“I’m sorry. No time.” He swings around and gives me a tentative look. “I couldn’t think of anything else.”

“Was that your secret backup plan?” I try to play it off and catch my breath.

“I just thought about Jamal the last time we were here. How you caught him. So my brain just went there as a cover.” He looks regretful. “But that was a last resort.”

I pull my hair back and let it settle around my burning-hot face.

“Sorry. I should’ve…They opened the door. I acted quickly.”

“It’s fine.” I put my hand up, so he knows there’s no need to talk about it.

Quincy gives an embarrassed chuckle. I’m surprised by his bashfulness. I didn’t think he was capable of being shy about anything.

“Thanks, Quincy.” I look away, now not wanting him to catch that I’m still thinking about his kiss.

I pick up the part of the desk that broke. When I put the frame back on, I feel under the desk. My finger catches on a broken edge that’s not fitting easily.

There’s another small drawer.

I take the corner off, running my fingers along the desk for anything out of the ordinary. I push in the simple lock with the key that swings by the wall.

Inside, I find Jamal’s small notebook, a photo of my family at a visit with my dad on Christmas…and a micro SD memory card for a phone.

“Think this is it?” I flash it in front of Quincy. “We use these at school in the newsroom.”

I take a paper clip and pop out the SD card I have and insert this one into my phone, then wait for it to load in the location folder. Hundreds of files and photos load up.

I scroll through, searching for something that speaks to what Angela and Jamal might have been looking into.

“Think he’ll come back to check on us?”

“Nah. Brian is cool. I caught him smoking weed on the loading dock and never ratted him out. He’s probably just worried he went out for a smoke and didn’t do a full sweep before locking up.”

I search through hundreds of photos while Quincy paces back and forth, standing guard by the production door. I study snapshots of games, pep rallies, and school-year highlights. Typical newspaper images. Then I see it. Photos off campus.