Chapter 14 - The Second Paddle
Ms. Greene's mother, Evelyn, was seventy-six and still remembered Sarah Carter.
"Children who are lying usually want attention," she told Mark. "Sarah wanted invisibility."
Evelyn had reported concerns in 1998 after Sarah came to school unable to sit comfortably and begged not to be sent home. The report disappeared before the district follow-up.
"Your mother volunteered in the office," Evelyn said. "And Calvin Shaw was on the school board."
Mark stared at her.
"They buried it."
"Yes."
The police searched Linda's locked sewing room later that day.
Behind a false panel in a closet, they found the second paddle Noah had mentioned.
It was smaller than the first.
Sarah saw it and stopped breathing.
"That's mine."
Mark turned.
She pointed to two initials carved near the handle.
S.C.
"She kept it?"
Sarah's voice was flat. "Trophies. That's what those dates were. Not records. Trophies."
Noah stood in the doorway, face white.
Mark immediately moved the paddle out of his sight.
"You don't have to be in here."
Noah nodded but didn't leave.
"I want to see them take it away."
An evidence technician sealed it in a bag.
For the first time, Noah smiled.
Then Officer Ruiz came down the hall holding a laptop recovered from the same closet.
"We found deleted emails. Some are recoverable."
One message was from Calvin, dated two weeks before Daniel's fatal crash.
WE NEED TO SCARE HIM INTO DROPPING THE AUDIT. NOTHING MORE.
Linda's reply was one sentence.
THEN MAKE SURE HE UNDERSTANDS WHAT HE CAN LOSE.
Mark's phone rang.
Unknown number again.
He answered.
Calvin whispered, "I need immunity."
"You need a lawyer."
"I am a lawyer."
"Not for long."
Calvin breathed hard.
"Linda didn't tell me Noah knew about June. If I'd known a child was involved--"
Mark cut him off. "Don't make yourself innocent."
"I'm not. But Linda is planning to leave the state tonight."
"How do you know?"
May you like
"Because she asked me for the passport I hid for her."
Then the call disconnected.
