Cat Sitter Among The Pigeons

Cat Among the Pigeons

II

“Good gracious!” cried Mrs. Sutcliffe at the breakfast table. “Henry!”

She had just unfolded her newspaper.

The width of the table was between her and her husband since her weekend guests had not yet put in an appearance for the meal.

Mr. Sutcliffe, who had opened his paper to the financial page, and was absorbed in the unforeseen movements of certain shares, did not reply.

“Henry!”

The clarion call reached him. He raised a startled face.

“What's the matter, Joan?”

“The matter? Another murder! At Meadowbank! At Jennifer's school.”

“What? Here, let me see!”

Disregarding his wife's remark that it would be in his paper, too, Mr. Sutcliffe leant across the table and snatched the sheet from his wife's grasp.

“Miss Eleanor Vansittart... Sports Pavilion... same spot where Miss Springer, the games mistress... hm... hm...”

“I can't believe it!” Mrs. Sutcliffe was wailing. “Meadowbank. Such an exclusive school. Royalty there and everything...”

Mr. Sutcliffe crumpled up the paper and threw it down on the table.

“Only one thing to be done,” he said. “You get over there right away and take Jennifer out of it.”

“You mean take her away - altogether?”

“That's what I mean.”

“You don't think that would be a little too drastic? After Rosamond being so good about it and managing to get her in?”

“You won't be the only one taking your daughter away! Plenty of vacancies soon at your precious Meadowbank.”

“Oh, Henry, do you think so?”

“Yes, I do. Something badly wrong there. Take Jennifer away today.”

“Yes - of course - I suppose you're right. What shall we do with her?”

“Send her to a secondary modern somewhere handy. They don't have murders there.”

“Oh, Henry, but they do. Don't you remember? There was a boy who shot the science master at one. It was in last week's News of the World.”

“I don't know what England's coming to,” said Mr. Sutcliffe.

Disgusted, he threw his napkin on the table and strode from the room.