‘At Tom’s?’ He was all ears.
And Jem was doing what she did best, sharing inside information. ‘Fortiman House, where he lives. Didn’t anyone tell you? Every Saturday we go to his studio and join a group of professional artists he knows. It’s so cool. You can see the studio on his website if you want.’
‘He has his own website?’
‘He’s an artist, so it’s how he sells his work. In the studio — which is awesome — we get to see what his artist friends are doing and join in. They’re so creative and they don’t seem to mind us being there.’
‘Where’s this?’
‘Out Boxgrove way. I take my car and some of the others come with me. Anyway, I was telling you about Mel. She’s a law unto herself, the only one who ever wanted to talk about the Gibbon. She told us she was missing and her picture was online and we found it on our smartphones. But none of us dreamed Mel would go to the police. Did she find out something she didn’t tell us?’
‘Doesn’t seem likely,’ he said. ‘She came to us for news, out of concern. What happens at these sessions at the house?’
‘Art. I mean real, kosher art. It’s a lot better than school. The first time there were only three of us: me, Ella and Naseem, but now anyone from our class can go. Sometimes there’s a model and sometimes it’s still life or we do landscape and stuff in the grounds. The garden is really big.’
‘And Tom owns all this?’
A shake of the head. ‘His dad Ferdie is the owner. He has a business growing orchids.’ She laughed. ‘The first time we mistook him for the gardener.’
‘Does Mel enjoy going there as much as the rest of you?’
‘She wouldn’t come if she didn’t. It’s not compulsory. Secretly she may be shocked by some of the artists. She’s working class and hasn’t been about like most of us. They’re a bit kooky, some of them, but what do you expect? And she hasn’t had to draw a nude model like we did the first week. When I say a model, I mean a man.’
‘You don’t get that at school.’
‘Oh my God, no. The head would have a blue fit. She doesn’t know about the life drawing and we’re not telling her.’
‘When you say some of them are kooky, what do you mean exactly?’
‘A bit kooky. They’re not, like, out of their heads. They’re artists, about ten of them, all ages. One is Charcoal Charlotte and by the end of the session she looks like she’s been down a mine. There’s a vicar they call the Bish and a creepy guy with starey eyes who paints with knives. Get the picture?’
‘You’re doing well.’
‘It’s a good laugh actually. Ella could tell you more.’
‘Who’s Ella? You mentioned her just now.’
‘My best mate. She’s a goth and she’s up for anything.’
‘Another friend of Mel’s, then?’
‘Sure.’
‘Is Ella in today?’
‘She is, but she’s not at her best. She had yesterday off school and she’s not saying why.’
‘But you know?’
Her small mouth twitched into a smile.
‘You have your suspicions?’
‘I’m not grassing on my best friend.’
It’s a little late for that, he thought. ‘Is Ella likely to open up with me?’
‘With a cop? No way.’
21
Georgina, white-faced and shaking, said she needed a strong coffee, so they found their way to the canteen, known in this aspiring school as the dining room.
‘That woman! You could have warned me.’
‘I thought I did,’ Diamond said. ‘Was it hard work?’
‘Extremely.’
‘Did you tell her your theory, about Miss Gibbon seducing the girl?’
‘Please.’ There was a prim intake of breath. ‘There are children in this school.’
He was tempted, but he made no comment.
Georgina glanced about her and decided it was safe to continue. ‘Yes, I was very frank and she hadn’t even heard me out before she was telling me I had a mind like a sewer and how dare I sully the reputation of the school she’d worked so hard to lift to new levels.’
‘What did you say to that?’
‘To be truthful, Peter, one of my red mists came up and I’m not sure what I did say. I meant to remind her of that biblical text that says that if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us, but it may have come out as something more personal.’
‘I bet you gave back as good as you got.’
‘She treated me as if I was one of her pupils, and I wasn’t having it.’
‘Good for you. Did anything useful come out of it?’
‘Not really. I was hoping she’d say more about Miss Gibbon and her sexuality, but she refused to discuss her. I suppose it’s understandable. A teacher who takes advantage of her position doesn’t reflect well on the school. I think the phrase you used about Miss Du Barry was that she’s well-guarded, and I can endorse that now.’
‘Most head teachers are.’
Georgina puffed out her chest. ‘People in positions of trust need to be discreet. I — of all people — can appreciate that. We’re privy to sensitive information. However, as one top woman speaking to another, I felt entitled to a frank exchange and I didn’t get it.’
‘Disappointing.’
‘Very.’
‘But you didn’t have much to exchange.’
She shot him a fierce look. ‘You’d better explain yourself.’
‘Well, if you don’t mind me saying so, your information isn’t of much interest to Miss Du Barry. You need to trade something.’
‘And, what, precisely, do you have in mind?’
‘She thinks she knows everything that goes on in her school. She doesn’t. It’s not possible. Next time, you must go in armed with that bit of inside knowledge.’
‘Do we have any?’
‘We will. We only just arrived here.’
She seemed to understand. ‘You may be right, Peter. I was so persuaded by my own theory that I failed to see how she would take it.’ She ran her fingertip thoughtfully round the rim of her cup. ‘At least I got rid of some of my pent-up frustration. Perhaps you noticed I haven’t been functioning at my best.’
‘Haven’t you?’
‘This fiasco with the head is an example.’
He sensed an embarrassing heart-to-heart coming on. ‘Maybe you need a round of golf.’
‘That isn’t likely now,’ she said after a wistful sigh. ‘I rather expected I’d see more of Commander Hahn while we were here, but since that first moonlit walk along West Wittering beach he hasn’t got in touch.’
For crying out loud, he thought, she’s still smitten with Archie Hahn.
He had a clear memory of the note he’d found among the Rigden papers: Did all the right things, learned the drill, kept her buttons and shoes clean and never rocked the boat... Doesn’t have a subversive thought in her head. He could have told Georgina she wouldn’t be hearing much more from her old college friend. Good thing, too. What a toe rag. If — heaven forbid — anything more damaging should emerge, we can rely on her to miss it altogether... But this was one bit of knowledge she wasn’t going to get, not directly. Against all usual practice, Diamond felt an urge to comfort and protect his boss. It didn’t amount to putting an arm around her shoulders, but it was sincere.
The decent thing was to let her down gradually. ‘I’ve been frustrated, too.’
‘Really?’
‘I get the feeling we’ve been dealt a losing hand.’
‘How do you mean?’
‘All these missing people. It would suit everyone down here if they stayed missing.’ He’d discussed this with Hen, not yet with Georgina.