Harris moved his eyes, and then his head. ‘I am not employed to like my pupils, Detective Sergeant, nor am I here to make friends. If you want the truth, I barely knew Benjamin, other than by his reputation.’

‘His reputation as a troublemaker, you mean,’ Nicky said. ‘Ben was hardly classic Beaconsfield material, was he?’

‘He was not. And in all honesty, if it had been up to me, he would not have been admitted. But ultimately it was not my decision. Unfortunately, in the educational sector, as in so many walks of life, money has a tendency to talk.’ Harris pursed his lips. ‘We may look like a wealthy institution, but I can assure you that maintaining a financial balance is a constant battle. When I first took over as headmaster, Beaconsfield was practically on its knees.’

Once again Fleet thought of his own school. If Beaconsfield was ever on its knees, the comprehensive he’d attended was surely crawling in the gutter.

‘So you were reluctant to have Ben here,’ Fleet said. ‘Meaning some of the staff might perhaps have felt the same way? What about the other pupils? Did they resent Ben’s presence as well? His friends, for example. Callum Richardson, Melissa Haynes, Lance Wheeler. Just how close were they to Ben?’

It didn’t escape Fleet’s notice that Harris’s expression wrinkled slightly at the mention of Callum Richardson’s name. Clearly it wasn’t just Ben he hadn’t approved of.

‘I’m afraid I would not know,’ the headmaster answered. ‘And I cannot presume to know the mindset of each and every member of my staff. All I can tell you is that Ben would have been treated like any other Beaconsfield pupil, with no fear or favour. As indeed my own son was treated when he was a pupil here himself.’

Fleet did his best to mask his surprise. He would never have put Harris down as a family man. And there was no wedding ring on his finger.

‘Your son studied at Beaconsfield?’ said Nicky. ‘While you were headmaster, do you mean? That must have been tough for him. For you as well, I would imagine.’

Now the headmaster was the one to shift, as though something Nicky had said had struck a nerve.

‘We did not advertise our relationship, Detective Sergeant,’ Harris said. ‘And we each stayed true to our responsibilities. Besides, it takes more than a crisis to prevent the wheels at this school from continuing to turn. Often, in spite of others’ best efforts to the contrary.’

Interesting, Fleet thought – ignoring the jibe – that when the subject of the headmaster’s son came up, one of the first words Harris had reached for was crisis.