The next morning, Maya arrived at school earlier than usual. The sun was barely up, and the corridors still echoed with the distant sounds of the cleaning staff. She carried her schoolbag casually, but inside was the velvet box containing her grandfather's silver pocket watch — the bait.
The plan was simple: place the watch in the staffroom, make sure it was clearly visible but easy to take, and then keep an eye on who entered. Raju's job was to monitor the CCTV feed, Likitha would do in-person surveillance, and Maya would coordinate everything. Anush, of course, would "supervise" — which mostly meant offering cryptic advice and sipping tea.
By the time the first bell rang, the watch was in place, resting temptingly on the edge of a desk in the corner of the staffroom. It gleamed under the morning light streaming through the window.
First Checkpoint: The Teachers
Likitha was stationed in the corridor outside the staffroom, pretending to read a novel. She had a notebook in her lap and jotted down every person who went in or out.
At 8:05 a.m., Mrs. Fernandes entered, stayed for about two minutes, and left with her arms full of papers. No glance at the bait watch.
At 8:12, Mr. Sharma — the PE teacher — walked in. He stayed longer. Likitha leaned forward ever so slightly, trying to see through the glass pane in the door. She saw him looking around the staffroom, then fiddling with something in his sports bag before leaving. His eyes hadn't seemed to rest on the watch… but she couldn't be sure.
At 8:26, Mr. Gupta appeared. This time, Likitha noticed him hesitate at the door, glance inside, and then go straight to a cabinet in the back. He took out a folder, shuffled through some papers, and left — again, without touching the watch.
Second Checkpoint: The Others
By mid-morning, the flow of traffic slowed. That was when Mrs. Nair, the cleaner, arrived. She pushed her cleaning cart inside and began wiping tables. For a moment, the watch was right in front of her. Likitha's eyes narrowed as Mrs. Nair paused and looked at it.
Would she take it?
Instead, the cleaner shook her head, muttered something under her breath, and moved on.
At 10:14, Ayaan the prefect popped into the staffroom, holding a stack of papers. He set them on the desk, noticed the watch, and reached out to touch it — but then withdrew his hand when a teacher entered behind him. He left quickly.
Likitha's pen scratched furiously across her notes. "Suspicious hesitation," she muttered to herself.
The Midday Meeting
At lunch, the club reconvened in their library hideout.
"Mr. Sharma and Mr. Gupta were both in there," Likitha reported. "Neither touched the watch. Mrs. Nair ignored it. Ayaan looked tempted but didn't take it."
Raju spun his laptop around so they could see the CCTV footage. "Matches what Likitha saw. No one touched the bait… yet."
"Which means," Maya said, "either our thief is being extra cautious because it's daytime, or they're planning to take it when the staffroom is emptier — maybe after school."
Anush nodded. "That's when thieves feel safest. They think no one is watching."
Maya tapped her notebook. "Then we'll be ready after school. Likitha, you'll cover the corridor again. Raju, keep monitoring the CCTV. I'll be nearby to intercept anyone making a suspicious exit."
After School Surveillance
The final bell rang, and the hallways slowly emptied. By 4:00 p.m., only a handful of teachers and staff were left. Likitha took her position by the corridor, Raju was tucked away in the computer lab, and Maya lingered near the stairwell pretending to scroll on her phone.
At 4:17, Mrs. Fernandes entered the staffroom again, stayed for barely thirty seconds, and left with nothing in her hands.
At 4:32, the PE teacher returned. Likitha watched closely as he walked straight to the desk — the one with the bait watch — and paused.
Her pulse quickened. He leaned over, studied it… and then deliberately looked away. Instead, he grabbed a whistle from the table and left.
The Twist
It was almost 5:00 p.m. when the real action happened. Mr. Gupta came back, his lab coat flapping slightly as he hurried down the corridor. He glanced around before stepping into the staffroom.
Likitha tensed. Through the glass pane, she saw him approach the desk. He picked up the watch — and slipped it into his coat pocket.
Her eyes widened. She grabbed her walkie-talkie (a gift from Raju for "professional" club use). "Maya, target acquired."
Within seconds, Maya appeared at the other end of the corridor. Mr. Gupta was just stepping out of the staffroom when she intercepted him with a bright smile.
"Sir, could you help me with a science question?" she asked sweetly. "It's about the periodic table."
He hesitated, clearly impatient. "I'm in a hurry, Maya. Ask me tomorrow."
"That's okay," Maya said cheerfully. "We can discuss it in the principal's office — I'm sure she'd be interested in what's in your pocket."
Mr. Gupta froze.
From the corner, Anush emerged, hands in his coat pockets, wearing an expression that was equal parts polite and dangerous. "I believe she's referring to the silver watch you just removed from the staffroom, Mr. Gupta."
The Interrogation
Ten minutes later, they were in the principal's office. The silver watch sat on the desk between them.
"It's not what it looks like," Mr. Gupta insisted. "I wasn't stealing! I was trying to protect it. I suspected someone had already taken Mr. Rajendra's gold watch, and I didn't want this one to be next."
"Then why not tell anyone?" the principal asked, frowning.
"I… thought I could catch the real thief myself," Mr. Gupta admitted. "Clearly, I failed."
Maya exchanged a look with Likitha. It was possible he was telling the truth — but it didn't bring them any closer to finding the real missing watch.
When they left the office, Raju was waiting. "So… not him?"
"Not him," Maya said. "Which means our real thief is still out there. And we've just told them we're on the case."
Anush smiled faintly. "Which might make them slip up sooner than they planned."