Stella Accused Of Locker Room Sabotage — Then Security Camera Footage Exposes The Real Culprit
Chapter 3 — A Figure Slips Into The Locker Room — Then Marcus Spots A Familiar Jacket On Screen
Marcus clicked the mouse twice to rewind the footage by thirty seconds.
The digital timer in the top right corner jumped backward.
Twelve-seventeen.
The security camera mounted high in the corner of the locker room tracked the entrance with a sharp, mechanical click.
A shadow fell across the threshold before a person stepped fully into the frame.
Coach Vance narrowed his eyes at the glowing monitor.
“Hold it right there,” Coach Vance said.
Marcus paused the video instantly.
The figure standing in the doorway wore a bulky gray team warm-up jacket with the school insignia stitched across the chest.
The hood was pulled low over the person’s forehead, obscuring most of their face.
However, the distinctive neon-green drawstrings dangling from the collar were unmistakable.
“That’s a varsity travel jacket,” Marcus said, his voice dropping an octave.
“Only twelve players on the roster were issued that specific color combination this season,” Stella added.
On screen, the intruder took two cautious steps into the empty locker room.
The person checked over their shoulder twice, glancing down the empty hallway toward the main exit.
Satisfied that the corridor was clear, the figure strode purposefully toward Stella’s locker.
“Watch the hands,” Stella whispered, stepping closer to the glass.
Marcus unpaused the recording at half speed.
The figure in the gray jacket reached out and touched the padlock hanging from Stella’s locker latch.
Instead of fumbling, the person pulled a small metallic key from the front pouch of the hoodie.
The lock clicked open on the first try.
Coach Vance let out a sharp breath.
“They had a duplicate key,” Coach Vance said. “Or they swiped hers from the communal basket.”
“Look at the timestamp on the bottom left,” Marcus said, pointing a finger at the glowing green digits.
The numbers read twelve-eighteen and forty-two seconds.
The figure reached inside the locker and pulled out Stella’s skate guards, tossing them carelessly onto the wooden bench.
The camera angle shifted slightly as the lens adjusted to the overhead fluorescent lighting.
The hood slipped backward just enough to reveal a distinct silver charm hanging from a leather cord around the intruder’s neck.
Marcus hit the zoom button on the monitoring software, enlarging the grainy image until the charm filled the center of the screen.
Coach Vance stared at the monitor, his jaw tightening as he recognized the tiny pewter hockey stick pendant swinging against the dark fabric of the jacket.
