Chapter 4
 
The morning arrived with a variety of mobile phone alarms, all set at different times, followed by the house phone at seven thirty. Joan picked up the handset in the master bedroom.

“Hello?”

“Good morning, Mrs Small, this is Steven McIntosh.”

“Good morning, Headmaster, but you can call me Joan.”

“Right, good morning, Joan, this is Steven . Is that better?”

“Much better,” she chuckled, “what can I do for you?”

“I’m placing you on compassionate leave until after Hogmanay.”

“What about my contract, my pay?”

“Don’t worry about that, your job is quite safe. You shouldn’t worry about money either, I’ll have the office deal with the lump sum compensation today. You will need to sort out your bank before we can pay it, though.”

“Why?”

“I think Richard can help you there. He's the banking expert”

“If you say so.”

“I do. Now, we’re not expecting your daughter today but Miss Smart is due here at Ten, I’d be grateful if you could remind her.”

“Certainly.”

She put the phone down and turned to find Richard just coming back into the room with a cup of tea.

“Steve McIntosh says I should talk to you about the bank, but I don’t know why. He also says the school office is paying compensation, but I don’t understand what he meant.”

“Joan, George would have been a member of the school’s pension scheme. If I remember right they administer it directly from the school. ”

“But what’s this about the bank?”

“We have to tell the bank about George and show them a copy of the Death Certificate, they will freeze the bank account until after the estate is settled.”

“Oh. What am I to do?”

“Write me out a letter of authority and phone that solicitor in town.”

“Then what?”

“Leave that to me. Trust me.”

“I do.”

“Didn’t you mean ‘I will.’?”

“I know what I meant.”

“Okay, I have to run Tammy over to the school. Promise me you and Angela won’t do anything silly while I’m gone?”

“Don’t worry, that sleep has helped me organise myself.”

Tammy was just swallowing her daily birth control pill with OJ whilst trying to eat a few slices of toast, using bread from the freezer, before getting into her father’s car.

So far as Tammy was concerned the rest of the morning was business as usual, albeit in a skirt and heels. She had a few inquisitive looks from her fellow sixth formers and one enquiry if she was dressed as a girl for a laugh. Unfortunately, Mr Thomas was directly behind the wit-full oaf and had a quiet word with him. An apology was issued an hour later at lunch.

Richard on the other hand showered and dressed for business. Michael was coming back into the house as Richard was preparing to leave.

“I’ve put an all-in-one printer and fax in the cottage. There was also a package for Angela yesterday, but it wasn’t important then. I’ve dropped that there. Is there anything else you need before I head over the college?”

“No, I think that’s all.”

Richard ensured he had his laptop and the relevant leads, he couldn’t be certain the USB lead came with the printer. He made certain he remembered a 3g dongle for internet access.

When Richard pulled up outside the cottage there was another car parked there. Inside the cottage he found Jill Davison talking to Joan and Angela, both had clearly been crying and there was a somewhat depleted box of tissues on the table.

Jill mouthed “coffee” to Richard who nodded and went into the kitchen to put the kettle on. A few minutes later Jill came in to join him.

“Richard, obviously what I was discussing in there was confidential so I hope you didn’t mind?”

“Not at all, I needed a drink anyway to warm me up.”

“I think everyone does. Joan thinks a lot of you, by the way.”

“So I gathered, but I’m just trying to help her.”

“If you say, you know she’s going to need support. I was going to suggest she went over to the house with you but that way she might feel crowded so I’ll recommend that Joan and Angela stay here for at least the next few days.”

“I’d go along with that. Elsie can be somewhat overbearing at times.”

“That’s what my Dad says. Have you spoken to him yet?”

“No, what about?”

“There’s a parent governor vacancy.” Jill was sounding surprised.

“And?” Richard was pouring the boiling water into the cafétière he’d found.

“Dad, Elsie and the Head want you to apply for it. Didn’t Tammy tell you?”

“No, we’ve been a bit busy. Anyway, I’m not sure if I want it.”

“Talk with my Dad and see what he says.”

“Okay. Can you carry those biscuits into the living room, I’ll bring the coffee.”

Joan patted the seat next to her on the sofa when Richard had finished pouring the coffee. He took the hint and sat, only to find his hand being squeezed. Both Jill and Angela noticed that.

“Joan, Angela, I’m glad you have Richard and Tammy’s support. If either of you feel you need to speak to me, give me a call on my mobile.”

“Jill, we will.” Joan squeezed Richard’s hand again.

They sipped their coffee in silence, lost in their own thoughts. Joan had released Richard’s hand so he could pick up the cup and a biscuit at the same time, otherwise she was very reluctant to let him go.

At eleven Jill departed, giving Richard a chance to unpack the boxes Michael had delivered, apparently just before Jill had arrived.

Richard handed a box to Angela, guessing what it was then unpacked the HP All-in-one. Using his own laptop he created a fax cover sheet and used this to test the printer. Fortunately Michael had thought to include a pack of paper.

Next he found the phone socket and ran the lead so he could use the fax. He checked that Jill had written a letter of authority and scanned this, along with the death certificate.

Richard faxed this bundle of pages to Joan’s Thurso solicitor, then to the English solicitor who had been handling her divorce and assault.

Faxes and emails also went to the school office and Joan’s bank. Using the phone, for a change, he called Thurso’s main funeral directors and asked them to start making arrangements.

Shortly afterwards, the coroner’s office called Joan. She was too distressed to deal with anyone but close friends so handed the call to Richard.

“Mr Smart, are you a relation?”

“No, a close friend of the family.”

“Then I’m afraid I have to speak to Mrs Small.”

“What’s your fax number?”

“Why?”

“I am going to fax something over to you, what’s your fax number please?”

The number was read out then Richard rang off. Using the laptop he then sent the authorisation letter to the Coroner’s Office. They called back a few minutes later.

“Mr Smart, I now see that you have Mrs Small’s permission.”

“Yes, but perhaps you could have asked that first?”

“I’m afraid we have enough problems with unauthorised calls, including until recently a local journalist.”

“I can imagine.” Richard could indeed guess, having arranged for the editor of the local paper to be relocated.

Richard was told that the inquest had been opened and postponed. It probably wouldn’t now be heard until January. In the meantime the body of George Small had been released so funeral arrangements could be made.

Richard made notes of what he was being told and recorded the name of the Coroner’s office staff member. He’d not long put the phone down when it rang again, this time Kelly Masters was calling.

“Mr Smart, many thanks for the fax. Does Mrs Small want me to handle the probate?”

“I think so, she has a solicitor in Milton Keynes but we’re talking Scottish law so I suggested we engage yourself.”

“That’s very sensible. If you could email or fax me the details of her English solicitor that would be useful. Do you know where the will might happen to be, just now?”

“No. Hold on.”

Richard asked Joan who just shrugged. George had handled every aspect of the family’s life which meant that Joan had long stopped paying attention to anything that looked official. Richard promised to get back to her.

“Would you happen to know who the executor might be?”

“No. Sorry.”

“Nae problem.”

Richard then rang Joan’s bank. They insisted on talking to her before Richard was accepted.

“Of course, we’ve frozen the accounts.”

“Does Mrs Small have any accounts in sole name?”

“No, all joint.”

“What about Miss Small?”

“There’s a Tim listed, but no girl, unless he’s a Timmy or a Tammy?” The guy laughed at his own poor joke.

Richard had sensibly taken the employee’s name before this outburst. Instead of arguing he slammed the phone down and resolved to handle this another way.

Firstly, however, he dropped Kelly Masters an email and let her know about his conversation with the bank.

“Joan, do you trust me?”

“Of course.” Joan was just walking back into the living room, Richard’s temporary office, and hadn’t head the previous phone conversation. Angela, in the meantime was upstairs having a shower.

“The Highland Bank have frozen your accounts until after probate has been dealt with, and that probably won’t happen until the inquest is concluded.”

“So what do I do about money?”

“We need to open a new account for you, quickly.”

“Can’t we just talk to the bank?”

“I tried, let me just say that I’ve asked your solicitor to handle them for me.”

“Oh, was it bad?”

“No, just distasteful.”

“Oh?” Joan was confused now but decided not to pursue the issue.

“What I suggest we do is get an account opened on my bank, we can have the debit card here by Thursday. If you want a cheque book that will take longer. The school can then pay your salary into that account, there may even be some of George’s last wages to be paid.”

“The Head mentioned a pension lump sum.”

“Good, that will help but we need to get it invested properly.”

“If you say so.”

“I do, now—d’you trust me?”

“Yes, I do. Absolutely.”