Cherringham--A Lesson in Murder Read Online Free Page B

his eyes.
    Jack smiled, but he ignored him, and went straight to Ms. Groves.
    “I haven’t got time for this,” he said, frowning.
    Ms. Groves didn’t blink: “Mr. Ward understands that, Tahir. But he insists you show Mr. Brennan here the pool.”
    “I’m really busy, you know. This rain is mucking up the work on the field. It’s a mess, and—”
    “I appreciate that,” Ms. Groves said.
    “You know, I’m happy to look around on my own,” said Jack. “Just point me in the general direction.”
    “That wouldn’t be appropriate,” said Fliss. “Tahir is the acting caretaker and he will show you the pool. Isn’t that right, Tahir?”
    Jack watched her outstare the young man until after a few seconds he seemed to give up.
    “All right,” he said with a sigh, and then turned, without once catching Jack’s eye, and headed back across the lobby to the door from which he’d entered.
    “And when you’re done, please bring Mr. Brennan back to the main house,” Fliss said to the caretaker’s back. “Mr. Brennan?”
    Jack acknowledged the instructions with a wave, took that as his cue to follow Tahir and headed after him. Tahir swung the door wide open and Jack caught it, then followed him into the sports hall.
    No love lost between these two members of staff. Or who knows, maybe … Too much love lost?
    Something there, he thought.
    *
    Tahir opened the door to the changing rooms and Jack followed, looking around quickly as he went. The place looked meticulous — spotless white tiled floor, lockers all shut with keys in place, mirrors sparkling.
    No sign of the horrors that had taken place just hours before.
    “Looks pretty tidy,” he said. “Considering …”
    “The boss got cleaners in straight away,” said Tahir over his shoulder.
    Still no eye contact, thought Jack. What’s he hiding?
    “The boss? Mr. Ward?”
    “Him? No,” said Tahir. “Mr. Weiss.”
    “I thought Mr. Ward was the headmaster …”
    “He is,” said Tahir. “But Mr. Weiss is the Business Manager.”
    “Oh right,” said Jack, still not understanding. “Guess a big ritzy school like this needs one of them. Haven’t had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Weiss yet.”
    Tahir shrugged, and opened another door, and Jack followed him into the pool area.
    Quite the pool.
    He’d been expecting the kind of setup a high school might have back home. But this was way more impressive. It looked like a professional training pool: fifty metres in length with an elevated balcony lined with spectator seats. Banks of lights blazed.
    “Wow,” he said. “Gotta be Olympic size, huh?”
    Tahir shrugged. “Lot to keep clean and chlorinated is all I know.”
    “Guess old Prince Said was a very grateful parent. Where are the light switches?”
    “Just there,” said Tahir, pointing to a panel on the wall.
    Jack walked over to them. He heard Tahir following behind.
    “Wow. Lot of switches,” he said, looking at the panel. “Pretty complicated. I’m guessing it would take a few seconds to turn all these off?”
    The caretaker nodded.
    “But this morning I gather the lights went out—”
    He clicked his fingers.
    “Click. Like that. In an instant.”
    Jack searched Tahir’s face for a tell. The guy was hiding something, he was sure. But was it this? Was he the rat man?
    “So Tahir, hang on a second. I’m thinking whoever did this must have turned all the lights off in one go at some kind of main fuse box. Then slipped into the pool area with the rats and tipped them in.”
    Jack watched Tahir frown.
    “I’m guessing … that there must be a main fuse box?”
    “Yeah, there is.”
    He speaks …
    “ Over there,” Tahir said after a few seconds, pointing towards a small door marked ‘Fire exit’ under the balcony at the far end of the pool.As they walked towards it, Jack could see in the corner a group of cleaners in white overalls spraying and mopping.
    And now he noticed that the water level was very low.
    “You emptying the