The day after Mr. Gupta's false alarm, the Detective Club met earlier than usual. The library was still locked, so they gathered under the old banyan tree in the school courtyard.
Raju was pacing, clearly frustrated. "We spent all that time setting up a perfect trap… and caught a fake thief."
"It wasn't a total waste," Maya said, flipping open her casebook. "We learned the real thief is careful enough not to take the bait. Which means they're either very confident or very patient."
"Or both," Likitha added. "Which makes them dangerous."
Anush sipped his tea from a flask — no one had figured out how he always had tea ready, no matter the situation. "The question is, what will they do next?"
"Maybe nothing," Raju said. "Maybe they've already sold the watch."
Maya shook her head. "No. Mr. Rajendra's watch isn't just gold — it has a custom engraving from his father. Selling it would make it easy to trace. Our thief is holding on to it for some reason."
The Breakthrough
That afternoon, while Maya was heading to the staffroom to deliver attendance sheets, she noticed something odd. The staffroom door was open, and a shaft of light fell across the table where the bait watch had been placed yesterday. But it wasn't the table that caught her attention — it was the floor.
Right near the leg of the table, barely visible unless you were looking closely, was a small, circular object.
She crouched down. It was a button. A smooth, dark-brown button with a tiny crack down the middle.
She picked it up, turning it over in her fingers. It looked like it had been ripped from a coat or jacket — but not just any jacket. This button had a distinctive embossed design: a coiled snake in the center.
Maya's mind started racing. She had seen that design before… but where?
Comparing Notes
When she met the others at the library after school, Maya placed the button on the table like it was evidence in a courtroom.
"Found this in the staffroom," she said. "Right where the watch would have been taken."
Likitha examined it. "Snake design… not common."
Raju took a photo and began running an image search on his laptop. "If it's from a school uniform or sports jacket, we'll know."
"Not school-issued," Maya said. "Which means it's personal clothing."
"That narrows it down," Anush commented. "But not enough."
Ten minutes later, Raju looked up from his screen. "Got it. The design matches a limited-edition blazer made by 'Viper Tailors.' They only sold about thirty of these in the city last year. Expensive. Custom fit."
Maya's eyes lit up. "I know who owns one."
A Visit to the Art Room
During the last period, Maya made her way to the art room. Inside, Ayaan — the prefect — was helping set up for the annual art exhibition. And sure enough, draped over the back of a chair was a brown blazer. She could see the snake buttons from the doorway.
"Nice jacket," she said casually, stepping inside.
Ayaan turned, smiling faintly. "Thanks. My uncle bought it for me."
Maya's gaze went straight to the second button from the bottom — it was missing.
She kept her voice light. "Lose a button?"
Ayaan looked down, frowned, and nodded. "Must have come off somewhere yesterday. I've been meaning to fix it."
Maya filed the information away. "You were in the staffroom yesterday morning, weren't you?"
"Yeah," Ayaan said, not even trying to deny it. "Dropped off some papers for Mrs. Fernandes. Why?"
"Just curious," Maya replied, forcing a smile. She wasn't ready to tip him off.
The Club Confrontation
That evening, the Detective Club was buzzing with energy.
"It has to be Ayaan," Raju said. "The button, the hesitation when he saw the bait watch, and his access to the staffroom all match."
"But we didn't see him take anything," Likitha pointed out. "And if we accuse him without proof, he'll just deny it."
"Exactly," Maya agreed. "We need to know why he'd take the watch. Motive first, then proof."
Anush leaned forward. "And what better way to find motive than to follow him?"
Tail Work
The next morning, Raju and Likitha trailed Ayaan between classes, while Maya kept watch from a distance. They saw him speaking briefly to a man in a leather jacket outside the school gate. He handed the man a folded piece of paper before hurrying back inside.
"Could be unrelated," Likitha whispered.
"Or not," Raju said. "We should find out who that guy is."
Later, Raju pulled the CCTV feed from the school's front gate. Ayaan's contact wasn't a parent or teacher — he was someone completely unknown to the school staff.
Maya studied the footage. "We're getting close. He's hiding something."
The Phone Call
That afternoon, as Maya was packing her bag, her phone buzzed. The caller ID said "Private Number."
She answered cautiously. "Hello?"
A low voice replied, "If you want the watch, stop asking questions."
The line went dead.
Maya stared at her phone, her pulse racing. She hadn't told anyone outside the club about their suspicions. Which meant the thief — or someone connected to them — was watching her.
When she told the others, Raju looked grim. "We're in deeper than we thought."
Anush smiled faintly, though his eyes were sharp. "And now, my young detectives, the game becomes dangerous."