Jen slowly opened the door to the college office, her heart in her throat as she did so. Running was not an option, she knew that. It just made her look guilty, and Tilly was right, it could be about anything. It didn't stop her feeling utterly terrified though. She looked down at her hands. They were shaking and her palms were clammy. She tried desperately to control them by clasping them together in front of her.
Keeler looked up as she entered the room. His face was dead serious.
"Oh, there you are. Please go straight through to the meeting room."
Jen half smiled by way of acknowledgement, and did as she was told.
She opened the door and immediately saw a stern looking middle-aged policewoman in uniform, sat at the meeting room table in front of a laptop. She looked up at Jen as she entered, then gestured with her hand towards the table.
"Take a seat please... Miss Gilmore is it?"
"Yes." Jen replied quietly, but didn't move.
"PC Thomson." she replied formally, introducing herself and nodding her head as a greeting. She didn't get up. She was giving nothing away. Polite, not overly friendly, but distant, almost off-hand in her mannerisms. Jen could feel the effects of her blood furiously pumping around her body. Her head felt dizzy, her stomach was in knots, with question after question running through her head. What was this about? Did they know about her and Tilly? Had she been caught?
'Try not to panic'. She told herself, thinking again of Tilly's words from earlier. 'They might not even know. Play it cool'.
Once inside the room she turned to pull the door closed behind her. As she did so she caught sight of Keeler in the office behind her, and overheard him talking to his secretary.
"What class does Tilly Evans have now?" he asked, not looking up from the sheet of A4 paper he held in his hand.
Jen stopped dead. It was like the bottom had dropped out of her world. Her stomach lurched. Had she heard correctly? What the hell did they want Tilly for?
"Biology lab, science block" the secretary replied, and Keeler picked up his phone to make a call.
"Take a seat please" the officer repeated, calling over to her.
Jen finished shutting the door, and looked back towards the table. Her anxiety level had gone from high to extreme. She felt like she was losing it. That was it! If they wanted to see Tilly too, she was caught. Her life was over. It was too late. Her mouth went dry and her legs started shaking. She held onto the back of the chair to support herself and sat down as the officer had requested, knowing she was close to just falling down where she had been stood. She looked at her intently, but still the police officer said nothing. She was busy, trying to work something on the laptop.
"I'll just be a moment." The police woman offered by way of explanation, still not looking at her. But Jen's head was in tatters. She could see her future flashing before her. All she could do was sit there in silence, waiting. Quietly. Only the problem was that her brain wasn't silent. It was still traveling at a million miles a minute.
She wasn't sure how long she sat there for. Two, five, ten minutes? The only thing she did know was that the longer she sat there the more unbearable the wait was, and the more panicked her thoughts were becoming. She watched the police officer as she clicked and dragged her mouse backwards and forwards over the table, but Jen wasn't concentrating on what she was doing, she was in her own private nightmare, just waiting for the shit to hit the fan, for her life to unravel before her.
After a few more excruciatingly long minutes the door opened. She turned to see, and there was Tilly, being escorted into the room by Keeler. Their eyes met and they shared a panicked look. Tilly's face was pale, and Jen could see she was just as worried as she was. Jen immediately looked away. She couldn't hold her gaze, now was not the time. Tilly took a seat on the opposite side of the table, next to the police officer. Both girls looked at the floor.
"The others will be along shortly" Keeler explained.
"Others?" Jen asked. The wait was killing her. Jen was just as confused as before, and now there were more questions to answer.
"Ask them to wait outside please? I need to talk to these two first." PC Thomson replied.
"Ok no problem... I'd... I'd just like to say how very angry and ashamed I am by all of this." Keeler stated, the irritation in his voice clear for all to hear.
"Ok Mr Keeler. I'll pass that on." she replied dismissively.
They watched as Keeler sighed, and left the room, then PC Thomson turned and looked at them both.
"Just us?" Jen asked, trying to sound casual.
"For now..." She replied, then looked at them for a few more uncomfortable moments, before she began.
"I suppose you realise why you have been brought here today?"
"Err... no idea" Jen replied with a nervous half-giggle.
"Well...there was significant damage to the hotel over the weekend, especially in the spa and swimming pool area, and the hotel wish to press criminal damage charges." The officer turned towards Tilly "Tilly is it? You were observed trespassing in that area." Then she turned back to Jen "And you, Miss Gilmore, discovered her. Do either of you have any information you think might be helpful that you would like to pass on?"
Jen heard herself exhale with relief. Thank God. They were not here for her! Holy shit! She felt like laughing. She looked at Tilly and they exchanged a telepathic high-five.
The room stayed silent. Tilly was too stunned to answer. They hoped their faces would not give away their utter relief, or suggest there was more to their story than first thought.
"Nothing?" The policewoman asked.
"Sorry Officer" Tilly began "I was swimming with some boys, then Miss Gilmore found us, and we were chucked straight out of the hotel into the street. There was no damage when we left the swimming pool, was there Miss?"
"Can you confirm that Miss Gilmore?" the officer asked as she turned to Jen.
Jen nodded.
"And who were the boys you were with?"
"I don't know them."
"How did you end up in the swimming pool? Did you go there with these boys?"
"No."
"So who did you go there with?"
"I was alone."
"You were alone?"
"Yes Miss". Tilly was lying. She had to in order to protect Jen. She could feel Jen's eyes burning a hole in the side of her head.
"OK, well there is some CCTV footage that I would like you both to examine."
Jen's stomach dropped again. She had thought she was in the clear, and in her panic she had forgotten about the security cameras.
"There were cameras all over the hotel, with hours of footage to review. However I have just brought the video from the spa floor. Bring your chairs around please." the policewoman ordered sternly.
Jen and Tilly shuffled into position where they could see the laptop screen. Jen's heart was racing. She was terrified. What on earth was on that tape? Where were the cameras in the swimming pool? Would they have been able to see into the changing rooms? If they could, she knew she was about to watch video from the changing cubicle that would get her sent to prison, that would change her life irreversibly. The police may have started the investigation on a criminal damage charge but it was all about to change significantly.
"There are some unidentified people on this recording who we need to name, as they can assist us with our inquiries." The officer said, hovering her finger over the mouse "Before I begin, Miss Evans, I must ask you, are you comfortable for us to view this with Miss Gilmore present?"
"Er... yeah...?" Tilly confirmed, confused.
The officer looked back at the screen and hit the play button.
The footage was grainy, there was no sound, and it skipped along in black and white. It wasn't clear like a TV programme, it seemed to take an image every half-second or so, making the footage jump around. It was pitch black for the first few seconds, just the timeline visible as the seconds ticked by, then it suddenly became clear as the lights in the room flickered on. The camera was positioned on the opposite side of the swimming pool to the cubicles, but thankfully the door to the cubicle that Tilly and Jen had been in was obscured from this view by a wall. Jen quietly breathed another sigh as she realised this, and then continued to watch as the intruders frolicked about in the water. Then Tilly appeared from behind the wall by the cubicles and grabbed the hand of the drunk guy sitting nearby. She walked him towards the camera, then stripped her dress off.
"Hang on!" Tilly complained in outrage, embarrassed that the policewoman was witnessing her without a top on.
"Officer?" Jen redirected at the other woman, averting her eyes, playing the teacher role.
The policewoman paused the playback.
"I know this is difficult Miss Evans. This is why there are no males in the room with us, why Mr Keeler was asked to leave, why I am here as a female officer. We are asking you girls questions first, to protect the sensitive nature of the footage. However, you have to understand, this is evidence, we must review this."
The officer turned to Tilly "Now, who are the other people in that video. What are their names?"
"I'm sorry, I don't know their names. I only met them just then."
She stared and raised an eyebrow, unconvinced.
"You remove your dress in front of complete strangers as a point of habit do you Miss Evans? They look like they are friends to me."
"well... no... not normally I don't. But I was wasted." Tilly replied defensively
"You are under 18 aren't you? You shouldn't be 'wasted'?"
"Yes I am... Er... But the punch was laced with something."
"It was?" the police officer asked. The plot was thickening. "what with?"
"I have no idea, I'm sorry. All I know is that it made me behave like that. I am so embarrased. Plus, I had no idea I would be on video, let alone having to watch it with my teacher and a complete stranger!" Tilly was trying her hardest to come up with reasons why they shouldn't play any more of the CCTV recording.
"Ok, Miss Evans. I understand this is sensitive... Miss Gilmore, does anyone have a sample of the punch we can have?"
"errr.. Yes, Mr Keeler asked me to take one. Its in my car." Jen replied.
"OK, I will get that from you later, we may need it as evidence." The officer paused, collecting her thoughts, then continued with her questions to Jen "Do you recognise anyone from the video?"
"Sorry, other than Tilly here, no I don't. They are not in my classes and I only started teaching at the college late last year."
The policewoman stretched, providing a natural break in her questioning for a few seconds, then moved her attention back to the laptop.
"Ok then, let's move on. We have a recording from the corridor too." PC Thomson opened another file and hit play.
The grainy video started up again. The angle of the camera clearly showed the lift doors and the corridor on the spa floor.
Jen's heart skipped again. She wasn't expecting another video. Tilly bit her nails, both sets of eyes were intensely glued to the screen. Jen was frozen in fear, terrified of what could be coming next.
They watched the screen in dread as the lift doors opened. You could clearly see Tilly in the lift, leaning against the wall, talking to someone who remained unseen out of shot at the back of the lift. Tilly edged out, then turned back. Again she paused, then she reached out to the cleaner's trolley and grabbed a couple of towels, throwing one into the lift, putting the other on her head. Jen swallowed as she watched it all, remembering how Tilly had done that, how it had seemed crazy at the time. She watched the screen as Tilly grabbed the hand of her mystery lift companion, and they ran off down the corridor together, both with towels on their heads, hiding their faces from view. Jen could see herself, right there. It was obvious, at least to her, but to anyone else she was just an unidentifiable black figure, her head hidden underneath the towel.
"You still claim you were alone Tilly?" the officer asked.
Jen exchanged a quick look with her. She couldn't believe it. Tilly's idea of sneaking around in disguise as guests had unintentionally saved her from being identified. That was insanely lucky. Jen needed a moment to process all of this, but there was no time. The policewoman continued.
"Who are you with there Tilly?"
She said nothing, her mind was racing.
"This is important Tilly. Somebody, possibly this person who remains unaccountable for, did extensive damage to the swimming pool area. Thousands of pounds worth. Who are they?"
Tilly was like a deer caught in the headlights. She knew she had to come up with something. "I'm... sorry... I just don't remember..."
They carried on watching the screen as Tilly and the mystery figure disappeared through the spa room doors, holding on to each other.
"You don't remember? You seem very familiar with them. This person went into the swimming pool area with you but we never see them again"
Tilly was floundering
"I'm so sorry... I just don't have a clue... some random I met in the lift maybe...? I mean, you saw me on the last tape, I happily held the hand of that other guy and stripped in front of him, and I'd never met him before either... anything could have happened that night... it would seem I didn't need to know these people to appear familiar with them. It's not like me at all... The punch... it was spiked..."
"Excuse me, officer?" Jen interjected.
"Yes Miss Gilmore?"
"Do you not have any video from when the actual damage occurred?"
PC Thomson sighed. "Unfortunately, no. Apparently there was a problem with the system, it reset itself and nothing past midnight was recorded from any of the cameras in the hotel, so now we have to go through this painstaking process of examining footage from earlier in the evening to find any leads."
"Well I can assure you, there was no damage when we ushered these particular students out. I think you may be barking up the wrong tree here."
The officer turned to Jen with a surprised look on her face
"...I mean..." Jen hesitated "... Just in my opinion... I'm not trying to tell you how to do your job..."
"Ok Miss Gilmore. I'm inclined to agree with you, but this is a process we have to go through."
"Look. Am I in any trouble here?" Tilly asked.
"No, not unless you did the damage. You are just one of the last people we know were in the area. Did you see anyone else?"
They both shook their heads.
The officer hit play again and they watched as the other boys all ran down the corridor, then opened the door to the swimming pool and tumbled inside. Then the recording ended.
"Well that's all we have unfortunately from this camera. It went offline with the others at midnight, and Miss Gilmore and Mr Keeler arrived at the swimming pool just after 12, so we can't see you all leave... Miss Gilmore did you see this mystery person when you arrived at the swimming pool?"
Jen wasn't sure how to answer for the best.
"No... Sorry."
"And Tilly, what did this person do once you had entered the room?"
"I'm really sorry, I just... don't remember." she replied nervously.
"Maybe they left just before Keeler and I arrived?" Jen offered.
"Perhaps."
The police officer shut the laptop screen and sighed.
"Ok, then Tilly it looks like you can go... For now...
"Miss Gilmore I'd like you to stay a little longer please. We need to talk about how the students behaved for the rest of the evening. See if you can identify anyone else."
"They were out of control... Keeler and I did our best but..." Jen trailed off.
"Yes, this mystery punch appears to have been a factor."
Tilly stood up to leave, glad it was over, relieved they had seemed to have got away with it.
"Thank you Miss Evans," began the officer "I'll ask my colleague to track down the footage from inside the lift, see if we can get a better look at this extra person, so we'll need to talk to you again when that arrives."
Jen and Tilly locked eyes in horror.
The shocks just kept coming, one after the other. Tilly's heart lurched again. Jen's did the same. She was sure her adrenaline was at an all-time high. If there was a video recording from the lift, she was screwed.
Jen looked away from Tilly again, trying not to do anything to arouse suspicion. Tilly hesitated, before nodding at the policewoman, and continuing to the door. She turned and looked back at Jen as she backed out of the room and closed the door behind her. She looked so small, sat in the chair next to the burly policewoman. She looked utterly terrified. Completely vulnerable. Tilly really felt for her. She could see her wringing her hands together under the table. She seemed so worried, so scared. Tilly knew right then, in that moment, that she was completely, head over heels, in love with her. She wanted to put her arm around her, to make her feel better, to reassure her that it would all be alright, but she knew she couldn't tell her that. She knew that if the police saw what went on in the lift between them, Jen's worst fears would come true. She couldn't let that happen. She had promised her she would look after her, that she would protect her, that they would not be discovered.
She had to find a way to stop it.