Chapter 4: Lewis Confronts Ella’s Attacker

‘But that’s not for today,’ he said as she looked at him questioningly. ‘I should be able to get in to see the headmaster Monday, so will you meet me after school on Monday. We can go somewhere to eat, then go for a walk if it’s fine. Then I can tell you what happened and ask my third and last question.’

Ella was delighted at the idea of spending an evening with Lewis and agreed right away. They stood up to leave. Ella threw her arms around him and gave him a long kiss which Lewis happily returned. ‘You can tell Mike he was right,’ she said, ‘I’m going home happy.’

They went out of the shop. Lewis locked up, then walked Ella home. She took his arm as they walked. Feeling like she was walking on air, it seemed far too soon when they reached her gate. Giving him another hug and a kiss, she said, ‘See you Monday.’ as she went inside.

‘You look bright and cheerful,’ her mum said, ‘I thought you had been a bit down lately, but clearly I was wrong.’ ‘You worry too much mum.’ Ella told her, giving her a kiss. ‘Oh, by the way.’ she said, ‘I won’t be in for dinner, Monday night, I’m going to McDonalds with some of my form.’ ‘That’s nice,’ her mum said, ‘It’s good to see you’re settling in.’

MONDAY MORNING

Monday morning Lewis rang his school to say he had a toothache and had to go to the dentist so he wouldn’t be in until lunchtime. Then he set out for the other school across town.

Looking like one of their students, he was able to walk in and get directed to the headmaster’s study easily. Knocking on the door, he was called in. The headmaster looked puzzled, not recognising Lewis.

Lewis offered his hand which the headmaster stood up to shake. Introducing himself, Lewis explained why he was there. ‘Take a seat he was told, then tell me all the details.’ Lewis explained that he had a knack for counselling and had just finished sorting out a fifteen-year-old girl from this school.

‘I have promised not to reveal her name,’ he told him. ‘She has been groomed and then had sex with your English teacher. Now I’m sure we both know that these things happen when mutual attraction takes over. But this is different. It is clear to me from what I have learned that this teacher abused his position to groom this girl purely for sex. Then once he had had his way, he dropped her like a stone. I am also of the opinion that he has done this before and will do it again.’

The headmaster asked, ‘Do you have any proof of this accusation?’ ‘No sir, I don’t,’ Lewis said. ‘I couldn’t persuade the girl to go to the police or come to you. I am in no doubt that she has been honest in what she has told me. She only agreed to me coming to alert you when I pointed out that if nothing was done, other pupils would suffer like she has. She only agreed then as long as I kept her out of it.’

‘Now sir, I appreciate your hands are tied without proof. However, I believe that I can persuade him to admit what he has done if you agree to accept his resignation. That would solve the problem and save the school from adverse publicity.’

‘If that doesn’t work, at least it might frighten him off any repeat performance knowing you will be keeping a close eye on him. The headmaster sat back and looked at him. He had taken a liking to this assured young man. But on his word alone he could do nothing. But he liked his solution, so he said, ‘Are you prepared to put that accusation to him yourself if I call him in here now.’

‘Yes sir, I am,’ Lewis answered. ‘If I do, can I assure him that you will not press charges but will just accept his resignation as long as he admits it and leaves?’ ‘Yes, I can agree to that,’ he said.

He pressed the intercom on his desk. ‘Can you ask Mr Wilberforce to come and see me right away,’ he said. ‘Yes sir,’ came a lady’s voice in reply. ‘Should you be at school?’ the headmaster asked as they waited.

‘Yes, I’m afraid I told them I had a dental appointment this morning,’ Lewis admitted. The headmaster smiled. ‘I remember using that excuse myself back in my long distant youth.’ he said.

There was soon a knock on the door. Mr Wilberforce came in and was invited to sit down. ‘This is Lewis,’ the headmaster said. ‘He has something to say to you.’

‘I’m here today,’ Lewis said, ‘Because of your illegal sexual activities with your pupils.’ ‘What nonsense Mr Wilberforce spluttered,’ he started to get up. ‘Sit down,’ the headmaster ordered. ‘This young man is trying to save you and the school from a public court case.’

‘Carry on, Lewis,’ he said. ‘You have been grooming your pupils to believe you are in love with them,’ Lewis told him. ‘Then having sex with them, most of them losing their virginity to you. Then you drop them, leaving them to suffer alone.’

‘In your favour,’ he added, ‘You used a condom, although I’m sure that was for your benefit rather than theirs. But at least their lives were not ruined by unwanted pregnancies.’

‘You cannot be allowed to continue ruining the lives of young girls. Before I go to the police and have you arrested, I am going to give you the opportunity to save your victims from having to appear in court. It will also save your wife suffering by having you disgraced and in prison.’

‘The headmaster has agreed that if you admit what you have done, he will accept your immediate resignation, then neither he nor I will go to the police.’

‘I deny everything,’ Wilberforce said aggressively, ‘You have no proof, just the words of sex mad girls with wild imaginations.’ ‘No, there you are wrong,’ Lewis told him. ‘I praised you earlier for using a condom. One of your victims, before she realised you were about to dump her, believed you were in love with her and she with you. She saw you throw your condom away afterwards.’

‘For some peculiar reason, she decided to keep a memento of her first sex. So, once you had left, she rescued it from the bin you had thrown it in. You might have some difficulty explaining to the court how one of your pupils came to have a condom filled with your sperm and with fluids from her vagina on the outside.’

Lewis reached in his pocket and pulled out a large envelope. Opening it, he pulled out two sealed plastic bags. In one was an empty packet of Walkers cheese and onion crisps. In the other a used condom, obviously filled with sperm.

Wilberforce’s bombastic attitude disappeared as if it had been switched off. ‘I’m sorry,’ he said, ‘I just couldn’t help myself.’ So, are you admitting to the two of us that you are guilty?’ Lewis asked. ‘Yes,’ came the subdued reply. ‘And are you giving the headmaster your resignation effective immediately,’ he asked. ‘Yes,’ came another subdued reply.

Lewis put the envelopes back in his pocket. ‘The headmaster will give you two pieces of paper,’ Lewis said. ‘On one you will write a brief resignation letter. On the other, if you have the slightest bit of decency in you, you will list the names of the girls you have had, so that the school can keep an eye on their welfare.’

Wilberforce took the pen and paper the headmaster offered. Wrote and signed his resignation, then made his list. He seemed to be writing for a while. The headmaster pressed his intercom. ‘Mr Wilberforce is leaving the school,’ he said, ‘Will you meet him at his classroom and make sure he leaves without speaking to any of the pupils.’ ‘Yes, sir.’ came the reply from a puzzled voice.

Wilberforce handed the headmaster his papers. Reading them, the head nodded to Lewis. ‘I’ll just step outside whilst you say goodbye,’ Lewis said as he left the room. Standing in the passageway, he could hear the headmasters raised voice as he told Wilberforce exactly what he thought of him.