Rachel shrugged. ‘It could be one of us. We don’t follow each other constantly.’
Alone among them, Nicole did not seem surprised by this. ‘Yes. So, just in case, I researched each of us. Each time something happened, I could account for where we all were. When the knife was found in the chapel, not one of us could have done it. You’ – she pointed at Rachel – ‘were in the library.’ Rachel nodded. ‘Allie, Zoe and I were together. Carter and Sylvain were also there, along with Jules and Lucas and every single Night School student,’ she said. ‘And I have worked this out for the other incidents as well. At no time could the same senior student have done these three things. It is not one of us.’
‘It’s one of the teachers.’ Carter’s voice sounded hollow.
Even though she had worked this out with Nicole that morning, hearing it said made Allie’s heart turn to ice in her chest. And she could see by the looks on the faces around her she wasn’t alone. Sylvain had his head in his hands. Rachel looked drawn. Even Zoe appeared troubled, her bottom lip caught between her teeth, her brow creased.
‘Yes,’ Nicole said quietly. ‘It has to be one of the Night School instructors. Someone very close to Isabelle. They have the freedom, the access and their time is more difficult to track.’
‘Then why couldn’t it be Eloise?’ Zoe asked, frowning.
Allie thought of that sheet of paper on the bed this morning. Eloise’s name with a line drawn through it. The strange mixture of disappointment and relief she’d felt.
‘Eloise was with us right before the knife was found,’ she explained. ‘Whoever placed it in the chapel did it between the time when the other Night School students passed and when we came by later – otherwise someone would have seen it. Eloise didn’t have time to get there and arrange it all before we arrived. So if no one intruded on to the campus last night – and Raj says they didn’t – it couldn’t be her.’
As they absorbed this, Nicole swung her torch in a little circle. ‘Blaming her for it is… how do you say? Theatre.’
The temperature seemed to drop further in the cold crypt.
‘If that’s true then one of the teachers accusing her is actually the one working for Nathaniel,’ Sylvain said.
‘It would make sense,’ Rachel said. ‘They’ll stop looking if they all believe the spy is Eloise.’
Allie nodded. ‘And while they’re not looking, the real spy could be doing…’
Nicole finished the thought for her. ‘Anything.’
Zoe, her face scrunched up with thought, was trying to work it all out. ‘If we’re right about Eloise then that means the spy is either Zelazny, Isabelle, Jerry or Raj —’
‘It’s not my dad.’
Rachel’s voice was sharp, and the others swung around to look at her.
‘Rachel’s right,’ Allie said. ‘No way is it Raj. He loves this place and Isabelle too much. And it can’t be Isabelle for obvious reasons.’
‘Could it be one of Raj’s senior guards?’ Sylvain asked. ‘A few of them have full access.’
But Nicole had thought of this, too. ‘Three guards are allowed access,’ she said. ‘Only two of them were working here the night Ruth was killed.’
The cellar fell silent. The list of possible spies was very short now.
‘That leaves Zelazny, Jerry or one of Raj’s senior guards.’ Carter ticked the names off on his fingers with solemn deliberation. ‘And Raj picks his guards very carefully.’
Sylvain looked like he’d been punched. ‘I just don’t believe it,’ he said. ‘It must be one of the guards. It’s impossible Jerry or Zelazny would do this. Impossible.’
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.