Page 147 of Depraved Boys

I took several sips until the warmth of the tea radiated through my insides, but no matter how much I drank, my bones remained frozen to the marrow.

After half an hour, feeling returned to my fingers, and I could drink the second mug without help. Miss Claymore sat at my side, her hawk-like eyes monitoring my every move.

Mr. Blunt also brought heavy, fleece blankets, and Miss Claymore wrapped them around my legs and shoulders. Within five minutes, trapped heat radiated back into my body, causing every nerve ending to tingle painfully.

The police arrived about an hour later, and I gulped hard. Would they have taken so long if I’d been stuck halfway up the mountain? A male and female officer asked a bunch of questions about what had happened, then they took my statement and asked me to hand over my uniform for forensic evidence.

“Willow,” said the female officer. “Can you think of anyone who might want to hurt you?”

I nodded. “B-Bianca Byrd, a—”

“She’s one of the classmates you identified from the assault by the pond,” she said. “I’m assuming Geraldine Hill is also on the list of suspects.”

I froze for several heartbeats. Had the policewoman looked me up on her database? Maybe she would take my complaint more seriously if she knew there was a track record of murder attempts. “And her father, Mr. Byrd.”

“Do you have a full name for him?”

I turned to Miss Claymore, who tapped her smartphone. “Windermere Byrd.” She passed the phone onto the policeman, who jotted down his contact details. “I believe he has visited the academy multiple times in the past weeks.”

“Why?” asked the male officer.

“He took on a voluntary role of the academy’s solicitor and which awards him a place on the board of governors.”

The policewoman jotted something down in her notebook. “When did the board last convene?”

“Last night,” I whispered. “And he called a meeting earlier in the month with Mrs. Benazir, his daughter and me. He told me to call off the sexual assault charges against Bianca.”

“Did he?” The policeman’s voice hardened.

“Yes, sir.”

“And the headmistress…” He glanced into his notebook. “Mrs. Benazir witnessed it?”

“Most of it.” My throat dried. I couldn’t utter what I had seen when I returned for my bag, but I added, “He grabbed me last night after the Board of Governors’ meeting and he… He had an erection. Then he told me that if I didn’t sign a document his daughter would give me, I wouldn’t like the consequences.”

The female officer exchanged a significant glance with the male officer. Hopefully, it meant that they would question Mr. Byrd as soon as they left the academy. “Thank you, Willow. Is there anything else you’d like to add?”

I shook my head. “If something comes up, do you have a number for me to contact?”

The policeman pulled out a card from his pocket and wrote down a string of letters and digits. “Please refer to this incident number when you call.”

“Thanks,” I croaked. How many incident numbers did I have to my name? They were mounting up.

Miss Claymore placed a long-fingered hand on my wrist. “Would you like something else to eat or drink before you go to bed?”

I shook my head. Right now, I needed a long, hot shower. Anything to warm up the chill still lingering in my bones.

I slept through breakfast and my first few periods, not wanting to leave my cocoon of pajamas, a nightgown, and a dressing gown. I slept under my usual blankets, comforter, and a rug, but it wasn’t enough to reverse half a day of being exposed to the elements.

A cleaner opened the door and whispered a hushed apology, but I didn’t open my eyes. She let the door click shut and turned her key in the lock.

Later, someone knocked on the door, and I ignored them. The knocking became more persistent, and I groaned at whoever it was to go away.

“Willow?” said Leopold. “Let us in.”

Closing my eyes, I dozed off. Right now, I had no patience for any of the boys’ secrets.

Male voices muttered outside my door, and an argument broke out. Cormac had probably joined the kings and tried to make them go away. I stuck my head under the blankets and blocked out their voices.