Chapter 2. The inquiry
Going into the secretary's office he obtained a pack of lined A4 paper and gave
it to Roberta and donned his mortarboard and cloak before they all went to the
English classroom. Knocking he went in. The girls followed. Quietly he asked
Mrs. Pattison to step outside for a moment while he explained to her what was
happening and asked her if she heard anything. He was told there was a lot of
noise from that room just before break but that wasn't too unusual. She thought
she heard a slap and then it all went quiet. A few minutes later Leonards had
passed her door heading in the direction of the office. She reluctantly agreed
to let the head take over her lesson for a while. It was at this point Jeremy
arrived. Richard took a cushion from the teacher's chair and sat him at a desk
away from the others.
After instructing the two girls to issue a sheet of paper to every one in the
class and then getting them seated he went on.
"On the top line, left side, print your name. On the right side of the same line
put today's date. In the middle of the next line print the title, 'Incident in
Math's Lesson'"
"So boys and girls, you now know what all this is about. I must make a report on
what happened. I didn't see it and you did. Twenty pairs of eyes. This is an
English lesson so I want you to write an essay describing what happened in Miss
Jones' lesson exactly as you saw it and remember it. Start at where Miss Jones
finished showing the answer to the problem to you and when Jeremy asked his
question. Write in the details in the order they happened and in as much detail
as you can. If any swear words were used, for today and for today only, you have
permission to write them. I want your essays to be as factual as possible. Any
questions?"
Some of the children finished in a quarter of an hour; others took the whole
lesson. When the papers were collected, Richard took them back to his office and
scanned through them. All told nearly the same story as the two girls. All that
is except for Jamie Saunders, Jeremy's friend. He told how Veronica has sworn at
the boy calling him a sodden big headed little bastard, before hitting him.
Richard felt he could disregard that.
When the bell rang for lunch break, Richard asked Veronica if she would mind
bringing her lunch box into his office so he could discuss the incident with
her. She sat opposite him and could feel the power of his eyes on her. She could
feel his authority. Again the story was much the same except that she said she
only hit Jeremy after he said. "I would like to squeeze your fat tits". Richard
remarked that so far in the accounts he had read, none of the children had
mentioned him saying that.
"Well he was very close to me and he didn't say it very loud, but he did say it.
I am very sorry, Headmaster, I know I shouldn't have let it get that far. I know
I shouldn't have hit him at all. I lost my temper. He goaded me just too far. In
every one of my math's lessons he tries it on and makes it very difficult for me
to teach at all and spoils it for all the others. You know my math's is barely
up to the standard of the children in that class and Jeremy is a genius at it so
he tries to confuse me."
"Veronica, I know math's isn't your subject and you have difficulty with it. I
know too that at History and English Lit. your teaching is excellent and you are
well liked by the children. You are a valuable member of my staff. The problem
is if Jeremy's parents complain to the governors. Then I too am in the firing
line. I should have checked more thoroughly before caning him and they will
probably make much of the fact that I had the boy lower his trousers for it. I
must now play this by the book and ask you to write a report on what happened. I
will support you as far as I can but if the governors insist on your dismissal,
I can do little about it. You were very wrong to hit the boy and then to send
him to me for the cane added to the wrong."
"Headmaster, please, I don't want to lose this job. I like it here. I enjoy
teaching and it should all get back to normal when Mrs. Stevens gets back next
term. I will do my best to cope until then. Please, please do what you can to
help me stay. I am willing to see Mr. and Mrs. Leonards and apologise to them if
that is necessary. I know them from parents evenings and I teach Jessica,
Jeremy's older sister. She isn't like him."
"Veronica, I can assure you I will do what I can. Apart from the fact you are a
good teacher, we are already short staffed and I don't know how we would cope
with losing another one. Personally, and this is only a personal feeling, I
believe the most apt punishment for your action would be a caning too and not
the sack. That is not in my power however and if a complaint is made then it is
up to the governors."
Veronica went pale at the thought of being caned. Richard thought how much he
would like to get the woman bent over and apply the cane to her plump bare arse.
He had fancied her for some time but had not found a way of getting to know her
better.
During the afternoon Richard was able to get Jack Leonards on the phone. Jack
was a master builder and a down to earth, rough and ready character. He was
friendly and had on a number of occasions helped the school by doing unpaid
building work and didn't really object to his boy being caned. He had no
illusions about his son's behaviour. He was like it at home and had felt his
fathers hand on his backside many times but he didn't like his son to be treated
unfairly. He agreed to talk to his wife and son that evening and get back to
him. His wife though, doted on the boy and for her, he could do no wrong.
Veronica handed her written incident report in soon after school had finished.
By then Richard had read all the children's accounts and found one, Elizabeth
Lambert's, that confirmed that Jeremy did make the remark about squeezing
Veronica's fat tits. "She was right at the front and very close to us when it
happened," confirmed Veronica, "She was probably the only one within earshot."
