FAZER LOGINOnce the hotel sign proved that the security officer had pulled up yesterday’s footage instead of today’s, it was clear the school’s surveillance system had been compromised.The police immediately began searching Jefferson High.They found Ivy fifteen minutes before the next testing session began.She was tied up inside an abandoned storage room behind the security office, hidden in a camera blind spot.Her blood sugar had dropped dangerously low, and she was barely conscious.Around the same time, Officer Williams’s colleagues discovered that someone had manually deleted parts of the school’s original security footage.Only one person had the authority to do that.Principal Harris.Ivy opened her eyes in the ambulance as an IV dripped into her arm.“Dad, I’m sorry. I missed the college entrance exam.”The moment I heard her weak but very real voice, I couldn’t hold back my tears.She told me the flash drive did contain evidence that Principal Harris had sexually assaulted
Ivy had hesitated before getting out of the car that morning.She’d looked at me with a complicated expression, opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something, then handed me a flash drive instead.“Dad, there’s a secret I want to tell you after the college entrance exam. Can you hold on to this for me until then?”I laughed and ruffled her hair.“Of course. Now stop worrying about everything else and focus on your test.”Ever since she was little, Ivy had loved sharing her secrets with me.She’d tell me which classmate had a crush on whom, or who was always tattling to the teachers.She was observant and always noticed the smallest details. Then she’d share them with me like funny little stories.I’d assumed this time was no different.But after everything that had happened, I would’ve truly been insane if I still hadn’t remembered the flash drive she’d placed in my hand.Mr. Harris’s reaction only confirmed it.Every bizarre thing that had happened was connected to the
The man was standing just behind Claire and off to one side.I hadn’t noticed him until she crouched down.The moment our eyes met, he instinctively stepped back. But the wall of parents behind him left him nowhere to go.“Yes, I was Ivy’s homeroom teacher.”Panic flashed in Mr. Harris’s eyes before he quickly regained his composure. He even managed a smile.“But so what? All I know is that your daughter withdrew from school and later died of an illness. I haven’t had any contact with your family since then.“If you want to see her withdrawal records, I can get them for you right now.”I ignored his offer and walked toward him one slow step at a time.Claire stopped crying. She staggered to her feet and reached out as if to stop me.I walked straight past her and stopped in front of Mr. Harris.“No contact?”I gave him a cold smile.“You must have a very short memory, Mr. Harris. You were the man who walked past me outside my apartment building last night.”I’d originally
Claire’s eyes flickered away for the briefest moment.That one tiny reaction erased every last doubt in my mind.The fog cleared instantly.I finally understood exactly what kind of trap I’d fallen into.“Honey, can we talk about this at home? You’re disrupting the college entrance exam!”She stumbled over her words as she grabbed my sleeve and tried to drag me toward the car.I gave a cold laugh and brushed her hand away.“Go home? You’ll take me straight to a psychiatric hospital!“You put that pill bottle in my pocket, didn’t you? And I’m guessing you’ve been putting something in the milk I drink every night before bed.”Before Claire married me, she’d worked as a pediatric nurse.We’d met when Ivy was hospitalized with a fever.That was why I wasn’t surprised she could produce hospital records so quickly. Instead, they made me think of the sedatives that had mysteriously appeared in my pocket and the dizziness and headaches I’d been having lately.Who else but Claire ha
I turned instinctively.Claire pushed her way through the crowd. Her eyes were swollen, and tear tracks stained her cheeks.She looked as though she’d rushed straight from home. She’d even buttoned her blouse wrong.“Honey, why did you leave the house alone? Come home with me.”She grabbed my hand with surprising force.But I stood my ground and didn’t move an inch.I’d left the house alone?Had I also imagined her seeing Ivy and me off that morning?Her timing was perfect. I had far too many questions for her.I coldly pulled my hand away and stared into her eyes.“Since you’re here, tell everyone whether you and I came here yesterday to practice the route.“And why did you have me wear the same clothes two days in a row? Were you also behind the security footage being switched?”Claire froze. Her lips trembled, making her look innocent and helpless.“Stop pretending!” I snapped before she could defend herself.“You overlooked one detail. I’m wearing different shoes toda
“The security footage is fake!”I pointed at the computer screen and shouted with absolute certainty.Officer Williams’s face darkened as he straightened.“Mr. Young, did you not understand me?“You have a serious psychiatric condition. Call your wife and have her come get you now, or I’ll have no choice but to send you in for an emergency psychiatric evaluation.”“I’m not sick!” I cut him off desperately. “Look right here!”He followed my finger to a spot on the screen.“What am I supposed to be looking at?”His voice abruptly died.His pupils contracted.Then he looked down at my feet, and his expression changed completely.In the footage, I was wearing dark gray sneakers.Right now, I had on black dress shoes.The difference wasn’t obvious at first glance, but once you looked closely, there was no mistaking it.The security officer noticed it too. A sheen of sweat instantly appeared on his forehead.“That’s impossible!”He rubbed his eyes, stumbling over his words.







