I saw him holding his phone up near Tyler. At first I thought he was recording everybody joking around. Maya's pulse changed. If he started that early, he may have caught Tyler pushing Ethan and Linda and what happened to you. Maya looked toward the rain darkened window.
David told him not to delete anything. Monica's face tightened. That's the problem. What? I saw Tyler talking to Jason after everyone started giving statements.
Maya felt cold despite the warm kitchen. What did he say? I couldn't hear everything. Monica looked around as if Tyler might somehow be standing nearby. But I heard one sentence.
Maya waited. Monica whispered it. My dad will handle it. Across campus, David was asking his own questions. The administrator, Logan, belonged to a technology contractor named Crestline Systems, a company Hawthorne used for after-hours server maintenance.
David called the university's IT director. Did Crestline have scheduled work Saturday night? Keyboard sounds clicked over the line. Know you sure? Nothing scheduled.
Any emergency ticket? No. David looked at the timestamp again. Wanktso Wantin, PM, who can authorize emergency access. T-director, chief operating officer, certain senior administrators, and trustees. The man hesitated.
Not directly. Not directly. David wrote those words down. Can you tell me whose credentials were used? Another pause.
I can tell you the portal account was assigned to a Crestline contractor. Name? Send it formally. David thanked him and hung up. Five minutes later, the email arrived.
David opened it, then leaned back. He recognized the contractor's company profile, not the person, the address. Crestline Systems occupied office space inside a commercial property managed by a grant development subsidiary. That alone proved nothing. Richmond was full of the company's renting from larger developers.
But the timing, the deleted 47 seconds, Richard arriving before midnight and a contractor connected, however indirectly, to the grant business network. David printed the document and added it to the folder. His phone rang. Maya, I think Jason may have more video than we thought. David's attention sharpened.
Why? Monica saw him recording before Ethan got shoved. David looked at the blank gap on his monitor. Where is Monica now with me? Tell her not to contact Jason alone.
Maya frowned. Why? Because if somebody deliberately removed official footage, we stop assuming this is just about a student trying to save face. Maya looked across the table at Monica. What are you saying?
I'm saying somebody wanted the cleanest evidence gone. The kitchen suddenly felt quieter. Maya lowered her voice. Do you think Richard did it? I think guessing is how people get ahead of proof.
David looked at the printed access record. But I also think powerful people don't usually erase things they believe will help them. That sentence stayed with Maya after the call ended. Outside, the rain finally began to weaken. Monica stared at her phone.