Something Close in Me
1
May 9th 2011
Location: Brighouse Police Station
If asked, I could not have described to you my thoughts on what had been written in that article. My thoughts of the teachers especially, expecting the parents to send their children to the school. Of course it is my opinion that children should not miss out on their education for crime. Though that is the case. It had been no surprise of my own when May 9th came and no one showed up to that cold lonely building.
The teachers used that day as a staff training day. The police report had said that the situation was under control. Though I had known different. Only two weeks ago had I been promoted to the position of Detective. I sat in my office drinking coffee and thinking how I would solve this case, and how we would encourage the children of this school back, how we would persuade parents to let them back.
Not my job, which was simply to look over the facts and discover the reason why this crime had taken place, work out who had done it. Miss Phillips had ensured us it was no member of her staff. She had also ensured us that no unauthorised person could have been on sight and not been noticed. Though she had said nothing about her students.
Beyond my understanding was the fact that though the stabbing had indeed happened during school hours though no one had seen or heard a thing.
That seemed unlikely, though I had no proof. The staff we’re giving the same statement. They had been teaching class when their work phone had rung and they were told to dismiss the class due to a stabbing on the main corridor. I had not yet been able to contact any students. Parental consent would not be easy to get.
This town was a quiet town, when I had been transferred from Westminster police I had been expecting a welcome break from real policing. I had expected a quiet and more laid back form of this job. It had been denied.
When I had lived with them, my children had often asked me if my job was like you see it in the movies. As time went by I found it increasingly hard to say no. Though I knew the films which are shown over and over again are indeed an exaggerated and pumped up version of this job, sometimes one imagines themselves as an actor in one of those movies in order to maintain the belief of safety and to convince oneself that this job is actually worth it.
My mind wandered at the thought of my children. What would I do if my own children, Michael aged 15, Riley aged 8 and Olivia aged 4 were to have been in that school and I had no power to force justice on the person who had done it. I couldn’t bear the thought and was thankful to be pulled away from it by the knocking on my door. I sat up in my chair. “Come in.”
As the door opened P.C. Jean Miller looked at me. “Detective, I have a witness who wants to speak to you.”
“About the stabbing?”
“Not itself, she lives over the road from the school and says she had information on someone entering the grounds, she didn’t recognise the car.”
“Bring her in.”
A few moments passed before the woman was brought into my office. Time enough for me to think about the school and memorise the car park and the maze of corridors inside the building, giving me a better view of what this woman could have seen. As she entered the room I instructed her to sit as I fished a note pad from my desk. “Hello Miss..”
“Johnson.”
“Miss Johnson, I’m Detective John Samuels. My colleague, P.C. Miller says you saw something of the incident.”
“Just a car entering the grounds, if that’s at all helpful to you Detective.”
“John, please, and yes it is. Anything at all that you saw could have huge importance in the investigation.”
“Well, I wouldn’t have noticed if it had not been for the strange time. I have lunch at 12 you see, and then after Peter and I have eaten, we walk to the shop and back. That’s just down the road and its about 1 o’clock when we get back. Anyway. I was doing some work in the garden when I saw it pull into the grounds. I hadn’t seen it before.”
“And do you remember what the car looked like? Any details?”
“I remember it was black, or possibly silver. It was a Honda. I’m sure of that.”
“you know what model?”
“Possibly a civic, Peter would be the one to ask on cars, I’m not so good with them.”
“But he didn’t see it?”
“Peter? No. He was watching the TV. I’ve no doubt. I’ll ask him and have him talk to you if he saw anything though.”
“Yeah, that would be good. Miss Johnson, you remember anything else?”
“Yes. It drove to the taxi bay, down by the entrance.”
“You can see that far?”
“If I stand up yes. See, once it had got my attention, I thought I would watch it. One of the poor dears could have been sick. Or they could have been truanting. I wanted to check up you know.”
“What made the car get your attention? Other than it going into the school.”
“The timing I’d guess. You see, the teachers are usually all back from their lunch before one. No one drives through their after that other than deliveries. It wasn’t one of those.”
“And you’re certain it was a Honda?”
“A black one. Yes, looking back I’m sure it was black.”
“You catch the license plate?”
“Oh no. I wasn’t looking in detail. Just when I heard about the murder. I thought you better know.”
“It’s appreciated Miss Johnson.”
Location: Brighouse Police Station
If asked, I could not have described to you my thoughts on what had been written in that article. My thoughts of the teachers especially, expecting the parents to send their children to the school. Of course it is my opinion that children should not miss out on their education for crime. Though that is the case. It had been no surprise of my own when May 9th came and no one showed up to that cold lonely building.
The teachers used that day as a staff training day. The police report had said that the situation was under control. Though I had known different. Only two weeks ago had I been promoted to the position of Detective. I sat in my office drinking coffee and thinking how I would solve this case, and how we would encourage the children of this school back, how we would persuade parents to let them back.
Not my job, which was simply to look over the facts and discover the reason why this crime had taken place, work out who had done it. Miss Phillips had ensured us it was no member of her staff. She had also ensured us that no unauthorised person could have been on sight and not been noticed. Though she had said nothing about her students.
Beyond my understanding was the fact that though the stabbing had indeed happened during school hours though no one had seen or heard a thing.
That seemed unlikely, though I had no proof. The staff we’re giving the same statement. They had been teaching class when their work phone had rung and they were told to dismiss the class due to a stabbing on the main corridor. I had not yet been able to contact any students. Parental consent would not be easy to get.
This town was a quiet town, when I had been transferred from Westminster police I had been expecting a welcome break from real policing. I had expected a quiet and more laid back form of this job. It had been denied.
When I had lived with them, my children had often asked me if my job was like you see it in the movies. As time went by I found it increasingly hard to say no. Though I knew the films which are shown over and over again are indeed an exaggerated and pumped up version of this job, sometimes one imagines themselves as an actor in one of those movies in order to maintain the belief of safety and to convince oneself that this job is actually worth it.
My mind wandered at the thought of my children. What would I do if my own children, Michael aged 15, Riley aged 8 and Olivia aged 4 were to have been in that school and I had no power to force justice on the person who had done it. I couldn’t bear the thought and was thankful to be pulled away from it by the knocking on my door. I sat up in my chair. “Come in.”
As the door opened P.C. Jean Miller looked at me. “Detective, I have a witness who wants to speak to you.”
“About the stabbing?”
“Not itself, she lives over the road from the school and says she had information on someone entering the grounds, she didn’t recognise the car.”
“Bring her in.”
A few moments passed before the woman was brought into my office. Time enough for me to think about the school and memorise the car park and the maze of corridors inside the building, giving me a better view of what this woman could have seen. As she entered the room I instructed her to sit as I fished a note pad from my desk. “Hello Miss..”
“Johnson.”
“Miss Johnson, I’m Detective John Samuels. My colleague, P.C. Miller says you saw something of the incident.”
“Just a car entering the grounds, if that’s at all helpful to you Detective.”
“John, please, and yes it is. Anything at all that you saw could have huge importance in the investigation.”
“Well, I wouldn’t have noticed if it had not been for the strange time. I have lunch at 12 you see, and then after Peter and I have eaten, we walk to the shop and back. That’s just down the road and its about 1 o’clock when we get back. Anyway. I was doing some work in the garden when I saw it pull into the grounds. I hadn’t seen it before.”
“And do you remember what the car looked like? Any details?”
“I remember it was black, or possibly silver. It was a Honda. I’m sure of that.”
“you know what model?”
“Possibly a civic, Peter would be the one to ask on cars, I’m not so good with them.”
“But he didn’t see it?”
“Peter? No. He was watching the TV. I’ve no doubt. I’ll ask him and have him talk to you if he saw anything though.”
“Yeah, that would be good. Miss Johnson, you remember anything else?”
“Yes. It drove to the taxi bay, down by the entrance.”
“You can see that far?”
“If I stand up yes. See, once it had got my attention, I thought I would watch it. One of the poor dears could have been sick. Or they could have been truanting. I wanted to check up you know.”
“What made the car get your attention? Other than it going into the school.”
“The timing I’d guess. You see, the teachers are usually all back from their lunch before one. No one drives through their after that other than deliveries. It wasn’t one of those.”
“And you’re certain it was a Honda?”
“A black one. Yes, looking back I’m sure it was black.”
“You catch the license plate?”
“Oh no. I wasn’t looking in detail. Just when I heard about the murder. I thought you better know.”
“It’s appreciated Miss Johnson.”