Chapter 5: The Anonymous Account
“You know who sent them.””
Madison shook her head too quickly.
“No.””
“You do.””
“I don't know what you're talking about.””
I stood.
Dad touched my elbow.
“Emma.””
But I couldn't sit.
Not after seeing her face.
“Last April, I got three anonymous emails.””
Madison looked toward her father.
That was her second mistake.
Richard Carter immediately said, “Don't answer anything.””
I stared at him.
“I wasn't asking you.””
Dr. Pierce picked up her tablet.
“Emma, do you still have the messages?””
“I deleted them.””
“From your school account?””
“Yes.””
Mr. Alvarez spoke from the wall.
“They may still exist.””
Madison's chair scraped backward.
“No.””
Everyone looked at her.
She swallowed.
“I mean—this is insane. You're going through people's private accounts now?””
Mr. Alvarez frowned.
“I'm talking about recovering messages sent to Emma's school email through our server.””
“Oh.””
Madison sat again.
Her hands disappeared beneath the table.
I noticed them trembling.
Dad noticed too.
“Can you recover them?”” he asked.
“Possibly.””
“How long?””
Mr. Alvarez glanced at Dr. Pierce.
“If the board authorizes it, not long.””
“Authorized,” Dr. Pierce said.
Wallace looked up.
“Naomi—”
“Authorized.””
That ended it.
We moved to the school's technology office.
Madison and her parents weren't invited.
Neither were Tyler or Connor.
For the first time all day, I could breathe.
Barely.
Dad and I sat beside each other while Mr. Alvarez worked with a systems administrator named Priya Shah.
The room hummed with servers.
Dad leaned toward me.
“Why didn't you tell me?””
“I thought they were stupid messages.””
“One threatened you.””
“I didn't think it was real.””
“Emma.””
“I know.””
He rubbed his face.
“No, sweetheart. I don't think you do.””
I looked at him.
His eyes were wet.
That hurt worse than anything Madison had done.
“I was scared you'd pull me out.””
“I might have.””
“Exactly.””
“And maybe I should have.””
“No.””
My answer came too fast.
Dad looked at me.
I lowered my voice.
“If I left, she would've won.””
He shook his head.
“Getting away from people who hurt you isn't losing.””
“I know.””
“Do you?””
I didn't answer.
Priya turned from her monitor.
“I found the first one.””
My heart jumped.
She rotated the screen.
There it was.
*Some opportunities aren't meant for people like you.*
Sender:
*westbridge.truth@—*
The rest was an external email service.
“Can you identify who created it?”” Dad asked.
“Not directly,” Priya said.
“But there may be logs if the account accessed school resources.””
Mr. Alvarez pulled up another system.
“What dates?””
I gave them what I remembered.
The second email appeared.
Then the third.
I stared at the final threat.
*Keep beating Madison Carter and you'll lose more than a test score.*
Dad's hand tightened around the back of my chair.
“That's specific.””
“Yes,” Mr. Alvarez said.
Priya typed rapidly.
“Interesting.””
“What?””
“The messages were sent from outside accounts, but links inside two emails were accessed through the Westbridge guest network.””
Dad frowned.
“What does that mean?””
“It might mean nothing. Lots of people use guest Wi-Fi.””
She clicked again.
“But the access point matters.””
A map of campus appeared.
One marker flashed.
Student parking lot.
Another.
Athletic center.
A third.
Administration building.
Priya frowned.
“That shouldn't happen.””
Dr. Pierce stepped closer.
“What shouldn't?””
“The administration network is separate.””
My pulse accelerated.
“Could a student access it?””
“Not normally.””
Dad stared at the screen.
“Then who could?””
Priya didn't answer immediately.
She opened another log.
Then another.
Her face changed.
“Mr. Alvarez.””
He leaned over.
“What?””
She pointed at something.
He read it.
Then straightened.
“Are you sure?””
“I need to verify.””
“Verify what?”” Dad demanded.
Priya looked uncomfortable.
Dr. Pierce spoke.
“Tell us what you've found.””
Priya inhaled.
“One of the anonymous emails appears to have been created during a session connected to an internal administrative device.””
My mouth went dry.
“Someone at school?””
“Possibly.””
Dad stood.
“Which device?””
Priya clicked.
A machine identification number appeared.
Mr. Alvarez recognized it.
I could tell.
“Whose computer is that?””
He didn't answer.
“Mr. Alvarez?””
He looked at Dr. Pierce.
“It's assigned to Headmaster Wallace's office.””
Nobody moved.
My first thought was impossible.
Wallace had threatened me?
But Priya shook her head.
“That doesn't mean he sent it. Staff devices can be accessed by assistants, technicians, administrators—”
The door opened.
Wallace stood there.
His face was pale.
“What exactly are you doing?””
Dr. Pierce turned.
“Recovering evidence.””
“You don't have authority to examine my computer.””
“I do.””
“This is completely inappropriate.””
Dad stood between Wallace and me.
“Someone used a device in your office to send my daughter a threat.””
Wallace stared at him.
“What?””
“You heard me.””
“That is impossible.””
Priya looked at her monitor.
“Not impossible.””
Wallace stepped forward.
“I want this stopped immediately.””
Dr. Pierce blocked him.
“No.””
His voice rose.
“Naomi, you have no idea what you're risking.””
She stared at him.
“That's the second time today someone has used that sentence.””
Wallace stopped.
Then Priya's computer chimed.
She looked down.
“I found the login.””
Mr. Alvarez moved beside her.
“What login?””
“The internal device wasn't using Wallace's credentials during that session.””
For one second, relief crossed Wallace's face.
Then Priya read the name.
His relief disappeared.
“Administrative guest access,” she said.
“Registered to Richard Carter.””
I felt the room tilt.
Dad whispered, “Madison's father?””
Dr. Pierce looked toward Wallace.
“Why did Richard Carter have administrative guest access?””
Wallace opened his mouth.
Nothing came out.
Then my phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
I almost ignored it.
But the message preview stopped me.
*You should've stayed quiet.*
A second message arrived.
A photograph.
Taken through the technology office window.
Taken seconds ago.
May you like
It showed me sitting beside my father.
Someone was watching us.
