Chapter 5
Another day starting again in ‘A’ Elite High School. The school become lively with the student’s chattering all around. The students is in heated discussion about the death of a student that is a member of school’s student council.
【Have you heard? Laura that was said have gone missing is found dead! 】
【Laura who? 】
【Laura Estevan. One of the student council’s member. 】
【I heard they found her body inside the student council’s clubhouse. 】
【Wasn’t the rumor said she was last seen in the clubhouse but gone missing just like that! Now she was found in there?! 】
【Shh… can we really be talking about this! This is not something we can talk about. Keep it to yourself 】
【It’ll be a problem if the other member hear we were talking about it without proper explanation from the school. 】
In one of the classroom, the students was also lively doing their own thing.
At the middle of the class, a female student is sitting on her chair while two other female student is grooming her hair, one with a brush, the other with a hair straightener.
“Adeline, your hair is so silky and smooth” said the female student while brushing her hair with the brush. Her face is full of smile. She nudge her friend that is straightening Adeline hair with the hair straightener.
“Adeline, do you perhaps know if there is a spot open in your mother private institution? Please… get me a spot, mmm…” ask the female student begging coquettishly.
“Me too…I need to take math course. My mom been nagging me… Joining intensive course” the female student with the brush clasping both of her hand asking for favor.
Adeline only glance at the two female students that trying to currying favor from her with a smug smile. She tuck her hair behind her ear and said, “I’ll ask my mother about it.”
“Thank you!!!” the two female student jump happily and continue grooming her hair.
Meanwhile beside them, a female student is doing a live streaming at her desk.
“Hey followers, this is Cece…” she wave to her fans through the smartphone, acting cute and cheerful, “Today is Cece first day at school, Cece is so nervous. So, click the heart many, many, and many to help cheer Cece up”
Many comment pop up to cheer her. Words as well as emoticons pop up. But a comment got her off guard.
【Don’t be fooled everyone! 】
【She’s evil! 】
Seeing the ID of the commenter, she know who it is and start cursing the commenter out loud. But then she remember she was live streaming and cursing was far off of her personality that she always shows.
She laugh out loud, “You’ll surprise didn’t you? Cece agency have been telling Cece to work out on Cece acting. How is it? Cece is not very good doing this kind of act. You know, cursing people is really bad.”
Very quickly she go to the live streaming setting to block the commenter account.
Students of the classroom is busy doing their own thing, talking and laughing.
At one particular desk, it look kind of out of place. When students look at it, they only sigh and move on. On top of it was full of flower bouquet and sticker notes.
The desk is where Laura Estevan used to sit.
At the other side of the school, Eden and Jack arrive at the clubhouse. With them is the president of the student’s council, Jaden Callahan.
“I’ll put one of you, officer’s fingerprint so that you can easily access the clubhouse. The clubhouse can’t be leave without lock as for they’re some valuable stuff in here.” Said Jaden.
Eden nodded and Jaden help put Eden’s fingerprint.
“Can other student council access the clubhouse?” Eden ask.
“Only full member can access freely this clubhouse. Other students can only enter if one of the full member take them in.” Jaden answer.
Jaden explain that the student council divide into full member and member only. The clubhouse is like a privilege to the full member. Full member can used the clubhouse without restriction while member only can only enter if there is a meeting with the full member.
“If there is no other need of me, I’ll go back to my class.”
With that Jaden excuse himself. Eden and Jack enter the clubhouse.
According to the photo taken, the blood that trail from the victim body is at the direction of the book shelf adjacent to the victim body.
Jack excitedly move to the book shelf, “This should be it. Behind this book shelf there would be probably a room. How to open it?”
Eden watch as Jack enthusiastically wonder in front of the book shelf figuring out how to open to the might be secret room behind it.
“Should I move one of the books on the shelf?” Jack said.
Jack starting taking out the book one by one. Until the last book, the shelf did not move. Jack scratch his head confuse. “It’s not the book then” Jack thought. He then try to push to see if the book shelf can be move.
While Jack busy in front of the book shelf, Eden scrutinize the clubhouse. More than a clubhouse, Eden can describe it as a high class resting room. ‘They sure have money! A lot!’ Eden thought.
What a clubhouse for a student council have a set of sofa, a grand piano, an expensive stereo, a make-up table, VR game devices and all of those things rich kids wants.
‘At least there are shelves for trophies and certificate that the students got’ Eden add in his mind.
At that time, Eden sight move to an antique clock on a cabinet beside the book shelf that Jack is trying to open.
He take out photos of the crime scene with the blood residue taken by the forensic team the first time they inspect the crime scene, ‘It can’t be that simple isn’t it?!’ Eden thought.
Eden approach the antique clock. He then move both of the hour hand to twelve o’clock.
‘Click’
A sound like something opened could be heard and the book shelf open at one side like a door.
“How did you?” Jack asked dumbfounded.
Eden show the photo taken at the crime scene by the forensic, “Follow the blood residue. The murderer touch it.”
Jack take a look at the photo. “And the hour hand?”
Eden shrugged, “Hunch. You have a lot to learn” Eden tap Jack shoulder.
They first move all the books that Jack have put on the floor aside and open the book shelf. In front of them, there is a passage. The walk through the passage for two minutes until they enter a room that a little less big than the clubhouse.
The room is empty but full of smell of cleaning materials.
“So this is where the victim body is hidden.” Jack said.
“Perhaps…”Eden answer while deep in thought.
Across the room there were another long passage. Both of them follow the passage and about half an hour they reach a door at the end of the passage. Through the door, there were veins of a tree hanging, covering the door. Walking through it, they found themselves not in the school compound anymore.
They came out under a big tree and the place was desolate enough. Going in and out without being seen are not a problem at all.
Seeing Eden in deep thought Jack ask, “What?”
“From the missing case to the crime scene until here, from the ME report until finding this room, did you find anything strange?” Eden ask Jack.
“Hmm… When we were trying to find any clue for the missing case, nothing was found and suddenly, the body pop out at the place we didn’t expect.” Until here, Jack get enlighten, “Does you suspect the murderer deliberately let us find all of this?!”
Eden look impress with Jack summary. “Looking at the ME report, the victim body was clean, there were not even a blood trace can be found. But seeing the crime scene, the murderer left so many things, left crucial hint. The murderer want us to find all of it.”
“So far all the hint bring us back to the other 4 club member, the murderer want us to investigate them?” Jack asked.
“That is a possibility. For me, there are two possibility, which is the murderer is one of the 4 club member or the 4 of them is another potential victim.” Eden said.
But following the clue left by the suspect is not a good thing as the investigation will go to the direction what the murderer want and following the end result the suspect want. The hint could mislead them on pinpointing the wrong suspect.