The next morning, I went to Daniel’s school.
The director was kind. It allowed me to see the security footage from the cameras covering the main entrance.
I sat in a small office and watched the video from the previous afternoon.
Groups of teenagers came out of the building in packs, laughing, pushing, checking their phones.
Then I saw Daniel walking next to a girl. For a moment, I didn’t recognize her. Then she looked over her shoulder, and I could see her face more clearly.
“Maya,” I whispered.
Maya had visited Daniel a couple of times. A quiet girl. Educated in a way that seemed cautious.
In the video, they walked through the door and to the bus stop. They boarded a city bus together, and then left.
“I need to talk to Maya.” I turned to the director. “Can I?” “Maya no longer attends this school,” she said. “He transferred suddenly. That was his last day here.”
