CHAPTER FIVE

Exactly thirty minutes later, she heard a knock.

"The door is open!" she called out.

A tall, lanky boy hunched as he entered the office. "Good morning, ma," he said.

Could this boy be the killer?

If the killer was a student at Saint High, anything was possible.

Everyone was a suspect.

She smiled and nodded for him to sit."What is your name?" she asked.

"Laurel Bernie," he replied.

"Did you notice anything unusual before your three classmates died?"

"Nothing. Everyone was acting normal. I wondered what could have led to the murder," he said.

"Are you sure about that?"

"Quarrels happen in our class. Some days are normal, others strange. But nothing significant happened," he confirmed.

"Are you suggesting the murder wasn't driven by a conflict?"

He nodded thoughtfully. "Most serial killers act out of obsession. They don't kill because someone is special. It's just their fixation."His response seemed oddly knowledgeable.

"Can you elaborate?"

"Serial killers usually act without a clear motive," he said flatly.

She nodded, thanked him for his time, and he left.

The next student was a short, plump young man with a handsome face and dimples.

If this short boy was the killer, he must have had some inner strength.

She might be wrong, but everyone was a suspect."What is your name?"She asked immediately he sat.

"Victor Hanson, ma'am," he said kindly, though his tone was not particularly cheerful.

"Do you think the killer is in your class?"

"The killer is definitely in this school, but I'm not sure if he's in my class."

"Those girls were all in your class. Doesn't that seem suspicious?"

He licked his lips nervously. "We're a hundred in the class. I don't even talk to twenty of them."

"Are you saying you have no suspicions at all?"

"The injuries on those girls didn't seem like something a teenager could do. Cutting off their hair takes a lot of strength."

"He cut off her hair? How do you know that?"

Victor fell silent.

Theresa had said no student was allowed to see the bodies.

How had Victor seen them?

She watched him closely. "Can you tell me everything you've suspected so far?"

"All three girls dated Maxson."

"Who's Maxson?"

"Maxson is the richest and most handsome boy in Saint High. Queen Esther, Francess Scott, and Justina Marie dated him during our second year. He didn't date them all at once, but one after the other. In junior class, he dated Rosa. It was quite the trend."

Who could this Maxson be?

She nodded. "Anything else you noticed?"

"Those girls loved his money. They drained him financially and he was always buying them expensive things. When Queen died, everyone didn't suspect Maxson because they had broken up before she died, but I made my own calculations."

"Thank you very much for the information, Victor."

"You're welcome."

Victor left, and the next person entered: a sixteen-year-old with an average height and a lean build.

If appearance determined guilt, this young man didn't seem capable.

But was it wrong to judge someone by their looks?

He nervously took a seat.

"I'm not going to harm you". She said, observing his nervousness. "What's your name?"

."Joseph Hitler."

"Nice to meet you, Joseph. I'm here to ask a few questions about the killer."

He relaxed a bit after her words. "I was close to Queen. I know a lot about her life. Her mother died when she was three, and her father remarried when she was seven. Her stepmother mistreated her, so she begged her father to send her to boarding school. She was always cheerful and friendly, even when other boarders stole her milk."

"Did you date her?"

"No, we were just friends."

"On the night Queen died, did you notice anything strange?"

"We were together during night class and went back to the hostel together."

"Thank you for your information."

The next student that entered her office was a tall, handsome boy with a well-groomed appearance. His confident demeanor made him seem like a strong suspect.

But could a person's appearance truly determine their guilt?

His cologne was strong, and he entered with a commanding presence.

He looked like someone who had a lot of self-assurance, which reminded her of Fred from their past."What is your name?"

"Alex Dickson, head boy of Saint High."

She remembered the class captain mentioning Alex but didn't know he was the head boy. "Are you the assistant class captain?"

"Yes, assistant and head boy."

She noted the class captain and assistant were both proud and handsome. "I bet you've stolen many hearts at Saint High."

He smirked and leaned closer. "Yes, and just now, I think I stole yours."

She laughed. "You must be the son of a superstar to be so confident about that "

"My father owns Maluad Refineries. I might be able to help your future children with jobs."

She chuckled. "Thank you, future helper."

"I like older women. Will you marry me? You're very beautiful. Are you married?"

She smiled and nodded. "Yes, I'm married with a four-year-old daughter."

He gasped. "You must have been young when you got married. You were eighteen when you got married right?"

"Twenty-five," she chuckled.

He gasped again. "You look so young. No one would guess you've had a child."

"I don't gain weight easily" she shrugged.

"But let's get back to the reason you're here. Do you know why we are here?"

"Yes, about Justina's death."

"Not just Justina. Queen and Francess too."

He scoffed. "I don't talk to many people in class. Those three girls—Justina, Francess, Queen—were insignificant. Maybe one of the guys they dated is the killer. Who knows?"

"Do you suspect any specific guys?"

"I don't know. There are lots of condoms in the toilet. Everyone acts like saints but changes during parties."

"Did you notice anything significant about the girls before their deaths?"

"Nothing special. They weren't even friends."

"Did you talk to any of them before the incidents?"

"Justina. She was with Dennis, Anita, and Claudia. She was walking back to class after night class, and I didn't think to ask her anything."

"Thank you for the information, Alex."

"Will I see you more often around school?"She smiled.

"Of course."

Two female students entered after he left.

Theresa had requested they start coming in twos to make the session faster.

They greeted Anna and took their seats.

"Your names?"

"Sophia Lazarus," said the chubbier girl with freckles.

"Georgia Wisdom," said the other, with long smooth hair and open teeth.

"Sophia, did you notice anything significant in school before Justina's death?"

"Justina was usually cheerful. She didn't have a boyfriend at Saint High. Her boyfriend is in university. We saw him when he came with her parents to collect her body."

Anna nodded. "Georgia, do you have anything to add?"

"I don't believe the killer is in our class. Justina never offended anyone and stayed with her friends."She concluded with them and waited for the next candidate.

Two more girls entered, both attractive with fair complexions."My name is Dennis Rowland."

"My name is Claudia Ricardo."Anna recalled Alex mentioning they were in the same group as Anita and Justina.

"Were you in Justina's F4 group?"

They exchanged glances, wondering how Anna had suspected immediately.

"Y...yes, ma'am."

Anna was intrigued. "I'm sure you want justice for your friend. Will you share everything with me?"

"It was the first time Justina had acted secretive. For two weeks before her death, she was always on her phone and didn't share much with us. We suspected she was dating Paul, her family friend. They liked each other but had a long-distance relationship."

"Did you see her with any male student?"

"Justina wasn't involved with any guys in class. She didn't have a good record with them."

Anna was increasingly confused by the conflicting information.

She dismissed her them and reviewed her notes.

LIST OF INTERVIEWED SENIOR STUDENTS OF SAINT HIGH

Stephen Robin (Class captain who thinks the killer is in their class)

Anita Brian (Member of Justina Marie's F4 group)

Laurel Bernie (Lanky boy who doesn't think class conflict was the motive)

Victor Hanson (Short plump boy who knew about Justina's hair being cut off)

Joseph Hitler (Gave details about Queen's life)

Alex Dickson (Head boy of Saint High)

Sophia Lazarus (Gave information about Justina's boyfriend)

Georgia Wisdom (Believes the killer is not in their class)

Dennis Rowland (Member of Justina Marie's F4 group)

Claudia Ricardo (Member of Justina Marie's F4 group)

All students had provided relevant information about the deceased.

Could the killer be one of these ten students she had just interviewed?