Chapter 7: The Person Behind The Curtain
Lily had spent the last two days learning that the scariest people were not always the ones who looked scary.
Sometimes they wore nice suits.
Sometimes they shook hands with parents.
Sometimes they stood on stages and talked about honesty.
The man standing outside Willow Creek Elementary looked like someone who belonged there.
That was the terrifying part.
Noah pressed himself against the wall beside the window.
His face had gone completely pale.
“Who is he?”” Detective Collins asked.
Noah didn’t answer.
The detective lowered her voice.
“Noah.””
The boy’s eyes stayed locked on the parking lot.
“He came before.””
Principal Brooks looked confused.
“When?””
Noah swallowed.
“Before Ms. Grant hurt me.””
Nobody moved.
Detective Collins stepped closer.
“You’re saying that man was here?””
Noah nodded slowly.
“He came to the classroom.””
Lily felt a chill.
“What did he do?””
Noah’s fingers curled into his sleeves.
“He talked to her.””
“About what?””
Noah looked down.
“About me.””
The room became silent.
Marcus Hill walked toward the window.
“Who is he?””
Detective Collins picked up her phone and took a picture through the glass.
A few seconds later, her expression changed.
“You know him?””
Principal Brooks asked.
She stared at the screen.
“I know the name.””
“Who?””
Detective Collins looked at everyone.
“Gregory Vale.””
Lily didn’t recognize it.
But the adults did.
Principal Brooks stepped back.
“No.””
Marcus frowned.
“Who is Gregory Vale?””
Nobody answered immediately.
Then Principal Brooks said:
“He’s one of the biggest donors to this school.””
Lily looked confused.
“So?””
The principal’s face tightened.
“So he paid for half the technology in this building.””
Marcus looked at the security cameras.
“Including the security system?””
Principal Brooks nodded.
The meaning settled over everyone.
Lily looked at the cameras.
The cameras that had been turned off.
The cameras that had failed.
The cameras everyone trusted.
Her stomach dropped.
“He could control them?””
Detective Collins nodded.
“That’s what we need to find out.””
Outside, Gregory Vale walked toward the entrance.
Calm.
Unhurried.
Like he owned the place.
Maybe he thought he did.
The front doors opened.
A few seconds later, a secretary appeared at the conference room.
“Principal Brooks?””
Everyone turned.
“Mr. Vale is here.””
Nobody spoke.
Then the door opened.
Gregory Vale entered.
He was in his late fifties, with silver hair and an expensive navy suit.
His smile was warm.
Almost too warm.
“Daniel,” he said.
Principal Brooks stared at him.
“Gregory.””
Vale looked around the room.
Then his eyes stopped on Noah.
Only for a moment.
But Lily saw it.
The same thing she saw in Ms. Grant’s face.
Recognition.
Not surprise.
Recognition.
“You must be Noah,” Vale said.
Noah stepped backward.
Lily immediately moved beside him.
Gregory Vale noticed.
“How touching.””
Detective Collins stepped forward.
“Mr. Vale, I’m Detective Collins.””
Vale smiled.
“Of course. I was told there would be questions.””
“You were told?””
“Yes.””
“By who?””
Vale looked amused.
“Does it matter?””
The detective’s expression hardened.
“Yes.””
Vale placed his briefcase on the table.
“I’m here because I care about this school.””
Marcus almost laughed.
“After everything that happened?””
Vale looked at him.
“Everything that happened because of one employee’s actions.””
Detective Collins studied him.
“You mean Ms. Grant.””
“Obviously.””
Lily watched him carefully.
He was good.
Very good.
He knew exactly what to say.
He blamed the person who had already been caught.
He separated himself from the problem.
But Lily remembered something.
Monsters didn’t always lie.
Sometimes they told half the truth.
Detective Collins placed the old documents on the table.
“Do you recognize these?””
Vale glanced down.
His expression didn’t change.
“No.””
Lily noticed something.
His hand tightened slightly.
A tiny movement.
Almost invisible.
But it was there.
Detective Collins noticed too.
“You’re sure?””
“Absolutely.””
“What about Richard Hale?””
Vale sighed.
“I heard he made mistakes.””
“Mistakes?””
“Yes.””
“Changing student records is not a mistake.””
Vale leaned back.
“I understand emotions are high.””
“No.””
Detective Collins stepped closer.
“This is not about emotions.””
She tapped the documents.
“This is about children.””
For the first time, Vale’s smile disappeared.
Only briefly.
But Lily saw it.
Then he looked at Noah.
“Children can misunderstand situations.””
Noah’s eyes filled with fear.
Lily immediately stepped forward.
“He’s telling the truth.””
Vale looked at her.
“And you are?””
“Lily.””
He smiled.
“Ah.””
That word made Lily uncomfortable.
“What?””
“I’ve heard about you.””
The room went still.
Detective Collins looked sharply at him.
“You’ve heard about a nine-year-old student?””
Vale didn’t answer.
Lily felt cold.
“How?””
Vale adjusted his jacket.
“I know everything important that happens at this school.””
Marcus stepped forward.
“That’s not normal.””
Vale smiled.
“It is when you invest in a place.””
Detective Collins picked up her phone.
“Mr. Vale, you’ll need to stay available.””
“Am I being accused of something?””
“Not yet.””
“Then I’m free to leave.””
He picked up his briefcase.
But before walking away, he stopped beside Noah.
Lily moved closer.
Vale looked down at the boy.
“You should be careful who you trust.””
Noah trembled.
Detective Collins immediately stepped between them.
“That’s enough.””
Vale smiled.
Then he left.
The room remained silent after the door closed.
Finally, Marcus spoke.
“He knew.””
Everyone looked at him.
“He knew about Noah before we told him.””
Detective Collins nodded.
“That means someone warned him.””
Principal Brooks looked at the security cameras.
“And someone is still helping him.””
Lily looked around.
Then she noticed something.
The laptop on the table.
The video of Ethan Parker.
The file was open.
But the screen had changed.
A new message had appeared.
Nobody had typed anything.
Nobody had touched it.
It simply appeared.
One sentence.
Black letters on a white screen.
“I know you found Ethan’s video.””
Lily’s heart started racing.
Then another line appeared.
“I know you’re watching.””
May you like
And finally:
“Now I’m watching you.””
