Chapter 3 - THE VIDEO THAT DIDN’T EXIST
Mrs. Carter went white.
Victoria turned toward her.
“What video?”
Mrs. Carter stared at Lila.
“I don’t know what she means.”
Lila’s voice shook.
“You showed Peyton.”
“No, sweetheart.”
“Don’t call her sweetheart.”
Elliot said.
Mrs. Carter flinched.
Lila continued.
“Yesterday Peyton threw my apple into the sink.”
“She said I stole hers.”
“You checked the camera.”
“You told her it showed she took mine first.”
Peyton suddenly snapped.
“You said you wouldn’t tell.”
Her own words betrayed her.
Victoria closed her eyes for half a second.
Elliot saw it.
So did Dr. Avery.
Mrs. Carter looked trapped.
“I can explain.”
“Good.”
Elliot said.
“Explain.”
She lowered her voice.
“The main recording system is offline.”
“But staff can access a secondary feed.”
Dr. Avery stared at her.
“What secondary feed?”
Mrs. Carter looked toward Victoria.
That was the second time an adult had looked at Victoria before answering.
Elliot counted it.
“A behavioral monitoring archive.”
“What is that?”
Avery asked.
Victoria stepped in.
“It was approved by the student wellness committee.”
“I chair that committee.”
Avery said.
“I never approved anything.”
For the first time, Victoria looked irritated with him.
“You approved general monitoring protocols.”
“That is not the same thing.”
Elliot lifted his phone.
“My attorney is on speaker.”
A voice answered.
“Mr. Mercer, I heard enough.”
Elliot’s general counsel, Naomi Chen, spoke clearly.
“I am notifying the school to preserve every digital record connected to student surveillance, cafeteria accounts, discipline, financial aid, and board communications.”
Victoria laughed.
“You cannot order us to do that.”
“No.”
Naomi replied.
“But if records disappear after this notice, the court will have a very interesting question about why.”
The cafeteria became silent again.
Dr. Avery turned toward his technology director.
“Lock all servers.”
Victoria’s eyes flashed.
“You do not have authority to override the board.”
Avery stared at her.
“I am the headmaster.”
“And I appoint the headmaster.”
The threat was obvious.
Elliot looked at Lila.
She had heard it too.
Adults protecting themselves.
Again.
He crouched beside her.
“Did you ever see the videos?”
She nodded.
“Peyton showed me one.”
“What was in it?”
“Me.”
“Doing what?”
“Taking food.”
Elliot frowned.
“From where?”
“The emergency snack cabinet.”
“Why?”
Lila’s face crumpled.
“I was hungry.”
His chest tightened.
“Why were you hungry?”
“My lunch card stopped working.”
“When?”
“Twenty-three days ago.”
Elliot stood.
“Who controls lunch accounts?”
The cafeteria manager answered quietly.
“Student services.”
Dr. Avery looked confused.
“Scholarship students receive unlimited meal access.”
The manager shook her head.
“Not anymore.”
Avery stared.
“What do you mean?”
She reached under the counter and pulled out a printed policy.
The heading read:
RESOURCE RESPONSIBILITY INITIATIVE.
Elliot scanned the first paragraph.
Then he stopped.
Scholarship students would receive a reduced daily meal allowance to “teach financial discipline and gratitude.”
May you like
The policy had one signature at the bottom.
Victoria Hargrove.
