They raced outside. Smoke was visible rising above the trees just a few blocks away. Ms. Avery’s legs gave out. Malik and Rosa caught her arms, helping her into Rosa’s old Honda. They sped through the quiet streets, Rosa taking corners too fast. When they arrived, flames were already shooting through Ms. Avery’s roof.
She stumbled from the car in her sensible flats, watching helplessly as firefighters battled the blaze. The heat was intense even from across the street and the acrid smell of burning plastic filled the air. “Everything,” she whispered. “All my lesson plans. My mother’s photos. My cat.” Her voice broke.
A firefighter approached leading a soot-covered orange tabby. “Found this little guy hiding in the basement window well.” Ms. Avery clutched her cat, tears cutting tracks through the ash that had settled on her face. Neighbors gathered on their porches, murmuring and pointing. Some brought blankets, offered spare rooms.
Malik called his mother. Within minutes, Darlene’s car pulled up. She took one look at Ms. Avery standing barefoot in the street with her smoke-smelling cat and said, “You’re staying with us. No arguments.” Back at their house, while Ms. Avery showered and borrowed clean clothes, Malik and Darlene went to check the ledgers.
Darlene opened her bedroom closet, reached behind a row of hanging clothes, and froze. “They’re gone.” Her voice was hollow. She pushed hangers aside frantically. “The whole box is gone.” Malik’s stomach clenched. Without those ledgers, they had no proof of the payments between Halford and Cedar River Security. No evidence of the corruption.
But Darlene’s fear transformed into a small, fierce smile. She went to her dresser, opened her jewelry box, and removed a false bottom. From the hidden compartment, she pulled out a tiny thumb drive. “I didn’t trust paper,” she said. “Not after working for Halford. I photographed every page the day after I quit three years ago. High-resolution shots of every transaction, every note in the margins.”
Malik took the drive, turning it over in his hands. It was smaller than his thumb, but it held enough evidence to expose years of kickbacks and fraud. He slipped it into his pocket, patting it to make sure it was secure. Moving to the window, he peered through a gap in the curtains. A dark sedan was parked halfway down the block, its engine running. The streetlight gleamed dully off its tinted windows.
Behind him, he could hear Ms. Avery talking softly to her cat in the guest room. Darlene making up the bed with fresh sheets. Normal sounds that felt surreal against the weight of the thumb drive in his pocket and the watchful presence of the car outside. The fire had been a message. The stolen ledgers were a warning. But somehow, their enemies had underestimated Darlene’s foresight and Ms. Avery’s determination.
They thought they were dealing with a troublemaking student, a nosy teacher, and a single mom. Instead, they’d created a team that grew more dangerous with each attack. Rosa texted, Fire marshal saying electrical fault. BS. You okay? Malik typed back, Safe. Ms. A with us. Got evidence they tried to steal. Call you tomorrow.