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Back Deadly Revenge
Chapters (60)
  1. CRITICAL ACCLAIM FOR LEIGH RUSSELL
  2. Glossary of acronyms
  3. Prologue
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. 51
  55. 52
  56. 53
  57. 54
  58. 55
  59. 56
  60. Acknowledgements

‘He was a loss,’ Gordon Brice said, nodding his head solemnly. ‘Jonathan was a dedicated member of our staff here, and he did good work with the children. It’s not easy encouraging them to read, and it gets harder every year. There are so many other sources of entertainment for them these days, mostly online. We do our best, of course, but the parents aren’t always on board, and without their support we’re fighting a difficult battle. We need all the help we can get. I have to tell you, Sergeant, these latest cutbacks have been disastrous. I don’t think we’ll ever fully recover.’

From what Geraldine heard, Jonathan had been quiet and hard working, liked by the children and the rest of the staff, although none of them had known him well. The headmaster seemed bemused and even faintly entertained at hearing how his former librarian had been a vocal opponent of the leader of the council, but his smile faded abruptly when he learned that David had been murdered.

‘Murdered?’ he repeated, frowning. ‘And you’re telling me you suspect Jonathan may have been involved? Surely not. No, I can’t for one moment believe Jonathan would have had anything to do with – with the councillor’s murder. No, Sergeant. That’s not… it’s not possible. Not Jonathan. He was a gentle, kind man. He worked with children!’ he added, a note of outrage creeping into his voice.

‘Even people who work with children have been known to commit terrible crimes,’ Geraldine replied softly.

‘Listen, Sergeant, Jonathan was a harmless man. A little odd perhaps, but harmless.’

‘In what way was he odd?’

The headmaster sighed. ‘Please, don’t go getting the wrong impression,’ he said. ‘I didn’t mean odd in a bad way.’

‘What did you mean by it?’

‘Just that he was the kind of man who struggled to relate to people, other adults, that is. He lived with his mother and I don’t believe there was ever anyone else in his life. After his mother died, he told me he only lived for his work here. He was dedicated to the children.’

‘Did you really know him?’

The headmaster shook his head, his kindly expression overshadowed by regret.

39

39

‘So he was a loner,’ Ariadne said, when Geraldine reported on her interview with the headmaster.

‘That doesn’t make him a criminal,’ Geraldine replied. ‘There’s nothing wrong with being happy living on your own.’

She spoke more fiercely than she had intended.

Ariadne laughed. ‘I was brought up with five brothers and sisters and as soon as I had the chance to live on my own, I grabbed it with both hands. Best thing I ever did!’