Chapter 8 - The Donor
Charles Vale looked exactly like the kind of man who expected doors to open before he reached them.
Silver hair. Tailored suit. Expensive watch.
His photograph hung inside the athletic center beside a plaque thanking him for “extraordinary support.”
Now he stood in a public school hallway holding evidence that belonged to a missing student.
Grace stepped behind the trophy case before he could see her.
Ms. Crane spoke quietly.
“We need to know if there are copies.”
Charles turned the flash drive between his fingers.
“There are always copies.”
“What do you want me to do?”
“Handle the girl.”
“Grace?”
“All of them.”
Grace’s mouth went dry.
Officer Reed was no longer beside her.
She didn’t know whether he had heard.
Charles continued toward the conference room.
Grace waited until they disappeared, then headed for class.
Her phone buzzed inside her pocket.
Maya.
Grace nearly dropped it.
WHERE ARE YOU?
Maya replied seconds later.
SAFE. MY AUNT PICKED ME UP. DON’T TRUST SCHOOL EMAIL.
Then another message.
I COPIED EVERYTHING BEFORE I HID THE DRIVE.
Grace typed back.
EVERYTHING WHAT?
A file arrived.
Not a video.
A spreadsheet.
Grace opened it under her desk.
Dates. Student names. Incident reports. Parent complaints.
Thirty-seven entries over two years.
Beside eleven names was the same note:
CLOSED - INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE.
Grace recognized some of them.
A sophomore who had suddenly switched schools.
A freshman who ate lunch in the library.
A boy who stopped playing soccer after someone broke his phone.
At the bottom of the spreadsheet was a column labeled ADMIN REVIEW.
Every closed complaint had the same initials.
L.C.
Linda Crane.
Grace looked across the classroom.
Brittany was texting beneath her desk.
Then Brittany looked up directly at Grace and smiled.
Grace’s phone buzzed again.
This time the message came from an unknown number.
WE KNOW MAYA SENT YOU SOMETHING.
May you like
A second message followed.
DELETE IT BEFORE YOUR DAD LOSES HIS JOB TOO.
