Chapter 4: The Witness
Sofia Ramirez did not sleep that night.
The photograph stayed open on her phone.
She kept staring at it.
Not because she was surprised someone was watching her.
Because she was surprised they thought she would stop.
The next morning, she arrived at school early.
Jordan was already there.
“You got one too?””
He looked at her phone.
She nodded.
“What did yours say?””
Jordan showed him.
STOP DIGGING.
Sofia swallowed.
“They know.””
Jordan looked toward the empty hallway.
“Then we stop.””
She looked at him.
“What?””
“We stop before someone gets hurt.””
Sofia shook her head.
“You got hurt.””
“That’s different.””
“No.””
She stepped closer.
“That is exactly why we cannot stop.””
Officer Reed took the threats seriously.
But he needed proof.
Not suspicion.
Not fear.
Proof.
“The camera footage is enough to open an investigation,” he explained.
“But not enough to prove why she did it,” Porter said.
Jordan sat quietly.
Then he remembered something.
“The missing minute.””
Everyone looked at him.
“What?””
Jordan leaned forward.
“When the camera turned off…”
He paused.
“Ms. Dalton said something.””
“What did she say?””
Jordan closed his eyes.
He remembered.
The empty red light.
The ruler.
The quiet.
“She said she knew exactly why I was late.””
Officer Reed frowned.
“Meaning?””
“She knew about my dad.””
Silence.
Sofia opened her folder.
“And she knew about other students too.””
Porter looked through the pages.
Names.
Dates.
Incidents.
Officer Reed looked up.
“Where did you get these?””
“Sofia.””
He looked at her.
“How?””
She hesitated.
Then answered.
“I watched.””
That afternoon, they checked every report.
Every complaint.
Every student who had transferred out of Ms. Dalton’s class.
A pattern appeared.
Small things.
Hidden things.
Students who were embarrassed.
Students who stayed quiet.
Students who believed nobody would believe them.
Then Officer Reed found one name.
A former student.
A student who left six months earlier.
A student who had filed a complaint.
And beside the complaint was one sentence:
Evidence removed.
Porter stared.
“Removed by who?””
Officer Reed looked at the signature.
His face changed.
“No.””
“What?””
He turned the paper around.
The signature belonged to the person who reviewed the complaint.
Eleanor Dalton.
That evening, Jordan returned home.
His father was waiting.
“You found something.””
Jordan nodded.
David looked afraid.
“Jordan.””
“What?””
“Promise me something.””
“What?””
“Do not become angry enough to destroy yourself.””
Jordan looked at him.
“I just want the truth.””
David nodded.
“Then be careful.””
A knock came at the door.
Both of them froze.
Nobody visited.
Not anymore.
Jordan slowly walked toward the entrance.
“Who is it?””
No answer.
Then a voice.
A familiar voice.
“Jordan.””
His blood turned cold.
Ms. Dalton.
David grabbed his arm.
“Do not open that door.””
But Ms. Dalton spoke again.
“I know you’re inside.””
Jordan stared at the lock.
Then she whispered:
“I need to tell you what really happened the day your father was injured.””
And Jordan realized something.
She was not there to threaten him.
She was there because she was scared.
May you like
The question was—
Scared of what?
