Kie High School.
''Can you tell me more about the camping that the students went to?'' Rosa asked the Head teacher of the high school after getting into her office. She was a woman in her late forties and had a family of four. That was what Rosa got from looking at the picture frame on the table. She also did a quick scan of the office and found out that the woman liked to golf. She had a lot of golf medals awards and pictures of golf sites at her shelf where she displayed those awards.
''We were having a social science week and all the students in class A of the senior year were out into four groups. Each group had six members each. They were given a project to find a social problem and find a solution to it. The camping was to equip them with survival skills that they needed in their project to succeed.
The school has been organizing these kind of camping for the past five years and this sort of thing hasn't happened before. We were all quite flustered when this happened''
''When did this happen and when did the school report the case to the police?''
''It happened a week ago. We didn't know that those girls were missing. We thought they had just gone home earlier than the rest because those girls have a history of skipping school''
''Are the four girls' friends?''
''Actually they are a group of five friends who often skip school but only one of them came back. I already told the police about her and she was questioned but she didn't say much''
''I see. So, who was the one who reported the case to the police? Was it the parents or the school?''
''It was their friend who reported to their homeroom teacher about the disappearance of her friends but at that time, the homeroom teacher thought that they were probably gone home, so he didn't pay much attention to what their friend said''
''So, she did report the missing of her friends but the homeroom teacher was the one who didn't pay attention to her? Can I have a word with the homeroom teacher? Is he in school?''
''He was in school yesterday but he called for a sick leave today. He must have been stressed from the complaints of the parents of the students so much that he fell sick''
''Alright, thanks for answering my questions. I will get back to you if I need anything else'' Rosa smiled and stood up.
''Sure. Prosecutor, please help find out girls''
''It is my duty''
Rosa nodded her head and left the office. Once she was out, she saw the students out of their class looking at someone. She turned and saw them giggling and pointing at Carlos Ryan who leaned against the pillar in a lazy and charismatic manner. Rosa sighed. She really had to give it to him. He was handsome and he knew it.
He was smiling and waving at her when she looked towards him. She sighed and started walking towards him while the students kept giggling. Rosa suddenly stopped at the class A of the senior class and looked inside. She didn't find anything out of the ordinary and asked one of the students.
''Where is Cherry Marks?''
The three students at the door turned quiet when they heard the question. Instead of replying, they went back into the classroom.
''What are you doing?'' Carlos Ryan walked to her and asked.
''Oh? Nothing, let's go'' Rosa cast a last glance at the girls and in the classroom before walking away.
''What did you find?''
''Nothing for now but don't you find it suspicious? Those girls avoided eye contact with me and immediately turned quiet when I asked them about the friend of the missing girls. I also found something which wasn't right. the head teacher said that the homeroom teacher asked for a sick leave''
''Should we pay that man a visit?'' Carlos Ryan asked as he adjusted his shades.
''Yes, I know where he stays''
As they left the school to their car, a student hiding behind the school flowers called them. He was a boy who was in the same class with the missing girls.
''Prosecutor'' he called out and Rosa turned with Carlos Ryan.
''Did you call me?'' Rosa asked him and he nodded but he was standing by some flowers at a distance. He beckoned on them to get closer. It seemed like he was avoiding been seen.
''Those girls are not missing. I think they were kidnapped'' the boy said and alarmed Rosa and Carlos Ryan. They walked closer to him.
''Can you tell me why you think it is so?'' Rosa asked him.
''On the day of the camping. I heard them saying they were going to visit an adult centre. It seemed they wanted to make money from pool dancing and help their friend to pay her mother's operation. I vaguely heard them discussing it that day at the stairs. I was coming out of the rooftop after I finished reading and heard them discussing it''
''Why didn't you tell this to the police when they came here?'' Carlos Ryan asked.
''We were warned not to say anything. Our homeroom teacher said that we would get into unnecessary trouble if we meddle in the case. Even though I don't like those girls, I feel that I should tell you what I heard that day'' the boy explained. He was a second year student and always went to school early to read at the rooftop before the students arrived.
That day, after his usual studies, he had prepared to go for their morning assembly when he heard the girls discussing it. He didn't want to leave at that moment because it would have been awkward and those girls had history of bullying their colleagues. He didn't want to get into their bad books.
''Did you go to the camping with them?'' Rosa asked him and he shook his head.
''I am in second year and only final year students go on the camping''
''I see. Thanks you very much for this information and don't worry, we didn't meet you and you didn't say anything to us''
''Thank you''
''One more thing, do you know where Cherry Marks lives?''
The boy looked at Rosa sceptically before answering, ''actually, we are neighbours. We stay in the same vicinity but her apartment is quite expensive so I don't understand how her mother could afford that apartment but couldn't afford money for hospital bills''
Carlos and Rosa looked at each other.
''They don't live in a rented apartment?'' Rosa asked.
''The apartment at high street aren't rented. They are bought and according to my parents, they saved for a lot of years before finally able to buy an apartment there''
''What is your name, student?''
''I am Nickolas, Prosecutor''
''Student Nickolas, I want you to do something for me. Don't tell anyone else what you just told me, okay?''
''Yes, Prosecutor''
''Good, go back to class'' Rosa said to him and watched him leave before she turned to Carlos Ryan.
''What do you think?'' she asked Carlos Ryan.
''Right now there are two major suspects right now. One is the homeroom teacher and the other is Cherry Marks, but we will have to go to her home to verify whether her mother is really in the hospital or not''
''Do you have something going on later?''
''No, Prosecutor Ann. I am yours to order today'' Carlos Ryan opened the car door for her to go in and smiled.
''Why do I feel that you are acting strange today?'' Rosa asked him as he sat on the driver's seat.
''Am I acting strange?'' he asked and turned, leaning closer to her.
''What are you doing?'' Rosa suddenly flushed watching him buckle up her safety belt.
''I just wanted to do this for you'' he said and turned away to drive. Rosa looked at him and subconsciously touched her chest. Why was her heart suddenly beating fast? She shook her head and concentrated on the case. This wasn't the time to think about useless things, she reminded herself.
Carlos Ryan smiled subtly as he drove away. It seemed he had to work a little harder at making this clueless woman his before it was too late.
…..
Carlos Ryan pulled over in front of the High street and got down.
''Whoa, I can't believe this place is so developed?''
''You haven't been here before?''
''I have but that was five years ago before I left Blue Town. That student Nickolas was right. anyone staying here should be able to afford $10,000 dollars for an operation. I was looking into the down payment for this apartments and it was a down payment of $15,000 dollars and an extra $500 dollars as insurance. Most of the people that bought these apartments are bankers as the road is less crowded and they are able to get to the banks earlier compared to using the main roads''
Rosa was going on when she felt her body shift to one side and pushed against the car. Carlos Ryan wrapped his arms around her giving her a surprise kiss and she froze. His actions were swift and she couldn't register anything as she stared at him wide eyed.