- DAN -
Libby sighed while looking at their updated Mystery board. Dan's name is on the person of interest' list. She wasn't able to talk to him yet, both of them are busy the past couple days. Dan with their basketball practice and meeting with the Photography Club (they will be handling the Prom's invitation and photo booth during the event proper). Her, with the prom nearing she has to attend to so many meetings - with the decorations committee, the performer's, she needs to check their facilities, her own gown design and fitting. Yes, they are classmates but they are sitting on the other sides of the room, with Kate always hanging around beside him, it's impossible for them to have an alone time. They both agreed to meet today at lunchtime which is thirty minutes from now, at the school park near the lagoon. So, she's mentally taking a note on how to approach him. She gather her things and proceed to their meeting place. She brought sandwiches for both of them. It's better to be there early so she can calm her nerves. Honestly, she doesn't know what to say to him.
After walking a while, she reached her destination. The school lagoon. Good thing the school always maintain its beauty. She found an empty bench under a tree. She opened her laptop. It's fifteen minutes before their arranged time. She will do some errands first. Now that all the planning is in placed for their prom, she just needs to execute this wisely. With only twenty two days before the Prom, it's still hectic. She needs to assign work for every committee members.
"Libby!" She heard Dan called her while running towards her. "I'm sorry if I kept you waiting. I had to run from the Photography Club's room to get something."
"It's okay, Dan," she looked at her watch. "You're still five minutes early."
"Really?" Dan checked his watch. "Mom must've adjusted my time. It seems it's advanced by ten minutes." He sat down beside Libby while still catching his breath.
Libby handed her a bottle of juice. "Here Dan."
"Oh, thanks," Dan said.
"Here's your sandwich." Libby gave him a sandwich. "We might as well eat while we talk. I know you're so busy."
"Yeah," Dan took a bite from the sandwich. "This is good," he said while looking at the content of his sandwich. "Did you made this?"
"Um, yeah." said Libby nonchalantly. "That's my version of that sandwich you like in Starbucks."
"Wow, Libby, you're the best," he sounded impressed. "Even my mom can't do this. And she has a cooking channel." Dan chuckles.
Libby smiled. They talk about the prom planning for a while. And when both finished their sandwich, Libby gathered their trash and Dan threw it in the trash bin nearby.
Libby cleared her throat. "This is it," she thought to herself.
"Uhm Dan," she started nervously.
Dan looked at her. He knows that tone.
"Okay, this is about the test papers," Libby said hurriedly. She looked at Dan. "I need to know if you know something. Clues are pointing towards the basketball team and Coach Bradley.. Please Dan, if you know anything, let's help Mimi."
There was silence after that. Dan seems to be torn. He looked up like he's defeated then say "Yes Libby, I know something.. That test paper found in Mimi's locker? I put it there.."
- STEVEN AND BROOKE -
Jon calmly observes his teammates. Right now, they have practice. He noticed that Dan, isn't here yet. He glanced at a corner and see Steven who's slumped in a wall texting. He can see his other teammates huddled in one side watching over something. He walks towards Steven.
"Hey dude," he started.
"Hey, Jon. what's up man?" Steven answered. He sat up straight and hid his phone.
"How are you and Brooke?" Jon asked.
"We're cool man. She's harassing me lately on what we should wear for the ball. She said that we both should wear complimenting design or color or whatever," Steven answered. "Even our masks, so I just agreed with her."
"Oh, that's why maybe I saw you both the other day kinda fighting? She seems so upset then." Jon casually says. But he's lying here because it's not him who saw Steven and Brooke, it's Nikki.
"You saw us? When?"
"You know, the other day," answered Jon nonchalantly. "Her voice is kinda loud so I went the other way."
"Uh, huh, actually that day we're not arguing about what to wear," said Steven.
They became quiet for a while. Then Jon said, "Yeah, I heard Brooke said something about the test papers."
Steven looked at him. He has this look of surrender. "You know, Jon, about the rumor? That someone from the team knows who stole those test papers?"
"Do you who Steven?" asked Jon carefully. "Is it Brooke?"
Steven shooked his head. "No, Jon, believe me, it's not Brooke and it's not me. We didn't steal those test papers. We also don't know who it was.. But, I found it.. Here at the gym," and he points to the bleachers. "There, I found it there."
Jon is confused. "When did you found it?"
"That day, when Miss Jimenez said she left it in her desk drawers and went home, that night, I was here practicing. I was sick for a week before that remember? So I had to double my practice so I can keep up with you guys. I asked for Coach's permission that morning and he gave me the key. When I entered here that night I knew that I'm alone. I went to the lockers to change into practice clothes then I started practicing. I think about twenty minutes into practice, I noticed a brown envelope in the bleachers. I went to get it thinking it's from one of you guys so I said I'll keep it and hand it to you guys on practice the next day. So I continued my drills and by seven o'clock I decided to go home. I didn't even change my clothes, just gather my things and that envelope, clean a little bit, turn off the lights then locked the gym door. I headed home. When I got home I checked the envelope's content and I was shocked to see that it was the key test papers."
"You're sure you did not see anyone who entered the gym while you're practicing?" asked Jon.
"Yeah, I'm sure,"
"So when did the envelope appeared?"
"I supposed it was left there in the afternoon? I'm not sure."
"So what happened to the test papers? Why didn't you return it to Miss Jimenez or report it to her?"
"Uhm about that... You see, the next day, I brought the envelope with the test papers here in school. On my way to my classroom, I decided to drop by the Sports Club's room, because it's still too early and I haven't visited for like two weeks. When I got there, I saw Coach Bradley so I returned the key to the gym, we talked a while and then Coach received an alert that a break in happened at Miss Jimenez' office and that test papers was stolen. You know, I froze right then and there. Coach saw me and ask why I suddenly turned like a ghost. I showed him the envelope and told him the event the night before."
"And then, what happened?"
"We went to the gym, Coach said we need to return it to where I found it. So we ran til we reached the gym and I put back the envelope. After that Coach told me to go to class, he locked the gym and I went to my class and I saw Coach went to the faculty. He also told me to not tell anyone about the envelope."
"Did you saw the envelope again? After that?" asked Jon.
"No," Steven said softly. "Actually, Coach approached me the next day and asked me the same thing. Because when he went here that afternoon, the envelope was gone. But the next time that I went back here was practice last week."
Jon is thinking. "So, why is Brooke asking you about the test papers?"
"Because I'm feeling guilty about what happened to Mimi," said Steven sadly. "I told Brooke because I need to tell someone. She got mad at me. Said that I should've just turned the test papers to Miss Jimenez and not left it there. She thought that someone from the team found it and put it in Mimi's lockers. I'm sorry Jon, I know Mimi is your friend."
"No worries Steven. As long as we solve this mystery, we can clear Mimi." said Jon.
Just then Coach Bradley and Dan entered the gym. Both looked sad. They asked the team to sit closer.
"As of now, Dan is resigning as team captain. And he won't be playing with us," said Coach Bradley.
Everyone is shocked.
"Dan?" asked Jon.
"I'm sorry guys. But I did something wrong and I don't want to burden my teammates with that. Thank you for practicing well up to now. And I'm looking forward to watch you play. I will cheer for you."
Then Dan walked out of the gym. Jon is in disbelief. He searched for his phone and tried to call Libby.
"Hello Libby? Had you talked to Dan?" he asked. He can only hear her sobbing. "What happened? Libby, Dan just resigned right now from the team."
"Jon, Dan is the one who put the test papers in Mimi's locker," Libby said while crying.
"What??!"
- COACH BRADLEY -
Coach Bradley Smith is the youngest Coach hired at St Paula Academy. After his graduation, he immediately jumped into a career of teaching at St Paula Academy. He was himself a varsity player of the school when he was studying there majoring in Physical Education. His father is the retired Coach Niel Smith. There's a rumor that because Coach Bradley wasn't able to pursue his first love as a professional basketball player because of an injury, his father made a way for him to have the role of coach there at St Paula. He's currently handling all the P.E. subjects from sixth to tenth grade. He's been teaching for three years now.
Coach Bradley is close to his basketball team. Though he also heads the other teams like soccer, swimming and volleyball, he treats his basketball players like his younger brothers and sisters. From the coaching team they have like five coaches and two student teachers (currently studying in college majoring in Physical Education doing their on the job training). Coach Bradley is the coach of the boy's and girl's basketball team, and is assisted by a student teacher named Wilson and a junior Coach Nelson, Coach Leonard on the soccer teams for high school and elementary teams, Coach Melissa for the girls and boys volleyball team assisted by a student teacher named Ruby, and Coach Andrei for the swimming team.
You can see Coach Bradley from Monday to Saturday at the school from six o'clock in the morning to eight o'clock in the evening except if they have games outside. Aside from monitoring the basketball team's practice, he also check all the sports facilities and sometimes drops by other team's practice and events.
During the incident (the stealing of the test papers at Miss Jimenez'office) he left the gym earlier than usual. Locked it, the key he gave it Steven who ask him for some alone practice time by himself. But he didn't go home yet. The guards saw him leave the school compound by seven o'clock in the evening.
When Mimi's trial was held, he said that one of his team members from the basketball team said he heard from Mimi that she's too lazy to study for the exam and that she knows a shortcut for getting a perfect score. But he did not disclose the name for he said "protection" of the said witness. He wasn't investigated thoroughly then because a test paper was already found in Mimi's locker.
Nikki has been snooping in the faculty and teacher's lounge. She's pretending to ask some teachers for a certain subject or just hanging out to pretend to help out, but in reality she's observing the coaching team. She can see that something is wrong. According to Nikki's Home Economics teacher who she assisted earlier in organizing the students notebooks and books that needs checking, the coaching team has been quiet last week, not their same usual jolly behavior. She also saw when she passed by that they are exchanging notes instead of talking and seems to be wary of their surroundings.
"Hmmm... something is definitely suspicious here," Nikki thought. "I have to see those CCTV footage badly."
She then headed to the first floor at the far end side where the security office is located. She greeted them happily and asked how their day is. She proceeded to a desk wherein a lady security is seated. She smiled. "Hi Mom!" she said.
"Nikki, what are you doing here?" her mom - Mrs Jane Madrigal is a Deputy in the security team. She's next to the Security Head Mr. Noah Almendrala. Mrs. Madrigal looked at Nikki suspiciously. "Are you up to something?"
Nikki shook her head. "No Mom. I just dropped by to bring you some snacks." And she gave her the plastic bag she's been holding containing packs of bread and juices.
"Thank you baby girl," Mrs Madrigal smiled.
"And also," she sat closer to her mom to whisper something in her ears. "I need a copy of the CCTV footage from Miss Jimenez' incident."
Mrs. Madrigal's smile disappeared and looked at her daughter sternly.
"Please Mom," her daughter pleaded, still whispering so the other security officers won't hear them. "We need to clear Mimi's name. You know her right? You know she didn't do it. And it's just unfair that she would suffer the consequences. The school is cancelling her scholarship and demanding them to pay her tuition in full before she can comeback after her suspension."
Mrs. Madrigal sighed. She also actually knows Mimi's mom - Mrs. Tessie Cruz, she's her close friend. She's also the one who encouraged her to look for a job. She checked their surroundings making sure no one is listening. And opened her drawer. There's a CD there. She actually thought of reviewing the footage herself at home so she made a copy. But she knows her daughter's club - the Mystery Club, and their capacity in solving this case. She handed the CD to Nikki in secret, putting it in between a book. "Solve this immediately. And you and your club should be careful."
Nikki hugged her mother. "Thanks Mom." And she stood up. Smiled and waved for the other officers and happily walked out. She was walking fast so she could drop by their club room first to update their board before her next class that will start in fifteen minutes when she received a chat notification. It's from Libby to their group. It said "It's over, case closed - Dan confessed."
Nikki stopped walking "What?!"