Chapter 7 - The Ex-Director’s Door
The sedan rolled to a stop in front of a modest, weather-beaten cottage nestled at the edge of the dense pine forest bordering the town. The property was overgrown with wild weeds, and a faded wooden sign by the mailbox read M. Holloway - Retired Educator.
"Who lives here, Dad?" Clara asked, peering out the window at the gloomy, isolated house.
"Dr. Margaret Holloway," Arthur replied, killing the engine and opening his door. "She was the co-founder of St. Jude Academy twenty-five years ago. She was pushed out of the board when she tried to report financial embezzlement and student endangerment."
Arthur walked around the car and helped Clara out, keeping a protective hand on her shoulder as they walked up the cracked stone pathway toward the porch. The wooden floorboards groaned heavily beneath their boots as Arthur raised his fist and knocked firmly on the heavy oak door three times.
For a long moment, there was no sound inside the house except for the ticking of an old grandfather clock. Then, the heavy sound of deadbolt locks turning echoed through the hall.
The door swung open just a few inches, held back by a heavy brass security chain. An elderly woman with sharp, piercing blue eyes and silver hair pulled back in a loose braid peered out at them. Her gaze locked instantly on Clara’s jagged, uneven haircut, and then shifted up to meet Arthur’s intense eyes.
"You've got the look of a desperate man, Mr. Hayes," Dr. Holloway said, her voice raspy but remarkably firm. "And that child has the unmistakable mark of Mrs. Gable’s scissors. Why are you bringing St. Jude’s dirty laundry to my front porch?"
"Because you're the only person left who knows how deep the rot goes," Arthur said, reaching into his shirt pocket and pulling out the MicroSD card, holding it up so she could see it. "We found the archives. We have the master logs."
Dr. Holloway stared at the tiny piece of plastic for three long seconds. Her expression flickered with a mix of fear and long-suppressed anger. Slowly, she reached out, unhooked the security chain, and pulled the door wide open.
May you like
"Come inside before they see you," she whispered, stepping back into the dark hallway. "You have no idea what you've just unlocked."
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