Author's note
Find out whether Smith's dastardly plan works.
Oliver Pettigrew
The Headmaster decided not to press Dobson further, the boy was obviously scared of something and exhausted. Moreover, Dobson had let slip the names of boys who might be able to verify or deny his account.
Also, a theory had formed in the Headmaster's mind. The revelation that it was Smith and his friends being abused made the Headmaster wonder whether Wilkins might be jealous of the trust placed in Smith, jealous that he had been denied any jurisdiction over the boys in Smith's care. The danger with a theory that seems to provide explanation for the facts is that it becomes too obviously correct and is stuck to tenaciously when more reflection might have provided alternative theories to be tested.
The Headmaster had no formal training in forensic matters, yet he was no fool and could work out certain things from first principles.
1. For the time being Dobson's story should be taken at face value but with no commitment to its veracity. (However, the "theory" was, in an upside down manner, now supporting the story.)
2. The identified potential witnesses to events related to this incident should be isolated and interviewed separately.
3. Wilkins was innocent until proven guilty.
4. It was possible that Wilkins was guilty, hence he must be prevented from tampering with witnesses or evidence.
The Headmaster picked up his internal telephone and pressed the button for Matron's domain. He instructed Matron to come and collect Dobson and take him to Headmaster's House where he would be put into the care of Mary.
He called the Master's Common Room and was relieved when Mr Dawson answered, he had feared all the masters would be at the village pub by now. He gave Mr Dawson detailed instructions.
Twenty minutes later Mr Dawson had accomplished the following. First, he had found Wilkins and told him that the Headmaster had instructed that he go to Matron's infirmary and stay there until told otherwise. He was told to communicate with nobody in the meantime. Wilkins was thunderstruck. Mr Dawson could give him no reason because he knew none. He merely said that Dr De Ville's command had to be obeyed.
Second, all the boys mentioned by Dobson were lined up outside Dr de Ville's study with two prefects who had been ordered to permit no conversation among the boys or converse with the boys themselves. Mr Dawson was thanked and went his way. Having no further duties this evening he went to join his colleagues in the pub. He was puzzled at events but knew he would not be thanked for asking questions.
The Headmaster summoned Petreson first.
"Petreson, accusations have been made about junior boys being subjected to unauthorised punishment and terrible abuse by a person who, supposedly has used his authority in the school for his own wicked gratification. Your name has been mentioned as one of the abused."
Silence for a long while then Petreson said "Sir?"
"Please tell me what you know" said Dr de Ville.
"I can't Sir, I don't understand ....." Petreson petered off.
"Very well. I know that you fear whoever has abused you, if indeed that has happened. However, the scoundrel leaves visible signs. I shall verify their presence or absence. If they are present I will accept no reticence from you. Is that clear boy?"
"Yes Sir".
"Take off your clothes and place them neatly on that chair."
Petreson, despite now being used to standing naked before Smith and others, reddened nevertheless. Standing naked before an adult was a different, much more embarrassing, matter.
Petreson slowly did as he was told. Eventually, for the second time ever, he was standing stark naked before Dr de Ville (he had even taken his socks off).
The Headmaster's gaze took in the fair skinned youth standing before him. Petreson was standing with his hands on his head and his legs a little apart. This was not a punishment and Petreson had not been ordered to place his hands on his head. Yet, Petreson had naturally assumed that this was the stance one had to take when standing naked before one's headmaster.
From the front nothing seemed amiss with Petreson, the Headmaster noted. The boy had clearly developed quite a bit during the two or three months since his last encounter with nakedness in the Headmaster's study but there was little different to see other than a general increase in muscular development, thickening of pubic hair, and genitalia more definitely within the lower end of the adult range of size. The presence of pubic hair and the lack of sooty blackness in Petreson's crotch was reassuring. The Headmaster bade Petreson turn around.
Now the story was different. It was obvious that the boy had received a caning within the last forty eight hours. Dr de Ville counted marks suggestive of at least twelve strokes; there had been three or four strokes cruelly on the back of Petreson's upper legs.
Suspicions aroused, Dr de Ville instructed Petreson to bend forward with his legs wider apart. The tell tale signs of some more malign abuse were present.
With Petreson facing him again and, under Dr De Villes' order, his hands by his sides, the Headmaster said "You may dissemble no longer Petreson. There are clear signs that you have recently been severely beaten with a cane and that other, unspeakable things may have been done to you. Tell me who did this."
Petreson couldn't meet the Headmaster's gaze.
After a protracted silence the Headmaster relented and said "Will you deny that Wilkins did that to you?"
Lying is a fascinating phenomenon. Almost everybody (setting aside psychopaths), including inveterate crooks, tries to avoid telling a straight lie. They will attempt every circumnavigation of the truth rather than state a bare faced lie. Suppose that the boy before the Headmaster was accused of raiding the Tuck Shop at night. Further, suppose that circumstantial evidence, and indeed forensic evidence such as a pocket book left at the scene of the crime, compellingly decreed guilt. Now put the direct question "Were you in the Tuck Shop last night after lights out?" The response from a youth still convinced that he can talk his way out of it will not be "No Sir, definitely not". It would be some such as "Why should I be in the Tuck Shop at night Sir?" Similarly, a statement that misleads because its recipient naturally, given the circumstances of the surrounding conversation, takes it at face value though its content is technically ambiguous, is a lie by proxy.
Petreson had no desire to tell a lie. He didn't want Wilkin's in trouble for something he did not do. Yet, he had loyalty, yes "loyalty" is now the word, toward Smith. Petreson reasoned that if he didn't tell a lie and if Dr de Ville jumped to the wrong conclusion from his statement then no sin had been committed.
Petreson's reply was "No Sir". It was technically the truth. Petreson had no desire to either confirm or deny the identity of his abuser. In this moral abyss it was Dr de Ville's fault for not asking the question "Will you confirm that Wilkins did that to you?" to which the answer would have been "No Sir" because Petreson could not bring himself to utter an outright lie.
The Headmaster was satisfied and dismissed Petreson. The boy hastily dressed and left the study, his clothes in disarray.
One by one the other boys were interviewed until only Smith remained. All tried to disassemble in one way or another. All confirmed the Headmaster's growing conviction of Wilkin's guilt.
Finally Smith was before the Headmaster.
Dr de Ville said "Smith, you are a prefect. You are trusted. It is your duty to answer my questions accurately and comprehensively."
Smith said "Of course Sir, that is my intention."
"Very well. Smith, do you have any reason to suspect that Wilkins has misused his position of authority to abuse other boys."
Smith paused as if thinking carefully.
He replied "No Sir."
"Smith, has Wilkins ever treated you unjustly?"
Smith feigned an expression of embarrassed reluctance to answer. Finally, he managed to say, in a voice that betrayed inner turmoil, "I don't wish to cause trouble for Wilkins, Sir. I may be wrong in my assessment."
Dr de Ville, who had begun to wonder if this whole enquiry was a wild goose chase perked up and said "Just tell me what you know please. Just the facts that you know from direct observation of events."
"Well Sir, Dobson and I were summoned to Wilkins' study yesterday. We were told that he had information that we had been seen visiting a café that is out of bounds. We had not been there but he would not accept our denial. He said he would report us directly to you Sir. We both knew that you would believe Wilkins rather than us, we had no means of proving our innocence. We had no option but to accept his offer of punishing us himself, beyond the regulation means, rather than facing the disgrace that you might impose by rescinding our prefectorial positions." Then Smith added helpfully, "I don't hold it against Wilkins. He wouldn't be unfair like that. He must have received malicious information and chosen to believe the informant over us."
"What happened next, Smith?"
"We had to report back to Wilkins later in the day wearing our gym kit." Smith paused.
"And?"
"He made us strip naked then he beat me with a slipper and a cane. I don't know what happened to Dobson. All I know is that he said Dobson deserved worse. I was made to leave after my punishment. I did see Dobson later. He was sobbing in the corner of his dormitory. I didn't like to interfere so I left him to pull himself together in his own time."
Smith's matter of fact account, his unwillingness to believe that Wilkin's injustice was deliberate, finally convinced Dr de Ville that the whole sordid story was true.
Finally, he bade Smith drop his trousers and underpants in order to view the final piece of forensic evidence. The lines across Smiths buttocks were, by now, mostly a darkish blue but they still glowed crimson in places.
The interviews over, the Headmaster sat and pondered for ten minutes. He was now convinced of Wilkins' guilt. Yet he wanted it not so. If Wilkins was guilty of such widespread abuse then surely there would be some evidence in the youth's study? Where did the soot come from? Where was the cane that Smith and Dobson mentioned? A razor?
Dr de Ville went to Wilkins' study and poked around. After three minutes he had collected a cane from behind the cupboard and a shoebox hidden at the back of the inside of the cupboard under a small pile of magazines. The Headmaster returned to his study with the evidence.
Meanwhile a very perplexed Wilkins was sitting in Matron's parlour, which abutted the small infirmary, engaged in small talk with Matron about the forthcoming School Play; Matron was Wardrobe Mistress and in charge of First Aid.
Eventually, there was a knock on the parlour door. The visitor was invited to enter. Smith stood before Matron apologising for his intrusion and saying he had a message from Dr de Ville. Wilkins was to report to the Dr's study forthwith.
Wilkins and Smith strode toward the Headmaster's study. Wilkins' desperate enquiries about what was going on were met with polite professions of ignorance by Smith.
They reached the study, knocked and entered. The Headmaster thanked Smith and asked him to wait outside in case another errand arose.
To be continued.