Night School: Legacy

‘He was just … watching us.’ Closing her eyes, she visualised his face, his eyes fierce with concentration. ‘Me and Carter and Jo.’ Her eyes flew open. ‘Isabelle, how could this happen? How could he get through security to get so close?’


The headmistress pinched the bridge of her nose between her thumb and finger as if she were fighting off a headache. ‘Somebody on the inside is working with Nathaniel. Somebody with … access.’

Allie’s mind flashed back to what Mr Patel had said in Night School. He believed some students had supported Gabe, maybe even stayed in touch with him after Ruth’s murder. But he hadn’t suggested anyone else might be involved. Or that they were still helping Nathaniel.

The investigation we’re doing in Night School, she realised with sudden horrible clarity. It’s real.

Her throat went dry. ‘A teacher?’

Isabelle met her gaze. ‘Perhaps. Or an advanced Night School student. Someone close to me. Someone I trust.’ She let Allie process this information for a moment before continuing. ‘I think Nathaniel is using Gabe to scare you and Jo. He knows it will upset you to see him, more than anyone else he could send. It would all make a kind of horrible sense. Tell me, how did Gabe look?’

Allie looked at her blankly. ‘I don’t …’

‘I mean, what was his expression? Did he look different than you remember? What was he wearing? Could you see his hands? Was he holding anything?’ She paused before adding, ‘Anything you can remember could help.’

Closing her eyes again, Allie described what she recalled.

‘I couldn’t see his hands. His hair was shorter and neater than it used to be. He looked … older. He wore a suit.’ As she realised what she’d said, her eyes flew open.

‘He wore a suit and tie,’ she repeated, ‘like the man in the woods. And the guys at my house.’


When Allie left Isabelle in the dining hall, she didn’t know where to go. She had a huge stack of homework but it all seemed so meaningless all of a sudden. Her first instinct was to look for Carter, but he was still angry with her and she didn’t want to fight. She knew Jo would be freaked out, and Rachel would want to know everything that had happened. But she didn’t know how much she was allowed to say to either of them. And the truth wouldn’t make Jo feel any better.

For a while, she just walked, with no particular destination in mind. The common room was packed with students chatting and playing games, but she didn’t feel like playing.

The next obvious place to go was the library. She stood for a long moment with her hand on the door. The others were probably in there. And they’d want to quiz her about everything that had happened.

She could tell Carter and Lucas everything – they were in Night School. But the others …

Whirling, she ran down the hallway, and then dashed up the grand staircase. It was crowded with clusters of chatting, slow-moving students, and she darted between them. She was halfway up when she saw Sylvain coming down the other way. The surge of relief she felt upon seeing him took her by surprise. Sylvain knew everything – she didn’t have to keep secrets from him. And he believed her.

When he saw her hurrying to reach him, he quickened his step and they met in the middle of the staircase.

Her words tumbled over each other in a rush. ‘I heard you … talking to Isabelle I mean. Gabe was there. He really was. Thank you. For believing me, I mean. I don’t know if anyone else did.’

She was sure she sounded mental, but he didn’t look as if he thought so. He looked serious and concerned.

‘I merely told her the truth.’ Like jewels, his cobalt eyes refracted the light from a nearby window. ‘It seemed obvious to me that …’ A younger student passed them on the stairs; Sylvain lowered his voice. ‘Look, where are you headed? Perhaps we should get off this staircase.’

Together they climbed to the sweeping first-floor landing. Once there, he stepped out of the stream of traffic into the relative privacy of a window nook. After a split second of hesitation, she followed him. But when they were alone, neither of them seemed to know what to say.

‘So, are you OK?’ he asked after a moment.

For some reason the question made her grumpy. Why wouldn’t she be OK? All she did was see Gabe through a window. It wasn’t like she was in real danger.

‘Of course I’m OK,’ she said. ‘But I’m scared and I’m pissed off. I don’t like being spied on and I don’t like being called a liar.’

His lips quirked upward. ‘Sorry. I assumed you were fine but I didn’t actually know what else to say. The circumstances are bizarre.’

‘Yeah, well,’ she said, mollified, ‘at least you didn’t call me crazy, and I appreciate that.’

‘You are many things, Allie, but crazy isn’t one of them.’ His smile was contagious and she found herself smiling back at him, despite everything that had just happened. But the seriousness of the moment returned and her smile faded.