After about ten minutes, the door to the residence opened and four staff members came in. They’d decided to try and get some sleep in the staff bedrooms, as it didn’t look like the road leading to the school was going to be cleared any time soon.

Singh was with them, and looked puzzled when they separated off to go to the spare rooms.

‘What’s wrong?’

‘I thought there were only three spare rooms,’ he said, before asking PC Brown to go back to the main building.

I nodded after Jess Farriday’s retreating back. ‘I believe she’s planning on sharing with Mike.’

He raised his eyebrows. ‘She’s not wasting any time.’

I shrugged. ‘People deal with grief in funny ways.’

‘True,’ he replied. ‘But she lied to us about what she was accessing on Steve’s PC the day before he died.’

‘Really? What was she looking at?’

‘Staff salary data, and the school accounts.’

I took a moment to absorb that information. ‘Was anything missing from the school funds?’

‘We can’t find any evidence of that, but it certainly doesn’t look like her relationship with Steve was purely founded on love.’

‘That fits,’ I replied, telling him what Anna knew about Jess, and reminding him of Jane Villiers’ scathing assessment of her.

‘It’s possible she hasn’t changed,’ he said when I’d finished. He sat back and rubbed his eyes. ‘You can go to sleep if you like. I don’t think we’re getting out of here until the morning.’

‘I’m fine. Someone needs to keep you awake.’

He laughed. ‘Okay then, tell me your life story.’

‘You first.’

‘Fine, fine,’ he replied, launching into a detailed tale of his childhood. Despite what I’d said, I was exhausted, and the soothing tones of his deep voice soon lulled me, and I fell asleep with my head resting on his shoulder, feeling safe.

Forty-five minutes before the murder

‘Have you seen Leon?’ Steve asked.

Mike shook his head, not meeting the head teacher’s gaze.

‘He’s not in his room.’

That made Mike look up. ‘What do you mean? He’s probably in the bathroom.’

‘No, I checked there.’

Kian and Bradley came into the kitchen, rubbing their eyes.

Boys, where’s Leon? Mike asked them, switching to BSL.

Bradley shrugged. Kian, wide-eyed, looked between Steve and Mike.

I don’t know.

‘He must be here somewhere,’ Steve said, and disappeared back down the corridor again. A moment later he returned, beckoning to Mike.

‘Go and get Sasha, and tell her to wake the girls. Leon’s stuff has gone.’

‘What?’

‘You heard me. His bag, his clothes. They’ve gone. He’s run away.’

Mike remained motionless, his mouth wide open, until Steve slapped him on the shoulder. ‘Come on. Do it.’

‘But look,’ Mike replied, pointing out of the window. ‘Have you seen the snow out there? He can’t have done.’