She leaned closer, her perfume overpowering.
“I searched his backpack. The money wasn’t there. So he must have hidden it or passed it to someone. But it was him. You can tell. A boy without a mother, always wearing the same shirt…”
I clenched my jaw.
“You searched a minor in front of the class? Without administration present? Without police?”
“I am responsible for discipline!” she snapped.
“Either you compensate the loss right now, or I call the police. There will be a report, a mark on his record, and possibly a referral to social services. Do you want your home life reviewed?”
It was blatant blackmail. She expected me to beg.
“Call them,” I said.
“What?”
“Call the police.”
The room went still.
“You’ll regret this,” she hissed as she dialed. “Police? There’s been a theft at School Number 17. Suspect: a student. Yes, a significant amount.”
She placed the phone down.
I helped Alejandro gather his belongings and we sat in the back row.
“She’s had it in for me since September,” he whispered. “She wanted me to tell her who posts things about her in the class chat. I refused. She said she’d find a way to punish me.”
I wrapped an arm around him.
“She won’t hurt you.”
I pulled out my phone and searched a name I hadn’t called in years: Colonel Javier Morales. Former service colleague. Now a senior officer in the provincial police.
The line rang for a long time.
“Yes?”
“Javier, it’s Miguel García.”
“Miguel? It’s been years. Everything okay?”
“Not exactly. I’m at Alejandro’s school. He’s been accused of theft. The police are on the way. I need this handled fairly.”
A patrol car arrived twenty minutes later. Two young officers entered the classroom. Mrs. López instantly changed her tone.
“Finally! This student stole my money. His father is covering for him.”
One officer took out a notebook.
“Ma’am, please calm down. What exactly is missing?”
The door opened again.
Colonel Javier Morales stepped inside, uniform crisp, expression focused. The principal followed behind him, pale.
The officers straightened.
“At ease,” Javier said briefly, then looked at me. “What’s happening here?”
Mrs. López turned pale.
“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.