Page 80 of Don't Tell Teacher

‘No. The mother is off with her somewhere. God knows where.’

‘Leanne’s probably at her mum’s house. Ask Gary to give Jeannette Neilson a call. I’m on my way to the police station. Lloyd Neilson has been arrested and needs an appropriate adult.’

‘You’ll have to send Gary to the Neilson house then,’ Tessa decides. ‘Assuming you get held up at the police station for the usual four hours plus.’

‘Gary is a family support worker,’ I say. ‘He’s not trained to deal with that on his own. What if Leanne’s boyfriend turns up?’

‘Kate, sometimes you have to make these kinds of decisions. What other choice do you have?’

I want to bang my head on the steering wheel. ‘Fine. Okay. I’ll ask Gary to stay with the Neilsons.’

‘And pray nothing happens while he’s there.’ Tessa hangs up.

I approach the red and white barrier. ‘Hello?’ I shout into the intercom, attempting to text Gary at the same time. ‘I’m Kate Noble, Lloyd Neilson’s social worker and appropriate adult.’

No one replies, but the barrier clicks open.

I notice the little black windows of the basement police cells and wonder if Lloyd is down there, all fake bravado but secretly scared to death.

By the time I’ve crossed the car park, I’ve texted Gary and calculated how many hours I’ll be working late this evening.

Right now, I’ll be lucky to be home before midnight.

Col won’t be happy.

Inside the police station, I’m talked through the arrest, then shown down to an interview room where Lloyd Neilson is waiting – a skinny eleven-year-old boy with floppy black hair, who’s just been held in a police cell.

His hands are shoved tight in his trouser pockets, one foot balancing over his knee.

‘Where’s Mum?’ Lloyd asks.

‘She couldn’t come, Lloyd.’ I’m too tactful to add:Because we don’t know where she is.

‘Who took Joey home?’

‘Pauly did.’

‘Are they on their own, then?’

‘I’m sending someone over to be with them now.’

‘A man or a woman?’

I pause. ‘A man.’

Lloyd explodes, banging his fists on the table. He’s had bad experiences with men.

‘Look, let’s just get this police interview over and then we can leave,’ I say. ‘Can you tell me what happened?’

‘Those police assaulted me,’ says Lloyd. ‘Fucking dickheads. I wish they were all dead. They say I stole from the school medicine cabinet. But I never.’

It’s a game we play – me pretending I believe him, him telling me what I need to know.

‘So whatdidyou do?’

‘Nothing. I was just messing around at the back of the field.’

‘They wouldn’tarrestyou for that,’ I say. ‘There must be more to it.’

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