"When did you last see Elodie?"

The following are transcripts of conversations among Detective Tiana, Assistant Detective James and the students of Grade 12A from Gillmay High School.

Transcript of interview with Rachel Stanley from Gillmay High School

Detective Tiana: Good morning. Please, state your name and age.

Rachel: Good morning. My name is Rachel Stanley and I'm seventeen years old.

Detective: Please, state your relationship with Elodie Lynn.

Rachel: Er...we're on friendly terms but not that close. Why? Did something happen to her? I have noticed her absence of late.

Detective: What do you mean on friendly terms?

Rachel: I mean that we said our hellos when we passed each other in the hallway or she helped me with a few problems here and there-

Detective: Which problems?

Rachel: ...Assignments or help me to prepare for an upcoming test or exams. You know.

Detective: So, apart from her helping with your studies, are you close with Elodie?

Rachel: No. I'm not.

Detective: When was the last time you saw Elodie?

Rachel: It must have been on Saturday. We live in the same neighborhood, so we crossed paths at a nearby grocery mart.

Detective: What time was this?

Rachel: Noon? One thirty?

Detective: So, is it at noon or half past one?

Rachel: I'm not sure. You can go and check the CCTV cameras at that mart.

Detective: Did Elodie have a close friend? Someone she was always with in school? Confiding in?

Rachel: ...

Detective: ...

Detective: Well...

Rachel: (Clears throat) There's one girl...in our class. She's very quiet. Reserved and very rude and oh! She has white hair!

Detective: White hair?

Rachel: Uh huh! I don't know how the school allowed her to have such...eccentric hair but it's none of my business. If you are perhaps looking for Elodie, she'll be the one to tell you where she is.

Detective: What's her name?

Rachel: Dylan. Dylan Rosewood.

(End of the interview)

Yeah, so, Rachel wasn't much use but Tiana scribbles down the new name and circles it many times—Dylan Rosewood.

However, this interview has given her two bits of information that she didn't have before. The first is that Elodie is not a social person, meaning that she doesn't have lots of friends. The second bit is that Elodie has at least one friend and as much as Rachel describes her as weird, she's the only shot of finding Elodie or getting an idea on where she could be.

"Should we bring in Dylan?" James asks and Tiana nods before he goes outside to request for her and when he comes back, she expects to see a white haired girl but there's no one and she raises a questionable eyebrow at him.

"Where is she?"

James shakes his head. "She didn't report today. Do you think that she knew we were coming?"

"I don't think so because this whole thing was on short notice," Tiana replies. "Maybe, she's sick,"

Tiana hopes that Dylan is in fact sick and not playing games with them because Tiana will find out but before the next student is called in, she turns to the home room teacher, Mr. Timber who is still wearing a worried expression.

Such an odd nature for a teacher to be worried that much for a student but she doesn't want to judge first before knowing.

"Mr. Timber," she calls and his eyes snap to her, straightening his back.

"Yes, detective," he replies.

"Do you have Dylan's parent's phone number? I would like to give them a call before I see their daughter,"

He nods, pushing the glasses up his nose. "Yes. I can get it for you,"

Tiana gives him a firm nod. "That would be appreciated,"

Mr. Timber walks out of the meeting room and Tiana tells James to let the next student in.

This one is a guy—very tall, probably plays basketball and looks kind of cocky with the smug look on his face and how his white dress hurts loosely tucked at the back. His hair is in a wild frenzy and Tiana refrains from clicking her tongue in distaste.

Transcript of the interview with Rody Jules from Grade Twelve of Gillamy High school

Detective: State your name and age.

Rody: The name's Rody Jules. Eighteen.

Detective: Eighteen? So, you're the oldest in the class?

Rody: Yup!

Detective: What's your relationship like with Elodie Lynn?

Rody: (Snorts) Relationship? I had no relationship with that weird girl.

Detective: Weird?

Rody: Yeah. She's always gloomy and quiet-Wait! Is she dead?

Detective: Why do you think that she's dead, Rody?

Rody: (Shrugs) I don't know. Maybe she decided to end her pathetic life. (Laughs humorously)

...

Detective: I see that you are a jokester.

Rody: I've been told that I'm funny on occasions.

Detective Assistant James: Whoever told you that toots your horn too much.

Detective: Detective James.

Rody: (Loudly clicks tongue) Whatever man...

Detective: When was the last time you saw Elodie?

Rody: I don't know. The beginning of this week maybe?

Detective: I need you to be more specific than that, Rody.

Rody: (Sighs) I believe that it was on Monday after school. She was waiting for the bus.

Detective: What time?

Rody: Four in the evening.

Detective: And where were you heading to?

Rody: Home! Duh!

Detective: Were you alone?

Rody: What are you trying to say? That I killed her?

(The door swings open and Mr. Timber lets himself in but when everyone turns to him, he becomes flustered and apologizes then resumes his seat but before he does, he slides a note towards Tiana that is written, 'Dylan's mother's phone number - xxxxxxxxx'

Detective: We never said that.

Assistant James: You're quite adamant on her being dead. Why do you think so?

Rody: As I said, maybe she offed herself.

Detective: You seem the type to take suicidal matters unserious. Why?

Rody: It's just a harmless joke.

...

Detective: Do you know Dylan Rosewood?

Rody: Another weird girl? Yeah, I do.

Detective: Is it true that she's good friends with Elodie?

Rody: I don't know. I don't pay attention to nerds.

(End of interview)

That was no better.

Tiana lets out an exasperated sigh as she stares up at the ceiling. So far, the students think of Elodie as a weirdo and that might be one of the many reasons she disappeared or maybe...killed herself.

"What do you think? Should I call in more students?" James asks.

Tiana sighs. "Yes and did you send the last two to another place, far away from the rest of the students?"

James nods. "They are in an optional class that doesn't have a current lesson,"

Tiana nods. "Good. Bring in the next one,"

The interview goes on for a while—ten students come in and nothing interesting is said and Tiana desperately wants to call it quits but she fights on because she has to finish this by the end of the day.

"Are we done?" Tiana asks and James takes a peek then shakes his head.

"Only one person remains. A girl,"

"Bring her in,"

The girl walks in, back as straight as a ruler, hair as black as charcoal and straightened to perfection behind her back. Her uniform is crisp and clean. She looks like an A-grade student with the perfect family life but the bored look on her face makes Tiana think otherwise.

When their eyes meet, the girl's look like a bottomless pit, dull as if she's seen everything and Tiana can't help but feel that she might know something about Elodie's disappearance.

"Hello," Tiana greets. "Shall we begin?"

"Yes," the girl replies and her voice is soft.

Transcript of the interview with Maya Jensen from Grade 12 in Gillmay High school

Detective: What is your name and age?

Maya: My name is Maya Jensen and I'm seventeen years old.

Detective: What is your relationship with Elodie?

Maya: I view her as a friend but I don't think she feels the same way.

Detective: Why do you say so?

Maya: I've always tried to talk to her, sit with her during lunch or offer her a ride to her house but she always has an...excuse to avoid me.

Detective: Why do you think so?

Maya: ...

Detective: Maya?

Maya: That's because I was one of her bullies when we were freshmen in high school.

Detective: You bully her?

Maya: I don't bully her and never have but I didn't help her either.

Detective: What do you mean by never bullying her? Did you bully her or not?

Maya: I stood by and watched. I was friends with one of the girls who used to bully her.

(Tiana gives James a look that says that there is no one who they have seen said that she was bullied)

Detective: What was the name of the girl who bullied her?

Maya: Her name was Dorcas but she left the same year.

Detective: Why?

Maya: ...Because I'm the one who made it possible. I'm the one who made her transfer schools.

Detective: What do you mean?

Maya: I told my father that Dorcas was bullying me too and he made her transfer.

Detective: And what does your father do?

Maya: He's an attorney general.

Assistant James: And don't you think that was illegal? Don't you find it unfair that Dorcas had to move schools without her consent?

Maya: Elodie was bullied without her consent. I feel that it was fair and Dorcas deserved it.

Mr. Timber: I think if Elodie knows what you did for her, she'll warm up to you.

Maya: Do you really think so?

(Mr. Timber nods and Maya smiles, looking down at her fingers)

Detective: (Clears throat) When was the last time you saw Elodie, Maya?

Maya: It was on Monday at around four pm. I was going home when I saw her standing at the bus stop and offered her a ride but she refused, so I let her be.

Detective: And how did she seem? Was she sad, happy?

Maya: She looked the same. Bored and tired.

Detective: What about Dylan Rosewood?

Maya: What about her?

Detective: Some of the students say that they are friends. Is that true?

Maya: I'm not sure but yes, I've seen them together on occasions.

Detective: Describe the occasions.

Maya: Like they eat lunch together but I don't usually see them talking. However, I know that Elodie tutors her.

Detective: What subject?

Maya: Mainly Math and Biology. You see, Elodie is studying to be a doctor.

Detective: Is that so? It must have been hard for her.

Maya: Yes. It's not easy. I would like to pursue law.

Detective: That's...impressive.

Maya: Thank you.

Detective: Thank you, Maya for your cooperation. That will be all for today.

Maya: If I may...

Detective: Yes. Go on.

Maya: It may not seem important...

Detective: Small details count, Maya. They can make a big impact.

Maya: As much as the students think of Elodie as a nerd, one thing that I noticed is that she loves reading. She was always reading this...novel—I think the name is 'Empress' or 'Escape'...I'm not sure but it had a crown on the cover...Anyways, yeah. She was always carrying it around...

Detective: Alright. I'll keep that in mind. James, please, show her to the door.

(End of the interview)

Tiana rubs her chin as she stares at the scribbling she has made throughout the session.

"Maya is a good kid," Mr. Timber comments.

"Yes. She is," Tiana replies absent-mindedly and when James comes back, she stands up. "We're done here. Let go back to the station,"

Mr. Timber scrambles up, following them. "Is there anything I can do?"

Tiana turns to him with a passive look. "You can keep watching how the students behave. I'm sure they have pieced one and two that something happened to Elodie, so if you notice something, don't delay in calling one of us,"

Mr. Timber nods. "Will do,"

But before they leave, he continues. "I sure hope that you find Elodie,"

"We will try our best," Tiana answers. She'll bring Elodie back to her mother whether dead or alive but when she looks down at the number scribbled on the note in her hand, she takes out her phone and keys it in before putting it by her ear.

"Who are you calling?" James asks, switching on the ignition.

"Dylan's mother," Tiana responds and when the phone clicks, she says, "Hello. Am I speaking to Dylan's mother?"

"Yes. This is she," the woman answers, her voice very monotone just like Tiana's.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Rosewood. My name is Tiana and I'm a Detective at Lanceville police station-

"Police?" she surprisingly responds then sighs. "What did my daughter do now? Is she doing drugs? Is that why you are calling?"

Tiana frowns. "No. That's not why I was calling,"

"Oh, then what is it?"

"Are you aware that your daughter isn't in school today?" Tiana asks. She isn't trying to be nosy but there's already a missing case and she wouldn't want it to be two.

"Yes. She's sick. Has a terrible stomachache," the mother replies and Tiana sighs in relief.

"I hope she feels better—We would like to speak to your daughter about her friend, Elodie Lynn. Do you know her?"

"Elodie? Yes, I do. She helps Dylan with her tutoring," Mrs. Rosewood replies.

"Tutoring? That's all? They aren't friends?" Tiana questions.

"I'm not sure. You'll have to speak with her and learn about it yourself. Look, I'm busy at the moment, so I can't chat long,"

"Of course. Thank you for your help but before you go, could you please share Dylan's number or do you prefer I come over to your place?"

"Gosh, no!" Mrs. Rosewood exclaims. "I can't let my neighbors see you. I'll be the talk of the week! I'll text you her number then you can speak with her over the phone,"

"Alright, tha-

Beep. Beep.

Tiana furrows her brows when she hears the sound, slowly removing the phone from her ear and ends up staring at a black screen. Did she-

"Did she just hang up on you?" James snickers and Tiana throws him a glare, pointing at the windscreen.

"Drive,"

"Where?"

Tiana quirks an eyebrow, ignoring his smile. "To the station," Then looks outside her window at the white building they came out from a few minutes ago. "We need to schedule a time to talk to Dylan,"

"Do you think that she might know where Elodie is?" James asks, turning on his left blinker before driving towards the direction.

"I don't know," she whispers, nibbling the nail on her thumb. "I really don't know,"

________

A/n:

I had to re-write this chapter because I didn't like the first draft.

I'm sorry again for the late updates but tbh, I never expected this book to get so complicated. Lol!