“Shit.”
“Why?”
I shake my head. “Something’s not right. I bumped into her this morning, and she said she was a parent. But it just dawned on me she didn’t have a child with her, and it was too early for drop-off. She’s been sitting there for over an hour.”
“That does seem a little odd.” Celeste pushes her glasses back onto her head. “But who knows why people do things. Now, would you like a cup of tea? I know you said you’d make it, but I’m out now and would like to stay out for another few minutes before I return to the chaos of my classroom.”
I nod, distracted. Maybe I should report her to Mrs. Benson. “Sure. Thank you.”
Once I’ve partaken in the soothing properties of English Breakfast, I feel better. The children tidy up their workstations, and unlike Celeste’s room, we don’t have any major accidents to deal with.
“Would everyone like to share their Valentine’s cards?”
Several hands shoot up. “Me, me, me.”
Alice is leaning so far over her desk, one hand pushing her other arm up, that it looks like she’s in danger of dislocating it at any moment.
“Yes, Alice?—”
Her Valentine’s card shoots in the air, a red and pink chaotic jumble of pompoms and hearts, with more bling than the Crown Jewels. “This is for my mummy because she’s always doing nice things for me, and she’s my valentine.”
“That’s very sweet, Alice. Well done.” I smile encouragingly. “Who’s next?”
All hands shoot in the air again, and we speed around the class. Everyone is showing off their artistic skills.
“Thank you, Felicity. Very good,” I say to a Valentine that’s more glue than card. It’s so wet and heavy that it sinks in the middle. “Who’s left?”
“Me,” says Max, standing up with a simple red card with stenciled animals and swirls of pink. When he holds it to the light, I catch hints of glitter because after Felicity, there probably wasn’t much to go around. “This is for my daddy because he doesn’t have a valentine.”
I don’t know what it is about Max’s sentence, but my sixth sense perks up and smacks me right between the eyes.
I know who that woman is.
CHAPTER 28
Hendricks
Istare at the message one more time.
STORY: This sounds super weird, but I think Sienna is standing outside the school gates.
STORY: Obvs if you already know this, pls ignore.
That was eight minutes ago. I was in the car when the message came through, so I turned around, hit the accelerator, and I’ve been parked in the car park since.
I haven’t seen her in a couple of years, and she’s twenty meters away, but it’s definitely Sienna.
And I confirm as much to my solicitor.
“It’s her. What do I do?”
“It’s not going to hurt to speak to her. Maybe you’ll find out once and for all what’s going on. She’s obviously there for a reason.”
“Yeah, to take Max,” I reply.
“You don’t know that.”
“You’re certain you haven’t heard from her solicitors?”
