“I took a couple of candid camera shots of Lorna this morning when she was out walking. I was up the hill. I wanted to take a look at them to see if they were at all saleable. Mercenary to the last, you see.”

“No, just professional.”

“Not a professionalism to be proud of, particularly. However, it does keep the emotions at bay.”

By then they had reached the doors of the hall. Most of the girls had left, but there was still a handful of staff members and a few of the girls Lindsay recognized as ushers and program sellers. When they entered, Chris Jackson looked up and beckoned them over. They sat down on either side of her, a little way off from the nearest schoolgirls.

“How is it progressing?” asked Lindsay.

“Quite quickly, considering. They’ve finished with the head and Paddy, but Margaret’s still in there. A lesser copper is interviewing the others—a ‘preliminary chat,’ he says. They’ll be back tomorrow for more, I gather. At least they’ve got the decency to see everyone here instead of dragging us all down to the nick. The young copper’s got Caroline Barrington in there just now. I know who I feel sorry for, and it’s not Caroline.” Chris’s nervous chatter suddenly ground to a halt.

“I want to have a word with one of the boys in blue,” said Cordelia, trying to appear nonchalant but failing. “How long is she likely to be?”

Just then, Caroline bounced into the hall, calling out, “Next please for the Spanish Inquisition.”

“That girl is impossible,” said Chris, exasperated. “Why don’t you go in now? That way, you and Lindsay can get off back across to Longnor at the first opportunity. Paddy asked me to say she’d see you over there. She’s gone back to try to get the girls into some sort of order. Most of them seem to be behaving remarkably well, but one or two are going right off their trolleys.” Cordelia nodded and went off, Lindsay calling, “Good luck,” softly after her. Cordelia disappeared through the swing doors with a nervous smile.

“Quite an upset,” Lindsay remarked, realizing as she did so the banality of her words.

“Horrific, Lindsay, absolutely horrific. As soon as word of this gets out, there will be a mass exodus of girls from the school. If James Cartwright doesn’t close us down, this certainly will,” said Chris Jackson sadly.

“It certainly closed Lorna Smith-Couper down,” said Lindsay drily.