Lost Souls by Jenny O'Brien (android e book reader txt) 📕

during your holidays. I’ll try not to take up too much of your time.’ She paused a moment to open up the notebook App on her mobile. ‘As you’re already aware, Elodie Fry has gone missing so anything you can tell me that you think might be of use would be helpful.’

Miss Garland stared across her empty desk, toying with a thin gold bracelet on her wrist. ‘I really don’t know what to say. It’s the first time that anything like this has happened at the school.’

‘What’s she like as a pupil? That will do for a start.’

‘A quiet child, studious even.’ She continued playing with the bracelet, her attention fixed on the small gold heart charm dangling from the clasp. ‘You have to remember I’ve been a teacher for a very long time, the last fifteen years as headmistress of the school. I’ve seen all sorts of pupils over the years but Ellie is different.’

‘In what way?’

‘In every way, Detective Darin,’ she said, finally raising her head. ‘Oh, she looks normal enough with her long blonde hair and love of all things pink. She even likes some of the things that the rest of the girls in her year are mad about such as ballet. She’s obsessed with ballet but that’s where the similarity ends. In your job you must know what it’s like to be different, Detective? Different children, just like different adults, end up being picked on and that’s no reflection on the teachers. That’s just how it is. Outside of her lessons, she spends her time holed up in the library, reading. I’m not about to decry the advantages that come with an inquiring mind. There is more research than I can quote on the benefits of children who read but Ellie isn’t just stimulating her mind through the pages of a book, she’s hiding from her peers.’

Gaby’s heart sank at the words, which dragged her back twenty years to her own experiences of bullying. Growing up the youngest of first-generation Italian parents she was well versed in the devious ways of children who were determined to make the lives of others a misery. The only thing that had saved her was the strength of her mother and the support of her brothers. Ellie obviously wasn’t so lucky.

‘What about her background? I’m assuming that you’ve dealt with the mother on occasion?’

‘Ms Fry is pleasant enough. I’ve observed her with her daughter at school pick-up and parent–teacher meetings and they seem to have a good rapport, if that’s what you’re getting at? She has never given me any reason to think that she’s anything other than a loving parent and there have certainly been no concerns expressed by the teachers as to any safeguarding issues in respect to Ellie’s home life.’

‘What about men?’ Gaby asked, making a couple of entries in her phone and raising her head. ‘Any sign that Ms Fry had a boyfriend?’

‘Teachers aren’t usually privy to that kind of personal information but she always attended school meetings either by herself or with her daughter.’

‘Okay. One final thing.’ Gaby tapped her forefinger against the side of her phone case. ‘What about any friends?’

‘I thought that was something you might ask,’ Miss Garland said, sliding back in her chair. ‘I managed to track down her teacher, who’s camping up in Scotland for the next couple of weeks, and she reminded me about Heather Powell. If I’m honest I think that it’s a friendship born out of necessity as opposed to anything that they might have in common. Heather is from quite a well-to-do family of hoteliers over in Rhyl but she’s different again and in need of careful handling.’

She rose from her chair, her hands pressed flat against the top of the desk. ‘I wouldn’t like you to get the wrong idea about us. But with such a large catchment area it’s a challenge to meet the individual needs of all of the children. The teachers do their best given the circumstances, but some children slip through the net. The likes of Ellie Fry and Heather Powell are what keep me up at night. Now, unless there’s anything else?’ she said, turning and walking through the door, her expression carefully tailored to reveal little of the inner woman.

Gaby filed away the conversation to puzzle over later, her footsteps slowing to a near stop as the memories of her own disappointing childhood flooded back. While she’d managed to erect a steel wall around her emotions, she’d still ended up carrying her poor self-esteem into adulthood. Something that had affected her relationships with men, she brooded, her mind swinging briefly to thoughts of Rusty. She’d like to tell each and every one of Ellie’s peers the damage they were causing with their behaviour but she wouldn’t. She knew that some of the children would be intrinsically good just as she knew that the home lives of some of them would drive weaker personalities off the rails. The teachers had impossible jobs and it was left to the parents to pick up the pieces. Those children who evaded help usually ended up coming to the notice of her team.

So, what had Ellie Fry done or not done to think that running away was the only option open to her and why was it that her mother had no knowledge of her being bullied?

Chapter 10

Owen

Monday 3 August, 11.30 a.m. St Asaph

Owen stifled the yawn that had been trying to work its way up his chest ever since he’d crawled out of bed. It was all very well having had a week’s paternity leave but it wasn’t in any way a break. Not that he minded in the slightest. While there was very little he could do to help Kate with feeding their newborn daughter, he’d strengthened his nappy-changing skills and taken over the mountain of washing that had invaded every surface of the house. Had it been the same with Pip, their soon-to-be three-year-old? It seemed so long