The bell rang sharply, echoing through the corridors of Greenfield High. Students bustled into their classrooms, juggling books, half-finished homework, and half-eaten breakfasts. The usual Monday morning chatter filled the air — groans about homework, gossip about the weekend, and excited whispers about the upcoming sports meet.
Maya sat at her desk in the Class flipping through her history textbook with a speed that suggested she already knew every word printed on its pages. She was the class topper, after all, and leader of the school's Detective Club. Beside her, Likitha was sketching something on the corner of her notebook — probably another crime scene diagram, knowing her.
"Morning," said Raju, plopping down into the chair behind them. His laptop bag was slung casually over his shoulder, and he was already sipping on a can of cold coffee.
"Morning," Maya replied, eyes still on her book. "You look like you stayed up all night again."
"I was coding," Raju said proudly. "Improved my tracker software. It can now pick up Bluetooth signals within a hundred-meter range."
"Useful," Likitha muttered without looking up. "Maybe we can use it to track down the cafeteria's missing spoons."
Before Raju could retort, the classroom door opened with a sharp click. In stepped Mr. Rajendra — their social studies teacher. Normally, he entered with a smile and a cheerful "Good morning, everyone!" But today, something was different.
His brow was furrowed, his steps were slower, and his eyes darted around the room as if he were searching for something.
"Good morning, sir," the class chorused, though the words sounded a bit hesitant.
Mr. Rajendra set his briefcase on the table and cleared his throat. "Class… something very important has happened," he began, his voice unusually serious. "Or rather, something very important has gone missing."
A ripple of murmurs spread across the room. Missing? Important? Maya straightened in her seat.
"This morning," Mr. Rajendra continued, "I discovered that my watch — a gold wristwatch given to me by my late father — is gone. I last saw it yesterday evening in the staffroom, right after school. This morning, it was nowhere to be found."
The class erupted into whispers.
"Who'd steal a teacher's watch?" someone muttered.
"Maybe he left it at home," another suggested.
Maya's eyes narrowed. She had a habit of noticing the details others missed — and right now, she noticed the way Mr. Rajendra's fingers kept fiddling with his empty wrist, like he still couldn't believe the watch wasn't there.
"I have already informed the principal," Mr. Rajendra went on, "and the matter will be investigated. But… if anyone saw anything unusual around the staffroom yesterday or this morning, please come forward."
Silence. No one spoke up.
"Alright then," he said finally, sighing. "Let's begin today's lesson."
But Maya barely heard the lecture on the French Revolution. Her mind was buzzing with possibilities. Who could have taken the watch? Was it a student? A staff member? And why would anyone want it?
When the bell rang for recess, Maya didn't head to the canteen like the others. Instead, she gave a small nod to Likitha and Raju. That was all it took — they knew it was time.
The three of them slipped into their usual meeting spot: the back corner of the library, behind the geography section. Likitha shut her notebook and looked expectantly at Maya.
"Well?" she asked.
Maya crossed her arms. "This is exactly the kind of case the Detective Club exists for. Mr. Rajendra's watch is important to him, and we're going to find it."
"I'm in," Likitha said immediately. "Any suspects?"
"Not yet," Maya admitted. "But we do know a few things: one, the watch went missing sometime between yesterday after school and this morning. Two, it was in the staffroom last Mr. Rajendra saw it. Three, it has sentimental value — so maybe the motive isn't just money."
Raju tapped away on his laptop. "I can check the CCTV near the staffroom."
"Won't the principal notice?" Likitha asked.
"Not if I access the backup feed," Raju said with a smirk. "But it'll take a while."
Maya was already jotting notes in her casebook. "Good. Likitha, I need you to start listing everyone who had access to the staffroom during that time. Teachers, cleaners, prefects — anyone."
Likitha's eyes gleamed. "On it."
As they spoke, a shadow fell across the table. They looked up to see a tall figure smiling at them — a man in a brown trench coat, holding a cup of tea.
"Anush!" Maya said in surprise. "What are you doing here?"
Anush — the famous detective and an old friend of Maya's uncle — leaned casually against the bookshelf. "I was invited to give a talk for the senior students this afternoon. Thought I'd stop by and see if the Detective Club was still up to its old tricks."
Raju grinned. "Perfect timing. We've got a case."
Within minutes, Anush was caught up on the situation. "Interesting," he said thoughtfully. "A missing watch, sentimental value, and a limited time frame. My advice? Look for what's missing in addition to the watch. Sometimes a theft is just a distraction for something else."
Maya nodded slowly. "Good point."
The recess bell rang, and they scattered back to class. But as Maya walked, her eyes darted to the corridor leading to the staffroom. A few teachers were standing there chatting, their laughter echoing down the hall.
She noticed something else too: a glint of gold peeking from the pocket of the PE teacher's tracksuit.
Her heart skipped a beat.
Could it be…?