Wisps of Wisdom Read online

  "Good!" Wilson shook hands and left, perhaps in a better mood than he had when he arrived.

  *

  CHAPTER 10

  Karla quite enjoyed the monthly Board of Trustees meetings at Joseph Ward Junior High. The members were mainly professional people and didn't worry about trivial items that they either left for her to solve or, for building and grounds maintenance there was a list of firms that they worked with. If emergency repairs were necessary Karla could simply phone the firm to give a quote. The firms concerned were also reliable for they knew that if they provided a high quality service they would be used again. Only for major items that required Ministry of Education approval did they go through the tender process.

  One of these was for the three classrooms that the Ministry of Education had approved for the new year. There were choices that fitted in the allocated costs, from asking the ministry to provide prefabricated temporary classrooms to building a whole new permanent block. This though would be difficult within only a few months when the classrooms would be needed. Existing areas such as using the library or some of the manual arts rooms as temporary classrooms while a new block was build was another possibility.

  Jon Wong, the board chairperson, as usual said little as members discussed the alternatives before he spoke. "I have one solution that would not only be fast and ready by the new year but will give us four classroom spaces for the price of three. The building would be two storied and fit in with our present buildings. Also it wouldn’t encroach over the playground as much as a row of single rooms.

  A couple of members sounded doubtful that this was possible but Karla interjected. "Let's hear Jon out, shall we?"

  Jon gave her a half grin. "We can import a modular two storey classroom block from China."

  "Oh come on now," Frank who was a local businessman said. "Wouldn't the rooms be too small for us, even if we were allowed to import them?"

  "No. They would design classrooms to our specifications so in square metres they would be the same size as our present ones. My initial inquiries showed that they have smaller windows than the classrooms we are used to in New Zealand but they would provide the full-sized windows that we like. The buildings are built to our earthquake proof requirements and have a thirty-year lifespan guarantee."

  "How are they built?" Frank asked.

  "Steel frames with what they call sandwich type walls that are insulated against temperatures far hotter or colder than here in Auckland. One firm I've been in contact with sells classrooms in Canada and Saudi Arabia, two extremes in climatic conditions." Jon glanced around the table. "We have a free trade agreement with China and as long as minimum standards are not compromised, the Ministry of Education does not force schools to use their resources for new buildings."

  "Local builders won't like it," someone muttered.

  "Actually it could help the smaller firm rather than the big national builders that win most of the large contracts anyway," Jon replied. "The block is imported in a modular form and will need a local firm to lay foundations and assemble it. This could give a smaller local firm a chance to compete against those big national contractors."

  The discussion continued for an hour during which, Jon who had been well prepared, produced online photos from three Chinese companies that were selling modular classrooms. The one that seemed to produce classrooms closest to their needs was called Warm Sunshine Construction in English that was based in Shanghai, China. Except for the lack of larger windows and a narrow corridor and stairwell, Karla was quite impressed with their designs. She pointed that out to Jon but he said the buildings in the photographs were designed for clients who wanted those sizes.

  "Where will we put it?" she asked. "I mean, if possible I'd like to keep the syndicates a similar size."

  "My suggestion would be between Tern and Gannet, east of the library," Jon said. "Perhaps some of the specialist rooms and computer suit could be shifted into it and these rooms made into general classrooms for Shearwater and Gannet." He grinned. "So shall I investigate it further and get back to the board?"

  A motion was passed to follow up Jon's suggestion and jobs were allocated to check with the Ministry on the regulations and also to sound out local firms who could assemble it, what groundwork etcetera was needed and all the legalities necessary. Karla actually found she was without a job and was told to leave everything up to them. As Alison, another board member said, she had enough work caring for a thousand pupils and hundred staff without having to worry about the new building.

  *

  On Ava Kensington's insistence, the meeting with Stella, Isabelle and Jasmine was arranged at the Kensington residence on Sunday afternoon. She also asked for Karla to be there to protect the girls' interests for Detective Savannah Dawson wanted to talk to Ryan and the girls about their web pages on Facebook and Petal Life. With Ryan and daughter, Alexis as her passengers, Karla turned their car into an upmarket driveway in the northern part of the Joseph Ward Junior High zone where farmland had become lifestyle blocks, each about two hectares in area. The drive wound through ornamental shrubs and a paddock of grazing sheep to a large modern home.

  A pale blue Suzuki Swift was parked beside an older Toyota in a turning bay beside a triple garage.

  "The Suzuki is Isabelle's car. Her grandparents gave it to her for her seventeenth birthday," Karla said.

  Ryan grinned. "And the old Toyota belongs to Savannah. I guess public service pay hasn't caught up with what accountants and lawyers get nowadays."

  "We aren't doing too badly," she said. "Perhaps we could look for a property out here."

  "Sure. How much change from two million bucks?"

  Karla grinned as they pulled in. As she lifted Alexis out of her seat in the rear she noticed Ava walking out towards them.

  Ava greeted them, chatted to the little girl for a moment and thanked them both for coming. "Isabelle hasn't said a lot but I'm sure she was worried that the police would come to interview her at school. I appreciate your ruling of not allowing police to interview students at your one. I think it has helped the girls."

  "It's not a hard and fast rule," Karla added. "To me, though, protection of my pupils comes first. I have found the police to be very good over the years but that chief inspector's attitude got under my skin."

  "I heard," Ava said.

  "Detective Savannah Dawson is very approachable," Ryan added. "I find her very easy to work with."

  "That's something," Ava said with a sigh. "The girls have their own wing in the house that works really well now that they're both teenagers. Just go down the path on the other side of the car shed. Isabelle picked up Jasmine earlier and your detective is also here. Afterwards you are all invited for a cuppa coffee. I'll leave you to it."

  The Kensington girls' wing was like a full sized apartment with a lounge, two bedrooms, bathroom, computer room and tiny kitchen joined to the rest of the house by a double sliding door that was now closed.

  The three girls looked relieved to see them, as did Savannah who, in her casual clothes looked hardly any older than the teenagers. Again after a few moments of small talk and leaving Alexis to play with some of the girls' soft toys and watch a preschool program on television, the group crowded into the small computer room where Isabelle brought up their Petal Life page and clicked though to the crimson section.

  "This is the confidential part," she explained. "Once a password is established between two people, the discussions and comments are entirely confidential." She glanced at Ryan. "I guess you have hacked into them, though."

  Ryan shook his head. "Only the home page. I guess it was no harder than how you managed to get Terrance Hortmyre's name from the police computer."

  Isabelle cheeks burned. "I know it was wrong. Mum and Dad both tore strips off us but..."

  "It doesn't matter," Savannah interjected. "You have succeeded in getting information that Ryan or I couldn't possibly obtain through official channels. We are here to work together and get evidence a
gainst the man. Ryan told me you believe he is the one who raped you."

  "Oh he was," Isabelle whispered. "I'd know him anywhere." She looked worried. "Please, I haven't told Mum or Dad anything about it being him."

  Karla reached out and squeezed her arm. "Anything said here is entirely confidential and you have my promise that nothing will go beyond this room unless we have everyone's approval." She glanced at the detective. "That was part of my conditions for calling this meeting, wasn't it Savannah?"

  "It was," Savannah replied. "Your principal, Stella and Jasmine, drives a hard bargain that neither Ryan or myself will break. Okay?"

  Isabelle smiled. "Okay. Now what would you like to see?"

  *

  There were over forty comments on the girls' Petal Life Crimson page. In each case there was an encrypted password for each reply so that each person had no knowledge of anybody else's comment. There was also a key that brought up all the comments together on one page.

  Even though each writer had no knowledge of what other contributors wrote, there was a pattern through many of them that was similar to Isabelle's experience. They were all met by an older man that many identified as Terrance Hortmyre, taken to a white van, driven into the country and attacked. Others stated that a different man attacked them and in one case the girl was gang raped by four younger men.

  "I was in tears when I read some of these accounts," Isabelle said.

  Savannah highlighted three different comments in yellow. "These look genuine but describe a man quite different from Hortmyre but similar in each account. See..." She pointed to the sentences describing the man. "They all say he had quite long hair and needed a shave. Now look at these." She highlighted four more sentences in pink. "These describe a clean shaven business man in a suit and posh accent. The methods used are so similar I think they are working together and it's not a coincident that the attacks are similar."

  "And the girls trusted the guy in the suit more than the other one," Karla turned to Isabelle. "What were you going to do with all this information?"

  It was Jasmine who replied. "I wanted to bring it to you for we knew it was too big for us to handle but..." She glanced across at Stella.

  "I was thinking of getting some of the boys at school to help."

  "How?" Karla asked.

  Isabelle shrugged. "Oh I don't know. Get this Terrance Hortmyre belted up or something."

  "And have you talked to any boys about this?" Savannah asked.

  Isabelle shook her head. "We kept getting so many replies we decided to wait, then when we realised there were more men involved Jasmine said we should approach Karla."

  "And why not your own principal or one of your teachers, Isabelle?" Savannah continued.

  "I would be too embarrassed talking to a man and Karla is easier to talk to than our female teachers."

  "But you found out about what we were doing before we made any decision," Stella said. "That's why we're here, isn't it?"

  "It is," Karla said and turned to Savannah. "So what happens next?"

  The detective looked thoughtful before she replied. "I have orders to have your site closed down by next weekend but may be able to let you keep going if you are prepared to take off photos of Terrance Hortmyre and his store."

  "And if we don't?" Isabelle asked.

  "The police will charge you for illegally hacking into its computer and for deformation of character."

  "But he's the bastard who attacked Isabelle and tried to do the same to me," Jasmine argued.

  "You need proof before you can just accuse someone of a crime. You are getting that proof but will need to contact these other girls and ask them if they are prepared to lay a complaint against him. If we can trace the other characters it would also help. Stress that any statements would be entirely confidential and held on neutral grounds"

  Karla decided to add her suggestions. "We don't want the girls to come here or anywhere else such as my school or Ryan's and my place. Can you set up small office somewhere with a neutral name, perhaps over in Auckland near a railway station or bus terminal that the girls could easily get to."

  "That shouldn't be too difficult." Savannah replied. She studied the monitor, jotted down eight names and handed the list to Stella.

  "These ones appear to be authentic and named Hortmyre as the one that attacked them. We could also ask if they are prepared to meet others that he attacked." She smiled at the girls. "You have done so well. I should be able to get a meeting place set up. Shall we aim at next weekend to meet them individually or collectively?"

  "And when should we start contacting them?" Isabelle asked.

  "Now if you like. I'll help you word the messages. We must remember not to push them too hard. If they sound timid or even scared we can persuade but should not put any extra pressure on them. Like you were Isabelle, they are frightened and ashamed and to even comment on your page may have been a difficult decision."

  Karla stood up and smiled. "I'll leave you all to it and take Alexis through to have a chat with Ava." She glanced at Ryan. "Do you want to stay here?"

  He screwed his nose up. "I'm redundant, I think so will come with you. I'd love to look around the farmlette if Ava wouldn't mind showing us around."

  Stella grinned. "She'd love that. She spends all week working and all weekend in the garden with Dad. He's around somewhere on his tractor. Putting in a new gate down the back, I think."

  "Give us an hour," Savannah said. "These girls will make great detectives."

  The three teenagers grinned at the compliment and even before Karla and Ryan left had begun work.

  *

  Newmarket was a suburban shopping centre about four kilometres from central Auckland that had the advantage that the train station was a junction of two lines and opened out onto a traditional shopping area. It was also well served by buses so could be reached relatively easily from most parts of the city. It was, though twenty kilometres across the harbour bridge from where Karla lived and through one of New Zealand's busiest highways.

  Only a block away from the train station a new sign appeared under a shop veranda near an easy to find Vodafone outlet that stated Light Feet Dance Studio. Opening Soon. An arrow pointed to a set of stairs leading up to the floor above the shops. At the top was a small office that fronted an apartment type lounge and kitchen area. There was though, no dance studio for this was the place that Savannah had set up for the girls who had agreed to meet with them. Isabelle, Stella and Jasmine wanted Karla to be there and she had agreed but only if they never revealed that she was a school principal. However, the girls were to be told that Savannah was a police detective working on the case. Also two police officers would be on the premises but in another room just in case something went wrong. As Savannah pointed out that even though the girls all sounded genuine, there was a chance that one could be a plant for the gang Hortmyre was probably associated with.

  Of the original eight contacted, five agreed to meet together and another two asked for one-to-one meetings with Stella at a different time. The last girl had pulled out for unknown reasons, either because she was too afraid or even, though she sounded genuine, had made her story up. Savannah had told Karla that this was an excellent response and even better than she had expected.

  The meeting with the first five was set up for Saturday at two, a busy shopping time so anyone entering the building would not seem to be out of the ordinary. Karla, Ryan along with Alexis left home early, found a car parking building not too far from the Light Feet Dance Studio and arrived to find that Savannah and two plain clothed police officers were already there, the room was warm and had the appearance of being in use for years. Signs and photos of dancers hung on the wall and a smell of percolating coffee filled the rooms.

  The five all arrived within ten minutes of each other. Three were European girls, one Chinese and the fifth a Maori girl. They ranged from Stella and Jasmine's age to one who would be close to twenty. All appeared to be well dressed and spoken
and probably came from the more prosperous areas of the city. This proved correct for two attended elite private schools, two attended high schools in prosperous suburbs while the eldest woman was a student at Auckland University.

  Ryan and the two police officers remained in another room with a monitor that provided a view of the main office where the meeting was held but Karla with Alexis stayed in the main room. Having the little one there added to the friendly feel of the place. Before long all the girls relaxed and told similar stories to Stella's ordeal. All had been spun a story of the boy they had met on the Petal Life site, stating that he was flying into Auckland with a school sports team, drama group or to participate in a university orientation day. All had been met by Terrance Hortmyre who said he was a father, uncle or friend of the boy they thought they were meeting because the boy's plane had been delayed, cancelled or he had missed a connection. Once in the white van, they had been taken to what sounded like the same or similar spot and raped. One girl found the door handles on the van didn't work and another had been jabbed with a needle when she began screaming in terror. After two gruelling hours or longer, they were taunted about there being no boy and threatened to tell nobody before being driven back to the airport.

  There were a couple of items that were helpful. One girl wrote down the van's number plate while another managed to sneak a photo of Hortmyre as he drove the vehicle. It was a clear one and all five recognised him from it and other photographs of the man that Savannah had brought.

  Savannah explained that any trial of Hortmyre meant they would be exposed to rigorous cross-examination by defence lawyers and could be accused of lying or having consensual sex with the man. Other personal details of their lives could also be dragged out to cut their credibility as a witness. However, if they were all prepared to testify, their sheer numbers would help rather than if the court had to rely on just Isabelle for evidence.