Chapter 10 - After the Fall
Amanda read Savannah’s email at 1:13 in the morning.
She did not reply until sunrise.
Anything you tell me may become part of the investigation. I will not meet you secretly. Contact Ms. Torres and arrange it properly.
Savannah responded eleven minutes later.
I know.
Then:
There’s something nobody has asked Brooke about.
Amanda’s heart quickened.
At ten that morning, Savannah sat with Maya Torres, her father, and her attorney in a district conference room.
Laura was not present.
Savannah had refused to let her attend.
Amanda joined remotely because her leg was swollen after physical therapy.
Savannah looked younger on screen.
No makeup.
Hair tied back.
Dark circles beneath her eyes.
Maya began.
“You requested this interview.”
“Yes.”
“Your attorney has explained your rights?”
“Yes.”
“Then tell us what you believe we need to know.”
Savannah looked toward Amanda’s image on the monitor.
“When Ms. Foster fell, Brooke ran.”
Amanda remembered the footsteps.
“I stayed.”
“Why?” Maya asked.
“I froze.”
Savannah swallowed.
“Ms. Foster was on the floor. She couldn’t move her leg. Her papers were everywhere.”
Amanda remembered those papers.
Student essays soaking up water.
“I called my mother.”
“Before emergency services?”
Savannah closed her eyes.
“Yes.”
Amanda felt something cold move through her.
Savannah continued.
“I don’t know why. I panicked.”
“What did your mother say?”
“She told me to put my phone away and find an adult.”
“Did you?”
“I called Mr. Mercer.”
“Why him?”
“My mom said to.”
Amanda stared.
“How long before someone called the nurse?”
Savannah’s eyes filled.
“Maybe two minutes.”
Two minutes.
Amanda remembered lying alone.
She had never known why help seemed to take so long.
Savannah whispered, “I’m sorry.”
Amanda said nothing.
Maya continued.
“What happened when Mercer arrived?”
“He called the nurse. Then he took my phone.”
“Why?”
“He asked if I recorded anything.”
“Had you?”
“Yes.”
The room changed.
Maya leaned forward.
“What did the recording contain?”
“The whole thing.”
Amanda’s stomach tightened.
“Where is it?”
“I thought it was deleted.”
“Thought?”
“Mercer deleted it from my phone.”
Savannah pulled a folded sheet of paper from her pocket.
“But I used an editing app back then. It automatically uploaded videos to a cloud workspace.”
Owen stared at her.
“Do you still have access?”
“I tried last night.”
“And?”
Savannah placed the paper on the table.
“I reset the password.”
Maya did not touch it immediately.
“Did you open the video?”
Savannah nodded.
“What does it show?”
Savannah looked at Amanda again.
“Everything.”
The video was retrieved under supervision.
Amanda chose to watch.
She nearly regretted it.
There she was, walking into the corridor.
The slip happened almost instantly.
Her body twisted.
Papers flew.
The camera jerked violently because Savannah gasped.
Amanda hit the floor.
For several seconds there was no mockery.
Only horror.
Savannah ran toward her.
“Oh my God. Ms. Foster?”
Amanda on the video cried out when she tried to move.
Savannah’s hands shook.
Then she called Laura.
The conversation was audible through speakerphone.
“Mom, she fell.”
“Who?”
“Foster. She’s hurt.”
A pause.
“What happened?”
“The thing we talked about.”
Laura’s voice sharpened.
“Savannah, listen to me. Put your phone away.”
“What do I do?”
“Call Colin.”
“Should I call 911?”
“Call Colin first.”
Amanda’s face went still.
Then another voice entered the recording.
Mercer.
“What happened?”
Savannah started crying.
“It was supposed to be funny.”
Mercer cursed.
“Give me your phone.”
“But Ms. Foster—”
“I said give it to me.”
The video ended several seconds later.
Nobody spoke.
Owen looked sick.
Maya stopped playback.
Amanda stared at Savannah.
“You had this for six weeks.”
“I thought it was gone.”
“But once you found it last night, you could have deleted it again.”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you?”
Savannah’s answer took a long time.
“Because Ethan asked me what happens when telling the truth costs something.”
Amanda did not know who Ethan was.
Owen explained quietly.
“Her brother.”
Savannah wiped her eyes.
“I’m not asking you to forgive me.”
“Good.”
Savannah flinched.
Amanda continued.
“Because I don’t.”
“I know.”
“But you did one thing right today.”
Savannah nodded faintly.
Amanda looked at Maya.
“Make copies.”
Maya already had.
Savannah stood when the interview ended.
Before leaving, she looked at Amanda on the monitor.
“I didn’t know your leg would break.”
Amanda’s expression hardened.
“That matters legally.”
Savannah lowered her eyes.
“But not morally?”
Amanda thought about it.
“It matters morally too.”
Savannah looked up hopefully.
Amanda finished.
“Just not as much as you want it to.”
Then the screen went dark.
Outside the conference room, Laura Reed was waiting.
And when Savannah stepped into the hallway without her, Laura knew immediately that her daughter had finally chosen a side.
May you like
It was not hers.
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