Chapter 7 - MARK'S LAPTOP
Mark had lent Ryan an old laptop so he could “keep up with school” during suspension.
Ryan said his school device was locked.
Mark believed he was helping.
He did not ask Claire.
He did not ask the school.
The school IT contractor examined the laptop.
They found:
Ryan’s school login attempts,
fundraiser portal access,
library Wi-Fi history,
and cached copies of NORTH HALL.
Then one more thing.
A browser extension.
Remote desktop software.
Installed two months earlier.
Before Mark gave the laptop to Ryan.
Who installed it?
Mark had no idea.
The software had connected repeatedly to an external device.
During the fundraiser period.
During Ryan’s library sessions.
Sometimes while Ryan was not using the laptop.
That changed everything.
Someone could have accessed:
Ryan’s sessions,
saved passwords,
fundraiser portal,
messages.
The remote account name:
D-CARTER.
Claire looked at Daniel.
He denied it.
“My name is Daniel Carter. That could be anyone.”
True.
Then the IP history showed connections from:
Arizona,
Ohio,
and a hotel network.
Daniel traveled for work.
Suspicious.
Not proof.
Daniel voluntarily turned over his work laptop and phone through counsel.
No remote software account.
No wallet.
No $3,840.
Then Mark remembered where the old laptop came from.
It had originally belonged to Daniel.
Daniel gave it to Mark during the divorce.
Years earlier.
Before Daniel moved to Arizona.
Maybe the remote software had been installed then.
Daniel stared.
“I used remote access for work.”
“What account name?”
He thought.
“D-CARTER.”
Everyone went quiet.
Daniel’s old credentials had never been disabled.
Someone had revived the account.
Who knew the password?
Daniel.
Mark.
Possibly Ryan, if it was saved.
Then Emma said softly:
“Ryan told me somebody was helping him.”
Claire turned.
“When?”
“Before surgery.”
“What did he say?”
“He said if school got stupid, somebody online knew how to fix things.”
Ryan’s face drained.
Claire looked at him.
“Who?”
Ryan said nothing.
Then finally:
“NorthHallAdmin.”
The anonymous account.
The one behind the worst bullying.
May you like
Ryan had been messaging it privately.
Not knowing who it was.
