Page 101 of Dying Truth
He smiled. ‘It’s safe to say I’ve been busy, and I really wish I hadn’t been.’
‘Anything out of the ordinary?’ she asked.
‘What I can say is that all I have seen are normal reactions to a sudden and unexplained death or three,’ he said.
‘Has Saffie Winters been to see you?’ she asked.
He considered and then shook his head. ‘No, but I really wish she would. I did seek her out yesterday to see if she wanted to talk. Her refusal to return home to her parents has us all concerned, but it would be unwise to force her,’ he said.
Kim agreed. ‘And would you categorise her response as normal?’
Graham shook his head. ‘People react differently to traumatic events, Inspector,’ he offered, evasively.
‘And now would you answer the question I asked,’ Kim responded.
He smiled. ‘Probably not but…’
‘Graham, may I ask you a question that you may feel uncomfortable answering?’ she asked, recalling his reaction the previous day.
His gaze narrowed. ‘Of course.’
‘Are there any students here that you’ve met with that you consider capable of violence?’ It was not a theory she was yet ready to abandon until she had something more substantial pointing towards an adult. ‘Someone physically able to haul Christian up over that beam?’
He shook his head. ‘I’m sorry, officer, but that’s not a possibility I’m prepared to consider.’
‘But it’s one that we have to,’ Kim said. ‘Is there anyone with a history of fire starting or animal cruelty?’ she asked, recalling Alex’s insight.
Again, he began to shake his head but paused.
‘There’s something, isn’t there?’
‘It’s probably nothing. I mean…’
‘Please, let us be the judge of that,’ she advised.
‘Alistair Minton, sixteen years old. I had to speak to him a couple of months ago, but I can’t imagine that he—’
‘What about?’ Kim asked.
‘Animal cruelty,’ he said, as a look of distaste clung to his mouth. ‘There was a stray cat that used to hang around the kitchen, just taking the odd scrap. He caught it, glued its—’
Kim felt the tension seeping into her bottom jaw. ‘Is this an image I really need in my head?’ she asked.
‘Probably not,’ he agreed.
‘And his explanation?’ she asked.
The counsellor shook his head. ‘That he thought it would be a laugh. There was no remorse or empathy for the animal’s suffering.’
‘So, what did you do?’ Kim asked.
‘Informed his parents and voiced my concerns.’
‘And?’
‘They cancelled his half-term skiing trip.’
‘Devastating,’ Bryant said, mirroring her thoughts.
