X.
The map of the campus provided on the Academy's website was incredibly unhelpful, too many places clustered together tightly, too many names in the list along the side of the map. Hanna and Caleb attempted to decipher the Commons' location for a total of ten minutes before Hanna gave up and called Lucas for help.
"The Commons," he said, a hint of nostalgia creeping into his voice. "Yeah, it's a big garden and a bunch of greenhouses near where the treehouse used to be."
"Do you think you could take us to it?" Hanna asked.
"Sure." And then the inevitable question. "Why?"
"It's a really long story."
"Give me the Sparknotes version."
"There's something in there that I would really like to find, and soon."
"Girls and their cryptic messages," Lucas said. "I'll meet you in front of your hall in five minutes?"
"Perfect. Thanks, Lucas."
She hung up. As she reached to tuck the phone away in her pocket, it pinged with a text message.
Tick tock, Hanna Banana.
At this rate, the vultures will get to Mike before you will. — A
"Let's go," she said, shoving the phone into her pocket. She grabbed her bag and headed for the door, and Caleb rose to join her.
They waited in front of Cavanaugh Hall for a few minutes before they spotted Lucas jogging toward them. His cheeks were red, and a layer of sweat coated his face. "Hey," he panted. "So you need to get to the Commons?"
"Yeah." Hanna frowned, reaching for his shoulders to steady him. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. Just tired." Lucas laughed. "Been running around all day. The police are asking me about the treehouse. More police are asking me about Mike Montgomery. I have no idea why, seeing as how I never talked to the guy a day in my life."
"Really?" Caleb quirked an eyebrow. "You never saw him around your hall?"
Lucas shook his head. "To be honest, I had no idea the Montgomery family had a son who went here." He shrugged. "I know the girl, Aria. Vaguely. But I never met Mike."
"This Mike guy is the shadiest of the shady," Caleb said with a whistle. "He's got a shitload of explaining to do when we find him."
"Find him?" Lucas frowned. "You're looking for him?"
"Yep." Caleb smiled mysteriously. "Now, Mr. Gottesman, if you would kindly direct us to the Commons, I believe a suspicious young man will be awaiting us there."
The Commons must have been designed to go unnoticed, nestled in the middle of the woods surrounding the Academy's campus, a group of small plexiglass buildings.
"They're greenhouses, basically," Lucas explained. "One building's got a little bit of everything in it, another one's set up like a museum with display cases, and the last building is sort of a free-for-all vegetable garden."
"I've read all the pamphlets and every section of the school's website," said Hanna, "and I've never heard of this place."
Lucas smiled wanly. "It's Rosewood Academy's best-kept secret."
"Besides, you know, the corruption and blackmail," Hanna said. "How are we going to find Mike here?"
"Let's split up." Caleb pointed toward the building on the far left. "I'll take that one. Hanna, you take the second one. Lucas, you've got the third."
They separated, heading into their assigned buildings.
The inside of the second greenhouse had a low ceiling — the fronds of the plants lined up along the walls grazed the roof. Tables were set up around the main lobby, each housing some soil-filled bin or bowl, flowers curling over the edge of their vases. The place was eerily quiet; the plants swayed gently, though there was no breeze. Hanna walked along the long hall until she came to a door at the end, which opened into a smaller, domed area of the greenhouse.
She was standing in the center of that space when she heard a shout.
Hanna bolted out of the greenhouse, meeting with Caleb at the entrance to the third building. They exchanged a concerned look, then went inside to find Lucas.
He was still shouting when they reached him. He stood blocking the doorway to the domed section of the greenhouse.
When Hanna and Caleb found a way around him, they saw what had him so horrified.
Mike Montgomery was strung up to the oak tree in the center of the room. His lips were cracked and blue, a rope looped tight around his neck.
He was dead.