Felicia Ireland tried to look cool but she was clearly rattled.
‘Obviously we’re upset about what happened to Emily,’ she said, ‘and her welfare is our primary concern, but we’re also concerned about the article she wrote. The story of her attack is one thing, but the feature on being a tutor is another thing entirely.’
‘I see,’ said Garibaldi. ‘And what is it, precisely, that concerns you about the article?’
Felicia’s shrug suggested she thought explanation unnecessary. ‘It doesn’t do much for the reputation of private tutoring.’
‘Really?’ said Garibaldi. ‘It seemed innocent enough to me. Just saying what everyone probably already knows – that a lot of young people do it as a way of getting money while they look around for jobs.’
‘Exactly,’ said Roddy, ‘which is not the impression we like to give at Forum. We don’t want our clients to think our tutors are only doing it because they can’t think of a better way to earn some money. We like to think we employ tutors who aren’t so obviously fly-by-night.’
‘Correct me if I’m wrong,’ said Garibaldi, ‘but I don’t 185think Emily Francis actually said that she worked for Forum, did she?’
Felicia threw her head back and laughed. ‘People will know. People already know and believe me word will spread. She used her own name, for goodness’ sake. What about the people she’s tutoring for? They’ll know she works for us.’
Roddy Ireland leant forward and rested his elbows on his knees. ‘As Felicia says, we’re worried about Emily’s wellbeing and very distressed by what she experienced. I hope you realise, Inspector, that our concern is not with any damage to our reputation. Not at all. As you say, Emily Francis said nothing surprising and didn’t mention us by name. I think what we have here is a misjudged attempt by an aspiring journalist to get her name noticed. We’ll talk to her and we’ll carry on using her services. You can’t fire someone because they have different views.’
Garibaldi thought of all those fired over the years for that very reason.
‘More importantly,’ said Roddy, ‘are we any closer to finding out who killed Giles?’
‘We’re pursuing several lines of enquiry and we’re getting very close.’
It was his stock response – far from the truth but a good way of fending off the implication that not finding the perpetrator within a few days amounted to failure.
‘I have to be honest with you, Inspector. Giles Gallen was murdered only a matter of days ago and now Emily Francis is threatened at knifepoint, and we’re worried that in some way these things might constitute a real threat to us, to Forum. It’s not our reputation we’re worried about so much as our safety.’ 186
‘There’s no evidence to—’
‘But what if someone’s out to get us?’
‘Do you think that’s the case?’
‘I’m stating the possibility. Giles worked for us and so does Emily.’
‘There might be no connection at all,’ said Garibaldi.
He knew it was a lie. Or at least he knew what Emily Francis had told them. Remember what happened to Giles. Keep your mouth shut.
But he wasn’t going to tell the Irelands. Not yet.
‘But what if there is?’ said Felicia. ‘Should we be doing anything? Should we be warning our tutors?’
‘I don’t think there’s any need to panic.’
‘No need to panic? One of our tutors murdered and another one attacked. Why wouldn’t we panic?’
‘I don’t think there’s any special advice you need to give your tutors, Mrs Ireland. Giles Gallen wasn’t murdered while he was giving a lesson and Emily Francis was attacked as she was walking home. There’s no evidence at all that these events are anything to do with their tutoring work.’
‘Even so …’ said Roddy.
Garibaldi gave them both a stern look, the kind he imagined Rachel giving recalcitrant Hillside students. ‘Perhaps you could help us with a few questions.’
‘Of course,’ said Felicia, ‘but I hope you understand we’re only trying to do the best by our tutors, our clients, everyone.’
‘And we’re trying to find out who murdered Giles Gallen, so your cooperation would be appreciated.’
Felicia turned to Roddy as if she needed his approval. He nodded and she turned back to Garibaldi.
‘We’d like to know a little more about your pro bono 187work at Hillside Academy,’ said Garibaldi, ‘and Giles Gallen’s involvement in it.’
‘The pro bono work is very important to Forum,’ said Felicia. ‘We—’
Garibaldi cut in. ‘Forget the PR. We know all about that.’
‘What do you want to know, then?’ said Roddy.
‘How many tutors. What the deal was. What Giles did.’
‘OK, Inspector,’ said Felicia. ‘We put feelers out to several schools a couple of years ago. Not all responded positively, but the new Head at Hillside, Kevin someone …’
‘Johnson,’ said Garibaldi. ‘Kevin Johnson.’
‘He was very keen, so we advertised the opportunity amongst our tutors. We hadn’t expected a big take-up and to be fair we didn’t get one.’
‘Why did you think you wouldn’t get a big take up?’ asked Gardner.
‘Because the majority of our tutors, while they may have a social conscience and altruistic impulses, are doing it because they need the money, so to take on an unpaid commitment was asking a lot.’
‘So how many went to Hillside?’ said Garibaldi.
‘Three of them,’ said Felicia. ‘We were particularly pleased that Giles was one of them. Having worked for such high-profile wealthy clients like the Rivettis, it was good to see him getting involved.’
‘And how often did you expect your tutors to see the Hillside students?’ asked Gardner.
‘We offered five sessions.’
‘I see,’ said Garibaldi, ‘and would your tutors have any contact with the students outside those sessions?’
‘We encouraged email support, so yes there was contact beyond the sessions.’ 188
‘But you wouldn’t expect your tutors to meet up with any of the students?’
Felicia and Roddy both shook their heads.
‘The reason I mention it is because Giles Gallen was helping a boy at Hillside called Devon Furlong and it seems that Devon and Giles met up several times away from the school.’
‘That’s most unusual,’ said Roddy. ‘We don’t encourage that at all.’
‘So you have rules about that kind of thing.’
‘Nothing written down,’ said Felicia. ‘Nothing formal.’
‘You surprise me,’ said Garibaldi. ‘I’d have thought you’d want to make it clear there were boundaries that shouldn’t be crossed. I’m thinking of young teenage girls meeting male tutors. Or of course meeting female tutors. Or of course young teenage boys doing the same.’
He winced, embarrassed by his clumsiness.
‘Are you suggesting,’ said Roddy, ‘that Giles seeing this boy for a coffee has anything to do with his murder?’
‘Not at all. I’m just asking about usual practice.’
‘I think all this shows,’ said Felicia, ‘is Giles’s extraordinary level of commitment. He really cared about his Hillside work. He told us. I really don’t see how this could be at all relevant.’
‘You never know what’s relevant,’ said Garibaldi, ‘until the connection reveals itself.’
Garibaldi thought briefly of revealing one possible connection but decided that for the moment the Irelands would be better off not knowing about Terrell Furlong.
He decided to go for something else.
‘One thing I must tell you is that Emily Francis’s attacker said things to her that may be significant and may link her attack to Giles’s murder. Apparently …’ He liked 189the apparently and paused to give the word some space. ‘Apparently he said, “remember what happened to Giles”. He also said, “keep your mouth shut”. It would seem they both knew something, some secret.’
‘We already know this, Inspector,’ said Felicia.
‘Really?’
‘Yes. Emily told us.’
‘In which case,’ said Garibaldi, ‘you’ve had some time to think about it.’
‘And I still don’t know what to make of it. I mean, what kind of secret?’
‘If I knew that it wouldn’t be much of a secret, would it?’
‘Well, it can’t be a secret about us,’ said Roddy.
‘I never for one moment thought it could be. The secret could be anything. There’s also a chance that there’s no secret at all, just as there’s a chance that whoever killed Giles Gallen is not the person who attacked Emily Francis.’
‘But surely—?’ Roddy looked baffled. ‘There has to be a connection. If he said those things—’
‘We have to keep an open mind,’ said Garibaldi. ‘What might help is to know who Emily was tutoring. Do you have a list of her clients?’
‘You can’t possibly think … ?’
‘I’m capable of all kinds of thoughts, Mr Ireland. So if we could have that list?’
‘Of course,’ said Roddy. ‘I’ll send it through tomorrow.’
‘Now would be better,’ said Garibaldi. He held Roddy’s gaze until he got up and went to the office.
‘It’s very difficult to take all this in,’ said Felicia. ‘Murder, and now this!’
‘That’s troubles for you,’ said Garibaldi. ‘Never single spies are they? Always come in battalions.’ 190
Felicia Ireland looked at him, shocked.
Garibaldi couldn’t tell whether it was because of what had happened to two of her tutors or because the visiting detective had just quoted from Hamlet.