The headmaster nodded. ‘I’m very pleased you have come to see me. In fact, I was going to contact you next week. We at the school are also very worried about Joseph and Francesca. They seem to be catching one illness after another and it’s seriously affecting their schoolwork.’

Jessica looked at the headmaster in amazement. ‘What illness? They’re not ill. I’ve come to talk to you about the amount of homework they’ve been given. I don’t understand, what do you mean?’

Picking up his phone, Mr Redknapp pressed a button. ‘Margaret, could you bring in the Mitchells’ file with the children’s letters, please?’

Jessica was bemused. ‘What’s going on? Why have the twins been telling you they’re ill?’

Mr Redknapp smiled. Parents could be so naive at times, especially mothers. ‘Thank you, Margaret,’ he said, as his secretary left the office.

Throwing the letters onto the desk, Mr Redknapp urged Jessica to take a look at them. ‘Is that your or your husband’s handwriting, Mrs Mitchell?’

Jessica recognised the writing immediately. It belonged to Joey and Frankie. Reading the letters, she felt herself go cold. ‘How long has this been going on?’ she asked Mr Redknapp.

‘About eight months. I’m surprised no one mentioned it to you at the parents’ evening.’

‘I never came to the last one. The kids told me that ten of the teachers had the flu and parents’ evening had been cancelled.’

The headmaster sighed. ‘Joseph and Francesca obviously have very inventive imaginations, don’t you think?’

Jessica wished the ground would open up and swallow her. ‘Where are they? Can you go and get them out of their classroom for me?’

The headmaster chuckled. ‘I’m afraid they’re not here today, Mrs Mitchell. In fact, we’ve only seen them twice in the last three weeks.’

‘But I dropped them off at the gates this morning.

I drop them off here every morning and I pick them up in the afternoon.’

Mr Redknapp shrugged. ‘Well, I’m afraid your children have been pulling the wool over everybody’s eyes. Maybe you can have a word with your husband, Mrs Mitchell. With their exams coming up, the situation needs to be sorted as soon as possible.’

Seething and red-faced, Jessica stood up. ‘Thank you for telling me, Mr Redknapp. I will speak to my husband and I can assure you that both Francesca and Joseph will be attending on a regular basis in future. It is my duty as a mother to march them into their classrooms if I have to.’

Mr Redknapp nodded. ‘I’ll leave the problem in your more than capable hands, then, Mrs Mitchell.’

Unaware that their mother was talking to their headmaster about them, Frankie and Joey were having a little tipple. ‘Give us a swig of yours, Joey. Mine’s all gone,’ Frankie demanded.