Read Online Reprobates by RC Bridgestock - Free Book Online Page B

at Avril Summerfield-Preston ’s office door, but before going in she stopped, lifted her head and took a deep breath. Having put a fake smile upon her face she knocked three times and entered. The room was warm, quiet and still. Avril’s fingers tapped gently on her desk as if transmitting a code in blunt, brief sentences. Her forehead showed its usual frown. There would be no allowances made for her staff with children, she’d agreed with Donna. A mother’s place in her opinion was in the home.
    ‘You ’ve been a long time, Jennifer,’ she said. ‘Sit down.’
    Jen was prepared but she dithered. ‘The court was busy and the queue at the dry cleaners...’ she gabbled on mindlessly as she sat down in the chair opposite Avril. Avril’s face was turned towards the computer and for what seemed like an eternity she didn’t speak. Jen sat quietly with her hands clasped tightly on her lap. Her face was tense. She sensed no warmth in Avril’s greeting. Eventually Avril gave Jen a strange, dark glance as if she was peering from behind a curtain.
    Jen moved her lips, but no noise came out of her mouth. How did this woman have the ability to render her mute? ‘I guess I’m going to be a bit rusty,’ she said eventually, giving the woman a nervous smile.
    ‘You ’ll soon get up to speed, when you’ve been on the courses I’ve booked you on at Headquarters,’ she said.
    Jen squirmed inwardly.
    ‘Well, I guess I should welcome you back,’ she said mirroring Jen’s false smile. ‘I trust you won’t be making a habit of pushing the core time to the minute, like you did this morning?’ Avril’s eyes flickered.
    Jen shook her head.
    ‘However, since you appear to find getting to work on time a bit of a bind, I may just have the solution.’
    ‘Oh no... It ’s not a problem. It was Max. I had to take him to the vets. I assure you I did clock in on time.’
    ‘ I know,’ Avril said as she fanned her face with Jen’s clocking in card. The card made a flapping sound. ‘I checked.’
    There was a knock at the door. ‘Excuse me, drinks?’ Margaret asked, carrying two mugs into the office at arm’s length. Jen threw her a grateful look. Avril didn’t look up at Margaret but moved her arm to the side so Margaret could place the mug on her desk in front of her.
    ‘ Normally it will be fine,’ Jen said. ‘Thank you Margaret,’ she said softly.
    Jen watched Avril slowly take some papers out of a large brown envelope. ‘These are for you to sign,’ she said stroking her long, beak like nose with her finger that Jen noticed had an ink stain on it. She handed them over in a very stilted, deliberate fashion. A strong smell of her heavy, pungent perfume came Jen’s way and made her eyes water. It smelt like a concoction somewhere between potpourri and church incense. ‘We’ve, that’s Chief Superintendent Hugo-Watkins and myself, have decided it would be best all round if you worked every afternoon, Jennifer. That’s over five days and not necessarily always weekdays either in the future,’ Avril smiled, a real smile and when she did Jen noticed the angles of her mouth lifted in an odd way, almost as though she was unaccustomed to smiling.
    Jen winced. ‘Ah, that might be a problem...’
    Avril ’s eyes seemed to narrow. ‘Then find a solution,’ she said, with a slight turn of her head and a lift of an eyebrow. Jen felt as if she had been slapped in the face. ‘Lesley, our new lady who will be working the other side of your post will be doing mornings. You can pick up the work that she is not familiar with, at least until she is fully up to speed.’
    ‘But, personnel is a new role for me, too. We agreed two and a half days a week, Avril. I’ve arranged it with the childminder and Jack...’
    Avril ’s stare was deliberate. She was obviously enjoying the altercation and her command of it, which made Jen feel all the more uncomfortable.
    ‘Oh, I‘ m sure Dylan will be fine with it once you explain.