Chapter 4: The Fire Upstairs
The fire alarm screamed so loudly I could feel it inside my chest.
"Everybody outside!"" Principal Whitmore shouted.
Parents grabbed their children.
Teachers pushed open emergency exits.
The hallway exploded into movement.
But Detective Alvarez ran the opposite direction.
Toward the stairs.
"Alvarez!"" the other officer yelled.
"Call the fire department!""
Smoke was already curling beneath the upstairs door.
Mom pulled me against her.
"Emma, stay with me.""
"But Ms. Parker—"
"I don't care where Ms. Parker is. We're leaving.""
Noah and Mrs. Carter were just ahead of us.
Noah kept looking backward.
"Mom, the videos.""
"What videos?""
"The ones they found.""
Mrs. Carter's face tightened.
"They'll handle it.""
"But what if she burns them?""
That stopped her for half a second.
Then Mr. Daniels, the IT administrator, came running behind us carrying his laptop against his chest.
Mrs. Carter grabbed his arm.
"Are the recordings on that?""
"Copies are.""
"Copies?""
Mr. Daniels coughed as smoke thickened overhead.
"The security system backs up off-site every night.""
Mrs. Carter stared at him.
"So she can't destroy them?""
"Not all of them.""
Those four words frightened me more than the alarm.
Not all of them.
We reached the courtyard.
Cold January air hit my face.
Teachers counted students while parents crowded near the gates.
Smoke pushed from an upstairs window.
Then sirens approached.
Noah stood beside me, hugging himself.
"She did this because of me.""
"No," I said.
He looked at me.
"If she hadn't accused me—"
"She accused you because she lost her own bracelet.""
"But if I hadn't—"
"Noah.""
I surprised myself with how loud I said his name.
"You didn't do anything.""
He stared at me.
Then his mother crouched beside him.
"Emma is right.""
Mrs. Carter held his face between her hands.
"You hear me? None of this is because of you.""
Noah nodded, but I could tell he didn't believe it yet.
Firefighters rushed into the building.
Two police cars blocked the driveway.
Then an officer shouted something near the faculty parking lot.
Detective Alvarez appeared outside seconds later.
"Whitmore!""
Principal Whitmore hurried toward him.
"What?""
"Parker's car is gone.""
My stomach dropped.
"She left?"" Mom asked.
Principal Whitmore looked confused.
"That's impossible. We told her to remain in the administrative office.""
"Who was watching her?""
"The assistant principal.""
Everyone turned.
The assistant principal, Mr. Hayes, looked horrified.
"I stepped out for two minutes.""
"Why?""
"She said she was having trouble breathing. I went to get the nurse.""
Detective Alvarez stared at him.
"You left her alone?""
"I didn't know she was going to set a fire!""
A firefighter came outside carrying a black plastic container.
"It's contained.""
Principal Whitmore pointed upstairs.
"How bad?""
"Small fire. Mostly paper. Sprinklers got it quickly.""
Detective Alvarez looked at the container.
"What was burning?""
"Files.""
Mrs. Carter stepped closer.
"Whose files?""
The firefighter glanced at Principal Whitmore.
"Student records, from what I could see.""
Noah squeezed his mother's hand.
Detective Alvarez immediately turned toward Mr. Daniels.
"Those thirty-seven camera shutdowns. Can you match them to students?""
"I can match dates and times.""
"And class schedules?""
"Yes.""
"Do it.""
Mr. Daniels opened his laptop on a stone bench.
Parents gathered around him.
Principal Whitmore raised his hands.
"Everyone, please give him space.""
Mrs. Carter didn't move.
Neither did Mom.
Neither did I.
Mr. Daniels typed.
Lines of information appeared.
He opened the first shutdown.
October 3.
3:14 p.m.
He checked another database.
"Student remaining after dismissal...""
His fingers stopped.
"Sophie Bennett.""
Sophie's mother covered her mouth.
Another.
October 17.
"Benjamin Ross.""
Another.
October 24.
"Lucas Mason.""
Lucas's father swore under his breath.
Another.
November 2.
Mr. Daniels frowned.
"That's strange.""
"What?"" Detective Alvarez asked.
"No student listed.""
"Open the buffer.""
"I can't from here. That's archived on the server.""
The detective looked toward the building.
"After the fire department clears it.""
Mr. Daniels continued.
November 8.
November 15.
November 21.
Again and again.
Children's names.
Sometimes the camera was off for four minutes.
Sometimes nine.
Once, twenty-three.
Then Mr. Daniels reached December 12.
He went still.
Principal Whitmore noticed.
"What is it?""
Mr. Daniels turned the laptop slightly away from us.
"That shouldn't be possible.""
"What shouldn't?""
"The camera was manually disabled at 7:42 p.m.""
Principal Whitmore frowned.
"The building closes at six.""
"Exactly.""
Detective Alvarez stepped closer.
"Who was in the school?""
Mr. Daniels typed again.
"Faculty access logs show two badges.""
"Whose?""
"Ms. Parker.""
Nobody looked surprised.
Then he read the second name.
And Principal Whitmore's face changed completely.
"That can't be right.""
Mrs. Carter crossed her arms.
"Whose badge?""
Mr. Daniels looked directly at him.
"Yours.""
Silence.
Principal Whitmore stared at the screen.
"I wasn't here.""
Detective Alvarez turned toward him.
"The system says you were.""
"I was at my daughter's Christmas recital.""
"Can anyone confirm that?""
"About three hundred people.""
"Then who had your badge?""
Principal Whitmore opened his mouth.
Nothing came out.
Then his expression shifted.
Not confusion anymore.
Recognition.
"Oh, God.""
"What?"" Detective Alvarez demanded.
Principal Whitmore looked toward Mr. Hayes.
The assistant principal had been standing near the parking lot.
Now he wasn't.
"Where's Hayes?""
Everyone turned.
May you like
His parking space was empty.
And for the second time that afternoon, someone from our school had disappeared.
