Sleeping Angel (Ravenwood Series) (6 page)

‘I can’t believe you’re going to hang out with Davina,’ said Caro. ‘After all that’s happened? Her brother tried to burn you alive, April!’

April glanced around anxiously, shushing her friend. It wasn’t as if what had happened in the headmaster’s study and at Mr Sheldon’s house was secret; the school had been locked down as a crime scene; students and parents had been questioned; and, if they had somehow managed to miss all that, the “Ravenwood Triple Slaying” had been splashed across the front page of every paper. Even so, April didn’t want to draw any more attention to herself.

‘I
know
her brother tried to kill me,’ whispered April, pulling Caro into a corner out of earshot of any other Ravenwood students. ‘But we still need as much information as we can get on the Suckers, don’t we? We got rid of the Vampire Regent, but Ravenwood hasn’t crumbled, has it?’

‘Worst luck,’ said Caro grumpily. April followed her gaze over to the other side of the hall where a group of the Faces were settling into a row of chairs, preening and gossiping with, at their centre, Simon, her old friend and major crush. It couldn’t be easy watching him hanging out with a load of half-dead killers. It couldn’t help either that Caro suspected those girls of having led her childhood friend Layla to a horrible lonely death in the cemetery catacombs. April could certainly understand her hostility.

‘Listen, Davina may be evil, but she’s right about one thing,’ said April. ‘It doesn’t matter who’s in charge. As long as Ravenwood’s still going, they’ll be recruiting kids to the Sucker’s cause and if we’re going to help people like Simon, then sticking close to Davina makes sense.’

‘But she must know we know,’ said Caro. ‘She must suspect that Ben and Sheldon told you everything, mustn’t she?’

‘Maybe. Almost certainly, in fact. But what are we going to do – transfer to some other school?’

Caro snorted. ‘According to the papers, most schools in inner London are more dangerous than Ravenwood.’

Mr Anderson, April’s English teacher, walked onto the stage and said that everyone should take their seats. Caro and April moved into an empty row just across from the Faces.

‘See that girl next to Ling?’ said Caro, looking over at them. ‘The one wearing the Prada dress, with the big hair? That’s Sunita from my biology class.’

‘So?’

‘The last time I saw her, she had horn-rimmed glasses, hair all greasy, and was shuffling around in orthopaedic shoes.’

April looked across. The girl’s hair was now sleek and back-combed, like a cascading chestnut waterfall – she didn’t look comfortable with it though. April could see her hand straying up to touch it every now and then. ‘A new recruit? Well, that’s who we’ve got to do it for. The vulnerable ones, those who can’t resist the pull of the dark side.’

Caro raised her eyebrows and nodded towards the door. ‘Talking of the dark side.’

Davina Osbourne was walking in on four-inch heels, dressed top-to-toe in black. Students were openly gaping at her.

‘Darling, how are you?’ she said, stopping next to April.

‘I’m fine,’ said April looking up at her. ‘More to the point, how are you? Must be strange being back.’

‘I’ve put it all behind me,’ declared Davina. ‘We have to move forward, don’t we?’

To April’s amazement, Davina moved into their row and sat down next to them. Caro shot her a startled look. Davina never sat anywhere except with her vamp cronies. To have the head Sucker sit with them was rather like seeing the Prime Minister cross parliament to sit with the Opposition.

‘Um, aren’t you sitting with Chessy?’ said Caro, nodding her head over to where Davina’s second-in-command was sitting with Ling and Simon.

‘No,’ said Davina simply, but any further discussion was cut short as Mr Andrews clapped his hands, waiting for the chattering to subside.

‘Good morning, school,’ he said. ‘As I’m sure most of you are aware, there were some very unsettling events involving Ravenwood staff and pupils last week, hence our impromptu holiday.’

Many students flicked their eyes towards April – and Davina.

‘But, tragic though the events were, Ravenwood pupils are fighters. We won’t let that sort of thing stop us being all we can be, will we?’

Caro elbowed April and made gagging motions.

‘Anyway, the school governors have acted swiftly,’ continued Mr Andrews, ‘and I am delighted to announce that as of today, Ravenwood has a new headmaster.’

There was a murmur of anticipation, people craning their necks towards the teachers, wondering if they could spot the mystery man.

‘I know you’ll give a big Ravenwood welcome to our new headmaster – Dr Charles Tame.’

April’s mouth dropped open. She looked at Caro and saw an equally stunned expression on her face.

‘Christ, no,’ April whispered. ‘Anyone but him.’

Charles Tame was the controversial academic the increasingly desperate police had drafted in to help them with the Highgate murders, using his questionable interview techniques on witnesses – or suspects – such as April. He was ruthless, ambitious and very creepy. April vaguely remembered Fiona telling her that he’d been a headmaster of some private school before, but he was about the last person she would have expected to take over at Ravenwood. Mr Andrews led the school in a round of applause, as Tame walked slowly out, a half-smile on his face, his strange pale eyes scanning the hall. April could barely believe that Tame
had
now taken charge of the school.
How?
She shivered as she remembered him coming to her house under the guise of “asking a few questions”, then forcing her to the floor on the very spot where her father had died. Dr Tame was a man who seemed to have no qualms about pushing the boundaries of professionalism or decency to get what he wanted. Maybe that’s why they had chosen him.

‘Good morning, everyone,’ said Tame. ‘I’m very glad and excited to be here, and extremely grateful to the governors for putting their faith in me. I feel sure that, together, we can make Ravenwood an even greater school than it was under my predecessor.’ He paused as the slightly bemused students dutifully clapped again. ‘I knew Mr Sheldon personally and losing him is a genuine tragedy. He was a wise and caring man.’

Yeah, so caring, he tried to slit my throat
, thought April.

‘And let’s not forget Miss Holden, a valued and well loved teacher, Another terrible loss. Our thoughts are with her family ... But –’ Tame paused meaningfully. ‘But whatever rumours you have heard, please do not let your imaginations run away with you. I have spoken to the police and the fire chief in charge of the investigation and I can assure you that the regrettable incidents here and at Mr Sheldon’s house were nothing more than a series of tragic accidents. Upsetting though they were, we must all put them behind us and move on.’

‘Hear, hear!’ said Mr Andrews and Dr Tame smiled.

‘There has been a lot of disruption and uncertainty around the school for the last few months – I know some of you have lost friends. It has been a dark time, but many of you may know that I’ve been working very closely with the police and I can assure you that those dark times are over. Things are different now. Although I still expect you all to get As.’ This was clearly Tame’s idea of a joke and the teachers forced out a few polite chuckles. ‘So, as of today, I intend to introduce a new approach to teaching. The old-fashioned methods we’ve used for so many years just aren’t working. I believe in freeing students from the shackles of conventional schooling. Ravenwood pupils are more intelligent and more mature than your average student and I intend to capitalise on that by giving you the freedom to study what you want, when you want.’

April saw a group of girls in front of her exchange looks of surprise – but also of interest. Suddenly, this didn’t feel like just an ordinary “meet the new teacher” assembly.

             
Tame clearly sensed the mood and a smug little smile crept onto his face. ‘First, I’m doing away with learning from dusty old textbooks – what do they know, right?’ His smile widened as he heard the gasps coming from the assembly. ‘Some of you actually know more than the people standing in front of the class, am I correct? I don’t want obsolete student-teacher structures holding you back. I want you to set the pace.’

April saw people nodding all around her. He certainly knew how to work a crowd, that was for sure.

‘In so many areas,’ he continued, ‘Ravenwood pupils are already in advance of University students, so I’m proposing that we teach you like university students – seminars, one-to-one tutorials and open-ended workshops where you set your own goals and choose your own working methods. Oh,’ he paused. ‘And I’m doing away with homework.’

There was a sudden spontaneous cheer from the crowd – as Tame must have anticipated.

‘Oh yes, people,’ he said with feeling, ‘Ravenwood is the greatest school in the country. The pupils here are remarkable in every way. I feel so proud and honoured to be part of the Ravenwood story – and make no mistake, that story is going to be one you’re going to tell your children.’

Caro looked over at April and mouthed the word “loony”.

‘I truly believe that we’re making history here. People will gasp when you tell them that you studied at Ravenwood. You are the elite, the vanguard of something new and special. Ladies and gentlemen, we going to change the world – whether the world is ready or not.’

To April’s surprise, the hall erupted in applause and cheering. She looked around her in dismay – were they really buying this rubbish? Clearly they were – she saw people looking up at their new headmaster as if he were a pop star. As the assembly broke up, she could hear the twitter of anticipation, groups talking excitedly about what they had just seen.

April looked around for Davina, but the girl had already disappeared.

‘Jesus, it’s like he’s the messiah or something,’ Caro said with disgust as they joined the crowds shuffling from the hall. ‘Don’t they realise he’s a headcase?’

April shrugged. ‘To them he’s just another teacher. They haven’t seen Dr Tame up close, like we have.’

‘Well, if he makes the school in his own image, I can imagine things are going to get a bit weird around here,’ said Caro.

‘Oh, I wouldn’t say that.’

They both turned around to find Dr Tame standing right behind them. Caro’s face froze, aware that the new headmaster must have heard everything she had said. “Headcase” in particular.

‘Things will be a little
different
perhaps, Caro,’ said Tame with a sickly smile, ‘But I think you’ll find it an improvement. I find the, uh, more unconventional students really respond to these methods.’

‘You’re saying unconventional as if it’s a bad thing, Dr Tame,’ said Caro, quickly recovering her poise.

‘On the contrary, Caroline, I think this school needs as many original thinkers as it can get.’

‘Oh, you can count on me for original thinking,’ smiled Caro. ‘Original I can do.’

‘I’m very glad to hear that,’ he said, ‘Disruption, however, I will not tolerate. Is that clear?’

‘Crystal, chief,’ said Caro, giving him a mock salute. ‘Never dream of it.’

Tame turned to April. ‘And you, Miss Dunne. I wonder if you’d mind stepping into my office?’

April looked at Caro. ‘Why? Is something the matter?’

Tame gave a laugh. ‘Relax, April. I just wanted to have a little chat, that’s all.’

She reluctantly followed him up the stairs, her feet dragging as they approached the office marked with the neat sign reading “Headmaster”. She wasn’t all that surprised that Dr Tame had decided to take over Mr Sheldon’s old office – it was exactly the sort of thing that would appeal to his macabre sense of humour – but April wasn’t looking forward to going inside. The last time she’d been here, she’d been forced to watch Benjamin Osbourne burning Miss Holden with his lighter.

‘Come in, come in,’ said Tame impatiently, holding the door open for her. Feeling she had no choice, April walked in. She was slightly surprised to find the office as it had always been, a rather shabby and cluttered workspace with overflowing filing cabinets. He might have had a spring clean, at the very least.

‘Take a seat,’ said Tame, walking behind the desk and sitting down. It was only then that April’s eyes widened and her heart began to hammer as she realised that the desk was the same one. The
same one
! The desk Miss Holden had been tied to, the one on which her throat had been cut. How could
he? How could Tame sit down so calmly behind that desk, as if nothing had happened?

But of course, that was why Dr Tame had invited her up here, wasn’t it? April knew she shouldn’t –
couldn’t –
forget that the police had employed Charles Tame for his unorthodox methods of questioning a suspect. Tame’s psychological techniques had caused more than one hardened criminal to crack and April had no doubt that pressure was being applied right now. He wanted her to know that he didn’t mind sitting there inches from the spot where her mentor was brutally killed, and he wanted her to know exactly what lengths he was prepared to go to achieve his ends. He had already shown her that when he had visited her at home. She knew he was a monster, perhaps even more so than the vampires. And given Ravenwood’s purpose, she had no doubt that the governors had chosen their new headmaster well.