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It was an unwelcoht behind the search for the vampaneze this weekend, so I dressed up in my school uniform and headed in I reported to Mr Chivers’ office twentyI’d have to wait for the perennial late-bird, but was surprised to find him in residence I knocked and entered at his call "Darren!" he gasped when he saw rasped my shoulders "Where have you been? What happened? Why didn’t you call?"

I ran throughhi forup with the news, and that my father ay on business Mr Chivers scoldedthem knohere I was, but was too relieved to find iven up on you," he sighed, running a hand through hair that hadn’t been washed lately He looked old and shaken "Wouldn’t it have been awful if you’d been taken as well? Two in a week It doesn’t bear thinking about"

"Two, sir?" I asked

"Yes Losing Tara was terrible, but if we’d-"

"Tara?" I interrupted sharply

"Tara Williairl as killed last Tuesday" He stared at me incredulously "Surely you heard"

"I read the name in the papers Was she a student at Mahler’s?"

"Great heavens, boy, don’t you know?" he boomed

"Knohat?"

"Tara Williams was a classht ether when the killer struck"

I ran the nah my memory banks but couldn’tto Mahler’s, but hadn’t got to know irls

"You must know her," Mr Chivers insisted "You sat next to her in English!"

I froze, her face suddenly clicking into place A sht brown hair, silver braces on her teeth, very quiet She’d sat to the left of lish She let me share her poetry book one day when I left mine in the hotel by accident

"Oh, no," I ht?" Mr Chivers asked "Would you care for so to drink?"

I shooka chill spread through hbours Now one of ain, but louder this tilish - Richard!