‘I was planning to come and get you as soon as we knew what we were dealing with,’ Isabelle said.
‘Well it’s good to know that I’m involved in major decisions as long as I can find you.’
‘Your brother is not in any danger,’ the headmistress said evenly. ‘We didn’t even know who he was when the guards first brought him in. He was treated like any other intruder until he told us his name. Now things are different. Obviously.’
Everyone was being so rational, Allie had no choice but to calm down.
‘Fine,’ she said grudgingly. ‘What has he told you so far?’
She was vaguely aware that Sylvain stood at her shoulder, listening to everything but not joining in.
‘Not much,’ Raj said. ‘We were planning to start the real questioning now.’ Seeing the stubborn look on her face he added, ‘Since you’re here you can help. In fact, you can start by telling us what you know about what he’s doing here.’
‘The last time I saw Chris was the night of the parley. He hit Gabe in the face with a club to get him to let me go. He told me…’ Allie tried to remember the conversation that happened amid deadly chaos. ‘He said he was on our side.’
‘Allie.’ Isabelle’s voice was gentle. ‘You mustn’t put too much faith in that. Nathaniel is very good at brainwashing people. And his people are very good at lying.’
Allie thought of Nine, and his disgruntled tone. ‘I know,’ she said. ‘But I think it doesn’t work on everyone.’
She could see they weren’t convinced.
‘Look, I know this might be a trap, OK?’ she said. ‘All I’m saying is, let’s hear him out. In case it isn’t.’
‘This gives me an idea.’ Sylvain looked at Raj. ‘You should use this in your interview. Let Allie take Christopher’s side. You and Isabelle act just like this – like you don’t believe her.’
Raj’s expression grew thoughtful.
‘That could work,’ he said slowly. ‘If Christopher thinks there’s someone on his side…’
‘He could make a mistake.’ Sylvain finished the thought for him.
‘Or,’ Allie said, ‘if he’s not trying to trick us he won’t.’
She looked around the circle of faces, knowing no one except her believed for one second that Christopher might not be trying to trick them.
Even she wasn’t at all certain.
‘Let’s get started,’ Raj said, turning for the door. Isabelle went with him.
Allie started to follow. She was almost to the door when she realised Sylvain hadn’t moved.
She turned back. ‘Aren’t you coming?’
He shook his head. She saw a hint of the old Sylvain in his expression.
‘This isn’t my fight,’ he said. ‘It’s yours. Go save your brother.’
21
The wine cellar was a long, narrow vaulted room, with grey stone walls and floor. It was cooler in here than it had been in the corridor.
When Jerry Cole had been held here, all furniture had been removed save for a chair, and he’d been shackled and chained. By contrast, Christopher sat at a small table, unbound. Someone had given him a mug of tea, which steamed in front of him, untouched.
He looked tense but not afraid. When Allie walked in, he looked up at her eagerly, relief in his eyes.
Allie joined Isabelle and Raj across the table from him.
‘Christopher, I am Isabelle le Fanult, the headmistress at Cimmeria Academy.’ Isabelle’s tone was distant but not unfriendly. ‘This is Raj Patel, my chief of security. We need to ask you a few questions.’
‘Of course,’ Christopher said politely. ‘I understand.’
‘Tell us first how you got into the grounds.’
‘It’s something Nathaniel showed me a long time ago. There’s an old entrance on the north side. A gatehouse.’ He cleared his throat. ‘It’s, uh… Well. It’s how Nathaniel gets in.’
Raj looked stunned. ‘It’s my understanding that gatehouse has been sealed for decades.’
‘That gatehouse used to be sealed,’ Christopher corrected him. ‘If you look closely, you’ll see the locks have been removed. I used it the last time I came. Tonight I gambled that you hadn’t noticed it yet.’ He held up his hands apologetically. ‘You hadn’t.’
Isabelle turned to Raj, her expression disbelieving. He leaped to his feet and stalked out of the room.
When he returned a few seconds later Allie could tell he was seething, even as he kept his expression blank. His jaw was tight and set.
‘I’m having that information checked. Let’s continue.’ He turned his gaze to Chris. ‘Is that the only access to the grounds you’re aware of?’
Christopher gave a non-committal shrug. ‘It’s the only one Nathaniel ever mentioned to me. He considers it hugely valuable. You’ll see how well he’s disguised it. It’s not your fault you didn’t notice before. He’s very, very good at what he does.’
Raj didn’t seem mollified by his sympathy. If anything it seemed to make him angry.
‘Is that why you joined him?’ he asked. ‘Because he’s so “good”?’ He said the last word with contempt.