Killing Rachel (25 page)

She headed for Mrs Abbott’s rooms. It was as if she was a student again, used to going back and forth, the school a kind of second family home for her. She thought of Anna who was due back in Belsize Park later that day. She wondered if, after their respective weekends away, they might have a coffee in the kitchen. She felt better and better about this because, if they really were on the way to finding out the truth, then Anna would regret the comments she made about Brendan.

Maybe things would take a turn for the better.

Coming up to Mrs Abbott’s room she felt her mood falter. Rachel Bliss’s suicide had still happened. A girl’s life was over.

WPC Lauren Clarke was in Mrs Abbott’s conference room again.

‘Rose, thank you for waiting to see me,’ she said briskly, as if she too was in a hurry. ‘I must say you seem to have an ability to find things out. Have you ever thought of joining the police?’

‘No.’

‘You should. There are a number of good graduate courses . . .’

Rose pulled the black wig out of her pocket and laid it on the table. Lauren Clarke fished out a plastic bag and placed the wig inside it.

‘Thank you.’

‘I’ve spoken to Tania Miller. She said it was Tim Baker’s idea to try and frighten Rachel . . .’

‘I thought I was asking the questions?’ Lauren Clarke said, a thin smile on her face.

‘I was here. I saw her out of class on her own. It was too good an opportunity to miss. She also told me that she and Tim were up at the boathouse on Monday night when Rachel found them together . . .’

Lauren Clarke looked irritated but Rose carried on.

‘Tim Baker had a key from when his father worked here and they used the boathouse. Apparently when Rachel was his girlfriend they went there as well.’

‘Thank you, Rose. We’ll be able to ascertain those details when
we
continue with
our
enquiries.’

Rose tutted out loud. The policewoman’s words irritated her. She was reminded of the times she had heard similar phrases:
We are following up our enquiries
.
Enquiries are taking place
.
Our enquiries are ongoing
.

‘You have an attitude, Rose, if you don’t mind me saying.’

‘If I do it’s because I’ve spoken to police officers like yourself many times. Whenever I asked them about my mother I never got a straight answer. And I don’t know what’s worse,’ Rose said, her thoughts coming straight out, as if this woman represented every police officer she’d ever spoken to. ‘Whether they’re just covering up what they do know – in other words, lying – or whether they genuinely haven’t got a clue.’

Lauren Clarke was looking at her with concern now.

‘I spoke to Tania Miller because I didn’t want to wait and ask you what she’d said and be fobbed off with,
We are following up our enquiries.
’

‘I see. Is that what happened on Saturday? Did I fob you off then?’

‘No, but I had to work hard to get some answers.’

‘OK, let’s stop this. You have done me a service even though we frown on members of the public doing things for themselves but I appreciate that as soon as you got your information you passed it straight on to me. Now I will share some information with you on the basis that it is confidential.’

‘Of course,’ Rose said, as nicely as she could.

‘And as a point of fact Tim Baker told me that he and his girlfriend were in the boathouse when Rachel found them. This you already know. The new information is that Tim Baker has a very particular reason for not liking Rachel. He blames his sister’s suicide on her.’

‘I know . . .’

Lauren Clarke put one finger in the air to silence Rose.

‘It appears that Tim Baker was helping to clear out his sister’s room in the summer and he found a notebook, a kind of ad hoc diary that Juliet had kept. She had written down things that Rachel Bliss had said about her father who had lost his job at the school. He was gardener here for seven months, then he was made redundant. Apparently Rachel had suggested to Juliet that her father had been dismissed because he’d touched one of the girls inappropriately. Sexual misconduct. It’s not true, of course. I checked with Mrs Abbott. But Juliet believed it.’

Rose blew through her teeth. What had been wrong with Rachel Bliss? Why had she told so many lies? Possibly it had been to put her at the centre of any drama; make it seem as though she knew everything there was to know. And it wouldn’t have mattered a jot if it hadn’t always been at the cost of other people.

‘The second thing I’ve learned is from the autopsy report. It’s been confirmed that Rachel did have high levels of alcohol in her blood. I mentioned this to you the other day. It’s also been confirmed – and this bit I didn’t tell you – that Rachel had a head injury.’

‘Oh? Someone hit her?’

Rose was startled by this information. All the times that she had thought about this she had never considered the possibility that someone had deliberately
killed
Rachel.

‘Not necessarily. A blow to the head could have been caused by a weapon or an accident. She was found near the jetty. Let’s suppose that she did, in fact, fall off the jetty. She could have hit her head on the edge of the walkway and then went into the water. Or someone could have hit her with an object. A bottle perhaps. It appears from the autopsy that it wasn’t the blow that killed her. She certainly drowned but the injury may have meant that, along with the alcohol, she was in no fit state to swim or catch hold of the steps up to the jetty and help herself in any way.’

‘Maybe Tim Baker . . . Maybe after Tania went back to school he hung around and found Rachel with the vodka. Maybe he took the bottle from her and hit her with it.’

Rose found herself stirred up. It made sense. It was also an appealing idea that the vile Tim Baker might have been responsible for Rachel’s death.

‘He denies it. He told me about seeing Rachel on Monday night as soon as I saw him. He gave me a full account and insists that once she left the boathouse he went off to his car and he never set eyes on her again.’

‘He hated Rachel!’

‘I know. I’ll be interviewing him again and Tania and, who knows, maybe their explanation might change. And don’t forget – when all is said and done it could have been just an accident.’

Rose sat back. She felt tired; the previous night was weighing on her. The euphoria she had felt at the cottage and on the drive back to school had faded.

‘But thank you for your help. Your intervention made a number of things clearer which was why I suggested that you should think of a career in the police. Your mother thought it a good profession.’

‘It was because my mother was in the police that I lost her. And my stepdad.’

‘Brendan Johnson.’

Rose nodded.

‘Did you know, by the way, that Rachel Bliss had done a lot of research about your mother and her partner? There are files full of stuff about it on her laptop.’

Rose nodded. ‘When we were first friends she was fascinated by it.’

‘Yes, she did some then, but she also spent a lot of time six months ago revisiting the case. As if she’d had a renewed interest. I wonder why that was?’

Rose didn’t answer. She remembered Rachel coming up to her in the quad after an exam and announcing that she’d seen Rose’s mother on the pier at Cromer. Even now it gave her a soft ache in her chest. Rachel using every lie that she could to draw Rose in. Now all that was left of Rachel was her virtual footsteps, wandering from website to website. She would tell no more lies to anyone.

‘Her research filled me in on the details of the case.’

‘Wasn’t it on police files?’

‘I looked on Saturday after we spoke but the information is classified. They must have been important people, Rose. If files are classified it means that they have had the highest attention so you needn’t worry that your mother and stepfather have been forgotten about.’

Classified files. Hidden away. Only for certain people’s eyes.

‘Anyway, I’ll let you get on your way. Do have a safe journey to London.’

Rose stood up. ‘Thanks. Sorry if I was a bit . . .’

‘Of a pain?’

‘Thanks, anyway.’

‘My pleasure. Look after yourself, Rose.’

Mrs Abbott was waiting outside. The head teacher had an anxious look on her face. She ushered Rose into her office.

‘I heard you stayed an extra night, Rose. I hope your friend has recovered from his fall?’

Rose had to think for a moment. Then she remembered the story she had told Martha Harewood.

‘Yes, yes. I appreciate you allowing me to stay. And my friend.’

‘I have something for you. Mr and Mrs Bliss passed it on to me. They found it among Rachel’s things.’

Mrs Abbott held out a large padded envelope. It was A4 size. Rose took it. On the front was her name and her address in Belsize Park. It was in Rachel’s handwriting. There were several stamps on it.

‘I imagine that Rachel intended to post it to you. She didn’t but it is addressed to you and Mr and Mrs Bliss especially wanted you to have it.’

‘Thank you.’

‘You’re off back to London now?’

‘Yes. Thanks again for letting me stay.’

‘It’s been a terrible time. You must come back some time for a visit when things are calm. You know, Rose, you were an unhappy girl when you arrived here. With good reason, of course. I do hope we were able to help you in some small way.’

Rose suddenly felt tearful. Of course they had helped. They had been a sort of family for her when she had none. They had given her warmth and affection and support when she needed it most. She wanted to say this to Mrs Abbott but didn’t trust herself to speak. Instead she nodded tightly, embarrassed at her emotions.

‘Good! Take care on the roads, especially as it gets dark.’

Closing the door to Mrs Abbott’s room, she tucked the envelope under her arm and headed to find Joshua at the reception area.

TWENTY-SIX

Rose and Joshua carried their bags out to the car. It was almost two o’clock. The day had disappeared and they still had the long drive ahead of them. As they were packing their things in the back, Rose saw Amanda heading towards her.

‘Are you off?’ Amanda said.

‘Yes.’

‘I just saw Tania. She says that the police have interviewed Tim Baker. She says that someone hit Rachel on the head with a bottle and that the police were asking Tim about it!’

‘I did hear something about it but it’s not certain. It could have been an accident,’ Rose said weakly, not wanting to give too much away. ‘However, it appears Tim Baker is not a nice person. No doubt he’ll finish with Tania, then he’ll be looking for someone new. Make sure it’s no one you know.’

A couple of other girls were heading in their direction. They called out to Rose and Amanda.

‘You coming, Rose?’ Joshua said politely.

‘You could introduce me, Rose.’

Amanda looked at Joshua with open admiration. Rose flinched.

‘This is my . . . my friend Josh.’

Amanda said. ‘Are you at uni?’

Joshua nodded. ‘Engineering, Queen Mary College.’

‘I might apply for London University. I hear the nightlife is very good there.’

Rose interrupted. ‘Where’s Molly? I was a bit short with her before.’

‘I haven’t seen her all day. She wasn’t in French or History. Good news is her mother’s picking her up today.’

The other girls reached them. It was Moira and Sandy, two girls who Rose had spent a bit of time with. They both had silly looks on their faces, glancing back and forth at Joshua.

‘Have you seen Molly?’ Amanda said to them.

‘I saw her about half an hour ago, just after lunch. She was heading off to the lake. Not sure why she’s going there unless it’s the Rachel thing again.’

The Rachel thing. Is that how it will end up?
Rose wondered. Those words,
the Rachel thing
, would cover the events of the last week. A young girl’s body being dragged out of the water of the school lake. A pale corpse lying on the jetty while the groundsman and gardener tried to resuscitate her. An unhappy girl who spread her misery among other people. Now she was gone and it would all be remembered as
the Rachel thing
.

‘Shall we make a move?’ Joshua called.

‘See you, girls.’

Each of them stepped forward to give Rose a kiss. Embarrassed by their show of friendliness, Rose held her cheek out.

‘Remember what I said about Tim Baker,’ she shouted, getting into the car and pulling on her seat belt.

Joshua reversed and then they moved away from the school building and went slowly along the winding driveway, going over speed humps, pausing to let some students pass in front of them. A few metres on Rose looked round and the girls had gone. She turned back and saw, over to her left, the lake and the boathouse. Molly had gone there, one of the girls said. She remembered how brusque she had been with her. It made her feel awful. Molly had been the only person who seemed to care about Rachel’s death. Molly, who had lost a friend. Why on earth hadn’t Rose been a bit softer with her, given her a few extra minutes of her time?