Chapter 18 - THE SIGNATURE WASN’T HIS.
The forged signature broke the first person inside Hawthorne’s administration.
Not Conrad Vale.
Not President Margaret Bell.
Colin Ward.
Deputy director of campus security.
Ward had spent eleven days refusing substantive questions.
His attorney handled everything.
Then forensic examiners determined Officer Brooks’s signature on the backpack inventory had been copied from an earlier property report.
Not merely imitated.
Copied.
Digitally printed onto a form.
Investigators traced the document to Ward’s office printer.
That did not automatically prove Ward created it.
Three employees had access.
One printer could serve multiple people.
Ortiz repeated that until Alexander could say it with her.
Still, Ward changed attorneys.
Then requested an interview.
Alexander heard the result from Ortiz in Sarah Mendel’s office.
“Ward says Reeve ordered him to create a clean property log.”
Alexander frowned.
“Reeve?”
“Yes.”
“Does he have proof?”
“Email.”
“Show me.”
Ortiz read it.
FROM: Thomas Reeve.
TO: Colin Ward.
SUBJECT: PROPERTY.
Make sure everything recovered near Bellamy is logged through standard chain. Use Brooks if needed. His notes started the incident.
Alexander stared.
“‘Use Brooks if needed.’”
“Yes.”
“That sounds bad.”
“It does.”
“Does it prove forge his signature?”
“No.”
“Could mean assign Brooks.”
“Yes.”
“Ward says otherwise.”
“Yes.”
Alexander rubbed his forehead.
“Reeve?”
“Denies ordering forgery.”
“Of course.”
“Ward admits he created inventory sheet.”
Alexander looked up.
“He admits?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Says Reeve told him university counsel wanted one complete property record before police started asking questions.”
“Counsel?”
“Kellerman.”
Alexander sat back.
“Does Ward say Kellerman ordered forgery?”
“No.”
“Good.”
Ortiz continued.
“Ward also admits he moved Chloe’s backpack into maintenance storage.”
“Why?”
“He says Reeve told him to keep it off main property inventory until administration decided whether it belonged to university investigation or police.”
Alexander stared.
“That sentence should get framed.”
“What?”
“Administration decided whether evidence belonged to police.”
Ortiz gave him a look.
“I’m paraphrasing.”
“Less frame-worthy.”
“Still problematic.”
“What about laptop?”
“Ward says he took it from Chloe’s dorm.”
Alexander felt anger sharpen.
“Warrant?”
“No.”
“Permission?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Claims campus housing policy allowed security entry during emergency.”
“Taking laptop?”
“No.”
“Then?”
“He says Reeve told him Chloe might have recorded confidential donor information.”
Alexander went silent.
There it was.
Not concern for Chloe.
Not theft.
Donor information.
“What did he do with laptop?”
“Delivered to Reeve.”
“Opened?”
“Says no.”
“Forensics?”
“Device was accessed at 2:41 A.M.”
“By?”
“Password used.”
Alexander frowned.
“Who knew Chloe’s password?”
“Apparently somebody.”
“Could be Chloe?”
“She was unconscious.”
His stomach tightened.
“Maya?”
“Denied.”
“Me?”
“No.”
“Then?”
Ortiz slid over a printout.
Login used password:
SterlingDog2007!
Alexander stared.
He recognized it.
Old family Wi-Fi password.
Chloe reused it despite years of being told not to.
“How would they know?”
Ortiz watched him.
“That’s what bothers me.”
Alexander remembered the missing primary phone.
Saved passwords.
Cloud access.
If Dane took Chloe’s phone before someone secured it, he could potentially access stored credentials.
Potentially.
Not proven.
“What was opened?”
“Spreadsheet.”
“Tips?”
“Yes.”
“Videos?”
“No evidence.”
“Deleted?”
“No.”
“Copied?”
“Unknown yet.”
Alexander exhaled.
Ward’s cooperation spread pressure upward.
Hawthorne’s board placed Reeve on leave.
President Bell announced an independent investigation.
Bellamy Event Services temporarily suspended two managers.
Conrad Vale released another statement calling developments “deeply troubling” and saying he supported full transparency.
Alexander read that sentence aloud to Chloe.
She almost choked on a protein shake.
“Full transparency?”
“Apparently.”
“He wouldn’t tell police where Dane is.”
“That is less transparent.”
She pointed at him.
“You’re getting better.”
“Ortiz training.”
Chloe’s bruising had faded significantly.
Her jaw would heal.
Doctors expected a long recovery but a strong one.
The emotional part was harder.
She checked doors now.
Alexander noticed.
Every room.
Hospital.
Sarah’s office.
Home.
Before sitting, Chloe glanced toward the exit.
She did not realize she was doing it.
Alexander did.
He did not mention it.
Not yet.
Small behavior mattered.
That weekend Hawthorne held a board emergency session.
Students protested outside.
Not only for Chloe.
Bellamy workers joined them.
Signs about wages.
Service entrances.
Donor influence.
Some signs had Chloe’s name.
She hated that.
“Why?”
Alexander asked.
“Because they’re making me a symbol.”
“People like symbols.”
“I’m a person.”
“Those are harder.”
She looked at him.
“You think this is funny?”
“No.”
Then, after a pause:
“A little.”
She threw a pillow at him.
Weakly.
Progress.
Detective Ortiz called Sunday evening.
“Marcus Dane contacted us.”
Alexander stood immediately.
“Where?”
“Attorney arranged surrender tomorrow.”
“Surrender for what?”
“Evidence tampering inquiry.”
“Not assault?”
“Not yet.”
“What does he admit?”
“Nothing.”
“Then why surrender?”
“Warrant.”
Alexander nodded.
“Phone?”
“Unknown.”
Ortiz paused.
“There’s another reason I called.”
“What?”
“Conrad Vale’s lawyer produced security records claiming Dane left Founders’ Night at 11:20.”
Alexander frowned.
“Brooks places him at 11:23.”
“Yes.”
“Traffic?”
“Vale SUV enters city-camera frame at 11:26.”
“Yes.”
“So record is wrong.”
“Apparently.”
“Who created it?”
Ortiz hesitated.
“Hawthorne executive guest log.”
Alexander waited.
“Signed by Margaret Bell.”
May you like
The president had already said Dane left before Chloe.
Now a timestamp, a witness and a vehicle were all contradicting her signature.
