The First Domino Pt. 01

"I don't know what happened but I overheard Richard talking to someone on the phone, he didn't know I was outside the classroom office. He said it was cool, if she went back on the deal he'd spill the beans about her and Inga," she pushed her glasses up her nose, "he came out just then and he looked pissed off. He asked me if I had nothing better to do than stand there looking like a stunned mullet and ordered me to go to my next class."

"When was this?"

"The first class yesterday," she looked past me, "shit, here he comes now."

I turned around to find Richard coming out to relieve me of quadrangle duties.

"Thanks," I moved away from her, "leave this to me."

Prior to talking to Cassie I might have been content to let bygones be bygones and find another way even if I had to fork out money myself but Richard has always annoyed me. At first I thought it was because of his upper class breeding, he comes from money and is always decrying the fact he's been sent to a public school instead of one of those posh private ones. Now I knew that not only was he a spoiled brat, he was also a conniving little shit with no moral compass and I made a beeline for him as I stalked across the quadrangle.

"Fiona," he smiled, "it's a lovely day."

"Eat shit," I scowled at him, "it's over."

"What?" Richard turned around as I mounted the steps to B block but I wasn't replying to him as I made my way to Helena's office. She was on the phone when I knocked on her office and waved me to a seat. The delay gave me time to compose my thoughts and when she finished I propped on my palm.

"I just had an interesting conversation with a student."

"Oh," she pushed her glasses up her nose, "what?"

I related what Cassie had told me but kept her name out of it and when I'd finished Helena looked visibly distressed. She turned red and took off her glasses to clean them, she looked vulnerable, like she'd been sucker punched and that observation proved to be correct as she put her glasses back on and stared at the door.

"That fucking shit," she exhaled, "I'm not involved with anyone at the school and Inga's thing with me was unofficial counselling," she paused, "I'm questioning my sexuality but I haven't been too careful it seems. He had no right to say that," she eyed her computer, "I don't know what he hopes to accomplish with all this."

"It's the deal he's got with his girlfriend's brother, who collects the old computers."

"He's a registered recycler. The legislation is clear there."

"Have you got his email address and contact details?"

"Yeah," she shifted in her seat, "why? What are you planning?"

"A little extracurricular activity. Just hold off on letting go of those computers while I get someone to run a few checks."

"You think there's something illegal happening?"

"With Richard I have no doubt there's a kickback but let's not count our chickens before they hatch."

"I've never been happy with the deal to be honest," she clicked her mouse, "it all seemed far too convenient that he had a mate who could take old computers."

"There is one way out of this that I can see," she glanced at the printer as it started up, "the contract is up for review in three months but I could recommend bringing it forward if we could find a better way of disposing of old computers."

It was food for thought and I thought of asking Harriet that night but that was before I dropped in on Gail who was on the phone to somebody from work. I didn't know what it was about but I heard the words 'computer' and 'fraud.' She glanced at me as she finished the call.

"Sorry about that, an ongoing investigation into computer fraud," her eyes shifted as I pushed the piece of paper across the table to her.

"Does this individual have any criminal convictions?"

"You're asking me to abuse my position of confidentiality?"

"Um no, I just," I bit my lip and then launched into my own half-hearted defence and when I'd stopped talking she nodded and folded the piece of paper.

"Look, I'll run it through the system tomorrow and see if it triggers any red lights but if it does then it's out of your hands and I can't tell you anything more, understood?"

"Completely, maybe I'm just clutching at straws."

"Understandable but if it comes down to it I'm a cop first and your friend second. When are you going to see Harriet next?"

"Um I don't know, why?"

"I need her to have a look at a laptop we seized, the laptop is at the lab but we cloned the hard drive and need someone with hacking expertise. I was going to drop it into her but if you're planning on going there tonight I might deputise you, so to speak."

I experienced a momentary surge of anxiety because while I'd certainly contemplated going there that night, it was because I wanted her to check on Richard's mate. Now that she'd asked me to run an errand for me I felt a little out of sync but I recovered pretty much right away.

"Okay," I replied a little too quickly, "so now I'm the deputy."

"Don't expect any money from the department but I might do you another home cooked meal," she reached over and plucked a brown evidence bag from her briefcase, "she knows the routine, sign the slip and return it to me and I'll do the rest."

This time my attire was a little more toned down, I opted for a tan-coloured blouse under a white jumper and matched with a brown A-line skirt.

"What, no jumpsuit this time?" Harriet opened the door wider.

"Um no, but I wasn't wearing one the other day either," I stepped inside.

"Well if you wore that outfit to school I'd think you were a dance teacher, what's this?"

"It's from Gail, there's a slip you have to sign that I have to take back."

"Oh, okay," she took it from me, "she texted me about it earlier."

I followed her into the kitchen again and she flicked the switch on the kettle.

"Make yourself at home, I have to piss. I have white and one," she exited the kitchen leaving me to make the coffees.

When she returned she looked thoughtful as she propped against the bench.

"I've been thinking."

"About?"

"About starting a computer course for older people, I get a lot of calls from people in their sixties and seventies wanting just basic advice."

"So you'd want to cut into your bottom line?" I looked at her.

"Not exactly," she slipped a hand beneath her pink blouse, "I earn a lot of money doing this kind of thing, checking for malware and finding holes in firewalls and most of the time I don't even have to leave the house. It's just a matter of logging into another system but if I was to set up a course I'd need to find out what's involved."

"You'd need some kind of training, a basic teaching course doesn't take long. It's the same kind of course company trainers do just to run internal training courses. It's not a legal requirement but the benefits of doing that kind of course are that you can become a teacher's aide and you've got a foot in the door at a teaching college."

"Tell me more," she dug her hands into the pockets of her jeans.

We spent the next hour or so going over the options and whilst she was a little hesitant at first she seemed quite intrigued by it.

"It would get me out and about a bit more. One of the things I do like about my business is that I get to go into people's homes and talk to them. The online work I do keeps me here and sometimes I feel like I'm becoming isolated but it's what I do best, not the isolating part of course."

"Of course," I leaned back and stared at the wall, "well it's up to you I guess but I could sure use a bit of tuition. I've got this graphics program at work I'm having to use now and then, Richard is the graphics teacher but he has to cover for another teacher who's on long term sick leave."

It was tentatively arranged that night. She knew the program but hadn't had much to do with it but explained it wasn't that hard to learn a program.

When I put my head on the pillow that night I felt as if I'd come a long way in a short space of time, now I was going to be a regular visitor and the best part was it had happened naturally. I hadn't been the one forcing myself on anyone.

To be continued...