“That student stole money from my bag—”
“Are there hallway cameras?” the colonel interrupted.
“Yes,” the principal answered.
A laptop was brought into the classroom. The footage was clear.
10:15 — Alejandro enters with the attendance book.
10:16 — he exits forty seconds later. Hands empty.
10:40 — the cleaning lady enters to mop.
11:00 — the teacher returns.
The colonel leaned back.
“Forty seconds,” he said calmly. “To enter, open someone else’s bag, find a wallet, remove cash, and leave everything in place?
Either your student is a magician… or there are other possibilities. For example: why was the bag unattended? And why was the child searched publicly?”
The silence that followed felt very different from before.
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.