Mary took a seat across from us and leaned forward. She rested her elbows on her knees, her voice low. “There was a girl,” she said. “She filed a complaint about sexual misconduct. Not through the police, she was too scared for that. Through student conduct.”
My heart thudded. “She named Mason Sterling?”
“No.” Mary shook her head. “She didn’t name anyone on record.”
Savannah frowned. “Then how did Mason get—”
“Targeted?” Mary offered. “Because rumors filled in the blanks. She’d been seen with him, at a... party, I think it was.” She frowned. “Yeah, at their stupid athletic building.”
“The common-room parties?” Savannah asked.
“Yeah.” Mary was back to studying Savannah. “I don’t understand why you’re here.”
“I’m helping Hadley.”
I didn’t say one word to suggest otherwise. “What happened?” I asked her.
Mary shook her head. “The department panicked, and Mason was the one they said was the guy.”
“He wasn’t?” I asked her, and when she shrugged, a cold line traced down my spine. “So you’re saying he didn’t do it?” I asked.
Mary hesitated. “I’m saying,” she said carefully, “I never saw evidence he did. And I saw a lot. I was able to read the complaint draft before admin yanked everything.”
“Draft?” I echoed.
“Yeah. The girl tried to write it three times. Every version was different. She was scared. Confused. Something happened to her — absolutely.” Mary’s mouth pulled flat. “But...” She paused and sighed. “I don’t know if there was more than one incident. Or if she was pressured. Or—” She shook her head. “I don’t know. The story disappeared. I got told to drop it. So I did.”
I watched her. “You suspected something, though.” I narrowed my focus on her. “What is it?”
Mary licked her bottom lip. “I don’t think she knewwhohurt her.”
Sav and I exchanged a look. If she didn’t know who hurt her, then anything that came after was, at best, educated guesswork.
“And Mason?” I pressed. “What didhesay?”
Mary laughed, but there was no humor in it. “They pulled him before we could even reach out.” She shook her head in disgust. “He was gone before the rumors started.”
Pulledhim. Not questioned. Not defended. Not given due process. Justgone.
“So, he could have been innocent?” Savannah asked softly.
Mary’s gaze flicked to mine. “Or he knew something,” she said. “Something they didn’t want talked about. Something bigger than one accusation.”
My skin prickled. Bigger? Like . . . systemic?
Mary leaned back. “I know you, Hadley. You didn’t come here to clear Mason’s name,” she said shrewdly. “You came because you think there’s still something happening.”
I didn’t deny it.
Mary sighed. “What else do you want from me?”
“I need the original draft of what was supposed to run. The script she wrote — if you have it.” I held her stare. “I know you keep things. You’re a hoarder. And... I need her name.”
She watched me. Really watched me. Then she shook her head. “I don’t have the script. My draft’s gone too. Admin made me delete it. Twice. Then they deleted my access altogether, and suddenly I wasn’t sports editor anymore.”
“But you remember,” I said.
“Enough to tell you this,” she said quietly. “Let it go. They wanted this buried. They did a lot — alot— to make it disappear.” Her gaze darted between Savannah and me. “Keep it buried.”