Page 114 of For Your Own Good

When he’s bored with the topic, he searches for particular students to see what they’re saying. Starting with Courtney. She’s been out of jail for a day now—plenty of time to get online.

She hasn’t. Courtney hasn’t made any comments or posts since the day she was arrested.

Probably smart. She’s always been an excellent student.

Next he checks in with Zach. Hehasbeen online, though he doesn’t mention Veronica. He also doesn’t mention the school’s new headmaster, which isn’t surprising, given that he is no longer enrolled at Belmont.

Teddy goes back to the conversation about Veronica. She is so lucky to be a senior. Otherwise, he’d have to bring her down a peg or ten.

HE STOPPED.

Fallon didn’t remember this until much later, because she was too rattled about seeing Zach Ward follow her. The next day, she was rattled again when she heard Teddy had been named new interim headmaster.

Of course he was.

Everything was beginning to make sense. So much sense that Fallon could actually make a spreadsheet detailing the whole story. Well, most of it. There are still holes to fill, beginning with the death of Ingrid Ross. Fallon has no idea what the story behind that is, but there has to be one.

While reviewing her spreadsheet, filling in all the details she can think of, she remembers Zach stopping.

He drove up to Teddy’s house, pulled over to the curb, and turned off his lights. In other words, he parked. Like he was about to go pay Teddy a visit in the middle of the night.

When he saw her, he waved and drove away. Or it looked like he drove away, but really he followed her.

So why did he do that when he saw her? If he really was there to visit Teddy, why would seeing her make a difference?

She researches Zach and his family online. He’s a typical Belmont student with two successful parents and a house on the right side of town. His social media is pretty boring. He’s not a troll. At least not with his real name. Zach Ward had appeared to be a normal kid, right up until he got arrested and left school.

All of which leads Fallon to a couple of possibilities.

The idea that he would show up in the middle of the night, in his own car, no disguise, to do something bad to Teddy seems ridiculous.

But the idea that Teddy has someone helping him isnot.

Part

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AT EXACTLY NOON,Courtney turns on the TV. Zach wants to tell her to stop but can’t bring himself to do it. The midday news blares out, making it impossible for him to study.

“Just coming in now, a three-car crash on the interstate. Let’s go out to the scene with Trevor Harmon for more...”

Courtney changes the channel.

“Today, the city council will be holding what should be a contentious meeting about this year’s budget...”

Click.

“We have no information yet about injuries from the accident, but we are expecting a statement from the state police at any time.”

Click.

“Still no arrests in the mass poisoning at Belmont Academy. But new interim headmaster Theodore Crutcher has announced that the upcoming memorial will be titled ‘Remembrance and Recovery: A New Beginning.’ As we reported last week, theevent was originally scheduled to honor the death of Belmont’s former headmasters as well as all recent victims. It has now been expanded to include a tour of the school, which is currently being renovated with upgraded security.

“Now let’s go to weather. Tom, how’s the lunch hour looking?”

“That’s it?” Courtney says. “That’s the entire news about Belmont?”