After what transpired between Georgina and Graciela, Graciela got home only to regret what she had said to Georgina, she decided she was going to apologize the next time they met, the next day she went to where they normally met up but Georgina wasn't there, she waited and waited but she never showed.
"Did she really stopped coming because of what I said?" She asked herself.
She stayed there for over an hour but Georgina never came, the next day she came back hoping this time it would be different but it was just the same as last time, she went there a couple more times and decided to give up.
It's been Five years since the incident between Georgina and Graciela took place, Graciela sat in her class when their classroom teacher walked in. She addresses the class and introduced a girl that would be joining them from now on.
"Her name is Georgina, as you can see she just joined us, so please be kind and show her around if she needs help."
When Graciela saw the new student she told herself that it was Georgina but because it's been five years since they last met she wasn't sure of herself but immediately the teacher introduced her as Georgina Robinson she was certain that it was her, the very same Georgina of five years ago, she never knew her last name then but it didn't matter, she was sure this was Georgina.
"Why don't you grab a seat anywhere you're comfortable?" said the teacher.
Immediately Georgina walked passed Graciela, she called out to her, she turns to see Graciela staring at her, it took her a while before finally recognizing her.
"Graciela?" She asked, Graciela smiled and nodded. She walks towards Graciela.
"So it is you, it's been a while, I thought I'd never see you again" said Graciela, Georgina was silent.
"Are you still mad at me for what happened back then"
"No, why would I"
"You know after that day, I'd come back again but you never showed, the next day and even the day after that I still stopped by but over and over again it was just the same thing"
"Why?"
"Person?"
"Why did you bother coming back there, you told me not to bother coming back because you won't be coming back so why would you think I'd come back again"
"You are right" said Graciela "look am sorry about what I said back then I really didn't mean any of it"
"It's okay, I know better than to hold grudges for years, to be honest I have been through worse"
"Does that mean you are no longer angry with me"
"To be honest, I was never angry with you to begin with" Graciela smiled,
"I'm so glad I was able to meet you again"After Georgina and Graciela met again they quickly patched things up and became friends again, Graciela was happy to finally be able to apologize to Georgina while Georgina on the other hand was glad that she was able to make a friend again, even if it was an old. Although she silently wished they won't get into an argument that would break their friendship again.
A few days later, as things between them settled into something warmer and easier, Graciela decided to invite Georgina over to her house, Georgina agreed, later that day, she went over to Graciela's house, They were sitting in the living room chatting when Georgina excused herself to use the restroom.
"It's down the hallway on your left, second door" said Graciela.
On her way to the restroom, Georgina passed a room with the door slightly open. Without meaning to, she glanced inside. On the wall were several photographs of people, many of them clipped from newspapers. Some had red arrows drawn on them, while others were marked or crossed out in red ink—like a detective's investigation board.
She hesitated for a moment, then continued on to the restroom.
But on her way back, curiosity got the better of her. She stopped in front of the room again and slowly stepped inside to take a closer look.
The moment Georgina stepped inside, the atmosphere shifted. The room felt less like a bedroom and more like a private investigation board brought to life.
The photographs weren't random. They were organized—grouped, connected with red strings or arrows, some faces circled as if they meant something important.
She stared at each of them with seriousness as if she understands it all.
Graciela on the other hand stood there waiting for Georgina, after a while with no sign of her coming back she decided to go look for her.
"She couldn't possibly had missed her way could she, the restroom isn't hard to find"
Georgina stood there staring at each picture from one person to another when she heard a voice behind her.
"What are you doing here" the man asked calmly in a deep masculine tone
She turns around to see a man standing behind him, the man was in his early forties with a solid live in build, not actually bulky but no longer carrying the light frame of his younger years, his shoulder tend to look a bit broader from routine work and everyday movement, his face carried a sharper definition than that of a teenager, his beard ran down from left cheek to right connecting to the hair.
"I said what are you doing in here?" he asked again but this time not as calm as the last one.Just then Graciela shows up.
"Oh Georgina, here you are, what are you doing here?" Asked Graciela, she turns to her father "Sorry dad, she just wanted to use the restroom, she must have got lost or something"
"Let's go, Georgina," said Graciela.
She turned to leave, but Georgina remained still. Her eyes drifted to the wall of photographs pinned in a messy grid. Slowly, she raised her hand and pointed at one of them.
"He's innocent," she said.
The man blinked, surprised. He looked at the child, then at the board.
"What did you say?"
"That man in the picture… he's innocent."
"Innocent? Do you even know what that is?"
Georgina didn't flinch. "It's a suspect board. Those people there are suspects in a murder case."
The man's expression tightened. "And what makes you think he's innocent? The evidence against him is strong. That's why he's a suspect in the first place."
Georgina tilted her head slightly.
"Exacly, the evidence against is too much to be actually left by him, even if he's a novice, That doesn't sound like someone trying to hide."
The man frowned. "So you think he was framed?"
"Yes, sir."
"And your reasoning is that there's too much evidence against him?"
"Not just that." Her finger moved slightly, tracing details only she seemed to notice. "The report says his fingerprint was found in the kitchen, but the victim was killed in the living room. Why would that be?"
The man gave a small, confident smile. "He went into the kitchen to get the knife."
"But there are no fingerprints on the knife," Georgina said immediately.
The smile faded.
She continued. "Which means he didn't handle it barehanded, or he cleaned it. But then his fingerprint is still in the kitchen. So he didn't erase everything carefully."
Her eyes shifted back to the board.
"And another thing… the knives in that kitchen all have the same skull engraving on the handle. Except the murder weapon. That one is plain. No design, no mark. It doesn't match the set."
A pause.
"So either the knife was brought in from outside… or it doesn't belong to this house at all."
She looked back at him.
"So why is there a clean, unmarked knife in a kitchen full of engraved ones?" The man stood in silence for a moment, studying Georgina as if trying to decide whether she was real.
Without a word, he pulled out his phone and stepped out of the room.
A few minutes later, he returned alone.
Graciela and Georgina were no longer there.
He exhaled softly and made his way back to the living room.
"Kid," he said, looking at Georgina. "What was your name again?"
"Georgina, sir," she replied.
He nodded slowly. "How would you feel about coming with me to the crime scene tomorrow?"
Georgina hesitated. "Sorry, sir. I don't think that would be possible."
"And why not?"
"My mom will be home tomorrow. She wouldn't allow it."
He went quiet for a moment, thinking. Then he pulled out a small notepad and pen.
"Write down your name, your address, your parents' names, and a contact number I can reach them with."
Georgina blinked at him.
"I'll need to speak with them," he said. "If what you said holds up, we're going to need someone like you involved in this case."
The man watches as Georgina scribbled down her information on the notepad.
"If this is true, this case just became much bigger than I thought." he said.