Chapter 4 - Mr. Whitaker’s BrotherBy noon, Daniel Whitaker was no longer simply Sadie’s chemistry teacher.
Not because they believed her.
Not completely.
But because the pills recovered from her backpack created a problem for the prosecution almost immediately.
There were no fingerprints.
Not hers.
Not Leah’s.
Not anyone’s.
The small plastic bag had apparently been wiped before it was placed inside the backpack.
Officer Keller also discovered that the front pocket zipper had been open when another student photographed the classroom twenty minutes before Leah collapsed.
Sadie never left her backpack open.
Still, Franklin Ridge High School suspended her “pending investigation.”
By 7:00 the next morning, the story had spread across town.
HONORS STUDENT QUESTIONED AFTER CLASSROOM OVERDOSE.
Nobody mentioned that Sadie had called 911.
Nobody mentioned that she had kept Leah breathing.
Nobody mentioned the anonymous threat.
The school district issued a statement saying it was “cooperating fully with law enforcement.”
Sadie sat at the kitchen counter watching her mother delete comments from a local Facebook group.
“Stop reading them,” Megan said.
“I’m not.”
“You’re reading them right now.”
Sadie placed her phone facedown.
“What about Locker 214?”
Megan looked toward the living room.
Officer Keller stood near the window speaking quietly into his phone.
Mr. Whitaker had given police the notebook page immediately after receiving the threat.
Keller had not dismissed it.
That mattered.
But when officers searched locker 214 at 1:15 a.m., they found nothing.
The locker was empty.
Completely empty.
Not a textbook.
Not a jacket.
Not even a scrap of paper.
Sadie knew something was wrong.
“Whose locker is it?” she asked.
Keller ended his call.
“According to school records, nobody’s.”
Sadie frowned.
“That doesn’t make sense.”
“It’s listed as unused.”
“Leah wouldn’t write down a random locker.”
“I agree.”
Keller sat across from her.
“We also checked access logs.”
“What access logs?”
“The electronic staff keycards used in the hallway after hours.”
Sadie leaned forward.
“And?”
“Someone entered the science wing at 12:42 last night.”
Megan stopped moving.
“After police had already left?”
“Yes.”
“Who?”
“The system shows Principal Danner’s keycard.”
Sadie stared.
“But was it him?”
“We don’t know yet.”
“Ask him.”
“We did.”
“And?”
“He claims his card disappeared during the fire alarm.”
Sadie almost laughed.
“Convenient.”
Keller didn’t disagree.
He opened his notebook.
“I want you to tell me everything you know about Leah.”
“We weren’t close.”
“You sat together.”
“Only this semester.”
“Did she seem afraid recently?”
Sadie thought about it.
Leah had become quieter over the last month.
She sometimes checked the hallway before leaving class.
Once, Sadie saw her close her laptop immediately when Mr. Whitaker approached.
Another time, she had asked Sadie whether school security cameras stored video permanently.
Sadie had assumed Leah was worried about being caught skipping lunch.
“She asked weird questions.”
“What kind?”
“About cameras. About whether deleted files can be recovered.”
Keller wrote it down.
“Anything else?”
Sadie hesitated.
“Last week she asked if chemistry inventory records could be changed.”
Keller stopped writing.
“What exactly did she say?”
“She asked whether someone could remove chemicals from storage without it showing in the system.”
Megan looked at Sadie.
“You didn’t tell me that.”
“I didn’t think it mattered.”
Now it did.
Very much.
Keller stood.
“I’m going back to the school.”
“I’m coming.”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re suspended.”
“Someone framed me.”
“And that person may still be there.”
“Exactly.”
“That is precisely why you’re staying here.”
Sadie crossed her arms.
Keller sighed.
“I understand how frustrating this is.”
“No, you don’t.”
“No,” he said. “I probably don’t.”
Then he surprised her.
“But I do believe you saw something important.”
He left.
Sadie waited approximately four minutes before reaching for her coat.
Megan blocked the door.
“No.”
“Mom.”
“Absolutely not.”
“Leah left that message because she knew something was happening.”
“And Officer Keller is investigating.”
“What if whoever emptied the locker destroys everything?”
“Sadie.”
“What if Leah wakes up and nobody believes her either?”
Megan’s expression softened.
That was Sadie’s opening.
“Please.”
Her mother stared at her for several seconds.
Then she grabbed her own keys.
“You are not going anywhere without me.”
They drove to Franklin Ridge.
Police vehicles occupied the front parking lot.
A local television crew waited beside the entrance.
Megan parked across the street.
“We are not going inside.”
Sadie nodded.
Then saw something.
A boy wearing a blue Franklin Ridge hoodie stepped out of the side door.
He looked around.
Then hurried toward the athletic field.
Sadie recognized him.
Evan Briggs.
Leah’s boyfriend.
“Mom.”
“What?”
“That’s Evan.”
“So?”
“He told police yesterday that he was sick and hadn’t been at school.”
“How do you know?”
“Everyone knows.”
Evan carried something under his arm.
A black binder.
Sadie opened the car door.
“Sadie!”
She was already running.
Evan heard her footsteps and turned.
His face went pale.
“Why are you here?”
Sadie stopped ten feet away.
“What’s in the binder?”
“Nothing.”
“Did Leah give it to you?”
Evan backed away.
“Go home.”
“Did you empty locker 214?”
His eyes widened.
That was enough.
Sadie stepped closer.
“You did.”
“I’m trying to help her.”
“Then tell me what’s happening.”
“I can’t.”
“Someone put drugs in my backpack!”
“I know.”
Sadie froze.
“What did you say?”
Evan realized his mistake.
He turned.
Sadie grabbed his sleeve.
“You knew?”
“Let go.”
“How?”
“Sadie—”
“How did you know?”
He pulled free.
Then a black SUV turned onto the service road behind the gym.
Evan saw it.
All the color vanished from his face.
“Oh, no.”
“What?”
He shoved the binder into Sadie’s hands.
“Take this.”
“What?”
“Run.”
The SUV accelerated.
Sadie heard Megan shouting from across the street.
Evan pushed Sadie toward the school.
“RUN!”
The SUV jumped the curb.
Evan barely escaped its front bumper.
Sadie sprinted toward the science entrance with the binder pressed against her chest.
The SUV stopped.
A man stepped out.
Sadie didn’t recognize him.
He wore a dark jacket and baseball cap.
“Give me the binder.”
Sadie backed toward the door.
“Stay away from her!” Megan screamed.
The man moved faster.
Sadie reached for the handle.
Locked.
The man came closer.
Then the door suddenly opened from inside.
Mr. Whitaker grabbed Sadie by the arm and pulled her into the building.
He slammed the door.
The man outside stopped.
He stared through the glass.
Then slowly walked back toward the SUV.
Sadie turned to Whitaker.
“How did you know I was here?”
“I saw the vehicle on the security camera.”
“You have access?”
“Chemistry faculty can monitor the loading entrance.”
Megan reached them moments later.
Evan followed.
Officer Keller came running down the hallway.
“What happened?”
Sadie handed him the binder.
“Locker 214.”
Keller opened it.
Inside were dozens of printed documents.
Purchase orders.
Chemical inventory logs.
Student medical records.
And photographs of small blue pills.
Mr. Whitaker stared.
“What are those?”
Evan leaned against the wall.
“Leah found out someone has been stealing controlled laboratory chemicals and prescription medication from the district for almost a year.”
Keller looked at him.
“Who?”
Evan swallowed.
“She didn’t know.”
Sadie pointed toward one document.
A company name appeared repeatedly.
RIDGE EDUCATIONAL SUPPLY SERVICES.
Mr. Whitaker took one step backward.
Sadie noticed.
“You know that company.”
Whitaker didn’t answer.
“Mr. Whitaker?”
He looked at her.
May you like
Then at the binder.
“My brother owns it.”
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