CHAPTER 11: THE WRONG SUSPECT
613 Words
The quiz ended, but the excitement around the school quickly faded.
Instead of celebrating, students gathered in small groups, discussing the missing answer sheets and the strange messages that had appeared during the competition.
Everyone seemed to have a different theory.
"They should search every student's bag."
"I heard a teacher is involved."
"No, it's definitely someone from SS2."
By the next morning, the school was buzzing with fresh speculation.
As Ethan, Sophie, and Jemimah walked into their classroom, they noticed an unusual silence. Several students turned to look at them before whispering among themselves.
"They're talking about us again," Favour muttered.
Sophie nodded.
"Let's ignore it."
Mrs. Wilson entered the classroom carrying a small box.
"Good morning, class."
"Good morning, ma."
"I've recovered a few items that were found after yesterday's competition. If any of them belong to you, come and identify them after school."
The lesson continued, but Ethan couldn't stop thinking about the old photograph, the prefect's badge, and the mysterious notes.
None of the clues seemed to connect.
At lunch break, the three friends met behind the library.
Jemimah spread their clues across the bench.
"The old newspapers."
"The photograph."
"The badge."
"The notes."
"There has to be something we're missing," she said.
Sophie studied the photograph again.
"Look closely."
Ethan leaned forward.
The picture showed several students standing proudly in front of the school building.
Then something caught his attention.
"The Head Prefect's badge."
Jemimah looked up.
"What about it?"
"In the photograph, the Head Prefect is wearing the same badge we found in Locker 27."
Sophie's eyes widened.
"So the badge really belonged to someone in this picture."
Before they could examine it further, Bryan walked past with two of his friends.
He stopped when he saw the photograph. His expression changed for just a second.
"You people are still chasing fairy tales?" he said with a laugh.
Then he walked away.
Jemimah watched him disappear around the corner.
"Did you see his face?"
Sophie nodded slowly.
"He looked... nervous."
For the rest of the afternoon, the three couldn't stop thinking about Bryan's reaction.
Could he know something?
After the last lesson, they quietly followed him from a distance.
Bryan walked across the football field, glanced over his shoulder twice, and headed toward the old storage building behind the assembly hall.
"He definitely doesn't want to be seen," Jemimah whispered.
The three hid behind a nearby wall.
Bryan took out his phone, looked around carefully, and placed something inside a broken flower pot before walking away.
The coast was clear.
They hurried over.
Inside the flower pot was a folded piece of paper.
Sophie carefully opened it.
It wasn't a confession.
It was a timetable with one sentence written across the back.
"Meet me where it all started."
"That's all?" Jemimah asked.
Ethan frowned.
"This could be another clue..."
"...or another trap," Sophie finished.
Just then, footsteps echoed behind them.
The three turned around.
It was the school gardener.
"What are you doing here?" he asked.
"We were just leaving," Ethan replied.
The gardener looked at the paper in Sophie's hand.
His face suddenly became serious.
Without another word, he walked away much faster than before.
The three exchanged confused glances.
"That was strange," Jemimah whispered.
As they left the area, Ethan looked back at the storage building.
For a brief moment, he thought he saw someone standing inside one of the dusty windows.
The figure disappeared before he could get a better look.
Bryan's strange behaviour had made him look guilty.
But deep down, Ethan wasn't convinced.
If the mystery had taught him anything, it was this:
The most obvious suspect was rarely the right one.
- Writer
