VASQUEZ
The conference room was all glass and no excuses.
Director Vasquez liked it that way.
Aldridge sat with his hands folded, posture perfect, face composed.
He looked like he was attending a fundraiser.
Not a crisis.
Maren stood to Vasquez's right, notebook open.
The campus safety officer stood by the door, visible.
Ethan sat two chairs away from Aldridge, close enough to be a witness, far enough to be safe.
Vasquez could see the tension in his shoulders.
A boy trying to be boring while someone wrote on him.
Nora was not in the room.
That was intentional.
Nora was the story Cal wanted.
Vasquez was not giving it to him.
She looked at Aldridge.
"Professor," she said, "this meeting is documented. Anything you say may be used in administrative proceedings. Do you understand."
Aldridge smiled.
"Director," he said, "I welcome transparency."
Transparency.
Vasquez almost laughed.
She didn't.
"Good," she said. "Then we'll be transparent."
She slid a printed page across the table.
The moderator view screenshots.
Scheduled by: Daniel Park.
Last edited by: Professor Aldridge.
Aldridge glanced down.
His smile didn't change.
He looked up.
"That's not what it looks like," he said.
Vasquez's voice stayed calm.
"Then tell me what it is," she said.
Aldridge folded his hands tighter.
"It is an interface," he said. "A flawed one. Students rename accounts. Devices are shared. It's chaos."
Chaos.
The word he used when he wanted to erase responsibility.
Vasquez leaned forward.
"On a documented call," she said, "you admitted you made minor adjustments. Did you edit the draft, yes or no."
Aldridge's eyes flicked.
A micro-tell.
Then he smiled wider.
"Yes," he said. "I reviewed and edited. To reduce harm."
Maren's pen scratched.
Scratch.
Vasquez nodded.
"Thank you," she said. "Second question. Why did you edit a draft connected to extortion instead of reporting it immediately to campus safety."
Aldridge's smile softened.
"Because," he said, "you know how fast rumors move. If I can shape a narrative, I can protect the institution and the students."
Institution first.
Students as an afterthought.
Vasquez's gaze went hard.
"Third question," she said. "Why did you contact Nora Chen after being instructed not to."
Aldridge blinked.
"I contacted her to warn her," he said.
Vasquez didn't move.
"You threatened her standing," she said. "You said you could suspend her from prize consideration pending review. Is that accurate."
Aldridge smiled.
"It was an option," he said. "For her protection."
Maren's pen froze.
Ethan's jaw tightened.
Vasquez felt something cold settle behind her ribs.
"Protection is not leverage," Vasquez said.
Aldridge spread his hands.
"Director," he said, "I am trying to keep this from becoming a spectacle."
Vasquez nodded.
"It already is," she said. "Because you made it one."
Aldridge's smile twitched.
Then it returned.
Vasquez turned to Maren.
"Read the staged statement header," Vasquez said.
Maren spoke, voice flat.
"SECOND FINALIST STATEMENT — 6:58 PM," she read.
Aldridge's eyes narrowed.
"Where did you get that," he asked.
Vasquez's voice stayed calm.
"In a copy room inside this building," she said. "Along with printer manipulation."
Aldridge leaned back.
"You're accusing me of breaking into your copy room," he said.
Vasquez held his gaze.
"I'm documenting that someone is operating in your orbit," she said. "And that you are feeding them."
Aldridge's smile sharpened.
"That's insulting," he said.
Vasquez nodded.
"It's accurate," she said.
Ethan felt his phone buzz.
Vasquez saw him tense.
She didn't look.
She didn't want the story.
She wanted the file.
Vasquez leaned forward.
"Professor Aldridge," she said, "effective immediately, you are removed from Writing Club moderation and from all prize communications pending investigation."
Aldridge laughed softly.
"You can't," he said.
Vasquez didn't blink.
"I can," she said. "I am doing it."
Aldridge's smile faded for the first time.
A crack.
Anger flashed.
Then control returned.
"On what authority," Aldridge asked.
Vasquez's voice stayed calm.
"On the authority of student safety and institutional liability," she said. "And because you touched evidence."
Aldridge's jaw tightened.
"You're making a mistake," he said.
Vasquez nodded.
"Possibly," she said. "But it will be my mistake, not Nora's."
Aldridge's eyes flicked to Ethan.
Aldridge smiled again.
Not warm.
Hungry.
"You think removing me stops the leak," he said. "It doesn't. The post is already live."
Vasquez's voice stayed flat.
"We're not stopping a post," she said. "We're stopping you."
The campus safety officer's radio crackled.
"Director," a voice said. "Workshop room secured. Two officers inside."
Vasquez nodded.
"Good," she said.
Then she looked at Aldridge.
"You will remain in this room until campus safety escorts you to my office," Vasquez said. "Do not use your phone."
Aldridge smiled.
"And if I refuse," he asked.
Vasquez's gaze stayed steady.
"Then I suspend you pending review," she said.
Aldridge blinked.
The word he'd used on Nora.
Now used on him.
Vasquez stood.
Maren stood with her.
Ethan stood too.
Aldridge stayed seated.
But his eyes followed Ethan as if Ethan were the only part of the room that still mattered.
Because Cal had called Ethan a door.
And Aldridge liked doors.
Outside the glass walls, the lobby hummed.
Phones.
Whispers.
Screens.
And time.
6:02 PM.
Fifty-six minutes to six fifty-eight.
And Vasquez knew one thing.
Whoever Cal was, he was going to try to force a human mouth at six fifty-eight.
So she would put a different mouth there.
One with a badge.
One with a camera.
One that didn't say interesting.
One that said stop.
Vasquez stepped out into the lobby.
She didn't have to look far.
People were already looking at their phones.
The leak link had teeth.
It was spreading the way panic spread.
Fast.
Dirty.
Addictive.
Maren moved beside her, already on her own phone.
Not social.
Email.
Calls.
Boring channels.
Vasquez turned to the officer.
"Get me the scholarship director," she said. "Live. On speaker. In the lobby."
The officer blinked.
"In the lobby," he repeated.
"Yes," Vasquez said. "Glass walls aren't enough. I want the building to see which side is official."
Ethan hovered at her shoulder.
A witness.
A target.
Vasquez looked at him.
"Do not answer unknown numbers," she said.
Ethan nodded.
"I won't," he said.
His phone buzzed anyway.
Another unknown.
He didn't look.
Good.
Maren's office door down the hall was open.
Nora sat inside, visible, still.
A boring girl doing a boring job.
Vasquez felt a flash of respect.
That kind of discipline was rare.
The officer returned, phone in hand.
"Scholarship director on the line," he said.
Vasquez nodded.
"Speaker," she said.
A voice crackled.
"This is Dr. Halloway," the voice said. "Who is this."
Vasquez didn't soften.
"Director Vasquez," she said. "There is an active extortion incident targeting a finalist. There is a public leak link circulating. You will take no action based on anonymous content. You will not contact finalists directly. You will route all communications through my office and Maren Ellis. Understood."
A pause.
Then Halloway said, "Understood. Send me the documentation."
Vasquez nodded.
"You will receive it in five minutes," she said.
Maren was already forwarding.
Screenshot attachments.
Call notes.
Incident statement.
The file growing.
Vasquez lowered her voice.
"And Dr. Halloway," she said, "if Professor Aldridge contacts you, you will document it and tell him no."
Halloway exhaled.
"He has already emailed," she admitted.
Ethan's stomach dropped.
Vasquez's eyes went hard.
"What did he send," Vasquez asked.
Halloway hesitated.
"A draft statement," she said. "Claiming a second finalist will confirm misconduct at six fifty-eight."
Maren's face went still.
Vasquez felt anger settle.
"So he's pushing the script," Vasquez said.
"Yes," Halloway replied.
Vasquez's voice stayed calm.
"Then you will reply with one sentence," she said. "You will say: 'All communications must go through Director Vasquez's office pending investigation.' Nothing else. Understood."
Halloway swallowed.
"Understood," she said.
Vasquez ended the call.
She turned to Maren.
"Workshop," Vasquez said.
Maren nodded.
"Secured," Maren said.
Ethan's phone buzzed again.
This time, a calendar alert.
A new event.
Not accepted.
Just dropped into his screen like a hand.
Title:
DOOR.
Location:
Room 214.
Time:
6:10.
Ethan's blood went cold.
Because someone had just invited him back to Aldridge's office.
And the invite was already on his phone.