner
anger as the Head continued.

“I
have to admit, yesterday, I was not happy.  But, I may have been too hasty
in summoning you here.  Mr
Obursen
informs me
that you and Miss Harris were close and that her leaving has affected you
personally.  That is why I am going to let the incident on Monday
go.  I will put it down to shock at the news.  The police being
called in, I fear, was a little over the top, but as they informed me, they
have to follow up on a report and they kept their disruption down to a
minimum.” He shut the folder and looked at Robyn directly “There is no doubt
that you are a competent and well liked teacher, but you need to act more
professionally.  Do you understand?”

“Um,
yes, Sir” She responded quickly.

“The
police have found nothing untoward in Miss Harris’s leaving us.  I am
certain that their enquiries will discover that Katherine left of her own
volition.  I would appreciate it if you could keep your opinions on the
matter to yourself.  The
staff here do
not need
any more fuel for their gossip and I wouldn’t want to alarm any of the
pupils.  Do you understand?”

“Yes.”

“I’m
certain that the police will contact you with the same opinion, as soon as they
finish their investigation.  I would like your assurance that this will be
the end of the matter.”  He leaned forwards and stared.

“Yes, absolutely.”

“I
wouldn’t want to have to summon you again Miss Darrow.  Let this be both a
lesson and a warning to you.  Do I make myself clear?”  With that
final threat he stood up and held out his hand.  The meeting was
over.  Robyn didn’t miss the warning and shook his hand.

“Yes
Sir.” She left. 

Stunned,
Robyn walked down the corridor to her room and sat at her desk.  Staring
out of the windows onto the little garden out the back, she replayed the
conversation over and over in her head and every time came to the same
conclusion; Andrew had just saved her career.
 
The anger that had brewed at the thought of his apparent friendliness
with the Head had dissipated.
 
Now all
Robyn was left with was gratitude.