The afternoon before a term break meant chaos in the staffroom.

Sophie scanned the class lists pinned to the noticeboard. Teachers occasionally bagged the same class two terms in a row, but not often. While continuity benefited both learners and teachers, Pete argued that it didn’t please everyone. Younger students liked change and, in the competitive language teaching business, student satisfaction drove revenue. ‘We give them what they want to pay for, and hopefully they learn something along the way,’ Pete had informed Sophie when she interviewed for her position.

This was why Pete worked as the director of studies, a glorified administrator, and not as a teacher.

Sophie checked her class list. Disappointment settled. A new class and Su Yuan was gone.

The line by the photocopier was six deep. Sophie avoided it and headed for the library.

Chuck stepped out from behind a bookshelf. ‘My favourite time of the month,’ he said, his voice booming with enthusiasm.

‘You sound like a sanitary pad commercial.’

Chuck pulled a face. ‘You know what I mean. A new term! New class! It’s exciting!’

‘I’ve got elementary students,’ Sophie said. ‘Need to teach them how to speak.’

‘That old challenge.’

‘I’m going to miss my favourite student.’ Sophie flicked through the books on the shelf. ‘You know how there’s one person who brings the whole class together?’

Chuck nodded. ‘I know it, sister. That student is the lifeblood. Without them, the class is dead.’

‘Well, I’m missing my lifeblood,’ said Sophie. ‘Her name’s Su Yuan.’

Chuck picked up his selection of books. ‘Oh good,’ he said. ‘I’ve got her.’

Sophie stared at him.

‘I already memorised my list,’ he said, a touch defensive.

‘Lucky bastard.’

Chuck held up two fingers in peace. ‘You want to get a coffee or something? Hear about my Pattaya plans?’

Sophie checked her watch. Joy Lin would be rapping her knuckles against the front door in an hour. ‘Tute night at my place,’ she said. ‘I’m biking home and my student’s never late.’

‘You work too hard,’ said Chuck.

Sophie shrugged. ‘Stops me from thinking too much.’

女孩

The first shades of evening had painted the streetscape pink. Sophie pulled her scarf tight, tucked her collar against the wind. She dodged afternoon shoppers balancing bags against blown-out umbrellas and splashed along a footpath shiny with water and headlights. It took only ten minutes to reach Central English. Her body glowed warm from the afternoon exercise.

Then she saw her bike.

Tyres slashed, deflated rubber pooling against concrete like wax. Somebody had bothered to drag a knife right through each tyre, slitting the rubber in two clean, slim arcs.

Fuck me.

Sophie looked around, hoping to spy a laughing street kid or lounging student who might have seen something. But the language school had emptied its classrooms an hour ago and the few stray pedestrians scuttled through the weather like sand crabs.

Sophie removed the lock. Leaving the bike now would be a mistake; she’d have nothing to collect in the morning. Water dripped down her coat collar, mingling with the cooling sweat on her skin. Sophie hauled the bike slowly along the pavement. Spokes cackled. Bare wheels rasped. It was going to be a slow journey.

But I’ll make it.

‘What happened to you?’ Jin Tao held the gate open wide as Sophie limped her bicycle into the garden and over to the front steps. ‘You look like you went swimming with your clothes on.’

Sophie shivered hard. A fierce cold pierced her. ‘I thought you were supposed to be at work?’

Jin Tao examined the bike. ‘Ducked home for some cloves,’ he said. ‘Shit, someone really went to work on your tyres.’ He picked up the bicycle and carried it up the steps.

Sophie followed him into the hallway. He leaned the bike against the wall. ‘You got any enemies?’

She tugged at her jacket. ‘Not that I know about. Maybe next time they’ll leave me a note with an explanation.’

Jin Tao rubbed his head. ‘You don’t think it’s a bit weird that it happened outside the English school?’

‘Why?’

‘You were there this morning, asking after Han Hong. Maybe somebody saw you poking around.’

She pushed past him. She needed the hot pins of the shower. ‘You’ve been at my Trixie Belden collection, haven’t you?’

He broke into a grin. ‘You’re right. It’s probably just a case of wrong place, wrong time. But are you OK?’

‘Yep,’ said Sophie. ‘And I know a bike-shop guy. No worries. I'll sort it.’

She jumped up the stairs, hit the landing and turned. Jin Tao stared back at her. What was that she saw? Concern or suspicion? For the first time in a long time, Jin Tao’s face was unreadable.