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of people Mrs Holland was referring to. From her tone of voice, he’d been picturing a dogging site, where people had sex in public while others watched. The growing number of such sites was a regular cause of complaints from residents in secluded parts of Derbyshire. But they didn’t attract people like the Chadwicks, surely?
    ‘Yes, we were out for a couple of hours,’ said Chadwick.
    ‘In the dark? Why?’
    ‘Well, it has to be at night-time. It needs to be dark, to watch properly. You can’t see anything in daylight, of course.’
    ‘Ah,’ said Cooper, still hoping that he was wrong.
    Chadwick nodded. ‘Yes, we were watching the Perseid meteor shower.’
    ‘Of course you were.’
    ‘It was one of the best nights for viewing. A nice clear sky – but not much moon. We saw lots of shooting stars. A wonderful experience to watch them from a place like that.’
    ‘While you were up there, you didn’t notice anything at all?’ asked Cooper.
    ‘Well, we gathered there was some trouble. Lots of sirens and flashing lights disturbing the peace during the night. We don’t get that here very often. I see it in Sheffield, yes. But not in Riddings.’
    ‘Oh, you work in Sheffield, sir?’
    Chadwick shuffled his feet and blinked nervously. A trickle of sweat ran across his temple. ‘Yes. Er … in a way.’
    Immediately Cooper began to study him more keenly. It was unusual to see someone thrown into confusion by such a simple question. You either worked in Sheffield or you didn’t. Unless your job involved travelling around the country, and you were only in Sheffield sometimes. But in that case, why not just say so? What was the cause of the embarrassment?
    ‘I’m a head teacher,’ said Chadwick. ‘ Was a head teacher.’
    ‘So you’re retired?’
    ‘I’m on gardening leave.’
    Cooper glanced instinctively at the manicured lawn and neat flower beds around them, before he recognised the euphemism.
    ‘What happened?’
    Chadwick shrugged. ‘I lost it. Simply as that, really. It all just became too much one day. Oh, it had been building up for a while. Quite a few years, actually, when I look back. There was a time in my career when I used to get up in the morning and think Great, I’m going to work today . It was exciting. I relished the challenge. I thought only about what I could achieve each day. But gradually it all changed. I began to wake up in the early hours and feel sick. Sick to my stomach at the thought of having to face school. And it wasn’t just the kids, either. God knows, they were bad enough. But there were all the whingeing staff, the stupid parents, the endless, endless hassle, everyone expecting me to do something to solve their problem, to make their life easier, to produce some magic solution out of a hat to make their child more intelligent, better behaved, more talented at music or football, or less of a bully. It was always my fault when things didn’t happen the way they wanted. And … oh God, I don’t really want to think about it. It makes my guts churn even now.’
    ‘So you were suspended.’
    ‘Not exactly. It was … a mutual arrangement. A spell away from the job, while things are sorted out. Or that’s what they said. Maybe it’s just to allow the governors time to find a new head to replace me. My deputy will be happy enough with that, I dare say. Or they could be hoping I’ll give up the fight and resign. It would save them money.’
    ‘I see.’
    Chadwick screwed up his eyes and gazed into the distance, staring at something that Cooper couldn’t see.
    ‘Or maybe …’
    ‘What?’
    ‘Well, I wonder sometimes. Perhaps everyone is just waiting for me to do the decent thing, and top myself.’
    Too surprised to know how to respond, Cooper watched Chadwick turn away and walk slowly into the house, as if seeking the shade. He moved like a wounded animal, creeping away to find somewhere quiet and dark.
    Cooper looked at Mrs Chadwick. She smiled sadly.
    ‘I’m