Chapter 5: The Person Behind the Threats
I walked into my office and closed the door behind me.
“Tell me everything,” I said.
Ryan's voice was low.
“Three weeks ago, Emily received a video from an anonymous account.””
“I know.””
“No, Mr. Williams. I don't think you know.””
I sat behind my desk.
“Then tell me.””
Ryan took a breath.
“The person who sent the video wasn't trying to embarrass Emily.””
I frowned.
“What do you mean?””
“They were testing her.””
“For what?””
“To see who would share it.””
I stared at the window.
“Why?””
“Because whoever was running the account was collecting names.””
“Names of people who shared it?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
“We don't know.””
I rubbed my forehead.
“Then where does Maya come into this?””
“She was the only student who started asking the right questions.””
I closed my eyes.
“And that's why she got targeted.””
“Yes.””
“By who?””
“We don't know yet.””
Ryan's voice became quieter.
“But we know it's someone with access to the school.””
My eyes opened.
“What makes you say that?””
“Because some of the messages Maya received contained information that wasn't public.””
“What information?””
“Her disciplinary meeting.””
I sat up.
“Maya never had a disciplinary meeting.””
“She did.””
“No.””
Ryan paused.
“Mr. Williams, your daughter was called into the vice principal's office the morning after she reported the video.””
I remembered that day.
Maya had texted me around noon.
*Dad, I'm okay. Just had a weird meeting at school.*
I had been at a job site.
I told her we'd talk that evening.
We never did.
“What happened in that meeting?”” I asked.
Ryan said, “They asked her to stop investigating.””
“Who?””
“The vice principal and the school resource officer.””
“Why?””
“They said she was interfering with an investigation.””
My jaw tightened.
“Did they accuse her of distributing the video?””
“No.””
“Then what?””
“They told her to hand over her phone.””
I stood.
“Did she?””
“No.””
Ryan paused.
“She gave them the screenshots.””
I looked down.
My daughter's phone suddenly felt like something much more important than a phone.
“Why didn't you tell me this before?””
“I tried.””
“When?””
“Your wife answered.””
My stomach dropped.
“What did she say?””
“She told me you didn't want to get involved.””
I stared at the wall.
“That's not true.””
“I know that now.””
“Did you speak to Maya?””
“Yes.””
“When?””
“Yesterday.””
“What did she tell you?””
“That she was scared.””
I looked toward the office door.
Through the glass, I could see Maya sitting on the couch.
Tasha was beside her.
Denise was standing near the kitchen.
“I need a favor,” I told Ryan.
“What?””
“Send me every document you have.””
There was silence.
Then Ryan said, “I will.””
“Everything.””
“You should also check your daughter's laptop.””
My heart skipped.
“Why?””
“Because Maya told me someone accessed it.””
I hung up.
I walked straight into the living room.
“Maya.””
She looked up.
“Did someone access your laptop?””
Her eyes widened.
“How did you know?””
“Ryan Bennett.””
Denise immediately stepped forward.
“Marcus, stop.””
I ignored her.
“When?””
“Last week.””
“What happened?””
“I came home from school and my laptop was open.””
“Was anything missing?””
“No.””
“Anything changed?””
“I don't know.””
“Did you tell Denise?””
“Yes.””
I turned toward my wife.
“What did you do?””
“I told her to change her password.””
“Did you check the computer?””
“No.””
“Why not?””
“Because I thought she was being dramatic.””
Maya looked at her.
“I wasn't.””
Denise shook her head.
“You were already obsessed with the Emily situation.””
I looked at Maya.
“Where's the laptop?””
“Upstairs.””
“Get it.””
She stood.
Denise grabbed my arm.
“Marcus.””
I pulled away.
“Not now.””
Her face hardened.
“You're treating me like the enemy.””
“I don't know what to treat you like.””
She stared at me.
“You're going too far.””
I walked toward the stairs.
“No. I'm finally going far enough.””
Upstairs, Maya opened the door to her bedroom.
Her room was exactly as I remembered it.
Photos of Angela were still pinned beside her desk.
A small stuffed bear sat on the bookshelf.
Her college brochures were stacked neatly in a corner.
She opened the laptop.
“Dad?””
“Yes?””
“If you find something…”
She stopped.
“What?””
“Promise you won't be angry with me.””
I sat beside her.
“I promise.””
She entered her password.
The screen opened.
Nothing looked unusual.
Then Maya clicked on the browser history.
Her face changed.
“What?””
She pointed.
“There.””
I leaned closer.
Several websites had been accessed at 2:13 a.m.
While Maya had been asleep.
I checked the dates.
Three nights.
Then five.
Then yesterday.
“Did you give anyone your password?””
“No.””
“Did Tasha?””
Maya looked at her stepsister.
Tasha shook her head.
“No.””
I looked at Denise.
She was standing in the doorway.
Her expression was unreadable.
“Did you?””
She frowned.
“Did I what?””
“Use Maya's laptop?””
“No.””
Maya suddenly clicked another folder.
Her eyes widened.
“Dad.””
“What?””
She opened a document.
It contained screenshots of messages between Maya and Emily.
But they weren't Maya's screenshots.
They had been edited.
Someone had altered the timestamps.
Made it look like Maya had encouraged Emily to expose the video publicly.
Maya covered her mouth.
“I never wrote this.””
“I know.””
Tasha stepped closer.
“Mom?””
Denise stared at the screen.
“What?””
“Why is your email address in the document history?””
Denise froze.
I looked.
At the bottom of the screen was a file history.
The document had been opened from an email attachment.
The sender was an address ending in *@williamsconstruction.com*.
My company domain.
My blood ran cold.
“That email account belongs to who?”” I asked.
Denise didn't answer.
I looked at her.
“Denise.””
She finally whispered,
“Me.””
Maya stared at her.
“You sent this to yourself?””
Denise shook her head.
“I didn't create that file.””
“But you opened it.””
“I don't remember.””
I stood.
“You don't remember?””
“No.””
I took my phone out.
“I'm calling my IT manager.””
Denise's face went pale.
“You don't need to.””
“Yes, I do.””
“Marcus, listen to me.””
“I've listened to you all afternoon.””
She grabbed my wrist.
“Please.””
I looked at her hand.
She released me.
Then she whispered,
“If you involve your company, everything will become public.””
I stared at her.
“What does that mean?””
She looked toward Maya.
Then toward Tasha.
“I was trying to protect all of you.””
“From what?””
Her eyes filled with tears.
“From the truth.””
Nobody spoke.
Then my phone buzzed.
A new email had arrived.
The subject line read:
*YOU SHOULD ASK YOUR WIFE WHAT HAPPENED SIX MONTHS AGO.*
There was one attachment.
A photograph.
I opened it.
It showed Denise sitting inside a restaurant.
Across from her was a man I had never seen before.
Except I knew his face.
He was the same man standing in the background of another photograph on my desk.
My business partner.
May you like
And beneath the photo was a message:
*Your daughter found us before you did.*
