Super Freak (12 page)

He sat down. “No, Caroline, I didn’t bring you in here to accuse you of anything.”

His expression relaxed, and the stern principal melted away, leaving a sadness that made my eyes water. Or maybe it was just the stress of the morning.

Mr. Grouseman pushed a box of tissues toward me. As he did, a bracelet fell from under the cuff of his sleeve, and my entire body focused on the gold locket. The etching on the front was exactly the same as the one I pulled out of the wall.

His hand moved when mine did not, pulled a tissue from the box, and handed it to me.

“I wondered if you’d found it yet. Obviously you have.”

I jumped and looked up to find him watching me with admiration. “What?”

He pulled back his shirtsleeve, revealing the bracelet and the ring of scar tissue around his wrist. Unhooking the chain he held it out to me.

I took it, glancing at him for a nod before sliding my thumbnail into the side and popping the locket open. Inside, on the left, was a tiny portrait of Elspeth Bennings. On the right, a lock of dark hair.

“I don’t understand, Mr. Grouseman. Was this your great-grandfathers’?”

He laughed, and the sound rolled around the office, genuinely amused. “I brought you in here, Caroline, to prove something to you.”

That was weird. “I’m not sure I can handle any more surprises.”

“No, I imagine not,” he said, his smile turning a little sad. “But there are quite a few left, I can assure you.”

I waited, handing the locket back.

“Did you find the matching locket? It’s silver, with a lock of hair and a different picture.”

I nodded. “Yes. But the picture was damaged. You can’t tell who it is anymore.”

He seemed disappointed. “Well, I suppose it’s to be expected. Where did she hide it?”

No way. I wasn’t giving that away. Not yet. “What does it mean? And what does this have to do with pulling me in. No offense, but you aren’t helping my image by keeping me in here after everything this weekend.”

He put the bracelet back on. “I know, and I’m sorry for it. But I wanted you to know there are at least two people here at the school who know you aren’t responsible for what happened to Diana.”

I leaned forward. “Really?”

His throat worked, and a frustrated growl escaped his mouth. Something was preventing him from speaking certain words. “Yes. I know you didn’t do it.”

“But how? Everyone else seems convinced.”

Mr. Grouseman rose, placing a hand on the doorknob. “Because I was one of the men outside that night at the birch tree.”

Then he opened the door, waving a hand ahead of him. A million questions flitted through my mind, but the secretaries sat outside his door, their heads craned in our direction. I glared and he smiled, shrugging a little.

Why would he bring me in to tell me something like that, and then make me leave without answering any questions? It made no sense at all. Unless somehow, Mr. Grouseman was involved against his will and couldn’t tell me anything. I looked back over my shoulder at him, turning the thought over in my mind. He wore a locket with Elspeth’s picture in it. He knew what the other held, what it looked like, and that she hid it in Harridan House. And he never actually answered my question about whether the locket had been his great-grandfather’s.

I slid into my seat in Paranormal Ethics, a spear of pain cutting through me at the sight of Diana’s empty desk. Leo sat on the other side mouthing the word “lunch” to me. I nodded. Lunch was going to be torture. Kevin would follow Leo and he’d make snide comments the entire time. Just how I wanted to spend my time.

Ms. Widdershins started writing new notes for another case on the board and I flipped open my notebook, writing what she wrote. But I didn’t really hear a word. My mind replayed my conversation with the principal over and over. He said two people in school knew I hadn’t kidnapped Diana. I assumed he meant me. But what if he didn’t? Who was the other person? A student? I didn’t think so. Leo would know I didn’t, but I watched Ms. Widdershins. If I had to bet on it, I think he meant her. No one else made any sense.

Not like I could just walk up and ask her. She avoided looking at me since I walked in. Not like usual. For once, she picked on other people in the class. But once or twice, I did catch her watching me, a sheen of sweat on her upper lip and something I couldn’t name in her eyes. She went through class fast, her normal pace disrupted by something. She was so flustered she actually dropped the chalk twice while writing.

Not that I cared much. My brain was focused on all the pieces of the puzzle. Whenever I solved the mysteries Dad gave me before, I could see the puzzles in my head like they were on a mat. It was just a matter of getting enough clues to make the edges fit. This time, whenever I thought I had a few pieces together, something would come along and slide them out of place.

My mind turned again to the locket as I watched Ms. Widdershins fiddling with her monocle while she quizzed a couple girls in the front row. Mr. Grouseman was a shifter. They aged slowly. Diana and I laughed when we compared him to the picture, but maybe we’d been too quick. What if the Mr. Grouseman that Elspeth mentioned falling in love with in her diary and the one I’d spoken to were the same?

Breath seemed to stick in my throat. Supers lived a long time, but it was strange that so many of the town founders would still be living in the same town together. And then pretend not to know one another.

There was no common ancestor, no common bond. They were shifters, vampires, dryads, and witches. Maybe even Ms. Widdershins was the one pictured, not her relative. If they were all still here, some of them for an unnaturally long time, there was a reason.

What secret were they keeping?

Leo kept me occupied during lunch, but by the end of the day, I was done. I wanted to tear my hair out and run screaming from the building. No one would talk to me, and the ones I did have to talk to (thanks to Mr. Darcy’s group work) looked at me with terror. I’m pretty sure one girl thought I would eat her alive if she blinked while looking at me.

I tried to find Mr. Grouseman again, but he seemed to have disappeared. I thought about confronting Ms. Widdershins, but I knew that would be a poor life choice.

Instead, I trudged to the buses, dragging my feet and wishing for a paper bag or something to cover my head with. At least then I wouldn’t have to see everyone staring.

Things at home weren’t much better. Mom moped around, thin willow branches mixing with her hair and tiny leaves fluttering behind her everywhere she went. Even Dad’s skin seemed rougher; more like bark than flesh. He locked himself in the study, bent over books and papers, and I knew he searched for answers he wouldn’t find.

I debated showing him what we found, but it was too late. If I showed him in the beginning, maybe things wouldn’t have gotten out of hand. Or maybe he’d be missing now, not Diana. Somehow, our family returning to Harridan House set all of this in motion. I didn’t think it would have mattered if I told or not.

The thought wasn’t much help. I still felt miserable.

My room seemed dark and depressing now, and I jumped at every sigh and creak. Each time I followed the sound, hoping Diana would appear. It didn’t happen.

It was this paranoia that made me ignore her the first three times. I’d tossed and turned for hours after I went to bed. Everyone’s whispers and the MIST’s accusations rattled around in my head until I didn’t think I’d get any peace.

I woke in the middle of the night, my heart pounding, convinced I’d heard Diana call my name.

Pressing the pillow over my head, I let it soak up my tears. I was going nuts. Insane–hearing voices. Next, I would be seeing her standing in my room. I shoved the pillow down and held my breath, waiting for the sound. Nothing happened.

Twice more I woke, certain she called me. Twice more I fell asleep. In the morning, my head ached and I dragged my feet going downstairs. School wasn’t really on my priority list at the moment.

Leo surprised me at lunchtime, walking in the doors and making a beeline for our table. When he got close, he spread his arms and wrapped me in an awkward hug. It was weird, but at the same time, tears pricked at the corners of my eyes.

“I know you didn’t do it, Caroline,” he said, releasing me and sitting down.

Kevin followed behind him at a distance, frowning at the sudden rise in noise. Everyone seemed to be watching us.

“Why do we have to sit with the freak again?” he asked, dumping his bag across from me.

Leo glared. “Stop it. No one’s making you sit here.”

“Someone has to watch your back.”

“Why?” I said, anger heating my face. “So you can be sure I don’t kidnap him too?”

Kevin snorted and took a swig from his thermos. “Yeah, like you’re smart enough for kidnapping.”

My mouth opened, but no sound came out. I stared. Kevin, the royal pain in the rear, believed I was innocent?

He rolled his eyes. “Don’t get the wrong impression. I still don’t like you. But you didn’t do this.”

Leo waved a hand in front of my face. “Focus, Caroline.”

“Yeah. Sure. I’m back.” Mind-blown, but I was listening.

“I overheard my parents talking about something going on at Founders Day. What is it? What happened?”

“Diana and I went to sleep. When I woke up, she was gone. There was a note that a representative from each of the founding families was to meet in the Town Hall on Founders Day at midnight. Everyone thinks I did it because when the police came, the MIST ladies picked up on black magic in my bedroom. They think I kidnapped Diana to use her blood in my black magic.”

Leo just stared. “Well, I thought the rumors were really exaggerated. Guess not.”

I crossed my arms and glared.

“Sorry, not helping, I know.” He pulled out a notebook and pencil from his book bag and scribbled something down. “What else?”

“We found some more pages and a photograph in the walls. It’s the same photograph as she found in the newspaper office, but it had the missing person on it. No labels though. We figured out that two of the people are my relatives–Elspeth and her brother Edmund.”

I turned and glanced at Kevin. “You’re not going to repeat any of this, are you?”

“I don’t want to be involved in this at all. As far as I’m concerned, you’re discussing the weather.”

Guilt gnawed at me. “Maybe you shouldn’t listen at all. I mean, someone already got hurt because of this. We don’t need to add you in too.”

Kevin lifted a Nintendo DS from behind the shield of his lunchbox. “I am more interested in this, thanks. Don’t worry about me, human. I’m good.”

I almost wished he’d get a zap in the rear. Almost.

“Leo, have your parents ever mentioned Ms. Widdershins’ or Mr. Grouseman’s ancestors? Any of the other founders?”

He thought for a moment, chewing on the end of his pencil. “No. They actually make a point of never speaking to each other if they can help it.”

“Well, I have a theory.”

Kevin snorted. I ignored him. “I think your parents aren’t the only members who are still alive.”

Leo’s brow furrowed. “What? But that isn’t possible. Ms. Widdershins is a witch. They don’t have extended life spans. And Mr. Grouseman, well, I suppose he could, but I didn’t think shifters lived
that
long.”

“That’s what I thought. But if you see the picture, Leo, they all look the same. A little younger, but it’s not just a resemblance. They’re identical.”

He stopped writing. “But that would mean they’ve tampered with their natures. That’s black magic.”

A little thrill of fear shot through my stomach when the words I was thinking came from his lips. I felt like I’d just gotten on a roller coaster, and the end wasn’t in sight. “That’s what I think. But I also think they’re hiding something. A secret so big they were willing to use black magic to keep it.”

Silence hovered over our table, so thick you could paint with it. The implications were frightening. First, what they’d done and second, what it was they protected. Whatever it was, it had to be huge. I thought back to this morning, when Diana’s voice in my dreams had woke me. What if it hadn’t been a dream?

Kevin snorted again. “You two look like I just showed you the monster in the closet is real and he wants your toes for snacks.”

I glared at him, debating whether to say anything. “This is serious, Kevin.”

“So is world hunger, but you aren’t going to solve either one when you’re focused on what already happened.”

His observation surprised me. In another lifetime, Kevin and I might have gotten along.

“Founders Day is Friday. So that means they are supposed to be there Friday night at midnight. I can’t come to your house. My parents almost had heart palpitations when I suggested it yesterday.” He flashed me a smile. “Which is impressive since they don’t have heartbeats to begin with.”

I smiled, the tension broken with his humor. He continued, “We can’t let them go alone. I’ll meet you behind Town Hall at eleven thirty. Can you make it?”

“Yes. But I don’t think Diana will be there.”

“Why?”

“Because of what the MIST found in the tower. And because last night, I kept waking up, thinking I heard Diana call my name. I thought I was dreaming, but now…I think Diana is still in my house. I just have to figure out where.”

Leo stared and sucked down his lunch. “I don’t get it.”

“They said they felt black magic. My parents haven’t liked the room since we moved in. No one could find anything outside the day after. I think whoever is behind all this is hiding somewhere in my house. I’ve already found secret compartments in the walls. Why couldn’t there be some sort of hidden room or something?”

Understanding dawned in Leo’s eyes. “You think whoever’s behind this will leave Diana at the house to get to Town Hall.”

I nodded. “Our parents can handle them until we can get Diana out and then get there.”

“What happens if you’re wrong?” Kevin asked, not even pretending to play the game now.

I didn’t have an answer for that.