Chalk Dust & Broomsticks, Chapter 16

Christmas approaches at Primrose and Gerald finds a dead body in the boiler room.

Chapter 16 - The Ravens Arrive

The next day, Nick Blunt visited the school to explain the forthcoming Ofsted Inspection. Tall, dark, and handsome in his navy-blue pinstripe suit, he was also arrogant and had come to instill fear.

"A team of Ofsted Inspectors," he began, smirking around the apprehensive staff, "will descend upon the school like an unkindness of ravens on the Monday morning of January 19th. This is a little later than we expected, but at least you will be able to enjoy your Christmas break before the tensions of the inspection."

"Fat chance of that!" could be heard in the murmurings.

He ensured they understood the severity: a specialized Inspector would be in every class, observing and recording their every move for the whole week. Mrs. Cracker from Robins Class was so nervous she accidentally took the wrong tablet, causing her to have an upset stomach later that afternoon.

Seated at the back of the hall was Gerald. He was terrified. The very thought of the inspectors crawling all over the school en mass was almost too much for him, but worse was to come.

Mrs. Catchpole sat beside Mr. Blunt, looking across at him adoringly. Althea, smelling the unwelcome rush of testosterone in the air, smiled at Alex, who had accompanied Mr. Blunt. Perhaps they would have some time together later.

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A Cold Farewell

School broke up on December 21st. The impending Ofsted inspection in January cast a pall over the Christmas festivities, although it was well known that the inspections were often delayed.

Mary Pink was convalescing at home, writing to her Union Representative. She felt sure that Althea's decision to move her out of the Nursery Unit and put her in charge of Red Class, in the top year, was out of order. After all, the Nursery Unit is not, strictly speaking, part of the school and the needs of the younger children are very different to those of the older ones.

On the last day of term, Mrs. Cracker oversaw the Robins as they got ready to leave for the Christmas holidays. She would miss her class; after Christmas, she was to be exiled to the Nursery. Each child had in his/her hand a magnificent Christmas card made of red coloured card and white cotton wool, ready to give to the parent who collected them at the school gate. A lump popped up in Mrs. Cracker's throat as she thought about the new term. She would miss Robins, even though they could be very trying. They weren't the worst class she had ever had and she liked the top infants (Year 3). She would have to get used to a much younger age group. It's going to be a challenge, but I'm up for it, she told herself, but she really didn't feel up to it at all. It's going to be such a difference, after all quite a few of the children are still in nappies and a lot of them don't know how to use a knife and fork!

Her eyes filled with tears as she watched the children struggling with scarves and boots. Jeremy Blocker had got his boots on the wrong feet as usual and Martina Maxwell was trying to strangle Vernon Payne with his scarf. When the children had all left, she turned round and looked at the empty classroom. The walls were all bare because Christmas decorations had to be taken down at the end of term even though Christmas was yet to come. The classrooms had to be pristine in readiness for the new term and the "ravens". In the desk drawer, she left a message for Mary Pink, warning her who to trust and who to watch out for.

She closed the door and turned toward the corridor. Wait a minute, she thought. Isn't that a child left in the peg corner?

She hurried down the corridor toward a white shape that appeared to be floating. As she approached, a feeling of intense cold washed over her, and the apparition moved further away. She called out, but there was no answer. When she finally reached the double doors, they burst open and Althea loomed large in front of her. The ghost vanished.

"Still here, Mrs. Cracker?" Althea questioned, startling her. Mrs. Cracker felt the hairs on the back of her neck lifting.

"I'm just going home," she managed.

"Are you coming to the Staff Christmas Party? Asked Althea.

"I'm not sure yet." replied Mrs. Cracker.

"I do hope so. It will be a great chance for us all to get together and enjoy some sherry and mince pies. If not, I'll see you next term then," Althea said, departing.

Mrs. Cracker felt suddenly very alone.

January 1999

A Body in the Boiler house

During the Christmas holidays, the empty classrooms, corridors, hall etc. afforded Gerald time enough to clean the floors, which were always particularly dirty during the wintertime. He quite enjoyed the job, especially being able to use the large scrubber/polishing machine that tackled the job quite effortlessly. He worked away, whistling and thinking about his first fishing expedition of the New Year. As it got dark so early in the winter, four o'clock usually, Gerald decided to take a look at the boiler house, next to the school, before finishing and returning home for his tea, which he could already smell cooking. He wandered over to the boiler house and looked for the key, hanging on his belt. 'Funny,' he said, 'it isn't here. It must be. Let's start again.' He ran his fingers over the numerous keys on the large ring, but no, the key was missing. 'I'll look for it later,' he mumbled and taking a ladder, climbed up to look through the high window of the boiler house. With the aid of a flashlight, he could just make out his pile of magazines and his bottles of whisky.
But wait a moment. There was something else.

A body lay prone on the floor of the boiler house, and dark and menacing, around the head, was a thick pool of blood. The body was on its front, and it was impossible to see in the gloom who it was! Gerald was shocked... he nearly fell off his ladder. 'How in the world did that get there? He speculated. Who put it there? Was it male or female? Did it get there by itself? And the most important question of all - what shall I do about it? Obviously I should tell the police, but that would mean strangers crawling all over the school, invading my privacy and causing bad publicity for the school - the school that was trying so hard to give a good impression of itself during Ofsted. Shall I tell the headteacher?'

Gerald didn't like Althea, anymore than anyone else did. She looked down on him, which he found humiliating and he avoided her as much as possible. He continued ruminating, 'If I could just get rid of it...maybe I could cut it up? I could put it in the boiler ... clear up the mess? No-one would be any the wiser if I do a good job. When I was a butcher I cut up cows. It can't be that different to that... worth a try...maybe tomorrow....I'll see if I've got the right implements.'

Empathy wasn't one of Gerald's strong points. His only aim was to get rid of the problem and restore order. He stored the ladder and wandered back across the playground to his house, the other side of the main gates, locking the gates behind him and noticing the welcoming lights of his house in front of him. Then he looked down at his keyring - one missing - the one to the boiler house. Somebody must have taken it and used it. He would have to find that key!


The next day, Shirley was at home, looking at the primroses she had planted the previous spring. They had just begun to poke through the ground bringing the promise of Spring to come.

"These really are remarkable little plants," she said. "Folklore dictates that they hold the keys to the kingdom."