The Trail

Day One: I am investigating the disappearance of some food from my locker. I understand that I should not expect any help from my fellow classmates or the school, so I will be undertaking this venture by myself. In the event that I do not solve this mystery, I intend to carry about my own food and then find a way to replace my combination lock – or locker – without breaking any of the rules of this institution. Several teachers have advised me to let this go, but I am a fan and devoted reader of mysteries, and I know that there is always more than meets the eye in these situations. I intend to seek justice…and then find it (end of recording).

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Day Two: It is the beginning of a week-end (actually, Friday afternoon). I know that we will have the Monday off, and that many of my classmates will be away. I also know that the school may possibly be closed to the students, but I have arranged to use the library during the long week-end to study for upcoming exams. This is simply a ruse I have developed in order to fool the staff into allowing me to use the building as my first step in my hunt for the thief (the librarian, although quite surprised by my request, trusts me and will allow me to enter through a side entrance to use the facilities). The building will be open at standard class times on the week-end, except for Monday, so I will have to be very discrete with my search. I may also have to leave these recordings to a later date than in this portable between lessons (the back door opens easily to a pen cartridge position in the right part of the lock). I will see if this is possible (end of recording).

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Day Three: I have found an ally. It is not Ms. Munroe, the librarian (I had expected her to be on my side, but her only comment when seeing my written request was, “What kind of kid wants to be in school over a long week-end?” When she was it was me, she no longer required an answer). No, the ally I have found has been with the janitorial staff. Mr. Edwards, a long-time cleaner with our school – he claims fourteen years at the same institution – is very sympathetic to my real reasons why I am at the school on Saturday. He wants to clean it up and not have to bother with any “anonymous food sources” (his surprising words, not mine) that could lead to a bigger and more annoying situation. One problem we have discovered together is that the students have been changing their locks without the express written consent of any of the staff members (I have created a list of numbers to be handed in on the Tuesday, some of which will be a surprise to the teachers…and several coaches). And yes, I did tell him exactly why I was there. I do not think I can trust Ms. Munroe to remain silent about such things (I have caught her reading a romance novel at her desk when I have stepped out of the room “to use the facilities”). She has never really bothered to look up and I think she may be annoyed to have me there. But I do not mind. Mr. Edwards is a kind soul – you can see it in the eyes – and he wants to help me find out who the culprit is. He is the only one who knows what kind of food I have lost to a thief and I think he is rather amused at the prospect of solving a mystery while at work. I did mention my love of mysteries to him and he confessed to watching the latest Sherlock Holmes television series (I cannot stand the updating of the source material, but I did not say as much). So, I have an ally. We have handled the first floor and have found nothing more than a trail of ants to the boys’ locker room (the teams seem very fond of chocolate of every kind). Mr. Edwards sprayed the entire room and asked if I recognized any of the wrappers and packaging I noted in the clean up. No, nothing has been discovered yet that would indicate my food. I left the school with a promise to return and continue on the second floor. Mr. Edwards continued with the clean up and the promise to “kill every ant in the place”. A bit harsh, but I can understand the frustration of a man left alone to clean such a large building. Ms. Munroe did not look up when I told her I was heading home, but she knows I will be back. There is so much more to do (end of recording).

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Day Four: This is going to be a very difficult recording for me to do. I am at home at my desk with all of my notes (my homework was finished by Friday night, so I do not have to worry about anything there except the extra credit work – far too easy to handle). I am looking out at the sun heading towards the horizon as my mother and father talk downstairs about me and my plan (they think I cannot hear them). And I have to save this file.

I know who took my food.

I went to the school a little earlier than usual and saw Mr. Edwards and Ms. Munroe in the parking lot. They seemed to be sharing a private laugh at a joke I had not heard. And as I approached them, I had to stop for a moment. They kissed each other. And they kept on kissing each other as I hid behind a dumpster at the far end of a parking lot. I waited for about ten minutes before using a different door (same plan as before so that I was not “arousing suspicion” – always a strange phrase to me). Ms. Munroe seemed surprised to see me, but I know that she does suspect that I saw her with Mr. Edwards. He was already up on the second floor. And I should mention that most of the administration offices are on that floor. Mr. Edwards said I could continue looking around while he cleaned up the hallways (always have to be careful with ants, he said). The doors for most of these rooms were kept unlocked except for the main offices, so I did not think I was breaking any rules. And as I walked through the guidance counselor’s space, I saw it.

The food was from the international market, so the wrapper was written in what I knew to be Japanese (not “weird Chinese shit” like some of the older kids said when they saw it). It was a candy that I found out about online and decided to try last year, so no one else could have known about it except me (never saw anyone at the school eating it). And it was right there, on the floor next to the rolling clear plastic cabinet Mr. Porto always used when he prepped files for the students and wanted to have them ready for meetings.

Mr. Edwards saw me holding the wrapper and asked the obvious question about what I found. When I told him, he said something to me that is going to make what I do next very difficult. He said that it could have belonged to any student of the school who had to have a meeting in that office. He said that I should be sympathetic. And then he said this (I wrote it down so I would get it right): “Nobody is perfect, and you would be surprised to learn what people do not want you to know. Very surprised.” He then continued to talk about ants and keeping the place clean, but I was not really paying attention. In the library, I pretended to do the extra credit work (Ms. Munroe still had her book) and I left without saying good-bye.

Monday is coming up and I know that I should try to forget about this, but I do want to talk to the school about this. Mr. Edwards is right, but how can I trust anyone if people are allowed to just take things without permission? I will need to get my own permission to change the lock, but I don’t think that will be a problem (I already have one ready). My parents know about the theft and they said the same sort of thing as Mr. Edwards (“Be a bigger man, son.” A bigger man? Maybe he should not have called me “Son”). I have all of tomorrow to consider this. And I have no other work to do. What am I going to do?

Tuesday should be very interesting (end of recording)…