The classroom went quiet—but no longer with tension. It was the uneasy silence of anticipation. The students’ attention shifted away from Alejandro and settled on Mrs. Carmen López. Colonel Javier Morales folded his arms calmly.
“Rewind the footage to one minute before the student walked in,” he said evenly.
The principal, clearly rattled, complied. On the screen, Carmen López was seen leaving the classroom in a hurry. She set her handbag on the chair beside her desk. The zipper was slightly open.
“Pause it there,” the colonel instructed.
The image froze.
“Are you certain you locked your bag before stepping out?” he asked quietly.
“Of course,” she replied too quickly. “I always do.”
“The video suggests otherwise,” Javier answered calmly.
Whispers spread among the students.
The footage resumed. At 10:40, the janitor entered with a bucket and mop. She moved the chair and lifted the bag slightly to clean underneath. For a few seconds, she was out of view of the camera.
“I’d also like to review the hallway cameras,” the colonel said to the officers. “We need the complete sequence.”
Carmen’s face drained of color.
“Are you saying I’m lying?”
“I’m saying I verify facts,” Javier replied.
Miguel García stood beside his son. The anger that had driven him there had cooled into something sharp and controlled.
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