James drummed his fingers. ‘Look, how about this. We meet with the girl and her mum sometime next week. If there’s anything to go on, we’ll call it in to social services. OK?”
Claire took a deep breath. ‘Tomorrow would be best I think. Without her mum.’ Now that Claire asserted herself, she was surprisingly calm and implacable. ‘All the Year Twos have tomorrow morning is singing assembly, and Lorna could miss that. And yes, alright, we’ll see it as a preliminary to calling it in properly. And, James? I’d like to be there too,’ Claire said as firmly as she could. The poor little girl should have a friendly face there.
‘All right. That’s a lot of work you’ve put my way, Claire, potentially. Just so you know. And all based on a “feeling” of yours.’
‘It’s based on observation and information, James,’ Claire said quietly.
‘Well. All right. Tomorrow, then. Tuesday.’ He shoved his arms into his coat and stood up without looking at her. ‘Now I’ve got to have what I expect to be a particularly lively meeting with Reverend Gary, and then I’ve got my own kids to get back to’
She let herself out of his office, feeling proud of herself for the first time in months.
* * *
‘You agree with James, then?’ Claire asked.
‘I didn’t say that. Sit down. Tea.’ Norma sat down herself, heavily, on the broad brown chesterfield sofa. Her back was bothering her.
‘I can’t, I mean we have to take this seriously—’
‘Naturally.’
‘I’d be – it would just be wrong not to report it.’
‘And I agree with you. Claire, sit down, please, and pour the tea.’
‘But you said—’
‘I said, are you sure you know what you’re talking about? Sit down, you look ready to drop! What exactly have you been told?’
Claire perched on the stern oak chair by the fire. ‘Lorna says things have been happening at home – abuse . . .’
‘No. All you know is that her mother tells you that she makes things up.’
‘And what I’ve seen.’
‘Which is what exactly?’
‘That she’s scared to go home—’
‘But she went home, didn’t she? And went in willingly?’
‘Ye-es. And I saw her mother hit her that time in the playground.’
‘Two years ago! And a smack, not a hit. Again, not good, but not evidence of anything sinister, either. Claire, it wasn’t too long ago that smacking children was normal behaviour.’
‘I . . .’
‘You have a feeling, Claire. An intuition.’
‘Yes.’
‘Well, you did the right thing by telling James, but I have to say – and don’t blow up – that I understand his exasperation. Child protection is a minefield. And nobody wants to make the wrong call, and what you did, by doing the right thing, and following your intuition, is give that man a potentially huge headache. Why do you think social services will take you seriously? They’ve hardly been covering themselves with glory lately. And what is it about this girl? Claire? Every year I hear this name, and every year it causes you some worry. Is she particularly bright?’
‘I’m not sure. Potentially, I’d say, yes.’
‘But still . . .’
‘I don’t think it’s about her especially. There’s just something – I don’t know – going on, that’s all.’
Norma sighed and looked down at the table for a long time. Claire felt her frustration rise. She’d done the right thing, the brave thing! Why couldn’t anyone see that?
‘Claire. Do you remember when I used to tell you, when you were small, that you should never be a teacher? Yes? Well, I wasn’t being especially serious. You were a child. But still, there was a kernel of truth there. No, No,’ she held up her hand, ‘listen to me now. It’s not that I think for a minute that you’re a bad teacher. Absolutely not. You’re one of the best. Certainly I couldn’t have lasted five minutes in that school. But. Oh, God. More tea?’
‘No, get it out, Mother.’
Norma put her hand – old, thin – on Claire’s wrist. ‘You never toughened up, Claire. You’re too soft. And you can be taken advantage of. And that’s why I was always in two minds about you being a teacher. You’re too trusting, too soft. How can I put it – situations themselves take advantage of you. You are the only person who’s been hearing alarm bells about this particular girl. Why is that?’
‘I don’t know. I don’t even know if that’s true. Her teacher may well have. And teachers miss things all the time. Jade—’
‘What I mean is, is this girl seeking you out for some reason?’
‘No. I don’t think so. I think I’ve just happened to be there—’
‘Have you thought that perhaps you seek her out?’
‘What?’ Claire almost laughed, but Norma looked grim.
‘Perhaps you create situations where you will be called on to save people. There. That’s what I mean.’
‘I don’t know what you mean at all.’ But something novel and painful edged into her mind.
‘Don’t you? All those children that used to come round here when you were small, and you leading them about like Mother Goose. You made it obvious that you wanted to talk to them, and heal them, or whatever. And so they did. And maybe that’s what’s happening with this girl. You started that Christmas Cracker group and made sure she was in with all the other lame ducks. You hang around the playground looking out for the waifs and strays after school. If you’re there, waiting to be needed, then you are needed—’ Norma broke off and coughed. Johnny trotted over and put his paws on her thigh, while Norma waved Claire to the kitchen to get water.
‘Have you been to the doctor’s about that cough yet?’
Norma rolled her eyes. ‘You see what I mean?’
‘No. No I don’t. Have you been to the doctor’s?’
‘Yes I have. And it’s a cough. That’s all it is. But if you get worried, I’ll get worried and I don’t like to be worried. You know what he recommended? Benylin. I’m fine. And this is what I mean, you wait around for a hint of trouble, and then swoop in to help, but you might well be making the problem worse. Just by caring too much.’