He took off his jacket, folded it and placed it on Mrs Vicks’ desk before casually propping himself up on the edge of it. He looked round the two rows of faces – blondes, brunettes, auburn-haired teenagers, all devoid of makeup, with Alice bands and slides, freckles and glasses and open textbooks in front of them. He knew what he was doing as he glanced from one to the next, all the while his mind picturing Amy Fulford as the girl from the missing desk.
‘Which one of you is Serena Newman?’
They were very nervous, glancing sideways without moving their heads. Sitting in the back row, Serena put up her hand.
‘Stand up please.’
Serena stood up, chewing at her lips. He smiled to put her at ease and asked her to come to the front as she was very important, and then to tell the class exactly what happened on the Saturday when she was with Amy. He knew already, but wanted to watch the girls’ reactions.
Serena was a very attractive girl, not in the same league as Amy, but she was quite confident as she asked if he wanted her to start from when they were both collected from school that day.
‘Please explain in detail everything that you remember from driving out of the gates here to your home. The smallest detail might be significant. Let me give you an example: was Amy chatty and friendly, knowing she was going to be spending the weekend, a sleepover with you – right? That’s what you call it, a sleepover…?’
‘Yes, and we had arranged it for quite a while, and when we got home-’
‘Hang on, hang on – was she wearing her school uniform, what was she carrying, an overnight bag, a satchel? Come on, Serena, start from the top again. I want you to think like a detective having to recall every single detail.’
‘Okay, we both had uniforms on, but not our hats, and she had an overnight bag, with her nightdress and change of clothes.’
Reid nodded encouragingly as she continued, even describing what CD they asked Mrs Newman to play in the car, and how they had sung along together. The girls were attentive, and he watched as Serena got into her stride, almost as if she was enjoying being the centre of attention. Slowly he began to monitor their reactions. After a while a couple leaned their elbows on their desks, chins held in their hands, and not one appeared bored or even restless. They listened intently as Serena explained about going to the cinema, but Amy had said she wanted to get her watch from her father’s flat, and that she would meet her later.
Serena paused and turned to Reid. ‘I waited most of the afternoon at home after I washed my hair, but when Amy finally texted me that she wasn’t going to come to the cinema I called some of my friends from my old school and they said they could come. Afterwards we had a hamburger and fries and when I got home I called Amy’s mobile again but it was on voicemail. I think my mum called her mum, but no one answered at her house. I came back to school on the Sunday and I brought her overnight bag with me as it had her school clothes in it.’
Reid nodded and she was about to return to her desk when he put out a hand. ‘Serena was one of the last people we know to have seen Amy since she left her house in Fulham on the Saturday. Since then not one person, not one single person has seen Amy Fulford. It is as if she disappeared into thin air, so now-’ A red-haired girl put up her hand.
‘Yes, Miss…?’
‘Allard, Georgina Allard. I know that Amy’s watch was from Cartier and it was engraved with her name and she was given it for her birthday by her mother.’
Reid clapped his hands. ‘Terrific, good girl – that is a very valuable piece of information. So how do you know about her watch?’
‘She showed it to me; she didn’t have a birthday party because she was away abroad with her mother. Amy said it was extra-special because it was a Cartier and very expensive.’
‘Anyone else have such an expensive watch?’
There was a murmur as several girls said they hadn’t got Cartier watches but a couple admitted they had very nice ones. He asked if anyone felt that Amy was showing off, and there were shrugs and more murmurs and then the same red-haired girl said that her sister had one and it had diamonds. It was taking time, but he was encouraging the girls to be more open about how they felt towards Amy and now they freely looked to each other, whispered and hid behind their hands. They no longer sat prudishly behind their desks, but swung their legs to the side, leaning back and forth to confer with each other. Amy was always top of the class, Amy was always chosen first when picking sports teams and was in the hockey, netball and water polo teams and she had even been given the best roles in their plays at the end of each term. The green-eyed monster of envy reared its head as one after another related an anecdote about the missing girl. It was if they had forgotten the reason he was there as he encouraged them and laughed. By now Serena had returned to her desk and sat on top of it, knees drawn up. She was obviously a class leader and prompted a number of the girls to recall some incident or other that was derogatory about Amy.
Reid was surprised that Mrs Vicks remained silent, though he could see that she was frowning in disapproval. He gestured towards Serena, remarking that although she’d invited Amy for a sleepover he wondered if Serena didn’t really like her. She flushed, which made her look even prettier, and gave a pursed-lipped look to the rest of the girls. ‘Nobody particularly likes her and I am speaking the truth. She is a liar and very secretive; we are not supposed to have our mobile phones after nine o’clock – we have to put them in the phone box, it’s a house rule, but she is always using hers even after lights out.’
‘Does she have a boyfriend?’
There was a snigger and the girls covered their mouths as one or two guffawed, but when Mrs Vicks tutted they went quiet. Reid felt he had been patient long enough and now his friendly act dropped.
‘Listen to me. Amy Fulford has been missing for six days and nights, we have found no trace of her and her parents are desperate for news. If any of you know of a boyfriend, or someone she was in contact with, now is your chance to tell me. I don’t care if you liked or disliked her, I am not interested whether you were envious of her, but if you know anything that can help me find her I need to know now. It will not go against you and I will endeavour to keep any secrets you’ve not dared tell anyone.’
They stared back at him, and it was not just frustrating but actually infuriating. Serena got down from her desktop and sat behind it. Reid was shocked as she banged the lid of her desk, and within seconds a couple of the other girls started lifting their desk lids and banging them shut. Mrs Vicks clapped her hands and they quickly returned to sitting quietly like sweet innocent girls. Reid picked up his jacket, and before Mrs Vicks could say anything he gestured for her to come outside the classroom.
In the corridor Reid put on his jacket. ‘Mrs Vicks, I think one or other of Amy’s classmates knows something that might help me to trace her, but they are either refusing to admit it or afraid to tell me.’
‘I sincerely doubt that; they are all very good girls and from very good homes. Perhaps the only thing they may be withholding is that Amy Fulford was a very quiet difficult girl to get to know; she was exceptionally clever and at times it felt as if she was much older.’
‘You are using the past tense, Mrs Vicks.’
Her plump hands flew to her cheeks. ‘Oh my God. I didn’t mean to do that. I am so sorry.’
‘So am I, Mrs Vicks, because if we discover that any of the girls are withholding information and haven’t spoken up this morning, there will be serious consequences.’