The Headmaster

Anonymous

Dear Mrs Maundy,

I am writing this note, the same information has been shared with the police, to help give you closure regarding the loss of your daughter Jade. 

She was taken by a man in a position of trust who never should have been allowed close to children, her kind and quiet nature singled her out as a potential target, but when she threatened to expose the truth her abuser ended her life. 

There is a property on the edge of the village, not far from the playing fields, where the garden backs on to a series of overgrown allotments. It used to belong to the caretaker of the village school. Follow the garden path down to the blue shed and greenhouse, there should be a second trail leading down the hill behind the shed, but it is probably overgrown.

At the bottom of the path is an old air-raid shelter, it is well hidden so you might have to do some hard work to find it, but this is where her body was laid. There will be evidence of others, degraded by the years, but it will prove how prolific an offender he was. 

I am sorry that I have to pass on this news like this, but I don't feel it would be appropriate to meet in person. 

Anon

Becca folded the page in half, and turned to Mike; "We need to deliver this without drawing attention to ourselves. The police will think it's a hoax, but the mother will be driven into finding what's left of her daughter and seeing that bastard's name is dragged through the mud, along with those who covered for him."

"There is a layby up on the head of the trail that leads back into the village; if we leave the van there no one can tie it to the note," said Graeme.

"We can deliver it, you look absolutely shattered," offered Mike. 

"Thank you," she said as her eyes closed. 

*****

The news broke two days later, as Becca sat in her mother's kitchen enjoying lunch, it flashed up on the news bulletins with the caption 'breaking news'. A male reporter stood in front of an old metal gate, the police tape, like his hair, was flapping in the squally wind as he fought to speak over the noise of sirens and screaming people.

"The police are saying that they are responding to an anonymous tip-off, however many of the locals have suggested that it was indeed the mother, Theresa Maundy, that discovered the remains of an, as yet, unidentified child." The reporter grabbed hold of his tie and tucked it into his shirt to stop it flapping at the microphone. "Police arrived here less than two hours ago, with full forensic set up to secure the scene and collect any evidence of a crime."

"How sad," said Becca's mum, "It's monsters that hurt kids, and they all need to be taken out to a field somewhere and shot, then they can rot in hell. I hope they catch this one."

"He's already dead," Becca said absentmindedly.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Wait a minute," she scanned the screen for information, "Dewberry Village." She sucked in a large gulp of air. "That's where you went, the school, the ghosts, the debacle you refuse to tell me about. What the hell happened up there?"

"I can't tell you," she said, "I'm forbidden to talk of it until after the show releases, and even if I could tell you I don't think you would believe me."