Chapter Thirty-One
Haze
I drove straight from the Airbnb to Bibi’s school.
I’d phoned and requested a meeting with Mr. McCabe to discuss Bibi’s recent violent outburst, and more importantly to assess whether he had been planted to keep tabs on us.
He was in a position of authority and was with my daughter every weekday.
I had to know if there was any risk that he could be involved in whatever The Chameleon had planned.
“I’m sure you will agree, hurting that boy was very out of character for Bibi.”
We were back facing each other in little plastic chairs.
“Absolutely.” He nodded. “I think it was just a miscommunication.”
“I know she’s been having trouble with that particular boy, and maybe that’s why she lashed out.”
“Mrs. Baring takes a very strong line on any type of physical altercation. I have encouraged her to see the context of certain incidents.”
Was that teacher-talk for him agreeing that Bibi was right to hit that thug Ted? We’d looked into Backhouse Dunne. It was one of the top law firms in the country, and Ted’s mother, Diana, had a formidable reputation.
“If you could please keep an eye on him, that’d be much appreciated. If his actions are properly managed, then I don’t think Bibi will feel the need to take matters into her own hands again.”
Mr. McCabe nodded. “She has a very strong sense of right and wrong. Don’t worry—I’ll be keeping a close eye on things.
” His shirtsleeves were rolled up. He had very toned arms. Of course, teachers could work out and not be part of a criminal gang.
But when you added his physique to how he was a last-minute temp parachuted in after Bibi’s teacher had her freak car accident, it made him a little more suspicious.
Jenny was already doing a deep dive into his background. Maybe I could get something from him myself. I just needed to get him talking.
“I guess at least you’re used to such displays of violence—rumor has it you used to be in the army?”
He frowned. “I don’t really think you can compare soldiers in the battlefield to kids in the playground.”
I laughed, but it came out a little too high-pitched. “Of course not! I was just making a joke. It’s just quite the career change you’ve had.”
Mr. McCabe brushed a lock of hair away from his eyes. “When you realize how fragile life is, you understand it’s important to chase your dreams.”
I tilted my head. “And your dream is being a primary school teacher. In Berkshire.”
“The buzz I get from teaching a kid to read—it’s just priceless.” He beamed at me.
My worst nightmare would be spending my days surrounded by twenty-three children and their twenty-three different demands for attention. I was struggling with two, and having given birth to them, I was naturally disposed to like them more.
I nodded in all the right places as Mr. McCabe proceeded to talk me through the phonics program he was using. Either he was an incredible actor or he really did just love teaching.
“And how has Bibi seemed otherwise?”
“There have been no more drawings of blood. Glad we cleared that one up!” He gave a little chuckle. “She can have her serious moments, but on the whole, she seems happy and well-adjusted. A lovely little girl.”
I smiled to myself. It felt good to hear someone confirm we were doing okay with her.
He shuffled the papers on his desk and checked his watch. “We’ve got a couple of talks about the importance of respecting your peers coming up. I’m sure that will help the children understand personal boundaries.”
He was getting ready to dismiss me.
“I used to have this imaginary friend.” Enough flirting around the issue; it was time to make a move. “I called him The Chameleon. I’d see him everywhere.”
“How charming! Impressive to even know what a chameleon is at that age. It’s so—”
“And then one day, I just stopped seeing him everywhere. Because he was dead. I killed him.”
“You…you killed him?”
I stared into his eyes and saw nothing but confusion.
“I killed him off, as I didn’t need him anymore.”
“Oh. Of course.” He let out a breath. “That makes sense.”
“So really, I know that children go through phases. And then one day they wake up and it’s over.”
Mr. McCabe was nodding vigorously. “Hopefully for Bibi, it’s not even a phase. Just a one-off incident. I will keep a close eye on things, so really, there’s nothing to worry about.”
I stood up. “Sorry to take up your time.”
“Not at all! I seem to be meeting with mothers here very regularly—it’s so heartening to see how involved you all are in your children’s education.”
I tried to suppress the smirk. Hot and oblivious to it. No wonder he was such a hit.