Free Deadly Reunion by Geraldine Evans Page B

bully them in turn? No Inspector. I won’t give you that information, though I’m sure you can find it out elsewhere. Besides, it was all a very long time ago.’
    â€˜That doesn’t sound like mandarin-speak. It seems you’re a bit of a rebel on the quiet also, sir.’
    â€˜I’ve had my moments. This particular civil servant has never believed in speaking with Sir Humphrey’s esoteric brand of the truth. It probably explains why I’m still just an Under Secretary.’
    It probably did, at that, Rafferty mused. A readiness for speaking the truth rather than going in for police office politics hadn’t done a great deal for his career, either. ‘Anyway, we’ll see you gentlemen later. Come on, Llewellyn.’
    â€˜That’s the first mention that our Mr Ainsley was a bully,’ Rafferty commented when they got outside. ‘Find out who his victims were, Daff. Try asking the ladies. I’ve always found them less inclined to keep mum over such things. But before you do that, find Alice Douglas and Sophie Diaz, the latter, her of the “sizzling” affair, might have something interesting to confide, supposing we can prise it out of her, so I want to speak to her first.’

FOUR
    O nce back at the school, Llewellyn went off to find Sophie Diaz and Rafferty went in search of tea. Surprisingly, the feisty Mrs Benton proved amenable to stopping her dinner preparations and making him a cup. He took the opportunity of asking her about bullying at the school during the reunees’ time there.
    â€˜Oh, there was bullying right enough. I nipped it in the bud when I saw it. Nasty little devils, some of them. That Adam was a prime example. He was tall and well built for his age. He’d often start picking on the younger ones when he was in the queue outside my kitchen. I gave him a good smack on the knuckles once with a heavy metal soup ladle when he started bullying that wouldn’t-say-boo Simon Fairweather. I didn’t put up with bullying in my dining hall, as I told the old headmaster when that Adam complained.’
    â€˜What did Adam do when you hit him?’
    â€˜Him? Nothing. Looked ashamed of himself for once. A few decent leatherings would have done him the world of good. My own children got a smack when they deserved it and they’ve all turned out well.’
    â€˜What was the school’s attitude to bullying?’
    â€˜Mr Barmforth seemed to leave the kids to it to fight their own battles on the principle that that’s what they’d have to do in life. I don’t hold with such an attitude. If you’re in loco parentis as the head and teachers are, they should impose a parental discipline. Bullying needs stamping on or it’ll get nastier and nastier.’
    Rafferty nodded. He agreed with this sentiment. His own younger brother, Mickey, had been bullied at school; he’d been a bit of a runt then. He’d filled out since and his work as a carpenter had given him muscles to spare.
    Mrs Benton made him a second cup of tea as well as one for Llewellyn and he took both upstairs to their allocated office. But there was no one there. He poked his head around the door of the Senior Common Room and found Llewellyn. The Welshman was standing in what looked like a very convivial little circle with Victoria Watson, Giles Harmsworth and Sophie Diaz, discussing some play or other that they’d all seen. Llewellyn looked as animated as he’d ever seen him and, in an instant, Rafferty felt again the wave of resentment for his sergeant’s superior education that he’d felt when they’d first worked together. Cambridge versus Secondary Modern was no contest. No wonder he always felt inferior in spite of being the sup erior.
    â€˜Sergeant.’ Rafferty’s voice was sharp and Llewellyn looked over in surprise.
    â€˜Sir?’
    â€˜I’ve been looking for you all over. If you’re going to