But maybe I could solve the murder. Being on campus, I have access to people and places the police don’t, at least not without a warrant, and parental permission, and the headmistress’ cooperation. But me? I can go anywhere. Talk to anyone. And with Mikhail at my side, I’m basically one hundred percent safe. Well, maybe ninety percent safe. But still.

  My resolve hardens as my final period before lunch is winding down. I’ll figure out who killed Na, and clear my name. That way my father can continue with his precious campaign without my black mark staining his record. Maybe if I do this we can actually attempt to have a relationship that doesn’t consist solely of his lecturing. Maybe.

  The bell rings, marking the end of class.

  Everyone is out the door before the buzzing has even stopped reverberating in my ears. I pack more slowly, considering my next move.

  Mikhail waits patiently.

  There’s one person who might know what Na was doing out in Wood View, but I’m loathe to ask her, knowing that it’ll set her tongue wagging even more than it already does. Still, I have to know.

  I thread through the crowded halls toward the eatery, taking a seat at our usual table and wait.

  Mikhail takes a granola bar out of the pocket of his suit jacket and opens it, eating it in only a couple of bites.

  Charlotte eyes him as she approaches, tray in hand. “Is that all you brought to eat? Get something else,” she directs, waving toward the food stations. “I insist. Have the cashier put it on my account.”

  He thanks her in Russian before lifting his broad frame out of the wooden chair and crossing toward where the food service counters are situated.

  My eyes return to the table next to ours.

  It’s a few minutes before Gul shows her face. Like usual, she alights at her table and begins holding court, listening to the updates held up like offerings by her friends. A satisfied smile plays on her lips. She’s got them eating out of her hand. Bought and paid for in the currency of prestige and secrets.

  Secrets I need to uncover.

  Steeling myself, I walk over and tap her on the shoulder. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”

  Everyone at her table hushes, looking curiously at me. My eyes wash over them, and I realize that it could be a mini United Nations summit with the various countries represented here.

  Gul’s shimmering dark eyes meet mine, and she gives a slow smile. “Sure, new girl. What do you want to talk about?”

  Shooting a glance back toward my table, where my stepsiblings and friends are staring at me in disbelief, I whisper. “Not here. Is there somewhere else we can go?”

  Gul’s lips purse, and then she nods. “I’ll be right back,” she says over her shoulder for the benefit of her friends.

  She’ll be right back, all right, and she may have some juicy gossip to share with them if I don’t play this right.

  Gul leads me down the hallway and into Professor Rook’s office. The man is nowhere to be seen, although there’s a steaming thermos of coffee sitting on his desk, and a hint of Old Spice lingers in the air. We don’t have long; he’ll be back any minute.

  Leaning against the desk, Gul folds her arms and tilts her head, waiting for me to start.

  Okay, here goes nothing. “I was just wondering. It seems to me like you know pretty much everything that goes on at this school, so I have a question for you.”

  Her smile widens. I’ve touched on a point of pride for this girl. “Go on.”

  “Here’s the thing. I met Li Na at a party this summer, out in Wood View, and I was wondering if you’d know why she was out there? Was she visiting friends or something?”

  Gul’s eyes narrow. “Where exactly is Wood View?”

  “About an hour west of here. It’s a small town. I grew up there.”

  “Interesting. And you say you met Na at a party out there? When?”

  “In early July, but I didn’t know who she was then.”

  Gul leans back on the desk, her hands fitting along its edge. “I don’t know why she’d be out there. I’ve never heard of it. She doesn’t have family or friends out there, if that’s what you’re asking. Have you asked Callahan? Maybe they went out there on a date or something. Although, frankly, that doesn’t sound like her. Na’s tastes were, shall we say, more refined?”

  My mouth forms a thin line. “Thanks.” I start to walk away.

  “Hold on. I have questions for you, too.”

  “What could I possibly know that you don’t?”

  A tremor goes through me at the wicked smile that curves Gul’s lips. “I want to know if Callahan knew his precious girlfriend was cheating on him with Professor Rook.”

  “What about me?” The professor walks into the classroom holding a flaky croissant in one hand and a bite in his cheek. He’s still rocking the disheveled look, his hair untidy and his shirt creased. “Good morning, Gul. Adrienne.”

  The familiar way he says my name turns my stomach. “Good morning, Professor.” I skitter toward the door.

  Gul makes to follow me, but the professor holds out a hand to stop her. “Wait a moment, Gul. I wanted to talk to you about your paper.”

  Her face twists in disappointment, like a cat who was just thwarted right when she was about to catch a mouse, but she stops and turns back to the professor.

  I escape back to the eatery.

  Genevieve isn’t at our table, but the rest are still there, eating their breakfast and finishing up homework on their tablets or laptops.

  “Why did you want to talk to Gul?” Dali asks me as I sit down.

  I shoot a glance toward Callahan and Asif, who are both focused on their devices, and Charlotte, who is vigorously filing her nails. None of them appear to be listening to us. Still, I don’t want to chance being overheard. “Come to the bathroom with me.”

  Dali nods, and we gather our stuff.

  Mikhail stands, ready to follow me. I hope he doesn’t mind.

  A guy who is clearly late for breakfast streaks down the hall past us as we head for the bathroom, bumping into my shoulder like he didn’t even see me.

  A grunt is all the apology he offers, without slowing down.

  Dali rolls her eyes. “The people at this school.” She trails off, shaking her head.

  Mikhail takes up position outside as Dali and I duck into the bathroom.

  We stand in front of the bank of marble sinks, facing each other. The scent of lemon bathroom cleaner lingers in the air, making my nose sting.

  “You can’t tell anyone what I’m about to tell you, okay?”

  She nods eagerly, her eyes shining. Apparently Gul isn’t the only one who likes to be in the know. Dali lied to me, so I’m not positive I can trust her, but my need for a confidante trumps my doubt.

  “Okay, so you know I was questioned by the police again yesterday?” I fill her in on everything they asked me, the photo, and my conversations with Callahan and Gul.

  “That’s weird. She and I weren’t friends, or anything, but I doubt she’d go all the way out to Wood View for a party. There are plenty of clubs around here where she could have gone, and that were probably more her style anyway.”

  Not friends. That’s an understatement.

  I suck my lower lip between my teeth. “Can I ask you something else? Was it true that Na was sleeping with Professor Rook?”

  Dali’s eyes scan around the bathroom, and she leans closer to me. “Honestly? I’m not sure, but she did spend an awful lot of time in his room, and it was obvious that he favored her. I saw them talking in the hallway a few times, and they seemed really friendly.”

  “I saw them talking the morning she was killed,” I blurt out.

  “Really? When?”

  “Right before first period. After the coffee incident.”

  “No way…” She steeples her fingers, tapping them together in a steady rhythm.

  “If they were sleeping together, how come the school didn’t find out? Wouldn’t he be fired?”

  “No one knew for sure, and no one told Headmistress Morgan about it. It was just a rumor, so why would they? But he would definitely be fired, yes.”

  “Do you think, is it possible that maybe they got in a fight, and she threatened to tell on him, so he killed her?”

  Dali mulls it over. “It’s possible.”

  I take a step closer to her. “Can I ask you something else?”

  Her eyes are serious on mine.

  “Have you heard anything about him hooking up with someone new since Na, you know, died?”

  Dali gives a slight shake of her head. “No.”

  I hesitate, wondering if I should tell her the next part, but it feels so good to speak freely that I keep going, even though it’s also sort of like a betrayal. “You can’t tell anyone, but I saw Charlotte going into Professor Rook’s classroom the other day, and when I tried to follow her, the door was locked. I couldn’t hear anything, but—”

  The door to the far stall whines as it opens, and Genevieve’s pert heels ring over the tile as she emerges, lips pursed as she slings her bag over her shoulder. “You know, being here at the academy is difficult enough without us girls attacking each other. Charlotte has been nothing but welcoming to you, and I know it would pain her to find out you were speaking poorly about her in a public bathroom.” The zing of her accent only emphasizes the sting of her words.

  Guilt slithers its thick fingers around my throat. “I, I…”

  “You should know how devastating rumors can be, Adrienne. I’m surprised you’d repeat one, even to Dali. Especially one about your stepsister.”

  “But Genevieve. I saw her go into Professor Rook’s classroom. And the door was locked. What was she doing in there?”

  “She would have told you if she wanted you to know. Please, leave it alone.” Washing her hands with delicate movements, she readjusts her bag and breezes away. “But if you think Charlotte is the type of girl who would cheat on her petit copain, you don’t know her at all.”

  “Wow, that was...” Dali breathes, her eyes locked on the still vibrating bathroom door.

  “Yeah, it was.” My heart is pounding. Genevieve was coolly angry, and rightfully so, but something else is making my mind spin with possibilities. She didn’t even try to dispute the fact that Charlotte was in Professor Rook’s office, behind a locked door. No, instead, she’d asked me to leave it alone.

  22

  Over the next week, all of my professors give out mounds of homework in preparation for our midterm exams, which basically means I’m drowning in reading and research papers and I don’t have the brain space to think about Na or Professor Rook, or anything like that.

  I’ve been so busy I haven’t had time to hang out with Charlotte at all, which is just as well because whenever I’m with her I feel like I’m walking on thin ice that could crack and drag me under at any minute. I don’t think Genevieve told her anything about our encounter in the bathroom. If she had, I would have gotten an earful from Charlotte, complete with piercing eyes and hair flung vehemently off her shoulders.

  Guessing from the giggling and hushed whispers coming through the wall between Charlotte’s room and mine, she’s got a bunch of friends over to watch a creepy movie for Halloween. How she manages to get all of her homework done and still have time to hang out is beyond me. And her grades are stellar. I have no clue how she does it. There must be a magic pill or something that she hasn’t told me about.

  My eyes blur as I try to focus on my pre-calculus homework, but the numbers start swimming over the page. Frustrated, I abandon my tablet and push off the floor. Snagging my laptop off my desk, I climb onto my bed and consider watching a horror movie to scare my own wits out in honor of the holiday, but opt for an episode of my favorite baking competition show. My life is scary enough at the moment without the added images of the demons or serial killers that frequent scary flicks.

  The wisecracking show hosts start the episode with some excellent food puns, and I immediately relax. This is just what I—

  A loud knock pulls my eyes toward the door.

  Without an invitation, Ricardo swings it open and leans against the doorframe. At least, I think it’s Ricardo under the grotesque skull mask he’s wearing. “Come on, I have a surprise for you.”

  “Not with that freaky mask on, I’m not.”

  He pulls the mask off over his head, leaving his curls matted from being inside the rubbery shroud.

  “I wish I could. I have so much homework to do, it’s not even funny.”

  Ricardo strides over, sliding the computer off my lap and holding it up so he can see the screen. Laughing, he slips it shut and sets it on the desk. “You don’t look too busy to me. Besides, everyone needs a break now and then. Come on. I promise it’ll be fun.”

  I take one look at his cheeky smile, and can’t stop one of my own. “Okay. What kind of surprise is it?”

  “Uh uh. I’m not telling. You’ll have to wait and see.” He hooks his arm through mine and leads me out of my room and down the stairs toward the foyer.

  “Where are we going? The kitchen?”

  “You’ll see.” He doesn’t stop at the kitchen. Instead, we pass the eatery and approach the back entrance. The halls are quieter down here, since the eatery is closed. All of the activity this late at night takes place up in the dormitory rooms, or in the kitchen and lounge on the guys’ floor. The other night some of the ambassadors’ kids were having a laugh trying to pronounce weird English words like “rural” and “discombobulate” and “Worcestershire.” What I could hear from my room was hilarious.

  “Are we going off the school grounds?”

  “Patience, chouchou.”

  I laugh at the amusement in his voice and fall silent, waiting for his surprise to unfold as we approach the door to the back courtyard.

  Ricardo swings the door open and leads me out into the yard, where there’s a red and white blanket set up on the grass, lined with pumpkin-shaped lanterns with tea lights flickering through their gaping, toothy grins. Beside the blanket is an ice bucket with cans of pop chilling. In the center, there’s a covered basket emitting a heavenly smell.

  “Is this a picnic? For me?”

  “Happy Halloween, Adrienne.” His voice is teasing. “It’s the best I could do without my cooking tutor.”

  “It’s great, thank you.” A gentle smile plays on my lips as I sit on the blanket. It’s more than great. This is one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for me.

  The air in the courtyard is brittle as it wafts through the almost barren trees. I shiver, wishing I’d brought my jacket.

  “You cold? I can get something.”

  “No, it’s okay.” I give a quick tug on his pant leg, and Ricardo settles down beside me on the blanket.

  “I thought you might like to try these, since you like to experiment with food, so I made some for you. They’re not burned, I swear.” He plucks the basket from the blanket and holds it out for me to inspect.

  Laughing, I take the cloth napkin off the top and peer inside. The contents look like slices of caramelized banana, but they don’t smell like bananas. “Are these fried plantains?”

  “Just like my mama used to make, only not quite as good.”

  “Don’t sell yourself short. They look delicious.”

  Ricardo smiles, pleased, and sets the basket in my lap before helping himself to a couple of the golden brown disks. “Mmm,” he groans as he chews. “Oh, mama, I missed these.”

  “They are good,” I say after I’ve tried one of my own. Popping another one into my mouth, I lean back on my hands and let my head drop so I can take in the sky. Clouds cover the blue, blocking the view of the stars. I needed this break from the hectic pace I’ve been keeping. Between classes, homework, and trying not to step on any social landmines, I’m wiped out. But the stars’ winking greetings aren’t visible tonight. Instead, a hazy canopy the color of pumpkin pie spans the sky, enveloping our world in the colors of fall. “Is this what you do for all the girls? Make them a picnic with fried plantains and their favorite pop?”

  “You’re forgetting the candy corn.” He pulls a bag of the waxy candies out of the basket and offers them to me.

  I wrinkle my nose. “No thanks. That stuff is gross.”

  “Suit yourself.” He rips the bag open and eats a handful of the brightly colored kernels.

  I give him a pointed look. “You didn’t answer my question.”

  He chuckles. “What girls? You’re the only one here.”

  I shake my head in exasperation. “You know, Genevieve, whoever was before her…”

  His expression softens. “I didn’t bring Genevieve out here, no. And before her, there was no one. I’m not sure what Charlotte has told you, but I’m not some perennial playboy, even if these dashing good looks suggest otherwise.”

  I’m not sure how much of that to take seriously, so I fall quiet and munch on a few more bites of plantain.

  “I was hoping we could see some stars, but,” he shrugs, taking another bite.

  “If you really want to see some stars, you should come out to Wood View sometime. There’s not nearly as much light pollution out there, and the stars are fantastic. Sometimes I can even see the Milky Way.”

  “Yeah? You asking me to meet your mom, Adrienne?” His eyebrow cocks, making my face heat.

  “She’s in Antarctica, so no.”

  His other eyebrow shoots up. “Antarctica?”

  “She’s a biologist who specializes in penguins. She’s on a research trip down there right now, for the first time, and I’m sure she’s loving it, even though I haven’t heard from her in a while.” I emailed her the night I was questioned by the police, but haven’t heard back yet. She’d warned me before she left that Internet service was poor and she may not be able to contact me consistently, but I hadn’t realized how infrequent it would be. An ache stirs inside me. I miss her.

  “I haven’t heard from my mom in a while, either.”

  Ricardo’s admission catches me off guard. It’s more serious than the easy back and forth we’ve been doing since we met.

 

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