Now the dogs were dead, or taken, and Anna would likely be in hospital for some time. The kennels would close for the foreseeable future.
Rose could do nothing more.
The police woman who drove her home was called Liz. She stood no taller than Rose, but had big arms and the look of a woman who wouldn’t flinch from a man twice her size. She made Rose feel weedy and pathetic by comparison. She wondered if the men would have been able to hurt the dogs if Liz had been their guardian, instead of her.
‘It’s not far,’ Rose told her. ‘I could easily walk.’
‘Absolutely not,’ said Liz. ‘I can’t let you walk around the streets alone in your state. You’re in shock. You need to go home and rest. And you need to take care of yourself and stay safe.’
Rose nodded numbly. Safe. She had thought that the dogs were safe in their kennels. She couldn’t have been more wrong. ‘Do you think those men might come back?’ she asked. ‘Or come looking for me? I don’t think they meant me any harm, or even Anna really. She just got in their way. If they’d wanted to hurt me, they could have done it back at the kennels.’
‘At this stage we don’t know what they meant to do, or what their motives were. I think you’ll be safe enough at home, but you should be on the lookout for anything unusual, and don’t hesitate to call us if you have any concerns.’
Rose nodded. Liz had given her the number of Victim Support, and said that someone would call in the next day or so, to see if she needed any help in coming to terms with the attack. Apparently people could suffer delayed shock and need support later, even if they felt okay at the time.
Rose didn’t feel okay. She didn’t feel anything.
She’d grown up on the streets of South London, and thought she knew how to take care of herself. She’d seen knife attacks and muggings take place in broad daylight. But never had she experienced anything like this.
She was barely aware of the journey home, but suddenly they were outside her house in West Field Terrace. Liz pulled over and neatly maneuvered the patrol car into a tight spot between a rusty Ford Fiesta and a waste skip that had been left on the road. ‘Come on,’ said Liz. ‘I’ll come inside with you and explain to your parents what happened.’
‘Okay,’ said Rose. She was glad that Liz had brought her home. She was like a breath of calm in a storm. ‘Thanks for everything.’
Liz gave her a reassuring smile. The police woman’s tough exterior melted briefly and Rose caught a glimpse of something softer inside. But Liz didn’t let her soft side show for long. ‘Just part of the job,’ she said.
When Rose got out of the car, she was surprised to find Vijay Singh waiting by the front gate, with Drake Cooper of all people. Vijay was standing tall and seemed to be in charge. Drake’s usual swagger had all but drained away.
‘We were looking for you,’ said Vijay. ‘Something bad’s happened.’
Rose looked at him in confusion. ‘You mean at the kennels?’
‘No,’ said Vijay. ‘At school, on Friday.’ He seemed to suddenly notice Rose’s dishevelled appearance, and the fact that she was being escorted by a police officer. ‘Are you in some kind of trouble?’ he asked.
Liz joined her then. ‘You’ll have to wait, I’m afraid, boys. Rose has been involved in a serious incident and needs to rest.’ She took hold of Rose’s arm and walked her up to her front door.
‘Oh my God,’ said Drake. ‘Did someone try to eat her?’
Vijay elbowed him into silence.
‘What did you say?’ demanded Liz.
‘Nothing.’
Rose stared at him. ‘What did you mean when you said that something bad had happened at school?’
‘Nothing,’ repeated Drake. ‘We didn’t mean nothing.’
‘What happened to you two on Friday?’ asked Rose. ‘I didn’t see you after you went to the Headmaster’s office.’
‘I think you’d better come in and tell us all about it,’ said Liz.
Chapter Twenty-Five
As Liz had expected, Rose’s parents were horrified at what had happened, but Liz was experienced at calming people down. ‘Your daughter’s had a very frightening experience, but she hasn’t been harmed. In fact she’s coping extremely well, and I’m sure that she’ll be just fine in a day or two.’
In fact Rose had shown remarkable self-control under the circumstances, giving a detailed account of the incident, and helping the police understand exactly what had happened. She was clearly still in a state of shock, but Liz felt sure she’d quickly get over it. ‘What Rose needs now is some rest, and perhaps a couple of days at home. I’m sure the school will understand.’
Rose’s mother nodded, her face still pale. She was a match for Rose, her face like a round, freckled moon, her hair a mass of coppery curls. She had rallied quickly after the initial shock, and had set about that universal response of the British nation to every catastrophe – supplying everyone with a hot mug of tea.
Liz sipped hers now. Milk and two sugars, just how she liked it. She sat in the front room opposite Rose and her parents, Drake and Vijay sitting on the sofa at her side.
It always slightly awed Liz to see a functional family at work, with parents who acted like adults, and children who were so clearly loved. Her own family had been so very different, and so were many of the families that came to her attention through her work.
‘What will happen now?’ asked Rose’s father. ‘Will Rose need to give evidence?’
‘She’s already given us a detailed statement, including a good description of the men and their vehicles,’ said Liz. ‘She’s a very calm and collected young woman. There’s a good chance we’ll catch the men and recover the dogs safely too.’
‘If they’re still alive,’ said Drake.
Vijay elbowed him again, and Drake shut up.
‘And if they’re caught?’ continued Rose’s father. ‘Will Rose need to give evidence in court?’
‘It’s possible,’ said Liz. ‘Since she’s over fourteen, she would be required to give evidence under oath, but if she has any concerns, she can request to give video evidence, or by a live link to the court. From what I’ve seen of Rose, I don’t believe that she would have any problems giving evidence in person.’
Her father nodded.
‘Mr and Mrs Hallibury,’ said Liz, addressing herself to Rose’s parents. ‘Would you mind if I spoke to Vijay and Drake alone?’
‘Of course not,’ said her mother. She stood up to leave. ‘Rose, you come with us.’
‘If you don’t mind, I’d like Rose to stay too,’ interrupted Liz. ‘It’s possible she might be able to help.’
Concern registered on Mrs Hallibury’s face briefly, but then she nodded, and she and her husband left, pulling the door to the front room closed behind them.
Vijay and Drake sat huddled together on the sofa, looking anxiously around the room. Drake seemed to have developed a sudden strong interest in the picture hanging above the fireplace. The two boys made an unlikely pair. One a Sikh, sitting quietly, his clothes neat, his hair bound tightly in a turban, his glasses lending him a studious air. One fidgeting nervously, his jeans ripped, his light hair shorn close to his skull, the kind of boy Liz often encountered late at night, pretending to be tough, giving the police some cheek before running away.
She spoke to them gently. ‘Now boys, please tell me what you came to say to Rose.’
Vijay cleared his throat and opened his mouth, then closed it again.
Drake gazed at his shoes.
‘About what happened at school yesterday,’ Liz prompted.
The boys exchanged glances.
‘It’s going to sound really stupid,’ said Vijay at last. ‘Especially after what just happened to Rose.’
‘That doesn’t matter,’ said Liz. ‘Drake, you asked if someone had tried to eat Rose. Why?’
‘Because Mr Canning ate Ash,’ blurted Drake.
‘What?’ said Rose. She looked to Vijay for confirmation.
He nodded miserably. ‘It’s true, whether you believe it or not. We heard it.’
‘Heard it?’ asked Liz. ‘Okay, you’d better explain everything from the beginning. Who is Ash, and who is this Mr Canning?’
Vijay told most of the story, with Drake interrupting now and again with additional details.
After they had finished, Rose said, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me.’
‘It’s all true,’ said Drake. ‘Honest.’
‘Tell me again about the eyes,’ said Liz. That was the part of the story that had grabbed her attention. She remembered clearly the yellow film that had formed over PC David Morgan’s eyes in hospital. She had noticed the same yellow sheen in James’ eyes when she’d visited him. And both had spent a week in Intensive Care with a severe infection after being bitten. Too much of a coincidence to be casually dismissed, even if one had been bitten by a man and the other by a wolf.
‘His eyes were bright yellow,’ explained Vijay. ‘That’s how I knew. Everyone who got ill and came back, their eyes were always yellow. The same with Mr Canning. His eyes turned yellow just before he killed Ash.’
‘And you didn’t see anything of the attack, but you heard biting sounds?’
‘Yeah,’ said Drake. ‘We were waiting in the corridor right outside the office. Either one of us could have gone in first, instead of Ash.’ His face had turned white. ‘Biting, chewing, … it was gross. I was sick all over my shoes.’
Vijay nodded.
‘Tell me,’ said Liz. ‘You all go to Manor Road Secondary School, don’t you?
Rose nodded; the boys too.
‘Did you know a teacher called Mr Leigh?’
‘He taught us Geography,’ said Rose.
‘Yeah,’ said Drake, ‘Until he went mental and …’
‘Exactly,’ said Vijay. ‘Mr Leigh was the first. How do you know him?’
‘I was there on Halloween when he attacked the children,’ said Liz. ‘He bit a boy called James.’ She pictured the scene in her mind’s eye. The terrified children screaming for help, James holding onto the hilt of the kitchen knife like he was never letting go. And slumped in the doorway, looking for all the world like a meth head passed out in the gutter, Mr Leigh, Head of Geography at Manor Road. An inspirational teacher by all accounts.
‘Did he have yellow eyes too?’ asked Vijay.
Liz shook her head. ‘He had already lost consciousness when I arrived. His eyes were closed. But I’ve seen others … they all had yellow eyes.’
‘It’s some kind of disease, ain’t it?’ said Drake. ‘You gotta believe us now!’
‘Had Mr Canning been off school sick before this happened?’ she asked.
‘Yeah,’ said Drake. ‘He was away at the same time as Mr Leigh. He came back to school last week.’
Liz studied the boys’ faces carefully. Their story was fantastical, unbelievable. A cannibalistic headmaster. Yet they seemed sincere about it. And the yellow eyes tied in with what she had seen herself.
Circumstantial evidence, a lawyer would say to that. Unreliable witnesses too, and the case would be laughed out of court. They were probably just telling her what she wanted to hear. But after the so-called Ripper killings she couldn’t afford to dismiss their story out of hand.
‘Wait here a few minutes,’ she said. ‘I’m going to the car to make a call. Then I’ll be back.’
It didn’t take long for her to make the call. The call handler back at the station was quick to confirm that a boy called Ashley Brown had been reported missing by his father that morning. ‘It seems that when he didn’t come home from school yesterday, his parents just assumed that he was out with friends, or at a sleepover,’ the man told her. Liz could practically hear him rolling his eyes in derision.
‘Didn’t they think of calling him?’ asked Liz.
‘His phone was turned off. Apparently that didn’t overly concern them. Anyway, when he still hadn’t returned this morning, they decided to call us. So far that’s all we know. You got anything to report?’
‘Not yet,’ said Liz. ‘I’ll let you know if I find anything.’
She went back inside the house. The kids looked at her expectantly.
‘So what now?’ asked Drake. ‘Can you arrest Mr Canning?’
Liz shook her head. ‘At this stage there’s no evidence even that Ash is dead, and certainly nothing to link him to a killer headmaster.’
‘But …’ said Drake.
Liz held up her hand. ‘Now, here’s the thing. If I request a warrant to search your Headmaster’s office for evidence that he’s eaten one of his students, I’m going to be hauled in front of my boss and given a very hard time. He’s going to want to know whether I’ve been over-working, or if I’m having a laugh. You understand?’
The kids nodded. She’d most likely find herself on sick leave herself, or down at the local job centre.
‘But since the first part of your story checks out, and because of certain things I’ve seen myself, this is what I’m willing to do. If you agree, we’ll drive over to the school now and take a look through the window, see if we can see anything unusual in Mr Canning’s office. How does that sound?’
‘Good,’ said Vijay and Drake together.
‘Rose, you’d better stay here. The last thing your parents will want is for you to go running off on some hair-brained search.’
‘No,’ said Rose. ‘I want to come.’
‘Sorry,’ said Liz. ‘I’m already going out on a limb. I don’t want any more bother from anyone, so you stay here. We’ll tell you what we find, if anything.’
‘Okay,’ said Rose. ‘Call me.’
Chapter Twenty-Six
Manor Road Secondary School, South London
Liz drove the patrol car through the open gates of the school and parked it in the visitors’ area. She looked out at the school building through the driver’s window. A typical red brick building at its heart, with ugly modern extensions bolted on apparently at random, and a large scattering of temporary pre-fabricated additions that looked to have become permanent fixtures. It looked so ordinary, much like Liz’s old school. It was hard to imagine that a boy had been murdered here, let alone eaten by his headmaster. Liz wondered what on earth she was doing on this crazy goose chase.
The yellow eyes, she reminded herself.
‘That’s the window to Mr Canning’s office,’ said Vijay, pointing. ‘The ground floor window on the left.’
Liz ran her gaze along the row of windows, following the line of Vijay’s raised finger. The end window looked the same as all the others – flaky paint, slightly dirty, yet uncovered by blinds or other obstructions. All they had to do was look inside.
‘Come on. Let’s go,’ said Drake, opening the door of the car.
Liz followed the boys across the parking area to the window. She glanced around, but they seemed to be alone. It was the weekend, but that didn’t mean the school would be completely empty. There might be sporting clubs, or at least a caretaker on duty. She wasn’t sure what she would say if someone challenged her to explain what they were doing, other than the fact that a boy had been reported missing.
Drake and Vijay were already peering in through the window.
‘Can you see anything?’ she asked nervously. If this followed the pattern of the other recent killings, the half-eaten body of Ashley Brown would be lying there for all to see.
‘It’s a bit dark,’ said Vijay.
‘Let me see.’ She pushed up to the window, treading on some spindly perennial plants that grew close to the wall of the building. The Headmaster’s office was dim inside, but she could see well enough to form an overall impression.
An old-fashioned wooden desk commanded the room, its surface neatly organized with papers, reports and letters stacked in a tiered in-tray. A telephone, computer screen and keyboard, and various items of stationery were neatly arranged on its green leather top. The Headmaster’s chair was positioned below the window, giving the Head a clear vi
ew of the door opposite.
Liz pressed her face to the glass to see what lay beyond the desk. A bookcase stood beside the door, and next to that a small coffee table and chairs. A coat stand completed the furniture.
There was no body on the floor, no blood on the walls, no sign of any struggle or fight.
‘I don’t understand,’ said Vijay. ‘We heard him eat Ash.’
Liz stepped away from the window, hoping the plant she’d trodden on would make a recovery. ‘Come on, boys. Back to the car.’
They followed in her wake, their protests ringing loudly in her ears.
‘We heard it,’ repeated Vijay.
‘The bastard must have cleaned up the mess,’ said Drake. ‘Can’t you do DNA tests and stuff?’
‘Not without a search warrant. And for that we need evidence.’ Liz felt as disappointed as the boys, but she couldn’t show them that. She’d really expected to find the remains of a half-eaten body in that room. She’d allowed herself to imagine being the police officer who single-handedly solved the Ripper murders. She shook her head, as if to banish the absurd idea that had taken root there. A grown woman of her experience should never have been taken in by such a foolish notion.
Back in the car, she said, ‘I’m not saying I don’t believe you. You heard something. I don’t know what it was, but it wasn’t your friend Ash being eaten.’
‘No, but …,’ began Drake.
Liz raised her hand for silence. ‘The police have to work with the available evidence. We’ve all seen the evidence here, or rather the lack of any. You heard something, I don’t doubt that. But you were mistaken about what you heard. Ash has gone missing, but perhaps that’s just because he got into trouble at school. Let’s say he ran away because he was afraid of what his parents would say, or because he was ashamed of what he’d done. Most people who are reported missing turn up again within twenty-four hours. Ash might be sitting at home right now, for all we know.’
‘He’s not,’ said Drake stubbornly. ‘Because he’s dead.’
‘Then where’s his body?’ asked Liz.
‘I dunno. That doesn’t mean he’s not dead. Mr Canning got rid of the remains, that’s all. Why can’t you believe us?’
Lycanthropic (Book 1): Wolf Blood Page 12