He turned and observed Paul standing on the back verandah watching him. They stood looking at one other until Paul turned and entered the house.
‘Do you want breakfast?’ Cardilini called, following him in.
‘Yeah. Show me how you prepare it.’
Cardilini put a box of cereal on the table. They both looked at it.
‘Do you eat cereal?’ Cardilini asked.
‘No.’
‘I thought that box lasted a long time,’ Cardilini pondered as he put the box away. ‘What do you eat?’
‘I make bacon and eggs. Just like Mum.’
‘Oh, yeah.’
‘Shall I make some?’
‘Sure.’
‘For you, too?’
‘No. I couldn’t. Not this morning,’ Cardilini replied. ‘I’ll make some tea.’
***
Cardilini climbed into the Chief Inspector-grade car without speaking to Salt. He immediately felt confined.
‘Where to, sir?’ Salt asked after a pause.
‘What’ve you been told?’
‘The superintendent said to tell you that the principal, Dr Braun, would be expecting us this morning.’
‘Oh, great,’ Cardilini said and tapped out a cigarette.
‘And to act as your driver and take notes.’
‘And if I ask you not to take notes?’
‘It would be better if you sent me away at those times,’ Salt proposed.
‘Who’s instructing you?’
‘Superintendent Robinson.’
‘Why do they want you in on this?’
‘I believe I was the only constable available.’
‘And I suppose you believe in Father Christmas?’
‘Pardon?’
‘So, you report to Robinson?’
There was a moment of silence before Salt answered, ‘If he asks, sir.’
‘Yeah,’ Cardilini replied, unconvinced, lighting his cigarette.
St Nicholas College
8.30 a.m. Wednesday, 28th October 1965
The cloud cover had burnt off and Cardilini was sweating profusely by the time they arrived at the school. Salt parked the car under the shade of a eucalyptus and waited for Cardilini’s instruction. Arriving students stared at the car and its occupants. Cardilini seemed reluctant to move. Finally he opened the door and pushed his weight through. He stood and stretched, looking down onto the hockey field. His moist shirt clung to his back. He pulled it away while he watched the students pass. Few made eye contact and those who did only furtively. He shook his head and sighed before walking towards the administration block. Salt locked the car and followed him.
Cardilini paused as they reached the quadrangle, ‘Do you notice anything, Salt?’ Salt took in the students, the quadrangle and the view to the river but didn’t reply.
‘The trees,’ Cardilini prompted, and continued walking.
Miss Reynolds greeted Cardilini, ‘He’s expecting you.’ And giving the slightest nod to Salt, she opened Principal Braun’s door.
The principal stood and came around his desk to greet Cardilini with an outstretched hand, ignoring Salt. Cardilini took the hand and shook it, guardedly.
‘I’m sorry about yesterday. We got off on the wrong foot. I was out of my depth. Captain Edmund’s death shook all of us more than I realised, me included. I think I just wanted it not to be true,’ the principal said as he retreated behind his desk. ‘The boys and their parents had to be informed, we’ve done that, and thankfully shooting is now banned from the north shore of the river.’
‘Why do you think such a shot hadn’t happen before?’ Cardilini asked.
‘Good question,’ the principal conceded. ‘It’s never been a problem. The wall along the riverside was always considered high enough to completely protect the school. Obviously not for those four upper rooms, however. Besides, the farmers were considered responsible. They always have been in the past.’
‘Right.’
‘Keeping the parents uninformed creates rumours. So, naturally, you have our full cooperation to curtail any speculation. Please take a seat.’ Braun indicated a chair.
Cardilini sat, his stomach knotting and perspiration running down his face. He mopped at it with his handkerchief.
‘I’m sorry I had to go over your head, but your manner … it’s difficult for an outsider to understand how fundamental, to all of us, the school’s reputation and exemplary name is.’
‘I’m beginning to understand,’ Cardilini answered.
‘I know. So where would you like to start?’
‘The armoury.’
Braun shot Salt a startled glance but Salt had his head down. ‘Why? That doesn’t seem reasonable.’
Cardilini pulled a crumpled and now damp sheet of paper from his inside pocket and read, ‘Forty-two .303 Lee Enfield number 4 Mk 1 rifles. Two Owen Machine Guns.’
The principal stared back blankly. ‘That was Edmund’s area. It might take a while to organise that.’
‘That’s all right, I can wait,’ Cardilini said calmly, feeling a slight panic internally. Why was he doing this?
‘I’m not sure how to go about it.’
‘Do you have a key?’ Cardilini asked.
‘Well,’ he picked up the phone, ‘Miss Reynolds, come in here, please?’ He replaced the receiver looking at Cardilini. Miss Reynolds entered. ‘Do we have keys to the armoury, Miss Reynolds?’
‘We might have, but they would be among Captain Edmund’s possessions.’
‘Right. That’s what I thought. While I think of it, that break-in we had a while back, did that get reported?’
‘Yes.’
‘Was the armoury also entered?’ Braun asked.
‘It hasn’t been mentioned, sir,’ Miss Reynolds answered.
‘The armoury?’ Cardilini asked.
Braun replied, ‘Yes, some of the local louts pried open the canteen door which is near the armoury. When was that, Miss Reynolds?’
‘Nearly two weeks ago, it’s in your diary,’ she replied.
Cardilini glanced at Miss Reynolds who stood looking stony-faced at the principal.
‘So. We don’t know how long it will take to find those keys but I will inform your office once we do. So, that’s underway.’ The principal gave a slight shooing motion and Miss Reynolds left. He turned brightly to Cardilini, ‘What’s next?’
Cardilini slowly folded the sheet of paper and returned it to his pocket, ‘I see the trees adjoining the quadrangle have had the lower branches lopped.’
‘Yes. It was reported by a teacher that boys were seen climbing the trees.’
‘Okay. Could I speak to that teacher?’
‘I don’t know who it was,’ Braun answered.
Cardilini looked back stubbornly.
Braun dialled his phone, ‘Miss Reynolds, who reported the boys climbing trees? I see.’ He hung up.
‘It wasn’t recorded. The pruning was a simpler solution than constantly patrolling the area.’
‘Could you ask the staff?’
‘No. Boys are always climbing the trees.’
‘Where was the report of the theft made?’
‘We deal with East Perth.’ The principal consulted an open page of his diary. ‘That was on the 14th of October.’
‘Fine. What’s next on the list, Salt?’ Cardilini asked, wiping his forehead.
‘You wanted to finalise a report on the room, sir.’
‘That makes sense. Thank you, Salt. Well, we’ll leave you now. Don’t mind us. There’s a teacher and some students we will have a chat with later.’
‘Who are they? As you know the body wasn’t discovered until the next morning. And the sound of distant rifle fire wasn’t unusual. Sometimes, it sounds quite close but that’s to do with
the inversion layer, I’ve been told. As I’m sure you know. So no one witnessed the shot.’
‘I have to confirm that for the report. So, perhaps, if I could speak to the boarding master who was on duty that night and a random selection of say, two boarders?’
‘Fine, I’ll arrange that.’
‘No. I mean randomly selected by me. So, a list of boarders, please?’
‘Is that really necessary?’
‘Yes,’ Cardilini tried to sound reasonable but at the same time asked himself why he was acting so bloody minded. Why risk my and Paul’s future?
***
A troubled Cardilini and Salt entered Edmund’s room unescorted. Cardilini took off his coat and moved a chair to the window and sat.
‘Take off your jacket if you want, Salt.’
‘Yes, sir,’ Salt replied and remained standing, unmoving.
‘So, what do you make of all that?’ Cardilini asked.
‘I’m not sure.’
‘Let me know when you are,’ Cardilini said, taking out a cigarette.
‘Everything he said is perfectly plausible.’
‘Perfectly. So how would you proceed from here, Salt?’ Cardilini shifted his chair so he could look out the window.
‘I’m not sure what we’re investigating, sir.’
‘Neither am I. Wasn’t that in your lessons, Salt?’
‘Not that I recall. Are we still doubtful the shot came from across the river, sir?’
‘Who’s asking?’ Cardilini asked turning to Salt. Salt averted his eyes. ‘Difficult, isn’t it, playing both sides, Salt?’
‘Yes, sir,’ Salt answered non-committedly.
‘They’ve thought of everything.’
‘Or, they are simply stating the truth,’ Salt replied.
‘Or that. But it would be nice to find that out for ourselves. Don’t you think?’
Salt contemplated before asking. ‘Don’t you believe what they’ve told us, sir?’
‘No. Do you?’
Salt looked out the window then back to Cardilini before replying, ‘Yes.’
‘How handy. Please, tell me what’s so convincing.’
‘The alternative is that someone intentionally shot Captain Edmund,’ Salt said flatly.
‘That’s right, exactly.’
‘What would be the motive?’ Salt asked.
‘Were you in the cadets, Salt?’ Cardilini asked ignoring Salt’s question.
‘No, sir.’
‘Neither was I. Mind you, they didn’t have cadets at the school I attended. And I couldn’t swear they had teachers either.’
‘Yes, sir.’
‘The boarding master on duty the night of the shooting and the students, Carmody and Mossop, that’s who we’re going to talk to.’ Cardilini instructed.
Salt made an entry in his notebook.
‘And we’ll have a look for the keys while we’re here,’ Cardilini gestured Salt towards the desk.
‘Yes, sir.’ Salt started going through the drawers. ‘Would it be worth going to the armoury?’ he asked.
‘Yes. And why would we do that, Salt?’
‘To examine any signs of a forced entry.’
‘Yes, that should be interesting. We’ll get that deputy to show us, I think. But keys first.’ After a while Cardilini stood and stretched, ‘Any luck?’
‘No, sir.’
***
Oppressive heat greeted them as they crossed the quadrangle with Deputy Principal Robson.
‘In for a storm,’ Robson said.
On the other side of the quadrangle they walked down to the basement level of the buildings behind the dining block. A series of roller doors were raised to reveal a manual arts workshop. Further along was a canteen with similar roller doors also raised.
‘That’s the woodwork room and that’s the canteen. One of the roller doors on the canteen had been pried open,’ Robson said before turning right and going to a timber door boarded with iron strips. He pointed to the door, ‘The armoury.’
Cardilini inspected the door. It didn’t appear to have been tampered with. ‘What made Braun think there might have been a break in at the armoury?’ Cardilini asked.
‘I didn’t know he thought that,’ Robson replied.
‘Surely he would have told you.’
‘I’m on the academic staff,’ Robson shrugged and opened his tin box to push some cigarette butts around before selecting one. Cardilini watched this for a spell then offered one of his own, which Robson accepted. Cardilini lit both their cigarettes.
‘What did you do immediately after discovering Edmund?’ Cardilini asked.
‘I rang the principal.’
‘Not the police?’
‘No.’
‘Not an ambulance?’
‘What would’ve been the point of that?’ Robson asked.
‘What happened when the principal arrived?’
‘I followed the boys to the rowing shed. They went about their business. Then I took them back to the dining hall. They all had bacon and eggs. A special treat for the rowers. Captain Edmund usually joined them.’
‘And then?’
‘The principal asked me to stand guard at the top of the stairs. Your colleagues had arrived by then.’
‘When did the school find out?’
‘Morning tea, the teachers were told.’
‘Told what?’
‘A stray bullet struck Captain Edmund.’
‘How did you feel about that?’
‘I’m not sure what you’re asking,’ Robson replied.
Cardilini moved on, ‘Then what happened during the morning?’
‘You arrived and tried to push us around with your swearing and belligerent manner,’ Robson replied evenly, looking at Cardilini.
‘That didn’t get me far,’ Cardilini said with a glance to Salt. Salt was taking notes. ‘Got that, Salt?’
‘Yes, sir.’
Robson butted a half-smoked cigarette out and placed it in his tin box, ‘The principal has that list of boarding staff and students you wanted. If we may go back?’
‘Sure,’ Cardilini answered.
***
‘No one knows where Captain Edmund kept the keys,’ the principal informed them, ‘which is a concern. However, here are the lists you asked for. I feel I must guide you so you don’t waste your time or that of the staff and students.’
Cardilini scanned the lists, ‘Fine. Let’s see. I’ll speak to Mr Abbott. Jot that down, Salt. And students? A sixth former, Carmody. Jot that down, and second former, Mossop.’
‘I wouldn’t waste your time with Mossop. I know the boy. Not very bright. Can be troublesome.’
‘I’ll try and manage.’
‘Pick another,’ the principal suggested.
‘No need.’
‘Make sure you take notes, please, just in case the parents should inquire,’ Braun said.
‘I’ve my own personal dictaphone.’ Cardilini gestured to Salt.
‘Very well. Miss Reynolds will show you the room to use.’
Sixteen
Day 4
St Nicholas College
11.35 a.m. Wednesday, 28th October 1965
The room had an adjoining wall to the principal’s offices and windows that opened out onto the cloister beside Miss Reynolds’s office. Cardilini noted someone could, if they so desired, sit below the windows and eavesdrop on any conversation taking place.
Cardilini turned and said, ‘Keep an eye on those windows, Salt, we don’t want anyone listening in.’ Salt and Mrs Reynolds shared a brief glance.
Cardilini entered the classroom followed by Miss Reynolds. A shudder went through him. Hardwood chairs sat behind desks with inkwells arranged with military precision. He imag
ined himself sitting halfway up the room, the fat kid. He walked to the front of the room and read the tightly scripted writing covering the blackboard.
‘History,’ he said over his shoulder.
‘Shall I send for Mr Abbott, Detective Sergeant?’ Miss Reynolds asked.
‘Did you enjoy your time when a student at school, Miss Reynolds?’ Cardilini asked as he turned.
‘Very much. I was at an all-girls’ school. I cried bitterly when it was over.’
‘Have you been tempted to return to an all-girls’ school?’
‘Yes. But this was my first position after secretarial college. I’ve been here thirty-five years.’
‘Surely there must have been positions available?’
‘There were opportunities but by then I felt loyal to St Nicholas. I still do.’
‘And I’m the one trying to tarnish the school,’ Cardilini said.
‘It would appear so.’
‘Yes. Send for Mr Abbott. And thank you, Miss Reynolds.’ Cardilini watched her turn and leave. When she had walked past the windows he said to Salt, ‘What do you think?’
‘They are very loyal to the school, which is commendable …’ Salt paused.
‘Go on.’
‘It’s possible their loyalty is hampering their responses to the investigation.’
‘Starting to feel played are you, Salt? Never mind. It’s a big world,’ Cardilini said and started pacing the front of the class. Shortly Mr Abbott tapped on the door. He was a slight man in his thirties, with closely cropped thinning brown hair, rimless round spectacles, grey trousers, white shirt, and an unusually colourful tie. He stood as if at attention.
‘Come in.’
Abbott walked past Salt with a brief nod. Salt took a seat at the side of the class.
‘Please, take the teacher’s chair,’ Cardilini said.
‘Not necessary,’ Abbott replied.
‘Okay, I’ll take it. Pull up a chair.’
Abbott stared briefly at the students’ chairs then chose one, brought it to the aisle and sat.
‘Tell me how the evening of the twenty-fifth proceeded from, say, seven p.m.?’ Cardilini asked with a nod to Salt.
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