Allie and Nicole exchanged a glance. Nothing was impossible any more.
The next day was Sunday and Allie was outside Isabelle’s office at nine o’clock, waiting.
The door was locked; the office appeared to be empty.
Leaning against the wall, Allie crossed her arms and settled in.
She has to come back some time.
Carter and Sylvain were looking for Zelazny and Jerry. Nicole and Rachel were trying to find out what they could from the other teachers. Zoe was snooping around Raj’s senior guards.
Allie was assigned to find out everything she could from Isabelle.
One of them had to uncover something. Whoever the spy was he couldn’t be perfect. He had to make a mistake some time. All they had to do was find it.
As the minutes crept by, though, she began to wish she had a different task.
She hopped from one foot to another. Sank down to the floor and stretched out her legs. She even counted the panels in the elaborately carved oak wall but her heart wasn’t in it.
Next time she’d definitely bring a book.
When lunchtime arrived and Isabelle still hadn’t appeared, Allie at first vowed to skip the meal in order to keep watch. But the alluring smells wafting down from the dining hall soon became too enticing to resist.
A short break won’t matter, she told herself. Wherever Isabelle is, she isn’t here.
When she walked in, Rachel and Nicole were already at the table, eating sandwiches and talking in whispers.
‘Any news?’ Allie asked, pulling up a chair.
They both shook their heads.
‘Big fat zero,’ Rachel said. ‘You?’
‘The same. Isabelle never showed. I was there all morning.’ Gloomily, she surveyed the neat array of sandwiches on the platter in the middle of the table. ‘I wish I knew where the hell she was.’
Still feeling chilled from last night’s icy meeting, she half stood to peer into the tureen in the middle of the table.
‘It’s weird green soup today,’ Rachel warned her. ‘I wouldn’t.’
The two watched doubtfully as Allie ladled soup of a startling hue into a white china bowl with the Cimmeria crest on the side.
‘I just need something hot,’ Allie said. ‘Even if it’s Soylent Green.’
‘Soylent Green is people,’ Zoe announced, sliding into the chair next to her.
‘Oh great,’ Rachel said. ‘Now you’ve ruined the ending for me.’
‘I thought everyone knew.’ Zoe stared hard at Allie’s soup. ‘That looks disgusting. It might actually be people.’
‘It tastes better than it looks,’ Allie said, unbothered. She glanced up at Zoe. ‘Did you have any luck?’
‘With what?’ Zoe asked blankly.
Allie tilted her head significantly. ‘You know… the thing? From last night?’
‘Oh, the spying.’ As they all shushed her, Zoe grabbed a sandwich off a tray. ‘A little.’
She had their full attention now.
‘What did you find out?’ Allie asked.
‘It’s like we thought, they’re holding Eloise.’
‘Where?’ the other three all asked once.
Zoe’s reply came through a mouthful of cheese sandwich. ‘I don’t know – they didn’t say. But the guards are cross. They have their limits. They’re working double shifts. They’ve got families, you know. They didn’t sign up for this. And they don’t want to be involved in anything illegal.’
Her phrasing was odd – her accent changed subtly with each phrase – and it took Allie a second to realise she must be parroting precisely what she’d heard the guards say. Zoe’s natural tendency for precision, it turned out, made her an ideal spy.
‘We’ve got to find out where they’re keeping her,’ Allie said. ‘That must be where Isabelle is, too. How can I talk to her if I can’t find her?’
Frustration made her voice rise and she forced herself to lower it to a whisper again.
‘I’ll find her,’ Zoe said confidently. ‘One of the guards said…’
Her eyes widened and Allie turned to see what she was looking at.
Carter and Sylvain were running across the dining hall. It was odd seeing them together – given how much they’d always hated each other. But now they looked like a team, moving in unison across the busy room.
A scene of confusion seemed to break out in their wake. The noise level rose and some students sitting near the door rose from their seats and rushed out of the room.
‘Come quick.’ Carter was breathless. ‘Something’s happening.’
Exchanging a puzzled look, the girls hurried after them for the door, where the sudden exodus was causing a bottleneck.
As soon as they extricated themselves the boys led them down the hallway to the front door, which stood open despite the cold February wind.
Seeing it, Allie’s heart sank. Whatever was happening, it wasn’t good.
In front of the school building a Bentley gleamed in the driveway. A powerfully built man in an odd uniform – half military, half bellboy – was marching towards it. In one hand he carried a designer suitcase. His other hand gripped the arm of a struggling girl.
‘That’s Caroline Laurelton. What’s he doing to her?’ Rachel frowned in dismay.
‘What is it?’ Zoe squirmed in front of them to try and see.
‘Let me go!’ The girl squirmed in the driver’s grip, her short brown hair flying from the effort, her voice rising to a scream. But he was more than six feet tall and appeared to be made of muscle. She was small and slight. She didn’t stand a chance.
‘I don’t…’ Allie turned to Sylvain, who stood next to her. His jaw was tight, and she could see the anger and disgust in his eyes. ‘What’s happening?’
‘Her parents are taking her out of the school. They’ve sent their driver to take her home.’ As he explained, Sylvain kept his eyes on the girl who, Allie could now see, was weeping. ‘She doesn’t want to go.’
His gaze shifted. Allie turned to see what he was looking at. One of Raj’s guards stood to one side of the door, watching the scene. Meeting Sylvain’s gaze, he shook his head.
They weren’t to interfere.
Back in the drive, the man was shoving the tearful girl into the capacious car.
‘This is wrong,’ Allie said, mostly to herself.
‘I know.’ Sylvain’s voice was bitter.
Straightening his cap, the driver picked up the girl’s suitcase and tossed it on to the front passenger seat. Then, without acknowledging the crowd of students watching, he got into the driver’s seat and drove away.
As the car disappeared into the forest, the students milled, their voices rising in a rumble of confused excitement.
Zoe reappeared at her side, with Rachel right behind her.
‘Why didn’t anyone stop him?’ Zoe asked.
‘Forgive me if I’m wrong but did that look like a kidnapping to anyone else?’ Rachel asked. When no one replied, she looked around in bafflement. ‘I don’t understand what’s happening. Where is my dad?’
Sylvain and Carter exchanged a look that spoke volumes. Carter tilted his head at the door behind them. ‘Let’s go inside.’
The dining room was mostly empty when they returned to their table. Shoving the plates out of the way they huddled, speaking in low voices.
‘Here’s the thing. Caroline Laurelton’s parents are on the board,’ Carter said. ‘Not fans of Lucinda. Rumours are everywhere that they issued a statement to the other board members this morning saying Isabelle and Lucinda are dragging the school down and they wouldn’t be part of it.’ He hesitated for a second before giving the last bit of bad news. ‘They said they were just the first to pull their kids out. They said everyone would go.’
Allie’s stomach dropped.
‘More theatre.’ Nicole sounded bitter. ‘That girl is a pawn in her parents’ game. They don’t care about her feelings. They’re using her to send Nathaniel’s message to Isabelle.??
?
‘We think this is Nathaniel’s next move.’ Sylvain’s face was intense. ‘He’s divided the board. Now they’re dividing the school. It’s started.’
SIXTEEN
‘I
don’t get it.’ Zoe said. ‘If this is happening, the instructors must know. But they’ve all completely disappeared.’
‘What do you mean, disappeared?’ Allie asked.
‘No one’s seen Zelazny, Jerry, Eloise or Isabelle since last night,’ Zoe explained. ‘Everyone’s talking about it. Jerry didn’t show up for a weekend workshop. Zelazny was supposed to do an extra class today but he wasn’t there. They’re just –’ she held up her hands – ‘missing.’
‘Well, where are they? Teachers don’t just evaporate,’ Allie said.
‘They must be with Eloise,’ Sylvain said. Next to him Carter nodded his agreement. ‘They’ll be questioning her with Raj – somewhere away from the school building because they don’t want to be interrupted.’
Zoe perked up. ‘Let’s find them and tell them what’s happening.’
‘The thing that scares me is… what if this is just what Nathaniel wanted?’ Rachel mused. ‘What if he set up Eloise just for this? The more chaos the better, as far as he’s concerned.’
‘He can’t have done,’ Allie said miserably. ‘I’m the one who accused Eloise. He didn’t make me do that.’
‘I think Allie’s right,’ Nicole said. ‘I think it’s the other way around.’
‘That makes sense,’ Sylvain said. ‘He found out Eloise was being blamed, so he’s decided to strike now.’
‘Yes, that is a smart move,’ Nicole said. ‘Hit us while all the teachers are distracted.’
Rachel’s brow furrowed. ‘Wait, how did you find out about what her parents said to the board?’
‘Katie.’ Sylvain spoke with clear distaste. ‘She’s telling everyone.’
The others groaned. Everyone knew Katie Gilmore’s parents were very active members of the Cimmeria Board.
‘But how did Katie find out?’ Allie asked. ‘She’d need a phone.’
Sylvain’s brow creased. ‘That’s a good question. I’ll go and speak to her – she was just outside so she can’t have gone far. I’ll see if she knows more as well.’
When he’d gone, the others were at a loss.
‘We have to do something,’ Zoe said, her sharp tone betraying her impatience. ‘We’ve got to find the teachers and tell them what happened.’
‘How?’ Carter asked. ‘Right now we don’t even know where they are.’
Nicole looked at Zoe. ‘Why don’t we do a quick sweep outside? See what we can find?’
‘I’ll talk to the guards.’ Rachel stood up. ‘They might talk to me because of who my dad is.’
Relieved to have a purpose, they left in a rush. Now Carter and Allie were alone at the table.
‘So… what should we do?’ she asked, twisting her napkin into a knot of white cloth.
‘We need to find out what’s really going on, and how much the teachers know.’
‘How do we do that?’ Allie asked.
His replying grin had a dangerous glint. ‘I’ve got an idea.’
That afternoon, Allie was again outside Isabelle’s office. This time, though, she wasn’t alone. As she leaned back against the wall, crossing her arms in a pose of affected nonchalance, Carter stood across from her, his back against Isabelle’s door, whistling tunelessly.
Every so often his eyes met hers and his eyebrow arched questioningly. Each time she shook her head.
Not yet.
She knew from experience he only needed a minute to do what he was about to do. But if he was spotted it would be disastrous; she had to be certain it was safe.
Finally, the hallway went quiet. Twisting her neck, Allie checked the stairs and the corridor behind them. Empty. She turned back to where Carter waited, poised.
‘Now,’ she said.
Moving with swift confidence he bent over the lock to Isabelle’s office door and inserted a shiny metal pin.
As he worked, Allie stood beside him, blocking him from view as she watched the empty corridor for any sign of activity.
‘Still clear?’ he murmured without looking up. Glancing down, she had to admire the way – even under pressure – his steady hands worked the pin in the lock.
‘Uh-huh.’
The hallway was so quiet, the click the lock made when it gave seemed to echo.
‘They really should replace this lock,’ Carter said softly, as the door swung open. ‘It’s too easy.’
Slipping inside, they closed the door behind them.
The windowless room was very dark. The noises of the building were muted here; the quiet was unnerving. Allie could barely make out Carter’s shape but she could hear the sound of his even breathing.
She moved swiftly, dropping her blazer from her shoulders, stuffing it into the crack underneath the door.
Feeling his way around the furniture, Carter flipped on the brass desk light and the room leapt into life.
In the yellow glow, he met her gaze and pointed at the desk. ‘Let’s start here.’
As usual the imposing, mahogany desk was covered in stacks of paper and they looked through them hurriedly for anything about Eloise or Nathaniel. Anything that could give them some idea what was happening right now.
With no idea when the headmistress might return – or even where she was – they had to be quick. Getting caught would be the end of everything for both of them.
For ten minutes they searched in silence. Most of the papers were English essays the headmistress had been reviewing or normal school paperwork, bills and accounts. Nothing useful at all.
As Allie opened a file that proved to contain only utility bills, Carter stopped her. ‘Here.’
Looking up she saw he was reading something hand-written on a sheet of white paper.
‘What is it?’ He lowered the paper so she could see.
‘It’s the allegations against Eloise.’
The page held a numbered list of charges in square, precise handwriting, mostly related to the fact that she said she was alone on many of the dates and times Nathaniel’s spy was suspected to be active.
‘Look at that,’ Allie whispered, pointing at the page. ‘It ignores the fact that she couldn’t have got in the chapel to light those candles before we got there.’
‘It’s Zelazny’s handwriting.’ Carter’s tone was flat.
She looked up at him doubtfully. ‘Do you think…?’
He shrugged, his lips in a tight line. ‘If he’s accusing her… I have to wonder if he’s got something to gain by doing it. The real spy knows it’s not her.’
His words gave Allie that same sensation she’d had earlier of having ice at her core, and she shivered. ‘It’s just… hard to believe. Zelazny seems so loyal.’
In the glow of the desk lamp, Carter’s eyes were fathomless. ‘I don’t trust anyone any more.’
Unsure of how to reply to that, Allie turned back to the papers on the desktop.
The history teacher was grumpy, yes, and a stickler for the rules. But he’d always seemed like the most rock-solid of all the teachers. The one who never shifted. Utterly loyal to the school.
How could he possibly…
Her mind in a whirl, she was half looking at papers relating to the school’s accounts when something about the numbers struck her. Picking up a page she held it closer to the light.
‘Carter,’ she whispered, ‘this is weird.’
‘What is it?’
‘It’s just… Are we broke?’
‘Broke?’ He frowned, reaching for the paper. ‘What do you mean?’
‘Look here…’ She pointed at the bottom line. ‘It says the school has negative three hundred and seventy-four thousand pounds in its accounts. That’s a lot of minuses.’
He scanned the paper quickly and shook his head. ‘I don’t understand,’ he said. ‘That’s not possible.’
B
ut Allie was looking at another paper now. ‘Wait. Look at this one.’
She read aloud: ‘… as nearly half the parents have failed to pay their fees this term, I’m depositing the necessary funds into Cimmeria’s account to make up the difference. However, this indicates that Nathaniel is preparing to make a move during this term. Thus we must increase our efforts to stop him and his group before this can occur. Otherwise, the school could be destroyed. And the organisation lost to us.’