Chapter 5 - THE LATCH
State inspectors returned.
The emergency exit now worked perfectly.
Fresh hardware.
New alarm.
No maintenance latch.
Then they found an old photograph.
Little Steps posted daily classroom photos in a private parent app.
One image from the morning of the evacuation showed children painting.
Behind them:
the rear exit.
Across the push bar was a narrow removable metal latch.
Not intended for emergency doors.
Small.
Easy to miss.
Erin enlarged it.
Rachel stared.
“Who put that there?”
Natalie said:
“I don’t know.”
Handyman Eric was interviewed.
He admitted installing it.
Why?
Natalie told him:
“The alarm is driving everyone insane. Give me something temporary so staff can keep it shut.”
Did she say block emergency egress?
“No.”
Did he warn her?
“Yes.
He said:
“Don’t leave this on during operating hours.”
Natalie answered:
“Obviously.”
Then a text from the following day.
NATALIE:
Teachers keep forgetting the latch.
ERIC:
Good. They shouldn’t use it with kids there.
NATALIE:
Then fix the alarm faster.
That helped Natalie.
She knew it was unsafe.
But also told staff not to use it.
May you like
Then the question changed.
Who left it engaged during the alarm?
