Emmy chewed on the inside of her cheek. Barlowe and her dad were just as focused on those medallions as Jonas was, but for different reasons. Barlowe had helped her last year, but what if that was more about the medallions than it was about her? As for her dad… Well, his life hadn’t been about Emmy for a long time.
“If my dad wants those medallions so badly, why did he leave them in our house in Connecticut?” she asked. “Or why didn’t he come back for them when they were just sitting there for ten years? Shouldn’t he have broken into those vaults ages ago and, like, donated everything to a museum or something so the Order would never have it?”
“It’s not that simple.” Barlowe glanced at the door at the top of the stairs and took a few steps toward her. “Those vaults were built deep under the abbey more than five hundred years ago. Everyone used to think they were just a legend. No one in the Order took them seriously. In his last year of school, your father started doing significant research about the Order and its history, and he discovered that the vaults were real. Figuring out where they are is a different matter.”
Emmy blinked. “Are you saying nobody actually knows where the vaults are?”
“I can’t say for sure,” Barlowe said. “The research your father did suggests that at one time there was a way to get to them without even using medallions, but there have been cave-ins over the years and some of the oldest tunnels are blocked. Given how desperately the Order has been searching for those medallions, we believe they have found a way to get through using the locked passageways. If Jonas thinks you still have some of the medallions, getting Lola kicked out might be the first step in trying to get you to hand them over.”
“He’s the one who saw them fly into the sea,” Emmy whispered. “He knows they’re gone.” At least she hoped he did. “And why would he be doing this expedition thing if he thinks I still have them?”
“I don’t know, but I find it hard to believe that Brynn is going after Lola just because he doesn’t like her. There has to be more going on here.” Barlowe pressed his fingers to his lips. “If you find out anything else, or if the situation changes, please tell me.”
“Okay,” Emmy said, even though she wasn’t sure if she actually would. She wasn’t sure of much anymore. She started up the first few steps.
“By the way,” Barlowe said, “have you met Ms. Blakely yet?”
“Um, yeah.” Emmy bit her lip. “Do you know if she’s part of—”
“I can’t imagine that she would be,” Barlowe said. “I heard Larraby telling her about a little club that he sponsors, and how they use a couple of old passageways. A lot of teachers know of the Order that way.” He smiled. “I don’t think you have anything to fear from her.”
Emmy nodded. At least that was one person she didn’t have to worry about.
* * *
Emmy and Jack visited Lola every day after school that week. Figuring out how they could prove Lola was innocent was pretty much the only thing they talked about. By Friday, they still didn’t have any viable ideas.
Lola was having dinner with her mom, so Emmy and Jack went back early that night.
“Want to play a game with me and Sam?” Jack offered as they walked back from having a somber dinner in the Hall.
“Thanks, but I think I’m going to turn in early.” Once they got to the common room, Emmy waved goodnight to Jack, walked upstairs, rummaged under her blankets, and found her pajamas. She just wanted to curl up and watch something on her laptop. She grabbed it off the desk and was about to pull it onto the bed when something fell off the top of it. It was a USB drive that had her name taped to the side.
Emmy frowned. That wasn’t hers. At least, she was pretty sure it wasn’t. Maybe someone had found it in her old room and assumed it must have belonged to her, or maybe she’d lost it so long ago that she’d forgotten. She plugged it into her laptop and found only one item in the folder: a video labeled WHO FRAMED LOLA BOYD?
Emmy’s heart thudded in her chest as she clicked on the video file. When it opened, she froze.
Jonas Tresham was staring at her.
She clicked the play button with a shaky finger, and Jonas started to speak.
“Good evening, young miss.”
A nasty taste flooded Emmy’s mouth. The last time she’d heard that voice, it had been threatening to kill her.
“I’m sorry that your friend Lola has been expelled from Wellsworth. Rest assured, she will be proved innocent and reinstated as soon as possible.”
Emmy narrowed her eyes. There was no way Jonas would do that without wanting something in return.
“Before I can make those arrangements, I’ll need some information from you. We recently received proof that your father is alive and well.”
Emmy’s stomach dropped. Her dad had always been so careful. How could they have found him now?
“We don’t know where he is at the moment,” Jonas went on, “but you can help us with that. Tell us where he is, and Lola will be back in her room the next day.”
Emmy almost laughed out loud. Did Jonas really think she’d hand her father over to the Order? No way. She and Jack would just have to clear Lola’s name on their own.
“Of course, if we don’t get the information we need from you, we’ll have to, shall we say, press our point a little harder.”
Emmy felt the blood drain from her face.
“Tell us where your father is, or your friend will get far worse than expulsion.” Jonas’s tone was so matter-of-fact it was like he was sending Emmy a casual greeting instead of a threat.
“In case you’re thinking of sharing this file, you should know that it’s set to self-delete sixty seconds after being opened.”
Emmy checked the video length; it was fifty-five seconds. There’s no way she’d be able to make a copy in time.
“I look forward to hearing from you soon.”
The video stopped. Then the image fractured and disappeared. The file folder was empty.
Chapter 8
The Usual Suspects
Emmy pressed two shaking fingers to her lips. Somebody from the Order had been in her room. The dorm rooms didn’t have locks—someone had told her that they used to, but people kept locking themselves out, so they were finally removed. Still, nobody ever seemed to violate the unwritten rule of never going in someone’s room without permission.
She pulled her blanket around her shoulders. Could it have been Brynn? He’d already apparently been in Lola’s room, so he obviously didn’t care much about that rule. Maybe he’d gotten a girl to do it for him. Victoria wouldn’t pass up a chance to mess with her, even if she didn’t know anything about the Order. She might have put the money in Lola’s room, too. She’d probably be giddy at the chance to get Lola kicked out.