Page 101 of Antagonist

“That’s a lovely little speech,” Karina says, as dismissive toward Stella as she was to me. “You had me there for a moment. Pretending to be a real woman,” she scoffs.

Stella doesn’t miss a beat.

“Who wronged you, Karina? Who taught you that you have to be this way to get what you want? Do you try to rule over the parents and these little girls because you have to stay silent at home? Do you think your social status makes you worthy of respect? Be a woman, Karina. Build other women up instead of bringing them down. That’s what will make the people of this town remember you when you’re long gone.”

“What do you know about the people of this town?”

“There’s a sign by the reception desk at the hospital that says:Relax. The Nurses Know Everything.”

Stella lets her statement hang, but before Karina can say anything, there’s a knock on the door. The collective sigh of relief when we see Pete would be funny if it weren't for the circumstances.

“Come on in, Pete. Give me some good news,” the principal says.

“Principal Lewis, we’ve dispersed the crowd outside. Anyone lingering for anything other than picking up their child when the bell rings will be taken to the station. Now, what’s going on here?”

“Thank you, Pete. May I ask where your patrol officer is and how the crowd was able to gather without any action?”

“That’s a very good question. One I’m hoping to get to the bottom of as soon as we’re done here.”

Karina sits straight on her chair to get Pete’s attention. “Officer, I have it on good authority that the group organizing the Spring Fair set school property on fire with the intention of raising funds for the fair.”

“Mrs. Brunel, I hope for your child’s sake that you know how ridiculous that theory is.”

Karina seems taken aback by Pete’s reaction but isn’t fazed as she carries on.

“Ridiculous?” she shrieks. “Since these people took over, there’s been nothing but trouble. People in town are talking about it, and no one’s happy. They want the old fair to return. Don’t you think it’s highly suspicious that as soon as the fire happened, they started asking for money?”

“What’s highly suspicious is how much you care.”

Karina stares at Pete like he’s grown a third head.

“My child attends this school. Of course I care. Someone has to.”

“How noble of you, Mrs. Brunel. Now, do you have any evidence for this accusation? Because we’ve had this conversation before, and if I remember correctly, I gave you a stern warning.”

I squeeze Fletcher’s hand tight, but not as tight as I want to close it around Karina’s neck as she pulls out her phone.

“Someone sent me this video two hours ago,” she says, giving her phone to Pete.

I can see it’s a video with no sound but can’t make out what’s in it.

Pete looks at us and then at Karina, concern spreading over his face.

“Mrs. Brunel, who sent you this?”

Karina shrugs. “No idea. Maybe a concerned citizen. You can look at my messages. I don’t recognize the number that was sent from.”

“What is it?” I ask.

Pete turns the phone to us and presses play. As soon as the video starts, Fletcher leans on me, his hand going slack in mine.

Whoever took the video is clearly hiding behind the wall of the main school building while they film someone breaking a window at the back of the storage building, dropping gas inside, and then lighting a match and throwing it inside.

As soon as the fire ignites, one detail becomes very clear in the video. The person who set the building on fire is wearing paint-stained jeans. They’re wearing a dark sweatshirt with the hood over their head. It’s impossible to tell their hair color, but the jeans…there’s only one person I know who wears paint-stained jeans all the time.

Fletcher is so pale that I’m concerned he may pass out.

“This has to be a setup, Pete,” I say. “Look at the date stamp on the video. Fletcher was with me all day. We stayed at his cabin over the weekend with the kids.”