Chapter 5 - Officer Grant Rewinds the HallwayOfficer Grant met Owen and Rosa before school opened.
Jayden waited in the truck.
The meeting lasted eighteen minutes.
Grant came outside afterward.
He opened the rear door.
“Can I talk to you?”
Jayden shrugged.
Grant sat sideways.
“I reviewed the hallway camera.”
“It doesn’t show inside.”
“No.”
Grant looked uncomfortable.
“But the microphone near the door caught some audio.”
Jayden sat straighter.
“What?”
“Not everything.”
Grant pulled out a notebook.
“I can clearly hear ‘parents.’ Then ‘fish sellers.’ Then ‘smell like fish.’”
Jayden stared.
“So she lied.”
“Yes.”
Grant did not soften it.
“She lied about that.”
“What else?”
“The camera shows me entering after your statement.”
“So?”
“Mrs. Harper told Brooks I entered while you were still threatening her.”
Jayden’s eyebrows lifted.
“She said that?”
“Yes.”
Grant looked down.
“I need to apologize.”
Jayden said nothing.
“I walked in. Saw her holding her cheek. Saw you standing. I decided what happened before asking enough questions.”
“You told me not to speak.”
“Yes.”
“You looked at me like I was a criminal.”
Grant swallowed.
“Yes.”
Jayden looked out the window.
“Why?”
Grant could have said procedure.
Stress.
Safety.
Instead:
“Because adults are trained to trust other adults in authority.”
Jayden turned back.
“That’s stupid.”
“It can be.”
Grant nodded.
“I’m sorry.”
Jayden did not forgive him immediately.
Grant didn’t ask.
That mattered.
Then Grant said:
“There’s another issue.”
Of course there was.
“Brooks asked me yesterday to sign a supplemental report.”
“What report?”
Grant opened his folder.
The draft stated that he “observed Jayden displaying aggressive posture prior to physical contact.”
“But you didn’t.”
“No.”
“Did you sign?”
“No.”
“Who wrote it?”
“Brooks’s office.”
Jayden felt anger rise.
“They’re trying to make it look worse.”
Grant nodded.
“I reported it to Principal Adrienne Kline.”
“What happened?”
“Brooks has been instructed not to alter incident records pending review.”
Jayden looked toward the school.
“Is Mrs. Harper teaching today?”
“No.”
That surprised him.
“Administrative leave.”
For the first time, something moved against her.
Then Grant looked at the market behind them.
“Your father told me about the property situation.”
Jayden tensed.
“Why?”
“Because I asked why Mrs. Harper mentioned a waterfront offer.”
“You heard that?”
“No.”
“Mia’s video.”
Grant had seen it.
Principal Kline had too.
Mrs. Harper’s attorney had already demanded the recording not be distributed.
Jayden asked:
“Her attorney husband?”
Grant shook his head.
“Different attorney.”
That detail mattered.
Dean Harper was distancing himself.
Why?
Grant continued:
“The district ethics office is checking whether Mrs. Harper had any undisclosed financial interest connected to your family.”
Jayden asked:
“Do they?”
“Don’t know yet.”
Grant stepped out.
Before closing the door, he said:
“One more thing.”
“What?”
“The ruler.”
Jayden looked at him.
“Security found it in her desk drawer after she left.”
“So?”
“There were names written on the underside.”
Jayden frowned.
“What names?”
Grant hesitated.
“Students.”
“How many?”
“Seventeen.”
May you like
Jayden’s stomach dropped.
His name was the newest.
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