Chapter 3: The Missing Minute
The next morning, Jordan expected everyone to look at him differently.
He was right.
Students whispered when he entered the hallway.
Some looked sorry.
Some looked scared.
A few looked away.
Jordan hated all of it.
He did not want attention.
He wanted things to go back to normal.
But normal had already disappeared.
Sofia caught up with him near his locker.
“Jordan.””
He kept walking.
“Jordan, wait.””
He stopped.
“What?””
She held out a folder.
“What is that?””
“Notes.””
“I don’t need notes.””
“Yes, you do.””
He frowned.
Sofia lowered her voice.
“I saw something.””
Jordan looked around.
“What?””
“Before the camera came back on.””
His face tightened.
“You should forget it.””
“I can’t.””
“You can.””
“No.””
Sofia opened the folder.
Inside were written times.
Names.
Dates.
“Other students.””
Jordan stared.
“What is this?””
“Ms. Dalton.””
The hallway noise seemed to fade.
Sofia continued.
“I started noticing things months ago.””
Jordan shook his head.
“Why didn’t you say anything?””
Her eyes dropped.
“Because I was scared.””
The honesty surprised him.
“You?””
“Yes.””
She closed the folder.
“Being scared doesn’t mean you’re weak.””
Jordan looked away.
“It does when nobody listens.””
Sofia had no answer.
Because she knew that feeling.
Assistant Principal Porter called Jordan and Sofia into her office.
Officer Reed was there.
So was a woman Jordan had never seen before.
“My name is Rachel Hayes.””
Jordan froze.
The woman looked at him.
“I’m your aunt.””
He stared.
“I don’t have an aunt.””
Rachel’s face softened.
“You do.””
David had never talked about his family.
Not once.
Jordan sat slowly.
“Why are you here?””
Rachel looked at Porter.
Then back at him.
“Because your teacher knows something about your family.””
Jordan felt cold.
“What?””
Rachel opened a folder.
Inside was an old photograph.
David Hayes.
A younger David.
Standing beside another woman.
Ms. Dalton.
Jordan looked closer.
“That’s her.””
Porter nodded.
“They knew each other.””
Jordan felt his stomach drop.
“How?””
Rachel answered quietly.
“Because Eleanor Dalton was the person who denied your father’s accident claim.””
Silence.
The room changed.
Jordan looked at the photo again.
“She did what?””
Rachel swallowed.
“She worked for the insurance company before becoming a teacher.””
Officer Reed leaned forward.
“And after the claim was denied, your father lost everything.””
Jordan’s hands shook.
“So she knew.””
“Yes.””
“She knew my dad was hurt.””
“Yes.””
“And she still…”
Nobody finished the sentence.
Because everyone knew.
That evening, David sat silently when Jordan came home.
“You know.””
Jordan stopped.
“What?””
His father looked tired.
“About Eleanor Dalton.””
Jordan slowly sat.
“Why didn’t you tell me?””
David looked toward the window.
“Because you were thirteen.””
“I’m still thirteen.””
“I know.””
“Then why did you let me think everything was just bad luck?””
David closed his eyes.
“Because sometimes adults are ashamed of things they didn’t do.””
Jordan’s anger faded.
“Dad…”
“I fought.””
David’s voice broke.
“I fought for months.””
“Against her?””
“Against the company. Against the system. Against people who had already decided I wasn’t worth helping.””
Jordan looked down.
Then his father said something that made him stop breathing.
“She visited me last week.””
“What?””
David looked at him.
“She offered money.””
Jordan went still.
“Why?””
David shook his head.
“I don’t know.””
But Jordan knew.
Because Ms. Dalton had not been trying to punish him.
She had been trying to silence him.
And then Jordan’s phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
One message.
A photograph.
Jordan opened it.
His face turned white.
It was a picture of Sofia.
Taken outside school.
May you like
And underneath it were four words:
STOP DIGGING.
