Chapter 6 - What Her Father Knew

Coach Danner froze when he saw them.

Seth froze too.

"Dad," he whispered.

Danner's eyes went to the envelope in Luis's hand.

"Give me that."

Luis tucked it inside his jacket. "No."

Danner took one step forward.

Maya stepped between him and Seth.

"You watched Ryan hit me. You watched him hurt Tyler. You're done telling people what to do."

His face twisted. "You have no idea what you're getting into."

"Then explain it."

For a moment, something cracked in him.

Not guilt exactly.

Fear.

"Gordon Mercer destroys people," he said. "He doesn't threaten them once. He takes their jobs. Their homes. Their reputations. He finds the weak point and keeps pressing."

Maya's voice went flat. "Like he did to my dad?"

Danner looked at her sharply.

That was answer enough.

Luis moved closer. "What happened?"

Danner rubbed both hands over his face.

"Your father, Gabriel Torres, inspected the old west gym before Mercer renovated it. He found structural problems. Cheap steel. Missing fire barriers. False invoices. He refused to sign off."

Maya's memories of her father were warm and ordinary: coffee too strong, work boots by the door, singing badly in the car.

"He died in a car accident," she said.

Danner did not answer.

"He died in a car accident," she repeated.

"Yes."

"Why did you hesitate?"

Seth looked at his father.

Danner's mouth opened, then closed.

A shadow moved outside the window.

Luis pulled Maya back.

Officer Bennett entered through the rear door with one hand near her holster.

"Everyone okay?"

Danner turned pale.

"Officer, I can explain--"

"Good. Start with why you're approaching suspended students off campus."

Danner sank into a chair.

Seth began to cry silently.

Maya sat across from the coach.

"Did Mercer have something to do with my father's crash?"

"I don't know," Danner said.

"That's not what I asked."

"I don't know!"

His voice cracked.

Then he leaned forward.

"But two days before Gabriel died, he gave me an envelope. He said if anything happened to him, I should take it to the state inspector general."

Maya could barely speak. "Did you?"

Danner looked at the floor.

"No."

Luis slammed a palm onto the table.

"Where is it?"

Danner closed his eyes.

"I hid it in the old gym."

Maya's heart pounded.

"Where?"

He looked up.

"Inside the wall behind the retired championship banner."

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Officer Bennett took out her phone.

Before she could make the call, Seth whispered, "Dad... the old gym is being demolished tomorrow morning."