"He is pre-law. He is interning at his father's firm this semester. That firm does ongoing legal work for Caldwell University." Marlin stared at the page. The full shape of it came together in his mind. The way a structural diagram comes together.
Each piece connecting to the next until the whole load-bearing system was visible. Bryce's father funded the buildings. His firm advised the university legally. Willix dismissed the complaints. The anonymous phantom complaint followed Marlin out the door before graduation.
And now an edited 14-second clip sat in a formal conduct file, while the real footage gathered likes on the internet. This was not three entitled students acting alone. This was a system built carefully, running smoothly, and he had walked right into the middle of it. "What do we do?" he said. Dr.
Sanford folded her hands. "We need someone who kept their own records." She picked up her phone. "I need you to meet someone." She dialed. It rang twice before a bright, quick voice answered. "Janelle," Dr.
Sanford said, "are you near the engineering building?" A pause, then "I'm literally outside it right now. I was going to call you. I found something, Dr. Sanford. His name is Diego Manders.
He left Caldwell 2 years ago, and I sent him a message last night." Dr. Sanford looked at Marlon across the desk. "Come up," she said into the phone. "Right now?" Janelle Orman walked into Dr. Sanford's office like she'd been running.
She probably had been. Her laptop bag was half unzipped, her natural hair slightly windblown, and she had the focused, electric energy of someone who had been sitting on information all day and was about to release it. She set her laptop on the corner of Dr. Sanford's desk, pulled up her email, and turned the screen so Marlon could see it. "He responded 40 minutes ago," she said.
"His name is Diego Manders. He was a junior here 2 years ago, pre-med. He filed a formal harassment complaint against SAK, and Willix dismissed it." She paused. "He transferred to Ohio 3 weeks after the dismissal." Marlon looked at the email on the screen. Short, measured, written by someone who learned to be careful with his words.
I've been waiting for this message for 2 years. I kept everything. Call me whenever you're ready. Dr. Sanford pulled her chair around beside Janelle.
Call him now, she said. Janelle opened her laptop, clicked into a video call, and typed in the number Diego had included. The call connected on the second ring. Diego Manders appeared on the screen. 26 Years old, broad-shouldered, sitting at a desk in what looked like a small apartment in Columbus, Ohio.