Chapter 8: The Name on the Server
I followed Eric into my home office.
My hands were cold.
My head was spinning.
Someone inside my company had uploaded the video.
Someone had used my business network.
Someone had spent months building a trail that led toward Denise.
And somehow Maya had stumbled into the middle of it.
I turned to Eric.
“Who has access to the server?””
“Your IT administrator. Senior management. Daniel.””
“And me.””
“Yes.””
“Anyone else?””
Eric nodded.
“Your wife.””
I looked at Denise.
She followed us into the office.
“I never accessed the server.””
Eric opened his laptop.
“Your credentials did.””
Denise stared at the screen.
“I don't understand.””
“Someone used your account.””
“When?””
“Six months ago.””
“That's impossible.””
Eric showed me the access log.
I recognized the timestamp.
The night Maya had first asked me about Daniel.
The night Denise had supposedly been asleep.
I looked at my wife.
“Were you home?””
“Yes.””
“Did you use your laptop?””
“No.””
“Did you leave the house?””
“No.””
Eric scrolled.
“There are dozens of access attempts.””
“From where?””
“Your home network.””
Denise shook her head.
“I didn't do it.””
“I believe you,” Eric said.
I looked at him.
“Then who did?””
He pointed to the screen.
“Someone connected to your Wi-Fi.””
I frowned.
“That's not enough.””
“No.””
He clicked another file.
“That's why I checked the device history.””
A list appeared.
My phone.
Denise's phone.
Maya's laptop.
Tasha's phone.
And one unfamiliar device.
I read the name.
*EC-4471.*
“What is that?””
“A device registered to an external user.””
“Who?””
Eric looked uncomfortable.
“We traced the registration.””
“To whom?””
He paused.
Then said,
“Your former office manager.””
I froze.
“Linda?””
Eric nodded.
Linda had worked for me for eleven years.
She had left six months earlier.
Two days after Maya first spoke to Daniel.
I stared at the screen.
“Why would Linda have access to our network?””
“She shouldn't.””
“Did she have credentials?””
“Yes.””
I felt my stomach drop.
“Did I revoke them?””
Eric looked at me.
“No.””
I couldn't breathe for a second.
“Why not?””
“Because someone marked her account as active.””
I turned toward Denise.
“Who handles employee access?””
“IT.””
“Who approves changes?””
“Daniel.””
I looked at Eric.
“So Daniel kept Linda's account active.””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
“I don't know.””
I paced across the office.
Everything was connecting.
Linda.
Daniel.
Denise.
The missing money.
The school.
Maya.
Emily.
The threats.
But one piece still didn't fit.
“Why would someone use my company to spread a school video?””
Eric closed the laptop.
“That is what we need to find out.””
My phone rang.
Ryan Bennett.
I answered.
“Ryan?””
His voice was urgent.
“Marcus, I found something.””
“What?””
“Emily remembered the person who first contacted her.””
“Who?””
“She said it was a woman.””
My eyes narrowed.
“Who?””
“She doesn't know her name.””
“Then how do we find her?””
Ryan hesitated.
“She remembers the perfume.””
I blinked.
“The perfume?””
“She said the woman smelled like jasmine.””
I looked toward Denise.
Her face had gone completely still.
I knew that perfume.
Denise wore it almost every day.
I looked at Eric.
He noticed my expression.
“What's wrong?””
I didn't answer.
Denise stepped backward.
“Marcus…”
I looked at her.
“You wear jasmine perfume.””
Her eyes filled with tears.
“I wasn't the woman.””
“Then why do you look terrified?””
“Because…”
She stopped.
“Because what?””
She covered her mouth.
Then whispered,
“I met Emily.””
My blood ran cold.
“When?””
“Before all of this.””
“Where?””
“At school.””
“Why?””
Denise shook her head.
“I was looking for Maya.””
“You went to her school to find my daughter?””
“Yes.””
“When?””
“Six months ago.””
I stared.
The same time Daniel had been investigating my company.
The same time Maya had seen him.
The same time the first transfers occurred.
“You met Emily six months ago?””
“Yes.””
“What did you say to her?””
“I asked about Maya.””
“What did she tell you?””
“That Maya was asking questions.””
“About what?””
“Daniel.””
I stepped closer.
“Why was Maya asking about Daniel?””
Denise looked at her.
“Because Maya saw him give something to Linda.””
I turned.
“Give what?””
Maya looked terrified.
“A flash drive.””
I felt the room spin.
“What was on it?””
“I don't know.””
“Why didn't you tell me?””
“Because Daniel saw me.””
“When?””
“The day he came to school.””
I looked at Eric.
“That's what started all of this.””
He nodded.
“Maya saw the transfer.””
“Not money,” Maya said.
“Then what?””
She looked at me.
“A list.””
“What list?””
“Names.””
“Whose names?””
“Students.””
The room went silent.
Maya continued.
“Emily wasn't the only one.””
My heart pounded.
“How many?””
“Twenty-three.””
Eric's face changed.
“What kind of list?””
Maya shook her head.
“I don't know.””
Ryan suddenly called again.
I put him on speaker.
“Ryan, you're on speaker.””
His voice came through.
“I just got an email.””
“What does it say?””
“It's from the school.””
“About Emily?””
“No.””
He paused.
“About Maya.””
My stomach tightened.
“What about her?””
“They're accusing her of distributing the video.””
I looked at Maya.
Ryan continued.
“They've scheduled a disciplinary hearing for tomorrow morning.””
I frowned.
“Tomorrow?””
“Yes.””
“Who requested it?””
Ryan went silent.
Then said,
“Your wife's brother.””
I stared at Denise.
“Andre?””
“Yes.””
Denise's face crumpled.
“No.””
Ryan continued.
“He filed the complaint himself.””
I looked at her.
“You said Andre was helping you.””
“He was.””
“Then why is he accusing Maya?””
Denise shook her head.
“I don't know.””
Eric suddenly looked at his laptop.
“Wait.””
“What?””
He stared at the screen.
“The anonymous account that distributed the video…”
He turned the laptop toward me.
The account had been traced to a single device.
A device registered to Andre Carter.
I looked at Denise.
She whispered,
“That can't be.””
Then Eric opened the final log.
The account had been accessed again.
Tonight.
From inside our house.
We all looked toward the hallway.
A floorboard creaked upstairs.
Maya grabbed my arm.
“Dad.””
May you like
I heard a door close.
Someone was in the house.
