Class Of 96': 1994 (BxB Mystery)

Chapter XXVIII - "Red Herring."

We all sat on the cold cobble floor in a circle. There was a corkboard in the middle because we were going to at least try to make an investigation board.

Yet this somewhat reminded me of that time we all got sent to detention on the first day of class. When everything was still peaceful and the only trouble was our simple actions.

Now our innocence has been robbed and we want it back.

Innes settles down on the floor and asks us point blank: "Who do you think The Hazard is?"

"Astra." Ollie gets a photo of her off the ground and holds it up. "It has to be her. She's so damn powerful around the school."

"Why?" I ask. It can't be her. She may be stern but she's good . . . I think.

"I trust her." Innes snatches the picture from Ollie's hand and pins it to the board with a red pintack. "She's a good person."

"You sure?"

"Yes."

Innes stays silent and marks Astra's picture with a red marker.

I clear my throat. I've been meaning to say this for a while.

"I think it's Seth." I crack a knuckle. "I think it's Seth Greywood because I was there the day TBB got attacked and I saw Seth there. He was the one who locked him in there for goodness sake."

"But doesn't that include your ex?" Ollie asks with a hint of annoyance. Maybe even jealousy.

"No." I say, firm and sure. "I was close enough with Pandora to know that it was Seth who brought up the idea. Plus, when Touma confronted him back in the hall, he didn't even defend himself. He just went with it."

Innes plucks a photo of Seth from somewhere under her bed and tacks it to the corkboard. "Red herring right there."

"But you can't deny he could be The Hazard."

"Yeah . . . " She gets a sticky note and writes Red Herring with an arrow and sticks it beside Seth, already marked with a red pentelpen.

We all look at Molly, waiting for her opinion.

Ollie shifts his leg. "Well?"

She stares at Innes' clothes, confused and puzzled, as if a thousand screws are turning in her. " . . . Is that my shirt?"

Innes goes from impatient to embarrassed in a matter of seconds. She quickly checks her shirt as her face flushes a humiliated shade of red. "Shit—"

"Did you steal from me?"

"So what if I did?!?" She throws her hands up in a matter of giving up even trying to defend herself. "Geez . . . "

"I was just asking!" Molly blows a startled breath and tucks her hair behind her ear. "Jesus Christ! It was just a question!"

Innes grumbles and hides her humiliated face in the sleeves of her shirt.

Molly clears her throat, trying to ignore how she jumped from her seat. "God . . . I think it's Lavender. Lavender Schaff."

"Why?"

"Seriously? He's like . . . the most obvious answer. Like look—" She straightens her posture to show who's talking. "He's got the whole school, the whole council, and even parents twirled around his finger. He's a heartthrob, dating the Headgirl, and has this charm with parents. He could get away with it so easily."

"Red herring."

"Bitch,"

"He's a red herring!" Ollie bursts. "No way The Hazard is him."