Storm and Stone (35 page)

Isaac swayed and crumpled to his knees, only sheer grit having kept him upright until this point thanks to the beating he had taken.

Kieran rushed to his side. ‘Don’t worry, sir: I’ve told your team to pick them up. They won’t get out of the drive.’

Isaac panted. ‘I’d give my firstborn to be out of these cuffs.’

‘In that case, you can name him Kieran after me—or Raven if it’s a girl.’ Kieran produced the key he had taken earlier. ‘I think this works on all the sets they have.’ He released Isaac’s wrists.

Isaac fell against him. ‘I might just do that. You were all magnificent. Everyone OK?’

‘Yes, the other two students are fine. We left them with the police.’

‘Great. I’m gonna pass out right about now so I’ll leave the rest to you.’

‘We’ve got you, sir,’ said Joe, catching him as he slid sideways.

Raven stood by the side of the pool, feeling excess to requirements as Kieran got into the ambulance with Isaac and everyone else buzzed around, fully occupied with the crisis.

‘I’ll see you later, OK?’ Kieran said before the doors closed on him. He gave a brief smile but she could tell he was consumed with worry for his mentor. The ambulance pulled away from the pool leaving tyre tracks on the lawn.

Joe was busy debriefing a huge man in military fatigues and the police officer in charge of the operation. As Joe had predicted, Burnham and Kolnikov had not got out of the school grounds. They were now under armed guard and on their way to the nearest police station. The most immediate problem left for the police was that they had arrested all the resident teachers, leaving three hundred children of various ages unchaperoned, not to mention that some of the young people had been victims of the manor treatment and had to be assessed for the damage done to their minds. The officers were currently shepherding them back to their beds, telling them that everything would be explained in the morning.

Good luck with that,
thought Raven.

Siobhan and Johnny arrived in the orangery under the escort of a policewoman.

‘Raven, is everyone safe?’ Siobhan asked anxiously. ‘Where’s Kieran?’

‘He’s gone to hospital with his godfather.’ She held up a hand to pre-empt Siobhan’s next question. ‘Don’t worry: he wasn’t hurt—it’s Isaac who was roughed up. They interrogated him forcibly to find out what he knew.’

‘But he’s going to pull through?’

‘I think so.’

Johnny yawned. ‘Sorry, can’t help myself. This mess is going to take hours to sort out. Do you think it would be OK if we went back to our rooms until they need us?’

Raven was flattered he looked to her for a lead, especially when she was feeling so confused herself. ‘I imagine so. I take it you’ve already given a statement?’

‘Yes. Back at the crash site.’

‘I’m waiting to give mine.’ She closed her eyes briefly, weariness catching up with her. She wished she still had her phone but that had been left somewhere in the manor, and she doubted she would be reunited with it for quite a while.

‘Good, then we’ll see you in the morning.’ Johnny glanced outside where dawn had arrived an hour ago. ‘I mean in the afternoon.’

‘Yes, see you then.’

Siobhan gave Raven a hug. ‘I know we hardly knew each other before all this happened, but I just want to say a big thank you again. You’ll get sick of me saying it. You were so great—so were Joe and Kieran. Friends?’

‘Yes, of course, we’re friends.’ Raven grinned, pleased that she had at least two allies in Westron.

The pair walked away hand in hand.

Joe came over with the man in camouflage. ‘Raven, this is Sergeant Rivers. He headed Isaac’s team.’

Rivers shook her hand. ‘Pleased to meet you, Miss Stone. I hear a lot of the success of today’s operation is down to you.’

‘I think it was more of a joint effort.’

‘Yes—Storm and Stone to the rescue. They made quite a team, sir,’ said Joe, ruffling her hair.

Rivers folded his arms across his broad chest, biceps bulging in his tight T-shirt. ‘I still can’t believe Kieran drove that minibus off the road. I’ll have to see if he’ll consider a transfer to Wolves. We like recruits who can jump in with the right action at the right time.’

Joe laughed. ‘I think he’s a total Owl, sir. The most owlish of the bunch.’

Raven wrinkled her forehead in puzzlement. ‘What are you talking about?’

‘Our organization, Miss Stone,’ said Rivers. ‘We have nicknames for the groups of young people taking our training.’

‘It’s good training, Raven—none of that brainwashing stuff they did at the manor,’ Joe added.

‘I’m in charge of the Wolves, the hunters.’ The sergeant cleared his throat, realizing he was saying too much to an outsider. ‘But I won’t bore you with the details for the moment. You need to get some rest.’

‘I don’t find it in the least bit boring,’ she assured him, pleased to learn something real about Kieran and Joe at long last.

‘Ask Kieran about it when you see him,’ said Joe. ‘Look, Raven, I just came over to say goodbye. I’m going back to headquarters. We’ve still got a huge amount of mopping up to do on this operation—two trustees still at large and an entire global network of international schools to be investigated. Kieran and I are going to be very busy. But I just wanted to say that it’s been an honour to work with you.’ He embraced her. ‘You’ve shone from beginning to end.’

‘Oh, er, thanks.’ So was this it? No, it couldn’t be. ‘I’ll be seeing you again soon, won’t I?’

Joe flicked a look at the sergeant’s forbidding expression. ‘We’ll have to see. I’m sure Kieran will be in touch to give you his own thanks.’

She didn’t want thanks. He could screw
thanks
! ‘He will? You’re sure?’

His gaze was fixed somewhere over her head. ‘Just stay strong, OK? Oh, I forgot to mention: they arrested your granddad along with the other staff members … ’

‘What! You’re only just telling me this now!’

‘Don’t worry—I told the policeman to release him immediately. He should be on his way back.’

A policewoman came over and touched her shoulder. ‘Are you ready to give your statement now, Miss?’

‘What? Yes. Yes, I am.’

Joe patted her back as he stepped away. ‘I’ll leave you to it then. Goodbye, Raven.’

‘Goodbye, Joe.’ She caught his sleeve as he turned to leave. ‘Before you go, tell me something: were your parents ever in prison or rehab?’

He smiled sheepishly. ‘Never. Dad’s biggest crime is having a golf handicap lower than mine and Mom is a sweetheart who would be mother to the entire world if she could.’

‘Was anything you told me the truth?’

‘They do live in New York. Everything else was a smokescreen,’ he gestured around him at Rivers and the police officers, ‘for this.’

She let him go, depressed that she had known so little about him and Kieran. It revived all her old fears that her relationship with Kieran had been equally fake. ‘I’m glad you’ve got them behind you. Be happy, Joe.’

‘You too.’

‘Now, Miss, where would you like to do this? Is there a responsible adult we can have sit in on your interview?’ asked the policewoman.

Yeah, you just arrested him.

‘My grandfather. Joe said he’s heading back to our cottage.’

‘Shall we take this over there then?’

Raven decided she had had her fill of the swimming pool. She plucked the last rose still hanging on in her hairclip and dropped it on the tiles, petals spilling like drops of blood. ‘Yes, let’s do that.’

When the policewoman left, Raven and her grandfather sat facing each other across the table.

‘Well,’ he said.

Raven toyed with the mug she had drunk from while giving her statement. ‘It’s been quite a night.’

He took her hand. ‘You need to know, darling, that my job has gone up the spout. The business behind the school has been suspended pending investigations. The policeman who drove me back said parents were being informed and told to make arrangements to collect their children today.’

‘I hope not. Half of them should be in the dock for putting their kids through the manor experience.’

‘The manor children are being handled separately. Social workers are coming here to counsel them. The majority of the students never went there though, so they’re being sent home.’

‘I see.’ Raven sipped the last cold mouthful of tea. She hadn’t been to bed yet and, though she felt exhausted, couldn’t imagine sleeping with so many questions buzzing round in her head, chief of which was whether Kieran was ever going to contact her.

‘Do you want some more bad news?’ her granddad asked.

‘Not really, but I suppose I’d better get it over with.’ Her life was one big sigh at the moment.

‘My pension was a company one. If the Union of International Schools goes under, I may not see a penny of it. Apparently, they did not organize their finances to protect their staff as they were legally bound to do.’

‘We’ll have no income?’

‘And no home. We’re going to have to leave here.’ His eyes were suspiciously bright. ‘But don’t worry: I’ll find something. I have some other savings and I’m going to the job centre tomorrow and … and we’ll talk to the benefits people about getting somewhere to stay.’

Raven absorbed this new blow slowly. They were only a whisker away from being destitute.

‘I’m really sorry, darling. It’s my fault. I’ve been working for the wrong people—I should’ve seen it. I should’ve asked more questions.’

‘You mustn’t blame yourself, Granddad. How were you to know?’ She came round the table and hugged him tight. ‘Don’t worry—I’ll get a job too. I’m seventeen. I’m sure I can find something.’

‘But college … ’

‘College can wait a year or so until we are back on our feet.’

He shook with silent sobs. Raven buried her face in his neck, refusing to cry. He needed her to be strong and that’s what she would be.

‘We’ll come through this, trust me.’

‘I don’t deserve you, Raven.’

‘You deserve so much more, Granddad.’

After a much needed shower and sleep, Raven decided to brave the school to see how the students were doing. She went over at supper time to find a very subdued gathering. Many of the pupils had already left in their parents’ cars, the celebrities and other important people wanting to put as much distance as possible between themselves and scandal. The media had taken up residence at the end of the drive, police and social workers in the grounds—nothing was as it had been at Westron. The catering crew were still there, with the same shamed, stunned look as her grandfather, but they had obviously agreed to the authorities’ request to stay on and feed those left behind. She took a tray and helped herself to a packet of sandwiches and crisps. She could feel the eyes of many of her year on her and wondered just what they were thinking now. It must be so odd to them to find the hate figure of the school had ended up bringing the whole place down around their ears like the Bible story of Samson chained to the pillar. Unlike that ancient hero, she had no intention of going down in the rubble. She straightened her spine and braved the dining room.

‘Raven, over here!’ called Siobhan. She was sitting with Johnny on the central and most coveted table.

Raven put down her tray. ‘Had a good sleep?’

‘Yes. Woke to find multiple messages from my parents but I’m not talking to them. I’m thinking of asking my aunt in London if I can go to her for the moment.’

‘Which has the advantage that it’s near my older sister. I’m going to her,’ said Johnny. ‘Both of us are divorcing our parents.’

‘Can you do that to parents?’ asked Siobhan.

‘Un-adopting them. There should be a ceremony. My sister hit the roof when she heard what had happened here.’

‘And so she should,’ agreed Raven. She felt a pang of gratitude that her own parents had always been perfectly happy with her as she was. She missed them so much. She could do with their help now.

‘How about you?’ Siobhan’s enquiry was interrupted by Adewale, who came to stand beside her.

What now?
Raven wondered.

‘Raven, can I have a word?’

‘Sure.’ She pushed her tray away.

‘Gina’s in with the counsellors.’

‘That’s good.’

‘She had a bit of a meltdown when the police arrived. The cracks were showing, to be honest with you, before then.’ Adewale struggled to meet her eye and finally made himself do so. ‘Anyway, she confessed that she had no proof that you put my watch in her things—that she might even have done it herself—not that she remembers either way.’

‘I didn’t take it, Adewale.’

‘Yes, I guess I know that now. So I’ve a massive apology I owe you—not just for accusing you but for what I did afterwards.’

The cricket pavilion.

‘You were cruel. I don’t know how you could do that to someone.’

‘I know.’ He swallowed. ‘I’m trying to think how I can make it up to you. This isn’t enough but I’ll make a start now.’

Then to her shock he stood on the chair beside her then got on to the table and clapped his hands. The dining room fell silent; the police officers in the room looked distinctly unhappy, ready to intervene if Adewale did something threatening.