Orchid watched Saira examine Professor Green's update logs. "And you're sure that they were on Madeleine's desk?" Orchid nodded and Saira groaned. "God, that means she really is involved if she stole these papers. Finnegan won't be happy."

"Why won't I be happy?" Stoll asked, discreetly closing the door behind him. They were all in Robert's dorm and it reeked of blood and other disgusting smells. Headmaster Roux clearly hadn't thought of locking up the dorm, so it was easy for them to break in.

"You're fashionably late like always," Saira remarked, wrinkling her nose.

"It's my mojo." He looked at the two girls and Orchid winced, breaking under his gaze. "So you were talking to me. What? Is it about Sam again? Look, I already talked to him last night. Sure, he denied everything and we got into a fight, but this isn't any of your business to discuss—"

"Sam didn't do it," Orchid interrupted. "I found out that Professor Green had another suspect in mind."

"Who?"

"Your private tutor, Madeleine Xing," Saira answered and Stoll choked, coughing. She rolled her eyes, heading to the dorm's bathroom. "You guys can talk this out, I'm going to inspect the bloodbath in the literal bathroom. Yay, how joyful." Her tone dripped of sarcasm as she closed the door, leaving Orchid and Stoll alone to talk.

"Madeleine couldn't have stolen the academy's funds," Stoll told Orchid.

She huffed, fuming. She didn't trust Madeleine, they didn't know her alibi for the Monday evening that Professor Green was murdered. For the Scarlett's and Robert's deaths. She thrust the update logs in his face. "Read these."

He quickly skimmed through the papers, horrified. "Just because Professor Green had his suspicions about the Silverleaf Gothic Literature Club does not mean Madeleine is involved!"

"Lower your voice, please," Orchid begged and he did so. "But she's apart of the club, Stoll."

Stoll clenched his teeth. "Exactly, Green never put her name in writing."

"He put M. X. which stands for Madeleine Xing! She's leading the club for crying out loud," she persisted, exhausted. Sometimes, it was such a fight to explain to Stoll Finnegan. "Why wouldn't she steal the money?"

"Why would she have the need for money, Gray?" To that, Orchid did not know. "Madeleine did not steal the money and then murder Henry Green, Scarlett Mako, and Robert Reuters!"

Saira came back out of the bathroom, hands on her hips. "Okay, guys, cut it out. Do I—literally me—have to be the mature adult here?" She looked at Stoll then said strictly, "Finnegan, you're obviously upset, why?"

Stoll groaned, dropping to the floor to sit, but then realized it was still stained with blood. "I'm upset because Gray is accusing someone I trust of money laundering and triple homicide. First my brother and now Madeleine? You're grasping at straws, Gray."

Maybe I am grasping at straws, Orchid had to admit her evidence wasn't going to win anything in a court case. A real journalist would find all kinds of proof for a case, not just speculation. "I guess you're right, Stoll."

"Good," Saira nodded sternly, turning to Orchid. "Now, why are you upset?"

"I don't know," she replied hopelessly. "I mean, I started this to figure out who Professor Green's killer was, but then Scarlett and Rob died. Everything went to hell and nothing is going to be the same anymore—the cops and media will eventually show up, I might have to give up the Shades of Gray project, and I can't be the @shades_of_gray anymore—"

"Whoa, Gray, take a breather," Stoll said worriedly.

"I'm trying to solve these murder cases as fast as I can so I can fix things. But all the pressure and shitty things dawned on me," Orchid continued rapidly, her heart pounding against her chest. Rob's dorm seemed so small suddenly. "Then that stupid threat came and it risked my secret! And what if I—we—never figure it out?! Then everything goes shitty all for nothing!"

She was close to tears, the stress and anxiety of the three deaths were getting to her. Saira pulled Orchid into her arms, planting a sisterly kiss on her forehead, and rubbing her back. "It's going to be fine, Gray, we all have those bad days."

Stoll came over. "I shouldn't have argued with you."

"No, you're right, I can't blame Madeleine for these things." Orchid removed herself from Saira, straightening. "Sorry for my mental breakdown, but we'll get back on track." Saira tried to grab Orchid's shoulder, but she brushed her off. We have to get back on track, she wanted to add. She walked over to one of the beds in the dorm.

"Uh, Gray, that's not Robert's bed." Stoll pointed to the bed where they had found Rob's corpse.

"I know, but I remembered something I overheard. Rob was Stanley Crawford's roommate!" Orchid exclaimed, her heart thumping. She sifted through Stanley's mattress and found a little slit. "I also have a slit in my mattress for hiding things from Bailey and well, Rob can be sneaky."

Orchid dug her hand into the slit, rummaging around until her fingers caught on something. She pulled it out, Saira and Stoll peering over her shoulder. "It's a... key." It was a silver and rusty key, but it was too small for a car key and it clearly wasn't a dorm room key since it didn't have the academy's crest.

"Wait..." Stoll plucked it from Orchid's hands. "I recognize this key, it's from the Cleaners' Quarters. One of the retired janitors, Mrs. Black, installed strong locks for the cabinets after I stole something." He looked slightly embarrassed. "A month ago, I noticed two of the cabinet keys were missing from the hooks. I didn't think it was a big deal, but this key is one of them."

Saira paused. "Then where's the other one?"

"No idea." He looked at the cabinet key. "Why the heck would someone want a key to cabinets? There's nothing valuable there, I should know."

"Do these keys unlock anything else?" Orchid asked.

"No..." Stoll looked at them both. "Want to pay a visit to the Cleaners' Quarters?"

┉┈◈◉◈┈┉

The Originals passed by several cleaning carts and a large round table placed at the centre. On the whiteboard against the wall, there were names written of janitors' cleaning routines, it was currently just Stoll and Sam Finnegan since the other cleaners went on winter vacation prior to the storm, leading up to the flood. The flood was starting to drain, so police officials were bound to come back soon.

They had tried nearly every cabinet to no avail, they were just full of cleaning supplies. Stoll bent down, jamming the key into the last cabinet. "We don't use this one that much," he said as Orchid peered over his shoulder.

It unlocked and to their surprise—it was empty. "What the heck?" Orchid muttered as Stoll moved out of the way, she stuck her head inside the cabinet. In the corner, she noticed a little keyhole. What the...? "Stoll, pass me that key."

Once he slipped the key into her hand, Orchid entered it into the keyhole and twisted before pushing the back of the cabinet. A secret door opened, leading to a dark tunnel. She gasped but bonked her head when turning around to tell the others. "It's a secret passage! Jeez, same key for both locks."

Saira's eyes went wide. "Finnegan, you never told me you had a secret passage in the Cleaners' Quarters!" Stoll stared at her, dumbfounded.

"I obviously didn't know!" he said sarcastically.

"Did Mrs. Black install that?" Saira questioned, genuinely curious.

He hesitated. "I haven't seen her in ages so I wouldn't know."

"Guys, shush, we have to explore this passage," Orchid urged. This is leading us somewhere, she thought. Maybe even to Stanley Crawford. Excitement filled her as she turned to them. "Guys, I think this is where Professor Green hid Stan, I mean, Ivory Kee mentioned he was still on Silverleaf Academy grounds but hidden."

"Can't believe Green would hide Stanley here, it's filthy and smells like hell," Saira said, wrinkling her nose.

Orchid glanced at the two, then the secret tunnel, before a sly smile appeared. I'll finally be able to avenge Professor Green, she thought happily. I can solve these murders. "So, who's first?"

┉┈◈◉◈┈┉

List of suspects:

Sam Finnegan

S. C. (Stanley Crawford)

Professor Yarwood

Headmaster Roux

Professor Asher

Silverleaf Gothic Literature Club (Professor Xing)

Ivory Kee

Professor Xing