Chapter 39

Cornelius Green's office in the old school building had been emptied by Superintendent Nightingale's detectives. Finding out how the victim lived was often the key to finding out how they died, and as Cornelius's work was his life it made sense to do a deep dive. Poe spent less than thirty seconds in there.

‘Show me the rest of the building,' he said to Joshua. He wasn't expecting to see anything, but sometimes, as Bradshaw said it was in science, unguided research resulted in unintended discoveries. And anyway, the more he poked his nose in, the more irate Joshua became. Irate people slipped up.

The first floor used to be the old school's dormitories, and the Children of Job had seen no reason to change it. Where once the sons of wealthy Cumbrians had masturbated in rows, a generation of confused young adults now prayed and slept. And secretly masturbated, no doubt. There was nothing to see. Attendees of the residential courses the Children of Job offered had either been told not to bring any personal possessions with them, or, like Cornelius, they didn't have any.

They walked down the grand central staircase to the ground floor. The rooms on this floor were of more generous proportions. The old classrooms were the same size as the ones Poe had been taught in, although he suspected there would have been fewer pupils back in Chapel Wood's day. There were storerooms, a well-equipped staffroom and two changing rooms – one for men, one for women. The gender-neutral movement clearly hadn't reached the Children of Job.

‘What's through there?' Poe said, pointing at a doublewide door. He could hear the thump of a bass guitar.

‘It used to be the school gymnasium,' Joshua said. ‘It's where the graduation ceremony is being held tonight. We'd better not go in; it sounds like the band is rehearsing.'

‘Yeah, we'd better leave them alone,' Poe said, pushing open the doors and stepping inside.

Joshua sighed and followed him. Bradshaw and Linus brought up the rear. As she always did when Poe was being deliberately antagonistic, Bradshaw looked worried about self-inflicted wounds. Linus on the other hand seemed to be enjoying himself. Poe was wondering why that might be when, out of nowhere, something happened that Poe was sure he'd remember for the rest of his life.