Chapter 4 - HER FATHER
Daniel Parker did not yell.
That somehow made the room more frightening.
He crossed the office and knelt in front of Maisie.
“Look at me.”
She couldn’t.
“Maisie.”
Slowly, she raised her eyes.
“Did you do this because you wanted to?”
“No.”
“Did somebody hurt you?”
Her mouth twisted.
“Madison put glue in my braid.”
Daniel shut his eyes for one second.
“What happened next?”
“I told Ms. Kendrick.”
“And?”
“She said I was trying to blame Madison because I was jealous.”
Ms. Kendrick stood.
“That is not what happened.”
Daniel looked up.
“I wasn’t talking to you.”
The teacher sat back down.
Maisie wiped her nose on her sleeve.
“She said I ruined Madison’s volcano.”
“Did you?”
“No! I bumped the table when Madison pulled my hair.”
Daniel’s jaw flexed.
“And the scissors?”
Maisie started crying again.
“She told me if I couldn’t get the glue out, I should cut it. I said no. Then she said she’d send me to Mr. Danner and tell him I destroyed the project and wouldn’t cooperate.”
Daniel stood.
He looked at the principal.
“Is that true?”
Danner raised both hands.
“We’re still gathering information.”
Daniel laughed once.
There was nothing funny in it.
“Gather faster.”
“We need everyone to stay calm.”
“My daughter has half her hair on a classroom floor.”
“Mr. Parker—”
“No. Do not ‘Mr. Parker’ me like I’m being unreasonable.”
Maisie tugged her father’s sleeve.
“Dad.”
He looked down immediately.
“Yeah, baby?”
“Mr. Ortiz has a video.”
The room froze.
Daniel turned.
“A video?”
Mr. Ortiz nodded.
“Forty-seven seconds.”
Danner stepped in.
“The recording was made without staff authorization and is currently being reviewed as a personnel issue.”
Daniel stared at him.
“You’re worried about authorization?”
“That isn’t what I said.”
“It’s exactly what you said.”
Daniel walked toward Mr. Ortiz.
“Does the video show my daughter?”
“Yes.”
“Does it show her being told to cut her hair?”
“Yes.”
“Can I see it?”
Danner stood.
“I strongly advise against distributing that video while we investigate.”
Daniel didn’t even look at him.
“I asked Mr. Ortiz.”
Mr. Ortiz took out his phone.
Before he could unlock it, Danner said, “Miguel, think carefully.”
Mr. Ortiz looked at the principal.
Then at Maisie.
She looked terrified that another adult might choose the institution over her.
He unlocked the phone.
Daniel watched all forty-seven seconds.
Nobody spoke.
When Ms. Kendrick’s recorded voice said, Nobody is going to believe you over Madison, Daniel’s expression turned cold.
When she said, Your mother has nothing to do with this, he stopped the video.
He looked at Ms. Kendrick.
“You knew her mother was dead?”
Ms. Kendrick whispered, “Yes.”
Daniel nodded slowly.
Then he handed the phone back to Mr. Ortiz.
“All right.”
Danner seemed almost relieved.
“Mr. Parker, if we can—”
Daniel held up one finger.
“No. Now I know exactly what kind of conversation this is.”
He took Maisie’s hand.
“We’re leaving.”
Danner frowned.
“We still need her statement.”
“You’ll get it with me present.”
Daniel and Maisie reached the door.
Then Daniel turned around.
“And I want that video preserved.”
“It will be.”
“I wasn’t talking to you.”
He looked at Ortiz.
Mr. Ortiz nodded.
“I already backed it up.”
Danner’s head snapped toward him.
For the first time that day, the principal looked genuinely alarmed.
Daniel noticed.
So did Mr. Ortiz.
And that was when both men realized something.
Principal Danner wasn’t worried about what had happened.
May you like
He was worried about who might see it.
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