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Chapter 6: Deep Rooted
"Candice. Have you got a moment?"
It had taken Rachel several moments of Eddie's reassuring words and glances to end up in the kitchens, alongside Candice as she cleaned a surface.
"Course Miss Mason. Is this to do with our Bolton?"
Rachel managed to muster a smile at Candice's cheeriness, appreciating the way herself and the woman had come to an understanding since the day of the prison trip.
"Sort of," Rachel chewed the inside of her cheek, leaning on the counter slightly as she watched Candice place down her cloth, listening intently, "it's about his job."
"With Mr Hordley?"
"Yes. I just wanted to ask you… how many hours is it that he's working?"
Candice looked thoughtful for a moment, "oh he's doing about five or six hours a day. Depending on the other lad's shifts. I mean, he gets a bit tired… but," she raised a hand, "I always, always make sure he gets his homework done."
Even as Rachel laughed at Candice's insistence on homework, an unsettling feeling planted in her stomach, brow furrowing. She was more than certain that for a boy of fifteen, five or six hours a day certainly went hand in hand with her suspicion about breaching child employment regulations. Just as Rachel thought Stuart Hordley couldn't possibly make her feel any more sick.
Candice noted Rachel's change in demeanor, concern rising within her as she wondered what Bolton had gotten himself into this time, "is there a problem?"
Her words brought Rachel back down to the present with a thump, acknowledging that she had to find out everything she possibly could here, "oh, no, no. It's just… these other employees. I didn't realise there were others, are they from Waterloo Road too?"
"No they're from er… that place just outside of town. Crogdale high school?"
Rachel happened to recognise the name, making a mental note to work out exactly who these other boys were if Stuart was up to something, which was looking extremely likely - she had to admit, "and these boys, are they… the same age as Bolton?"
"I think so yeah, it's great isn't it? You know, our Bolton working alongside others."
Great if it was actually legal. Rachel pondered as the feeling of nausea began to rise in her once more. Nothing bothered her more than the student's health being in danger, even more so when that was, ultimately, down to her. She should have resigned the minute Stuart Hordley came knocking on her door, then none of this would have occurred.
Yet Rachel also recognised the need to give Candice some sort of rational explanation for her concern - the woman would have long worked out that something wasn't right, "look, the reason I'm asking is… Bolton turned up late this morning, evidently exhausted. I just, you know, didn't want him slipping back into his old ways, that's all. Especially not after how hard he's been working."
Candice growled in frustration, relaying an earlier conversation she had with her son, "I told him, get your homework done and don't be late for school. If this job's going to cause problems Miss Mason…"
"Leave it with me," Rachel placed a hand on her arm, with hope that the gesture would calm Candice's obvious distress, "I'll have a word with him."
She left Candice with a nod, suddenly cursing herself for believing that everything with Hordley was over. Threats and danger directed at herself, Rachel could just about accept. Yet when her student's welfare was being brought into question, that was another story entirely. Rachel just knew her next step was to return to Eddie. Frankly, the only person who could single handedly calm her thoughts.
….
With the way his mind kept drifting to Rachel as he tapped his foot anxiously, Eddie counted his lucky stars that he had some non-contact time first lesson. It proved difficult enough engaging some of his classes when he was entirely in the zone, never mind when he was thinking about anything but trigonometry.
Every noise in the corridor caught Eddie's attention - from a slam of a door to approaching footsteps - to the point where he considered his mind to be deceiving him upon noting Rachel stood in the doorway, in a much similar fashion to that of thirty minutes ago.
"Much luck with Candice?"
Rachel didn't respond straight away as she ventured further into the room, ending up perched on a desk opposite Eddie's. The initial thing she noted were his unmarked books piled up on the desk, and Rachel then understood that for what it was. Her deputy had obviously been concerned about her, about the situation they found themselves in, so much so he hadn't gotten round to utilising his free lesson as he normally would. Despite what a disaster the day was once more turning out to be, Rachel couldn't deny that the unmarked pages were just another indication of how much Eddie cared.
Realising she was yet to respond, Rachel ran a hand through her hair, smiling at her deputy in a manner which she gathered to be entirely unconvincing, "all in all she… confirmed our fears."
Eddie relaxed back in his chair, allowing the recent development to wash over him. Being a rational thinker, he allowed himself to set out the positives of this phenomenon. Something against Hordley was the way he saw it, concrete evidence which translated to means of bringing him down. Although he completely doubted that Rachel would be seeing it that way, not after the way she had blatantly blamed herself previously.
"This isn't your fault Rachel."
"Isn't it?" Rachel bounced back, even as a thrill ran through her at Eddie knowing her exact thought process.
"No. Hordley's a nasty piece of work. He would have caused maximum damage with or without you."
"But not at this school Eddie. Not with our pupils."
"Rachel, listen to me," Eddie coloured his tone with sincerity, somewhat delighted when Rachel did just that and raised her gaze to meet his, "you've done nothing wrong."
"How are we going to put this right Eddie?"
Rachel was past the point of dwelling on how vulnerable she sounded, of how open she was being with her deputy. Because that was just the way he made her feel. Eddie allowed her to feel relaxed in his presence, he was truly the only person who Rachel could see herself completely breaking down her walls for. And for once, that concept didn't cause her to feel weak or at danger, it helped her to feel safe and cared about.
"We need to gather the evidence, get as much information as we can against Hordley. Then… we need to inform the council."
"Eddie…"
"Rachel, it's the only way."
"I do know that. I just… we don't know what this man is capable of, not really. In fact, we don't know him from Adam, do we? The last thing I want is Stuart having a vengeance against you, for looking into all of this. You don't need to get involved in my mess, Eddie."
"Well what happens if that's what I want to do?" Eddie paused, taking in Rachel's expression as realisation swept across her features. Another reminder that he wasn't going anywhere, "I care about you Rachel. When are you going to realise that? Whatever Hordley throws at us, we tackle together, consequences or no."
Rachel took a few moments to simply show her appreciation for Eddie's comments in the form of a smile, somewhat cherishing the way that the previous evening's conversations continued to ring in her ears. Along with that though, was reality. Wouldn't it be easier all round if she just left Waterloo Road in the safe hands of Eddie and walked away from this imploding mess?
"I just can't help thinking that… it will be beneficial to everyone for me to just walk away from this, Eddie."
"You can't seriously be suggesting that you resign? Rachel, you're the best thing that's happened to this school. Don't bring that to a standstill."
Having already been umming and ahhing, Rachel was well aware it would take very little persuasion from her deputy. Especially when he knew exactly what to say, "I don't know about that."
"I do," he fell silent, "come on, I'll make us a drink and we can find out exactly how we are going to bring Hordley down. He doesn't know who he's messing with here."
Rachel loved the way Eddie smirked as he rounded the desk, causing her to elicit a chuckle at his mock macho stance. It certainly wasn't the first time, and wouldn't be the last, yet Rachel found herself pondering over just how grateful she was to have Eddie in her life. The mere thought of handling Stuart hordley and her current predicament alone sent an uncomfortable shiver down her spine. Unbearable was one of many adjectives she'd use to describe it.
….
11pm seemed more like 7pm to Rachel as she considered commencing with another mound of paperwork. Work seemed to be the only activity which was occupying her mind at the moment. Besides, sleep was unlikely judging by the way her mind was currently racing. Everything from Bolton to her position at Waterloo Road - yet ultimately, everything linked back to Stuart. Rachel despised the hold the man currently had over her and her life.
The buzz of her phone was a welcome distraction, and even more so upon realising the caller. Eddie. Why was he calling at this hour?
"Eddie?"
"Rachel, hi. Hope I haven't woken you. Had in mind how you seem to do paperwork at an ungodly hour."
The accuracy of his statement caused Rachel to chuckle. Eddie knew her so well, and remembered all of the small things, and she adored it, "maybe I'm proving you right Mr Lawson, with your suggestion that I'm a workaholic."
"That, you are."
Longing to keep the banter going, Rachel smirked to herself, "well, perhaps if my deputy pulled his weight with the paperwork…"
Rachel could practically envisage Eddie pouting before that inevitably moulded into a grin, "who says I don't?"
Eddie himself felt his smile at hearing Rachel's voice grow considerably wider as she collapsed into giggles for a consecutive time. It was definitely the most beautiful sound and even more treasured considering it wasn't something he'd been anticipating after their second day of disaster.
"The point is," Eddie paused as he allowed both himself and Rachel a few moments to compose themselves, "I've definitely got enough information about Stuart Hordley. Well, for us to feel confident enough to go to the council."
It was then that a thought occurred to Rachel as her clock caught her eye, "hang on Eddie. What are you doing up at this hour? Get some sleep."
Unseen by Rachel, Eddie flushed. He had spent the majority of his evening wrapped up in thoughts of her, and the situation she found herself in. Eddie longed to help in any which way possible.
"Don't be daft. I said I cared, didn't I?"
Rachel seemed to recognise as Eddie began to explain how his findings had confirmed that Stuart had breached several regulations, that her relaxation wasn't just to do with what her deputy was talking about. No, Rachel felt as though everything was going to be okay because it was Eddie by her side, him talking to her. And she was overly glad about one thing for sure - letting Eddie Lawson in. Rachel was sure that soon, she'd bite the bullet and address her feelings wholeheartedly.