“No, they were in my bag. I put them in there while it sat on the bleachers.”
“There’re still a few people left to check,” he said watching as they made their way through the lines and following them as they left. “Where are they going?”
“The locker rooms,” Tate answered as it dawned on him. “Ah hell, Mr. Nelson, Coach Ross, isn’t it possible that someone took the items and then put them in their locker in case Mel figured it out?” he asked as the room cleared leaving just her, Tate, Jordan, and the teachers. “All they’d have to do is slip them into their bags after they changed and leave with them. They wouldn’t expect us to recheck bags, right?”
“It’s entirely possible,” Coach Ross admitted. “We were playing basketball in smaller groups, on each of the four sides, and when someone wasn’t tagged into the game, they were supposed to stay off the court.”
“We’ll conduct searches of the locker room once they’ve cleared,” Mr. Nelson told them, “and if we don’t find them there we’ll move onto lockers of your classmates and their bags again.”
“Thank you,” Jordan said rubbing her back. “Mel, I’m sure we’ll find them and if not it’s okay.”
“No, it’s not Jordan. It’s not about the ring and the necklace it’s about the fact that someone could be so mean to take them out of my bag and not expect me to notice, and then it’s the fact of what they are.”
“Why don’t you go and change,” Ms. Simmons suggested. “You can use my classroom to wait if you’d like.”
“No, I want to know who took them,” she said knowing she’d never be able to sit around.
“I’ve already informed the office that anyone attempting to leave should submit their bags for checks,” Mr. Nelson told her. “We will find them.”
Mel and Tate made their way into the locker rooms and changed while Mr. Nelson, Coach Ross and Jordan searched the men’s and Ms. Vincent and Ms. Simmons searched the women’s with her. They met up in the hallway and she knew no one had found them.
“I’ll go get a list of locker combinations,” Mr. Nelson stated as he moved off from their group.
They went through the list numerically, instead of going from one side of the hallway to the next by following the list alphabetically. They were three-fourths the way through it when the bell rang. Stephanie saw them and hurried to her locker, which was two away on the sheet.
“Miss Augustan, if you wouldn’t mind,” Mr. Nelson said moving quickly towards her. “What was that you just put in your pocket?”
“Just a gift from a friend,” she said as she shrugged.
“I’d like to see it,” he stated holding out his hand. They stood staring at each other for almost a minute before she reluctantly handed it over to the man. He opened it and glanced towards them.
“I told you it was a gift from a friend,” she said reaching for it.
“Melinda?” Mr. Nelson said holding it out to let her see it. “Is this your ring?”
“That’s it,” she told him.
“She’s lying. She obviously saw it and is trying to get you all to believe it’s hers,” Stephanie argued.
“I think you’ll find Mel’s telling the truth,” Jordan said as the hallway quieted a bit. “If you look at the band, you’ll find the date May seventeenth engraved on it.”
Mr. Nelson took the ring out and checked before putting it back and turning to Stephanie. “Miss Augustan, where are the other pieces?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said crossing her arms over her chest.
“Where are my necklace and my other ring,” Mel asked taking a step towards her. “I swear to god you better hand them over…”
“What’s wrong Indy, afraid your john there won’t buy you anymore nice things?” she crowed.
“Where are my wife’s wedding band and necklace?” Jordan stated in a tone she’d never heard him use.
“Yourwhat?!” Stephanie asked as her jaw dropped open.
“Where are mywife’sthings?” he restated.
“They’re in Andrew’s locker,” she answered backing up a bit. “He’s the one who took them.”
“Miss Augustan, Mr. Cooper, you two my office now,” Mr. Nelson stated handing Mel the ring box as Coach Ross opened Andrew’s locker after he’d tried to run, staying him with a hand on the shoulder. He pulled out the necklace and the gold band and handed them over to her.
