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"That's the thing," Gwendoline said. "It was a bit hard to hear, but it was definitely something. I heard the word 'discipline', and 'unprofessional.' There was definitely something going on.”
"You didn't hear more?"
"I couldn't tell exactly," Gwendoline said. "But he was berating them, and calling them some pretty bad names. The two teachers were trying to placate him, but it was clear that he was really angry about something. Then, he turned on his heel and stormed out of the building."
"Who were the teachers?"
"They were the two assistants who had been handling the sports classes on some weekends."
"So would you say that Coach Adamson had been angry with them for a lack of discipline?"
"Perhaps, yes," Gwendoline said, now looking confused. "I'm not sure exactly what that whole confrontation meant. But it definitely meant he could lose his temper."
May nodded, careful to make sure she looked appreciative.
"Thank you. And was there anything else? Any students that shared anything with you?"
"No, no. My students all seem to be happy with their P.E. classes. But that one incident was bothering me."
“What was your personal opinion of Coach Adamson?” she asked.
“I never liked him. I always felt that something about him was off. I don’t know why. Maybe it was that he always tried to be too friendly, in a creepy way.”
“Anything you noticed him say or do that would confirm that?”
“I’m sure there were lots of small things. Ultimately, it was the way he made me feel, though. My instincts, I guess.” She shrugged.
"I really appreciate this information," May said again.
As Gwendoline got up and left, she fervently hoped that the next witnesses had more concrete facts. When it came to people, anything was possible.
The next teacher into the room was an older, gray-haired man.
"Good morning, deputy," he said as soon as he walked into the room. He took a seat and stared at her gravely.
"Good morning," May said.
"I am Sam Hampshire, the deputy head of English and arts, and I am extremely concerned by what has been happening in this school."
"Please explain more," May said, wondering if this would go somewhere, or end up being as inconclusive as Gwendoline’s information had been.
"For the last six months or so, I have felt something is wrong. I haven't been able to pinpoint why. But as a teacher with a career spanning thirty-five years, twenty at this school, I think I know it well enough to feel when something is amiss. There was something off-kilter in our staff relationships."
May hoped he would be able to voice his feelings more clearly. Why six months, she wondered. What had happened in that timeframe?
"Did you suspect Coach Adamson in particular?" she asked. "Was there any incident, either now or else six months ago, that made you feel differently about him?"
Sam thought carefully, resting his chin on his hands.
"There seemed to be a lot of unpleasantness going around in the past few months. I felt the atmosphere at the school had changed, but I couldn't put my finger on it. There were strange facts coming out about people. Rumors circulating, some of which proved to be true. We even had one staff member resign a few weeks ago. He was a very well liked teacher. Mr. Hartley, who taught science. Something came to light about exam papers with a failing grade that he’d overlooked last term. I’m not sure if it was a genuine mistake or not, but he left all the same."
May nodded. This was interesting information. Had this teacher come back to commit the crimes? It was a long shot but she needed to check.
“Do you know where Mr. Hartley went?” she asked.
“He quit teaching completely, I believe. He has family in Washington, and he moved there to work in their business.”
That ruled him out as a suspect, May knew.
