Rain tapped against the windows of River's car as it idled in front of Shams' school. Shams stared at the evidence board lit up on his tablet. Photos, arrows, names. Everything was thereexcept the face behind the hoodie.
"The killer took the sketchbook," Shams murmured, mostly to himself. "That's not panic. That's control."
River drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. "Who do you think it was?"
Shams' eyes narrowed. "Not a stranger. Aiko was scared, but she didn't tell her teachers. She was protecting someone."
River frowned. "Megumi?"
Shams shook his head. "No. Megumi's grief was raw. Not staged. Besides… she gave us the chalk clue. She wanted the truth out."
Back inside the school, Shams retraced Aiko's final steps. The art room was empty now, sealed off with police tape. But as he stepped into the hallway just outside, a janitor wheeled past with a trash cart.
"Wait," Shams said suddenly. "Was there a cleanup yesterday after 5 PM?"
The janitor scratched his head. "Uh… yeah, some broken glass and spilled paint outside the third floor art storage. Strange thing was, the bucket had chalk bits in it."
Shams followed the man's hand as he pointed down the hall. The third-floor storage room abandoned except for extra supplies.
Inside, the storage room was dim. Shams clicked on the flashlight from his phone. He crouched near a shelf and noticed something tucked behind a stack of canvas frames.
Aiko's sketchbook.
He opened it slowly.
The last page was smeared in charcoal and chalk… and one haunting word, barely legible, scrawled over the image of a face:
"SORRY"
And below it: "Kazuya"
River scanned the school's student records. "Kazuya Mori. Third-year. Known for temper issues. Recently suspended for vandalism."
They found him in the gymnasium locker room, stuffing a duffel bag.
"You going somewhere, Kazuya?" River asked, voice calm but firm.
Kazuya froze. Shams watched his shoulders rise, tense.
"I didn't mean to kill her," Kazuya said hoarsely. "She said she was going to tell the principal about me copying her artwork. I panicked. I just wanted to scare her. We argued… she tripped. Hit her head on the shelf."
He slumped to the floor.
"I couldn't think. I cleaned up the mess, took her sketchbook. I didn't want anyone to know…"
Shams stepped forward.
"She forgave you. That's what 'Sorry' meant."
Kazuya looked up, eyes red and wide. "What?"
"She didn't want revenge. She wanted the truth."
Later that evening, River placed a hand on Shams' shoulder as they watched the rain fall outside the station.
"You did good today."
Shams nodded, but his eyes stayed distant.
"She died protecting her art," he said. "That's a terrible way to go."
"But thanks to you, the truth didn't drown with her."
Case closed
To be continue guyz