Vanessa slowly lowered her phone.
Caleb’s face turned ghost white.
Principal Morrison opened a thick blue folder.
“The evidence was supplied by Miss Hayes herself.”
Another wave of whispers rolled through the crowd.
“I would also like everyone here to understand something important.”
He looked toward me again.
“Miss Hayes did not simply defend herself.”
“She uncovered crimes that this university failed to detect.”
Several members of the Board of Trustees sitting in the front row nodded solemnly.
One elderly woman removed her glasses to wipe away tears.
Principal Morrison continued reading.
“Over the past eighteen months, scholarship money donated for disadvantaged students was redirected into fraudulent accounts.”
“The amount exceeds four hundred and eighty-six thousand dollars.”
Gasps erupted.
Someone near the back actually stood up.
“No…”
“Impossible…”
“It gets worse,” the principal said.
He motioned toward the side entrance.
Two university security officers entered.
Behind them walked three detectives wearing plain clothes.
Every eye followed them.
The detectives crossed the stage without saying a word.
One stopped directly beside Caleb.
“Caleb Morris?”
