Chapter 8

The room did not go silent. It went sharp, like a radio finding a signal.

Corinne stood at the microphone with her hands gripping the edges of the podium. She did not look at Lyle. She looked at the board.

“On December fifth, Lyle asked the janitor to put a new lock on the supply closet off the gym hallway. He told me it was for school supplies. But he used it for Sadie.”

Harris leaned forward. “Are you saying Mr. Vance locked your daughter in a closet?”

“Yes.”

“How do you know?”

“She told me. Tonight. In the bathroom. She nodded when I asked. And I found a drawing in her backpack. A closet. A whistle.” Corinne’s voice cracked. “I didn’t want to see it before.”

Lyle stood. “This is absurd. She’s lying because she’s afraid of him.” He pointed at me. “He’s been threatening her for months.”

“Mr. Vance, sit down,” Harris said.

Lyle did not sit. “She’s covering for him. She’s always covered for him.”

Rhonda stood. “The board should ask Mr. Vance why his whistle was in Sadie’s pocket. And why he requested an off-schedule lock on a supply closet he does not use.”

Harris looked at Lyle. “Do you have an answer?”

Lyle’s mouth opened. Then closed.

Rhonda called Hank Pruitt.

Hank walked to the microphone like a man walking to a gallows. His mustache twitched. He held the maintenance log in both hands.

“Tell the board what you told me,” Rhonda said.

Hank cleared his throat. “Lyle Vance asked me to change the lock on the supply closet December fifth. It wasn’t on the schedule. He said he’d file the paperwork. He never did.”

“Did you see him use the closet?”

Hank’s eyes found Sadie’s empty chair. “I saw him take the girl in there once. I heard the whistle. I didn’t know.”

“Did he threaten you?”

Hank hesitated. Then he pulled out his phone and showed the board the photo of Lyle’s car outside his house. “He was parked outside my place last night.”

The room erupted. Harris banged the gavel. Lyle took a step toward the door.

“Officer Dunne,” Rhonda called. “I think you need to detain Mr. Vance.”

Dunne looked at Harris. Harris nodded.

Lyle tried to walk past the folding chairs. A father in the front row stood up. Another man stood. Lyle stopped.

I did not move. I wanted to. I wanted to put my hands on him the way I had in the hallway, and this time I knew everyone would understand. But Sadie was somewhere in this building, and I would not give them another reason to call me a weapon.

Dunne put a hand on Lyle’s shoulder. “Mr. Vance, come with me.”

“This is a joke,” Lyle said. “This is a setup.”

“Come with me.”

They walked him out. The gym doors banged shut behind them. Corinne stayed at the microphone, crying without sound. The board called the police. The reporter wrote fast. Somewhere in the office, my daughter was waiting.

I sat down. I put my hands flat on the table. HOLD FAST.