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Opening extract:

Diana ‘Dee’ Gascoigne felt a flutter of trepidation as she pushed open the door to the restaurant. It had been several months since she’d seen her former mentor, Mildred Evans, headmistress of Lady Adelaide Joseph’s Academy for Young Ladies.

She could see Miss Evans already at the table, a glass of what Dee guessed was white wine at her right hand. Miss Evans glanced up, spotted Dee, and her face broke into a smile. Even her eyes seemed to smile, and Dee’s nervousness vanished. She hurried over to the woman who was already on her feet to welcome her. They kissed one another on the cheek.

‘Miss Evans, how lovely…’

‘Dee, my dear girl! Such a pleasure. How well you’re looking.’

‘As are you, in the very pink of health, clearly!’

They settled into their seats, gave their orders to the waiter, and began to chat.

Miss Evans said, ‘I’ve missed you dreadfully at the school, my dear. The place just isn’t the same without you.’ Before Dee could reply, Miss Evans went on, ‘Those wretched second formers are now, of course, wretched third formers, and are the responsibility of Betsy Kerridge. Remember Betsy?’

‘Of course. Is she still terrified of the children?’ Dee smiled, remembering a number of occasions when Betsy had sought refuge in Dee’s classroom during breaktimes, desperate to let off steam.

‘She certainly is. Oh, she’s absolutely useless. I don’t know why anyone would devote a life to teaching when they detest young people so completely. I wish I could get rid of that dratted woman. You don’t miss it, I suppose? What are you doing with yourself now?’

Of course, Dee had known this question would arise almost immediately, it was only natural. She bent to get a business-card out of her handbag and gave it to Miss Evans. Miss Evans looked at the card in bewilderment. Dee explained what she was doing as a job now and watched as the headmistress’s eyebrows rose almost to her hairline.

‘A private investigator? A detective? My word!’ Miss Evans stared at Dee for a moment or two. Dee was unsure whether the expression was one of approval or not. But then, with a broad grin, Miss Evans leaned forward, gripped Dee’s wrist and said, ‘How terribly exciting! I’m so jealous.’

Dee laughed. The waiter arrived with their soup, poured them more wine then departed once more.

‘Do tell me a bit about it,’ Miss Evans urged. ‘I suppose it’s not confidential. Or is it? Are you like the police, and can’t tell members of the public any of the gory details?’

Dee hesitated for a moment, remembering some very fresh, very recent, definitely gory details. It had been a few weeks since she’d done anything more than track down missing cats or serve legal documents to people being sued by clients of the firm where she worked. But she’d recently had a case—her first official case—in which there had been some awful moments.

She told Miss Evans a few things—enough to assuage her thirst for the supposed excitement of the life of a detective, but Dee felt compelled to admit in all honesty that there had been times when she had been terrified and in real danger.

Miss Evans, setting aside her empty soup bowl, was all ears, drinking in everything Dee was willing to tell her. But when she saw Dee’s expression as she recounted the incident of the fire in a churchyard, and the way she had helped a young woman whose clothing had caught alight, her face lost its look of excitement, and serious once more, she said,

‘My dear Dee, I do hope you know how to take care of yourself. It sounds awfully dangerous. Have you had any training?’

‘Er, no, not as yet. Well, I’ve had a little, I suppose, mostly about legal situations and the duties of a private investigator, what we can and can’t do, you know, from a legal standpoint.’

‘But I’m talking about keeping yourself safe, dear. How to act in a crisis—although from what you’ve just told me, you are a commendably quick thinker. One shudders to think what might have happened to that poor young woman if you hadn’t been there to help. But, no, I’m talking about defending yourself against an armed assailant, or learning how to do first aid, that sort of thing.’

‘Hmm, I hadn’t really thought about that, if I’m honest. Perhaps I should ask Monty about it.’

‘Monty?’

‘Montague Montague, my employer. He’s a top legal bod and owns the law practise where I work, though I actually knew him first through family connections. M’dear Monty, as he’s known, is a dear family friend. He must be nearly ninety, I should think. But he’s a sweetheart, and as sharp as a tack. My brother Rob works for him too, as a newly qualified solicitor and trainee barrister, as does one of our cousins.’

‘Oh, Monty, of course! Now I know who you mean. He advises our school board. But yes, dear, do see if he can send you for some kind of training. Karate or Judo or something. It could save your life, you know. And there’s always the fun to be had from throwing some large fellow over your shoulder.’

Dee giggled at that.

Their soup bowls were cleared away, and their main courses arrived—both ladies had opted for the roast beef with all its traditional accompaniments. As neither woman was driving, they ordered another bottle of wine.

Inevitably the conversation turned from Dee’s professional to her private life. Miss Evans, watching Dee closely over the rim of her wine glass, asked,

‘So, is there a young man in your life?’

Dee, thrusting aside intrusive mental images of her ‘sort-of’ cousin, Bill Hardy, shook her head, replying, ‘Well, as you probably know, I’m still married to Martin. We shan’t be able to be divorced for at least another year and a half.’

‘I suppose he’s not the sort of chap to do the decent thing and allow himself to be seen with another woman?’ Her tone confirmed what Dee had always suspected, that Mildred Evans had no love for the school’s chemistry master, Martin Clarke, still Dee’s husband in the eyes of the law, but whom she had left, triggering an immediate decision by the school’s governors who felt it was too scandalous to keep her on its staff following such a disastrous action. It had been left to Miss Evans as the school’s headmistress to break the news to Dee that her dismissal was with immediate effect and final.

‘Well, if Martin is seeing anyone, unusually for him, he’s being bloody discreet about it,’ Dee grumbled, then hastily apologised for her bad language.

Miss Evans waved it away. ‘But then he is a bloody boring man, so he’s probably still on his own,’ she said with another uncharacteristic grin.

Dee laughed. ‘He certainly is boring.’

‘And one with a nasty temper, I believe you indicated?’ Again, the eyes lit on Dee’s face with a little too much attention to be comfortable. Dee’s response was just to nod but say nothing further.

‘Yes, well, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, you’re better off without him, dear. But what a shame you can’t find someone new just yet.’

Keen to change the subject, Dee said, ‘And how is the new modern languages teacher getting on?’

Miss Evans dropped her knife and leaned closer to grip Dee’s wrist again. ‘Oh, my dear! I was coming to that. If the governors thought that a woman leaving her husband was a terrible scandal, then let me tell you, you’d be welcomed back with open arms! Your misdemeanour, as they saw it then, is as nothing beside the horror of Mr Andrew Fairlie!’

Dee, astonished and intrigued, leaned forward to hear more. In a low voice, Mildred Evans told her,

‘He got that horrid girl Stephanie Tillson in the family way!’

‘No!’ Dee could only stare at her, horrified.

‘Yes indeed! Oh, such a stink, my dear. Understandably so! Her parents threatened to destroy the school unless he made an honest woman of her. She was only just sixteen. I did feel so terribly sorry for the girl. Wayward, yes. Obnoxious, too, obviously. And always into some kind of mischief. However, marriage to him of all people, and a mother at only sixteen, both seem like an awfully high price for the poor girl to pay. But one would expect that a man in his thirties would know better. It’s utterly shameful. And of course, we couldn’t keep it quiet. All the parents are rioting, absolute disgrace, questions in the House, that sort of thing. Well, questions to the board of governors anyway.’ She took a sip of wine, then added:

‘He had to be dismissed, of course, and what use he’ll be to the poor girl now, I’ve really no idea. Then, from a purely selfish point of view, there’s the appalling damage to the school’s reputation—parents and governors all asking how we could have such a wolf in sheep’s clothing in the place, etc, etc. We’ve had twenty-two girls withdrawn by their parents, and a similar number who have opted not to study languages. And really, one can hardly blame them. Of course, we had to issue a statement, the school deeply regrets, etc, etc, steps have been taken, a new female member of staff has been appointed in his place, all that sort of thing.

‘One can only hope it’s enough. I dread to think of the school closing. I’ve been there since I was twenty-one. A lifetime, one might say. My dear, it’s been the scandal to end all scandals.’

Miss Evans glanced down briefly at her apple crumble. Dee had no idea when their desserts had arrived. Miss Evans glanced back up. ‘I was hoping, I have to admit, to lure you back. I’ve even been permitted to offer you a pay rise. Say you’ll at least think about it?’

Dee was already shaking her head. ‘I’m sorry, Miss Evans, but I couldn’t possibly…In any case, there’s Martin…’

Miss Evans gripped Dee’s arm in a pincer grip that made her flinch. ‘Oh Dee, my dear, I thought I said? Of course, you wouldn’t know… Martin’s left! Gone to a boys’ school in Edinburgh at the end of August. So he’s now miles away. Head of the science department. Does that change your mind at all?’

Surreptitiously rubbing her arm, Dee took a few seconds to absorb this information. The school, without Martin, would doubtless be a much pleasanter place to work, but…

She shook her head, decisively this time. ‘No, I’m sorry. I’ll admit it’s tempting. And it’s very generous of you to think of me. But I’m afraid…’

‘You’re too much of a detective to go back to teaching?’

‘Yes, sorry.’

‘Oh, it’s all right. I knew it wasn’t very likely you’d say yes. And I’m really terribly glad you’ve got a new—and exciting—career!’

Soon they were paying the bill—or rather, Miss Evans, on her insistence, was paying, and they were leaving the restaurant. Dee wondered if Miss Evans had only wanted to meet up in order to try to tempt Dee back to her old job. But with one arm into her coat and the other hand searching for the other armhole, Miss Evans said, as if she felt Dee’s uncertainty,

‘I’m so sorry to have to rush off, dear. I have an appointment I just can’t get out of, but I do hope to see you again soon. And of course, if you’re ever in the neighbourhood, do pop in and see us at Lady Adelaide’s, won’t you. You could even stay the night, or for a few nights if… and of course, you are coming to the Founders’ Dinner and Winter Gala in two weeks, aren’t you?’

Dee, helping Miss Evans with her tricky coat sleeve, shook her head in some confusion. ‘I don’t know anything about that, I haven’t…?’ By now they were heading for the door.

‘You haven’t had your invitation? But I sent it last week! Oh that is terribly annoying. I’ll pop another in the post to you, in case the first one doesn’t arrive. But it’s in two weeks’ time, the dinner is on the Saturday of course, at 7pm in the sports hall as usual. and the gala is on the Sunday, from noon until four o’clock, just the same as last year. It would be lovely if you could come.’

At this point, a young woman bumped into Miss Evans. The headmistress, turning, immediately recognised the woman—a girl really, Dee thought, putting her age in the mid-to late-teens.

‘Oh Poppy, dear! Fancy seeing you here. Dee, this young lady was a pupil at Lady Adelaide’s until Easter. I believe you were only with us for two years, weren’t you, Poppy? And then you gave up on education to pursue a career?’

Poppy with a sulky frown, admitted that was the case.

‘And what are you…?’ Miss Evans was interrupted by the entrance of a man of mature years whom Dee took to be the girl’s father. He came forward, and taking hold of the girl’s arm, began searching the restaurant for a waiter. He spotted one and called rather loudly to him.

‘Hey you! I’ve got a table booked. Ivor Norton. It’s a table for four—my wife and her brother will be joining us shortly.’

‘Of course, sir, do come this way.’ The waiter grabbed a heap of menus and led the way to their table. As they made to move after him, Miss Evans called, ‘We’re all greatly looking forward to your visit to us in two weeks.’

‘What? What do you mean?’ Poppy didn’t trouble to remain polite, Dee noticed, and she felt irritated by the girl’s manner towards Miss Evans.

‘I was simply saying, Poppy my dear, that we’re looking forward to hearing you sing at the school’s Winter Gala in two weeks’ time.’ Miss Evans’ tone was unchanged although her demeanour was beginning to be frosty.

‘What, at the school? At Lady Adelaide’s?’ Poppy’s nose wrinkled. ‘I didn’t know about that. Ivor will have arranged everything.’

‘Yes well, anyway, dear, it was very nice to see you again. Do take care of yourself.’

The only response she got from the young girl was a scornful look as she followed silently after the man, still holding onto his arm.

Outside, Dee opted to share a taxi with Miss Evans. That would give her a much shorter walk back to her flat.

‘I think you said she was a former pupil?’ Dee prompted. Miss Evans looked troubled.

‘Yes. Not an easy child to like, but then how many are at that age? Moody, of course. Too intense, and madly in love with every pop star, like they all are these days, drinking in all that tosh about free love and anarchy and changing the world. We did all that when I was a girl. And far too determined to leave our dear school behind and make her way in the music world. Oh well.’ She shook her head, sorrowfully remembering.

Dee too was remembering, or trying to. ‘I don’t think I remember her, yet she must have been there when I was teaching.’

‘She’s changed. Used to be quite pasty-faced. Rather tomboyish too; she certainly never wore make-up or elegant mini-dresses like that when she was with us at Lady Adelaide’s! Used to go around with those girls, let me think, umm…it was, er, that’s it, Suzie Hardcastle and Ruby Dillon.’

The penny almost dropped. Dee could remember Ruby quite well because she had long red hair and was unusually tall for her age, but her friends were mere shadows at the moment. ‘And I presume that was her father with Poppy?’

‘No. I don’t…’ Miss Evans glanced back over her shoulder through the rear window. The restaurant was now some distance away as their cab merged into the early afternoon traffic. ‘I must say, I don’t know who he was. Certainly not her father, who unfortunately passed away in the spring. The real reason—I suspect—that the girl left the school. I understand her father left very little to his widow, and thus I assume the fees were rather beyond her means. Still, I suppose it’s all right. Her mother must know where she is and who she is with. Mustn’t she?’

‘He told the waiter they were being joined by another man and a woman. Perhaps the woman is her mother?’ Dee suggested.

‘Didn’t he say his wife and her brother were joining them?’ The headmistress shrugged. ‘Oh well, I should think it’s all right.’

Once more glancing back in the direction of the restaurant, Miss Evans was silent for a while before adding, ‘She has the voice of an angel, that child. She wants to be a pop star. Or a mannequin.’

‘Don’t they all, at that age?’ Dee said.

***