Chapter 12: My Father's File
Dad put the call on speaker.
A man's voice filled the room.
“You need to listen carefully.””
Rachel held up one finger, warning everyone to stay silent.
Dad's face was rigid.
“Who are you?””
“My name doesn't matter.””
“It matters to me.””
“I worked security for Richard Carter.””
My stomach tightened.
The voice continued.
“Not Westbridge security. Private.””
Dad looked at Rachel.
She was already writing.
“What do you want?””
“To give you something.””
“You said you've been inside my house.””
Silence.
Then the man answered.
“Three years ago.””
Dad went white.
I remembered suddenly.
A broken kitchen window.
Nothing stolen.
Dad had assumed neighborhood kids had thrown a rock.
My skin crawled.
“What did you take?””
“Nothing.””
“Then why were you there?””
“I was told to photograph documents.””
“What documents?””
“Anything related to Emma's Westbridge application.””
Dad gripped the table.
“You entered my home because Richard Carter told you to?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
“I didn't ask.””
Rachel leaned toward the phone.
“This is attorney Rachel Bennett. Are you willing to identify yourself and provide a sworn statement?””
The caller became quiet.
“I knew lawyers would get involved.””
“Then you understand why your identity matters.””
“I'll meet.””
“Where?””
“Not at Westbridge.””
He named a coffee shop twenty minutes away.
Rachel shook her head.
“No. Police station.””
“No.””
“Then an attorney's office.””
Another pause.
“Fine.””
Rachel gave him her office address.
“One hour.””
He ended the call.
Dad stared at his phone.
I couldn't move.
Someone had entered our home.
Because of me.
Dad turned toward me.
“Don't.””
“What?””
“I know that face.””
“What face?””
“The one where you decide this is somehow your fault.””
I looked away.
He touched my shoulder.
“Richard Carter made choices. Wallace made choices. Madison made choices.””
His voice softened.
“You existing near them isn't a choice you need to apologize for.””
An hour later, we sat inside Rachel's law office.
Two police investigators joined remotely.
The former security contractor arrived wearing jeans and a baseball cap.
His name was Aaron Pike.
He looked uncomfortable the moment he saw me.
“You were younger than I expected.””
Dad's jaw tightened.
“She's sixteen now.””
Aaron nodded.
“I know.””
“Sit down.””
Aaron did.
Rachel started recording after receiving everyone's consent.
“Mr. Pike, describe your relationship with Richard Carter.””
“I did private security and investigative work for him between 2021 and 2024.””
“What kind of investigative work?””
“Background checks. Employee issues. Business disputes.””
“And families connected to Westbridge?””
Aaron looked down.
“Sometimes.””
“How many?””
“I don't know.””
“More than five?””
“Yes.””
“More than ten?””
Aaron hesitated.
“Yes.””
Dad swore quietly.
Rachel continued.
“Were you asked to investigate Emma Bennett?””
“Yes.””
“When?””
“Before she enrolled.””
My throat tightened.
“What did you find?””
Aaron looked at me.
“Nothing.””
“What does that mean?””
“Your dad had no criminal record. No major debts beyond normal stuff. Your school record was clean.””
He gave a humorless laugh.
“You were boring.””
“Sorry.””
He almost smiled.
Dad didn't.
“What happened next?””
“Richard wanted leverage.””
The word hit me like ice.
“Against a fourteen-year-old?””
Aaron looked ashamed.
“Against your father mostly.””
Dad leaned forward.
“Why?””
“Because you wouldn't withdraw Emma's application.””
Rachel asked, “How do you know?””
“I heard Richard discussing it.””
“With whom?””
Aaron looked at the table.
“Wallace.””
There it was again.
Always Wallace.
Always Richard.
Rachel said, “Tell us about entering the Bennett residence.””
Aaron exhaled.
“I was instructed to photograph admissions documents and any correspondence with Westbridge.””
“Did you find anything useful?””
“No.””
“Did you alter anything?””
“No.””
“Take anything?””
“No.””
“Plant anything?””
“No.””
Dad leaned toward him.
“Then why call now?””
Aaron reached into his jacket.
Dad tensed.
“Easy,” Aaron said.
He removed a flash drive.
Rachel took it.
“What is this?””
“My insurance.””
Against the wall, Priya had joined us to examine technical evidence.
Rachel handed her the drive.
Aaron continued.
“Richard liked giving instructions verbally. But sometimes he'd send follow-ups. Names.
Addresses. Tasks.””
Rachel stared at him.
“You kept copies?””
“When I realized what kind of man I was working for.””
Dad's voice was cold.
“You realized after breaking into my house?””
Aaron accepted that without arguing.
“Yes.””
Priya inserted the drive into an isolated laptop.
Folders appeared.
Dates.
Photographs.
Emails.
Invoices.
Then one folder made my stomach turn.
*BENNETT, EMMA*
Dad stood.
Rachel stopped him.
“Let Priya open it.””
Inside were photographs of our house.
Dad's truck.
Me walking into Westbridge.
Me at a grocery store.
Me leaving chemistry club.
Years of pictures.
I felt exposed in a way I couldn't explain.
Then Priya opened a PDF.
A private report.
*Subject demonstrates exceptional academic performance. No disciplinary vulnerabilities identified.*
Another line:
*Father appears highly protective and unlikely to respond positively to direct pressure.*
Dad stared at it.
“They studied us.””
Aaron nodded.
“Yes.””
Then Priya found an audio file.
Aaron looked up sharply.
“I forgot that was there.””
“What is it?”” Rachel asked.
“A meeting.””
“Between?””
“Richard and Wallace.””
The recording began.
Richard's voice came first.
“If Bennett stays, Madison loses the designation.””
Wallace answered.
“Her scores are higher. I can't change that.””
“You changed Ramirez.””
My heart stopped.
Wallace lowered his voice.
“That was different.””
“No, it wasn't.””
Then Richard said the sentence that made every person in the room go still.
“If you can't remove Bennett now, build the record. Give us something we can use later.””
Dad closed his eyes.
The recording continued.
Wallace sounded nervous.
“She hasn't done anything.””
Richard answered.
“Then eventually she'll make a mistake.””
A pause.
“And if she doesn't?””
Richard laughed.
“Everybody makes mistakes when enough pressure is applied.””
The file ended.
Nobody spoke.
Rachel finally whispered, “That's conspiracy evidence.””
Aaron shook his head.
“There's more.””
He pointed at the folder list.
Priya scrolled.
Another folder appeared.
*ACADEMIC CONTINGENCIES*
Inside were names.
Claire Donovan.
Sofia Ramirez.
Mine.
Several others.
And Madison Carter.
I frowned.
“Why is Madison listed?””
Aaron's expression changed.
“Because Richard didn't only investigate Madison's competition.””
“What else did he investigate?””
“Madison.””
I stared at him.
“His own daughter?””
“He monitored everyone.””
Priya opened Madison's folder.
Messages.
School reports.
Private photographs.
Then a document labeled:
*INCIDENT — CHEMISTRY LAB*
The date was six months earlier.
I looked at Priya.
“What incident?””
She opened it.
The first paragraph described damage to laboratory equipment.
The second described a student being taken to urgent care after exposure to a chemical irritant.
The student's name had been removed.
Madison's involvement had apparently been concealed.
Dr. Pierce, who had joined by video call, leaned toward her camera.
“We had no reported chemistry injury on that date.””
Aaron looked at us.
“That's because Richard paid to make it disappear.””
My stomach twisted.
“Who was hurt?””
Aaron hesitated.
“I don't know the student's name.””
Priya scrolled farther.
A photograph loaded.
The chemistry lab.
Broken glass.
A spill across the counter.
And in the corner of the image, partly hidden behind a cabinet, was a backpack.
I recognized it.
Blue canvas.
White stitching.
A small astronaut keychain hanging from the zipper.
I'd seen that backpack every day.
It belonged to Rachel—the sophomore who had recorded Madison tearing up my test.
My phone buzzed.
A message from Rachel the student appeared.
*Emma, Madison just came to my house.*
Another message arrived immediately.
*She says I have to delete the original hallway video.*
May you like
Then a third.
*She's at the door.*
