When the Shadows Fall by Elise Noble

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER 18 - ALARIC

MEET THE MILBURNS…

Alaric straightened his tie in the hallway mirror at Riverley, adjusted his glasses, then took one last look around.

“Camera feed still okay?” he asked in the British accent he’d be using today.

“Perfect,” Mack said into his ear. “The truck won’t be far away.”

Alaric, Beth, and Sky all wore cameras and microphones. Everything they saw and heard at Shadow Falls Academy would transmit to a Blackwood unit parked on the road outside, which would then boost the signal back to Riverley. Since there wasn’t much cover around, two men dressed as forestry guys would hang around in the trees looking busy while a technician hid in the back of the van.

As Black had predicted, the school was happy to grant an interview when presented with appropriate credentials. Alaric was a senior manager for HC Systems, a UK-based cybersecurity company with a branch in Richmond, and he’d been transferred at the last minute to head a new project. Mack’s husband owned the company, and he’d back up the claim if necessary.

His “daughter’s” story had been trickier. But thanks to some smooth negotiation from Judd, seventeen-year-old Sky Milburn had a glowing transcript from Abbington Grammar School in Berkshire, England. Abbington Grammar was currently in the process of planning their new library, which would now come with a full audio-visual system and a staff lounge funded by the Blackwood Foundation. The headmaster had struck a hard bargain.

“I look stupid,” Sky complained.

“You don’t look stupid,” Beth said. “Just different.”

“Do people really wear this stuff every day? Teenagers?”

“In my old world, they do.”

Bradley had dressed Sky in a pale-pink pleated skirt, a cream blouse with a bow at the neck, and kitten heels. The brooch in the middle of the bow held a GPS tracker, her glasses came with a miniature camera in the bridge, and her slim gold watch had a built-in microphone. Beth had gone for a knee-length summer dress with plenty of frills. The outfit shouldn’t have turned Alaric on, but it most definitely did. Something about the way the primness hid the filthy side he knew lurked underneath made his blood run hot. He looked forward to stripping her out of that frock later.

“We need to go,” he said to the girls. “If Ezra Rosenberg’s anything like the principals at my old schools, he won’t tolerate lateness.”

The drive from Richmond to Shadow Falls took an hour and a half in their borrowed Mercedes, and Sky barely spoke the whole way. A fish out of water. Alaric hadn’t quite worked her out yet. In London, she’d been streetwise and confident, but now? She seemed somehow more fragile. Hard on the outside, soft on the inside, and now a few cracks were showing. Would she make the final grade? Only time would tell.

Today would be the first time Alaric saw Shadow Falls Academy in person. He’d snooped around the small town with Beth the day before yesterday—nothing much to write home about there—and of course he’d studied satellite maps. The campus was spread over four hundred acres, much of it woodland, which had at first given them hope for surveillance. But then they realised one of the groundsmen kept dogs. Noisy ones, and he liked to bring them to work with him. Emmy and Ana had gone for a scout around and been forced to climb a tree. They’d been stuck up there for three hours, hiding high among the foliage while the groundsman complained about “those darn squirrels.”

The main school building rivalled Riverley Hall in both size and ugliness. According to the town’s website, it had been built in the late nineteenth century by an eccentric English nobleman convinced the end of the world was nigh and that northern Virginia was the best place to ride out the apocalypse. He’d died from a bear attack in 1893.

There were also a number of other buildings—some large, which appeared from the school’s website to be accommodation, and others smaller, possibly storage—plus the usual facilities one found with a private school. Tennis courts, two sports pitches, a swimming pool, a running track, that sort of thing. If all went according to plan, their trip today would include a tour of the campus.

Nearly there.

Even with the sun high in the sky, the driveway was dark, shadowed by the spreading boughs of oaks either side. And steep. The car dropped down a gear as Alaric steered around the bends.

“This place had the same architect as Riverley,” Sky muttered as the main building came into view.

Not true, but they’d certainly shared a love of gargoyles.

Alaric parked near the front entrance, and as they approached, the right-hand door swung open to reveal a girl in school uniform. A white blouse, a navy-blue blazer, and a tartan kilt.

“Yeuch,” Sky muttered.

The uniform was worn to instill discipline and to promote a sense of equality, so said the school’s website. Not necessarily a bad thing. The number of people who didn’t know how to tie a tie nowadays was disappointing.

“Mr. Milburn?” the girl asked.

“That’s right.”

“I’m Marigold. I’m to show you to Mr. Rosenberg’s office.”

Marigold set off at a fast clip, but when Alaric lagged behind, she had no choice but to slow down. He wanted to get a feel for the place and let the team back at Riverley take a good look too. Gloomy wood-panelled hallways were brightened up by paintings, presumably done by pupils past and present. Classrooms held rows of old-fashioned wooden desks with starkly modern interactive whiteboards at the front. Small groups of silent teenagers watched them as they walked past. It reminded Alaric of the boarding school he’d attended in Surrey, England, when his father spent two years working at the US Embassy in London. Woodbury College had been his mother’s alma mater. Which was possibly why his parents had been so upset when he got threatened with expulsion for corrupting the math teacher’s daughter. But money talked, the math teacher had moved on, and Alaric learned a valuable lesson: if you’re going to break the rules, don’t get caught.

Rosenberg stood from behind his desk and offered a hand when they walked in. Marigold melted away along the hallway.

“Ezra Rosenberg. It’s good to meet you.”

“Alan Milburn. My wife, Bethan, and Sky, my daughter.”

“Please, take a seat.”

Three high-backed wooden chairs were lined up opposite, and Alaric nudged Sky into the middle one. This chat was to focus on her. Emmy’s interrogation team had been drilling her with questions all week, and despite her discomfort, she hadn’t cracked. Today should be a walk in the park.

“This is an unusually late application, Mr. Milburn,” Rosenberg said. “Our fall term started today. We like to begin early so students can have a longer Christmas break with their families.”

“I understand it’s far from ideal, but I got a job offer that was too good to pass up.”

“You didn’t consider a British boarding school?”

“Considered it, but we’re hoping to stay in the US for a number of years, so we want to get Sky settled here as soon as possible. It’s never too early to start making connections.”

“Indeed, indeed. Where do you see yourself in five years’ time, Sky?”

“I’ll have completed my biology degree and be getting ready to attend Harvard Medical School.”

“You want to be a doctor?”

“My mum died when I was young. I want to help others like her.”

“Bethan’s my second wife,” Alaric explained.

“Yes, yes, I see. A noble goal, Sky.” As they’d hoped, he moved on to a different subject. “What made you apply to our school?”

“I heard it was the best. You’ve turned out pioneers in their fields and even a Nobel Prize winner. Plus I’d be near to my parents but not too near.”

Everyone laughed at that, and Alaric knew they had Ezra on-side. Sky was an obstreperous little bitch sometimes, but she could also be charming when she wanted to be. As could the Milburn family’s money. After another fifteen minutes of small talk and softball questions, Rosenberg leaned forward with his chin on his hands.

“It seems to me that Sky will fit in perfectly here at Shadow Falls Academy. I suspected from her transcript and the glowing letter of recommendation from Mr. Bell at Abbington that she would, and since the fall term is already in progress, I took the liberty of preparing our entrance exam so you wouldn’t have to make another trip. She can sit it right now.”

Sky didn’t have to speak for Alaric to hear her internal monologue. Oh, no. No way. I did not sign up for this.

And the website clearly stated that applicants who proved successful at the first stage of application would be invited back at a later date to sit the test. They hadn’t intended to return. All they’d wanted was a damn tour.

Emmy spoke up from Riverley. “Chill, Sky. You can do this. We’ve got a whole bunch of people who can help you. All you need to do is write the answers down.” Then in the background, “Someone find Mack. And Nate. And Black. Why? Because I don’t know the first fucking thing about algebra, that’s why.”

“Sure,” Sky said weakly. “I’d love to.”

“Excellent. And in the meantime, your parents can begin filling out the paperwork.”

Sky shuffled off behind Marigold like a condemned woman, but Alaric couldn’t afford to lose focus.

“Where do we need to do the paperwork? In here?”

“I’ll take you through to the admissions office. Mrs. Prendergast will help you.”

“Is there a bathroom I could use first? We had a long drive here.”

“Turn left out the door, follow the hallway around to the right, and it’s the third door after the bust of Abraham Lincoln. You’ll see the sign.”

“Turn left out the door, follow the hallway forever, open all the doors,” Emmy said in Alaric’s ear. “That bust’s never Abraham Lincoln. The hair’s wrong. It looks more like Julius Caesar.”

“Get Rune,” Alaric muttered. “To help Sky.”

Rune could do algebra in her sleep. In fact, she sometimes did. Alaric heard her muttering about variables and coefficients as she tossed and turned in the dark. But rather that than her reliving all the horrors she’d had to endure in her short life.

“Rune? I guess that makes sense. Hey, can someone find Rune as well?”

Alaric tried a door. Locked. Opened the next one and found himself in a stairwell. Up or down? The basement seemed like a better bet if somebody wanted to hide stolen art, but all he saw was stacks of dusty chairs and a bunch of old desks. And the second floor looked just the same as the first—dark hallways filled with paintings and the occasional noticeboard. Every so often, he came across a classroom filled with pupils, and he hurried past those. There didn’t seem to be any security cameras, which was both a good and a bad thing. Good because nobody was watching him. Bad because it meant Mack couldn’t do her tech-wizard magic and hack into the system. Their only option was to map the place manually.

And it was a maze. If Emerald were hanging on a wall in plain view, he could walk around the building forever and never find her. Hell, he wasn’t sure he’d find Ezra Rosenberg’s office again. How long had he been gone? Ten minutes. Even if he’d been taking a shit, that was a long time for a bathroom break. Time to head back.

“Who are you?” a man asked from behind.

“Oh, hello.”

Alaric held out a hand, leaving the guy a choice of shaking it or being rude. After a moment’s hesitation, he opted for the former. Presumably the man was left-handed because he wore a watch on his right wrist, a gold OMEGA De Ville remarkably similar to the timepiece Alaric’s father favoured. Understated yet expensive. How many schoolteachers could afford a ten-thousand-dollar watch on their regular salary? His brogues didn’t look cheap either.

“I’m Alan Milburn. My daughter’s here for an entrance interview, and I got lost on the way to the bathroom.” Alaric forced a laugh. “Ezra Rosenberg said to take the third door after the bust of Abe Lincoln, but I only saw a bust of Julius Caesar, and then I got hopelessly lost.”

The man’s expression softened. “I’m Saul. Ezra’s brother. This place does have a labyrinthine quality to it. I’ll take you back to his office.”

“I’d appreciate it.”

Saul led the way, this time down a different staircase via what appeared to be a more direct route. How was Sky getting on? Emmy had gone quiet. All Alaric could hear was the echo of his footsteps on the polished wooden floors, the soft murmur of voices as they passed yet more classrooms. Nice small class sizes, though. And the kids respected the teachers. Overall, he preferred Rune’s school because it wasn’t so dark and depressing, but he understood why the pupils at Shadow Falls got good grades.

“Ah, you’re back,” Emmy said. “The feed broke up, and you disappeared for a while.” Probably due to the building’s construction. The place was put together like a castle with thick stone walls and small windows. “Sky’s doing okay. Rune’s got people researching Latin phrases, but apart from that, she’s basically taken over.”

“Is your daughter looking for a place this year?” Saul asked.

“Yes. Short notice, I know, but it was a sudden move to Virginia for us.”

“How old is she?”

“She’d be a senior. Do you teach here?”

“I’m head of the art department. Does your daughter paint?”

The art department, huh?

“Sky’s more into drama.”

“Well, we also have a first-class drama department.” They arrived back at the elder Rosenberg brother’s office. “Ezra, I found your guest. We really ought to get some maps printed.”

“Ah, Mr. Milburn, we were wondering where you’d got to. Thank you, Saul. Maps… Yes, I’ll investigate the possibility.”

“And I keep telling you that bust looks like Julius Caesar. It confuses people.” Saul turned back to Alaric. “It was one of Kirsten Briard’s first attempts at sculpture. Thankfully she improved. Even had her own show in New York last year.”

“Very impressive.”

“We’re proud of our alumni,” Ezra said. “Nothing gives me more satisfaction as principal than seeing a young person whose talents I’ve helped to nurture go on to do great things.”

Alaric knew that feeling. Rune scored ninety-four percent on Sky’s test, which meant they got granted the all-important tour. Although that didn’t help as much as he’d hoped. They only covered a fraction of the main building and skipped one wing entirely.

“And this is one of our dorms,” Ezra said, stopping outside a large brick building. “Marigold, would you please show Sky and her mother around? We have rules about men walking into the girls’ houses, I’m afraid. We don’t want anyone to feel uncomfortable.”

“That’s understandable.”

“Each bedroom is roughly the same, shared between two girls or boys. We’re not a hotel. Parents can’t pay extra for more desirable accommodation. Our pupils are treated as equals. A rising tide floats all boats, as the saying goes.”

“An admirable attitude.”

Although since it came from a man who quite possibly made millions running a global art-theft ring, Alaric found it just a tiny bit hypocritical.

“We find the connections made here at Shadow Falls will serve students and staff alike for the rest of their lives. Parents too. We have regular recitals and exhibitions for family and friends. Now, shall we head to the dining hall? We’ll have lunch before you leave.”

Outside, Sky gave the school a wave goodbye as they trundled down the driveway.

“Well, that was perfectly horrible. Do people really pay money to go there?”

“Boarding school can be a very rewarding experience,” Beth told her.

“It’s basically a prison with tests.”

“You did well with your entrance exam.”

“Rune’s scary. How does she know all that stuff?”

Alaric chuckled. “Because she goes to a good school. She’ll be kicking herself for getting some of the questions wrong, though.”

“Oh, she knew the right answers. But she said that if I scored a hundred percent, it’d look suspicious, so she made me mess a few up.”

Of course she did. That was Alaric’s girl.

Rune never ceased to amaze him, and although becoming a father had been the farthest thing from his mind when he set off on that fateful trip to Thailand, he thanked fate every day for allowing their paths to cross. Any other kid would have fallen apart after what Rune had been through—first in the Phuket brothel Alaric had rescued her from, and then during her recent kidnap ordeal—but Rune was a survivor. More than that, she was a fighter.

There were still lingering problems from the latest torment—insomnia was one of them, Alaric had noticed—but she’d bounce back, he was confident of that. Rune had even managed to charm Emmy when they’d met properly for the first time last month, and by “properly,” Alaric meant Rune hadn’t been at death’s door and Emmy wasn’t dressed up like a commando. His ex had come over for dinner, and the initial stilted conversation had turned into a female bonding session over Beth’s home-made chocolate fudge cake. Alaric wasn’t too keen on Rune taking up Emmy’s offer of shooting lessons, though.

Yes, things were finally slotting into place in his life. Family, friends, work… The only thing missing was that damn painting.