Chapter 8: The Settlement Nobody Mentioned
Vance stared at the investigator.
“What do you mean?””
Her name badge read MARIA SANTOS.
She remained calm.
“Our office opened a preliminary inquiry at 8:05 this morning.””
Dr. Hayes frowned.
“Based on Mr. Reed's submission?””
“Partly.””
David looked surprised.
“Partly?””
Santos opened her portfolio.
“We received another submission eleven days ago.””
Dr. Whitmore's head lifted.
“From whom?””
“I can't disclose that at this stage.””
Vance regained some of his composure.
“Then this conversation is over.””
Santos looked at him.
“You're welcome to stop speaking.””
That silenced him.
She turned toward Dr. Hayes.
“We need the original devices associated with the files, access logs, board communications, scholarship records, and admissions data.””
“You'll have full cooperation,” Dr. Hayes said.
Vance laughed.
“You cannot promise board records without board approval.””
Caldwell stepped forward.
“She can promise district records.””
“And the board?””
Caldwell lifted his phone.
“Emergency meeting request accepted.””
Vance stared.
Caldwell continued.
“Four members have joined the request.””
“You need five for immediate action.””
A woman stood near the back.
Board member Linda Park.
“Five.””
Vance's face tightened.
Caldwell looked at him.
“You're temporarily recused from decisions concerning this investigation pending counsel's review.””
“You don't have the votes.””
Caldwell turned toward the board members.
Hands rose.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Five.
Six.
Vance stopped speaking.
Marcus watched the power drain out of him.
Not dramatically.
Not all at once.
Just piece by piece.
A chairmanship meant something only while people obeyed.
Santos turned toward Claire.
“You're the student who preserved the directory?””
Claire nodded nervously.
“I stopped when Dr. Hayes told me to.””
“Good. Did you alter anything?””
“No.””
“Take screenshots?””
“Only before I realized this was bigger than a graduation problem.””
Santos nodded.
“We'll document those.””
Claire swallowed.
“Am I in trouble?””
“No.””
Claire visibly exhaled.
Marcus almost smiled.
Then Santos looked at the projected folder names.
“Settlements.””
Dr. Whitmore lowered her eyes.
Santos noticed.
“You recognize that?””
Whitmore nodded.
“I've seen documents with that label.””
“Where?””
“In Mr. Vance's office.””
Vance snapped, “Do not answer another question without an attorney.””
Whitmore looked at him.
“You're not my attorney.””
“No, but you're exposing yourself.””
She gave a hollow laugh.
“I exposed myself when I walked onto that stage.””
Marcus met her eyes.
She looked away first.
Santos asked, “What kind of settlements?””
Whitmore hesitated.
“Parents.””
“For what?””
“Complaints.””
“What complaints?””
Whitmore's voice dropped.
“Unequal treatment. Scholarship issues. Discipline.””
Jamal's father stood.
“What discipline?””
Whitmore flinched.
He repeated it.
“What discipline?””
Santos turned toward him.
“Sir, please allow us to establish the facts.””
Jamal's father pointed at the screen.
“My son's name was on their list.””
Jamal touched his father's arm.
“Dad.””
“No. They called you a conduct problem.””
“I know.””
“You've never even had detention!””
Jamal's father looked toward Whitmore.
“Tell me what my son did.””
Whitmore's eyes filled.
“Nothing.””
The word landed hard.
Jamal's father stared.
“What?””
“The note wasn't based on misconduct.””
“Then why was it there?””
Whitmore swallowed.
“Because Mr. Vance said some donors found him…”
She stopped.
“Found him what?”” Jamal demanded.
Whitmore looked ashamed.
“Intimidating.””
Jamal stared at her.
He was seventeen.
Thin.
Wearing glasses.
Still clutching the little robotics pin on his graduation gown.
“I'm intimidating?””
“No.””
“But you wrote it down.””
“Yes.””
“Did you ever ask me a question?””
“No.””
“Did you ever talk to me?””
“No.””
“Then how did you decide what I was?””
Whitmore had no answer.
Marcus watched Jamal's mother pull her son against her.
Across the graduates' section, Sofia was crying too.
This was bigger than one speech.
Bigger than Marcus.
That realization should have made him feel less alone.
Instead, it made him furious.
How many students had gone home believing they weren't good enough?
How many families had never known there was another explanation?
Santos's colleague approached.
“We have the Phoenix directory secured.””
“Can you access it?””
“We can preserve it now. We'll need authorization and proper forensic procedure before reviewing protected records.””
Vance exhaled with visible relief.
David noticed.
“There's something in there you're scared of.””
Vance smiled coldly.
“You desperately want me to be a villain because it makes abandoning your family easier to explain.””
The words hit David.
Marcus saw it.
Vance continued.
“You disappeared for nine years, David. Don't stand there pretending you did it for justice.””
Marcus's stomach twisted.
Because for once, Vance wasn't entirely wrong.
David looked at Marcus.
“I don't expect forgiveness.””
“Good.””
“I only want the truth preserved.””
Marcus said nothing.
Then Angela approached David.
“Why now?””
David looked at her.
“What?””
“You had six years.””
Angela's voice shook.
“You had six years to send those files somewhere. Why last night?””
David hesitated too long.
Marcus noticed.
“So there's more.””
David looked at the floor.
“Dad.””
It was the first time Marcus had called him that all day.
David's eyes snapped up.
Marcus hated that he saw hope there.
“Don't make me ask twice.””
David breathed out.
“The anonymous sender attached one document.””
“What document?””
“A settlement agreement.””
Whitmore went pale.
“Whose?””
David reached for his phone.
Santos held out her hand.
“Show me first.””
He did.
She read silently.
Her expression changed.
“Where did this come from?””
“The anonymous email.””
“Can you authenticate it?””
“No.””
“Then we treat it as unverified.””
“What does it say?”” Angela asked.
Santos looked toward David.
He nodded.
She answered carefully.
“It appears to document a payment made to the family of a former Eastbrook student.””
Marcus frowned.
“For what?””
Santos read another line.
“Alleged discriminatory exclusion from an academic program.””
Caldwell stared at Vance.
“When?””
“Four years ago.””
Caldwell shook his head.
“I was on the board. I never saw this.””
“That may be significant.””
Vance suddenly smiled.
“Or it may be fabricated.””
Santos nodded.
“Correct. Which is why we'll investigate.””
His smile faded when she continued.
“But the document references a Phoenix case number.””
Silence.
Marcus looked toward the screen.
SETTLEMENTS.
David whispered, “So Phoenix isn't just a folder.””
Santos shook her head.
“No.””
“What is it?””
Before she could answer, her colleague called from the AV desk.
“Maria.””
Something in his voice made everyone turn.
“What?””
“We found a recovery log.””
“From the deletion?””
“Yes.””
He stared at the laptop.
“The system recorded which Phoenix files were targeted first.””
Santos approached.
“Which ones?””
The investigator read the first filename.
“Brennan.””
Dr. Whitmore closed her eyes.
The second.
“Alvarez.””
Sofia's mother gasped.
The third.
“Brooks.””
Jamal's father stepped forward.
Then the investigator stopped.
Marcus felt Naomi's hand tighten around his.
“What?”” Santos asked.
The man looked directly at Marcus.
“The fourth file is Reed.””
Marcus stared at the screen.
“Mine?””
The investigator shook his head.
“No.””
He enlarged the filename.
REED_ANGELA_2017.
May you like
Marcus slowly turned toward his mother.
Angela looked like she had seen a ghost.
