It's strange being at school after hours! Except for the occasional club meeting, the place seems deserted. As you're walking down the halls, Gordo's commenting on the plan.

"Okay. So we find out who saw Tudgeman's project and was in class at the time. Then what?"

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it." Lizzie says, stopping in front of a door.

You've reached your destination, the A/V Room. It's in here that the security tapes are recorded and kept. But before Lizzie can open the door Miranda stops her.

"Wait. I just thought of something. How're we doing to get in there to look at the tapes?"

"Not a problem." Gordo pipes up. "Mr. Escobar gave me a key to let myself in any time on account of my needing to use the equipment."

You all look at him in wonder.

"Hey, I am a budding film director." Retrieving a key, he lets you into the room.

The place is packed so full of electronic gizmos that your head swims. School camcorders, digital cameras, movie projectors. And set against the fall wall is an entire bank of televisions and VCR's. And beside them is the cabinet holding the previous day's tapes.

"Well, let's get started."

After looking at videos for some time, you finally find the one you're looking for.

"There's the hallway." Gordo points out, pausing the videotape.

"Oh, and there's Larry." Lizzie indicates.

You can all see his project as he's trying to get it out of his locker. Hitting 'play', Gordo starts the tape again. It's strange seeing yourself on film. Soon you see yourself leave frame, and shortly after that the hallway empties, leaving finally just Tudgeman himself, then after a little while he and his model leave for class.

"Now all we've got to do is write down everyone we see in the hall at the time Larry's with his project." Miranda says.

"Right. Let's get some paper." Lizzie urges.

Half an hour later, the four of you have a definite list of people who both saw the project and were in your class when it was smashed.

"Alright Gordo, who're we left with?" Lizzie requests. Gordo looks at the sheet.

Angel Libberman

Carol Mouser

Ethan Craft

Kate Sanders

"Kate did it." Miranda declares with certainty.

Lizzie looks at her. "How do you know?"

"I don't. But it'd be so sweet if it was!"

"We can't just pin this on Kate because we don't like her Miranda."

"Why not? It's not like she doesn't deserve to be punished."

"Lizzie's right." Gordo admits reluctantly. "We can't just blame Kate. Though it would be nice…"

Lizzie gives him a look.

"Anyone of these four people had both opportunity and motive." Gordo goes on.

"Why would Ethan want to wreak molecular model?" Miranda wants to know.

From what you've seen of him, you doubt that Ethan even knows what a molecule is!

"Grades." Gordo answers. "Ethan's are in the tank. Tudgeman throws off the grading curve. With stuff like his model setting the bar, Ethan's grades are even lower than usual. Which means he's in danger of not being able to participate in sports.

"Ethan loves his sport…" Miranda admits.

"Then again," Lizzie says, "This is just the sort of thing Angel would find funny. She'd consider smashing Larry's project as having a good time. Not to mention she's in the same boat grade-wise."

"They all are." Gordo says. "They all benefit academically if Tudgeman's grades fail."

But it's Carol Mouser that grabs your attention. That's the curly haired girl you saw earlier, and she hadn't look at all unhappy about Larry's misfortune. It's time you shared your thoughts with your friends.

"Carol is competitive." Gordo muses. "In fact, she's the best student in class, next to Tudgeman. And myself of course."

"Of course…" Miranda rolls her eyes.

Lizzie takes charge.

"Alright, let's go over what we have so far. We have four suspects, and they've all got motive and opportunity. Now it's just a matter of figuring out which one of them did it.

From the entire school down to four in under a day. Not a bad bit of sleuthing, your think.

"So, what now?" Miranda inquires.

"Home." Gordo butts in. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I've got a ton of homework."

"Me too." Lizzie remembers.

With chagrin, you realize that you've got a ton of homework as well.

"Whoever it is will hold till tomorrow. How about we all meet before class starts?"

You're all amiable.

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As you lay in bed that night, you can't help but think back upon your first day at Hillridge Junior High. Not only have you already made friends, but you've become a junior detective to boot! You can't wait until tomorrow.

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The next morning when you get to school you see Miranda, Lizzie and Gordo's smiling faces waiting for you.

"Oh, nice look." Miranda compliments you on your clothing choices. You ask them where the case stands. Lizzie fills everyone in.

"We know one of our four suspects did it. Now all we have to do is figure out who."

"Is that all…" Miranda responds sarcastically.

"Miranda!"

"Sorry."

You ask how you can go about doing that.

"We'll break up into groups. One group will interview the suspects, the other will analyze that broken test tube you found at the scene of the crime."

"Yeah," Gordo takes up. "It's fair to assume that the same person who smashed Tudgeman's project also knocked over that test tube. If so, they got some of whatever it was on their clothes."

"And if we can find out what was in that test tube…" Miranda supplies, catching on.

"We might have a built in way of catching the culprit." Gordo finishes.

"Miranda, you and our new friend here can go get that test tube and take it to Mr. Pettis to be looked at. Me and Gordo will start the interviews."

Alright, you get to help break the case wide open!

But Miranda has reservations.

"Hold up. How are you going to get them to answer your questions? If one of them did do it they aren't about to let on that they did."

"Don't worry." Lizzie tells her. "I'll think of something."

"Yeah, she's tricky that way." Gordo tells you as she hit him on the arm. Miranda turns to you.

"We might as well get started. Let's go." You follow her as Gordo and Lizzie head in the opposite direction.

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As you two walk through the school, Miranda gives you the '411' on the suspects involved.

"Kate used to be our friend." Miranda says with obvious bitterness. "Emphasis on used to. She suddenly got all popular and didn't have any use for us anymore. Instead, she runs around with a bunch of stuck up dirks. Lizzie still gives her the benefit of the doubt, but I don't. I wouldn't put it past her to do something like this. She's certainly sneaky enough.

Did you know that last year she concocted a scheme to ruin my outfit for school picture day? She's just plain bad."

You nod as the two of you reach Mr. Pettis' room.

"Once we get the test tube we can go get Mr. Pettis in the teacher's lounge." Miranda explains, opening the door.

But before you can answer, a black clad figure bursts out from the room, shoving you aside. What's more, you see that the person is holding something—a broken test tube!

Muscling past Miranda, the culprit races down the hall. Quickly regaining her balance, Miranda tears down after the kid, urging you on to follow her.

"Come on!"

Breaking all sorts of speed records, you both run down the hallway, skid around a corner and begin your pursuit in earnest. While you only got a brief glance at him (or her), you were able to see that he (or she) was wearing a black sweatshirt with the hood pulled low the face—obscuring any features. Not only that, but the sweatshirt's loose fit makes it impossible to even determine the person's gender.

Whoever it is however, one thing is for certain. They're making off with a crucial piece of evidence. Perhaps the crucial piece! And that can mean only one thing—that this person must have been the one who messed up Tudgeman's science project. To think, if you can run this kid down you'll have the case solved! The thought fuels you to greater speed.

Up ahead your quarry looks back. Seeing you on his heels, he manages to knock over a garbage can as he runs by. As Miranda barely avoids it you hear her mutter, "Oh, I'm gonna get you!"

Keeping your eyes on the fleeing figure and watching out for what they throw at you is tricky business!

Busting through a pair of double doors, the suspect makes a dash for freedom via the music hall. Rows of chairs and instruments are set up for the performance later tonight. But right now the only performance being given is that of speed, as you and Miranda chase after the 'Model Masher'.

But instead of catching up, you fall further behind as 'The Masher' starts overturning chairs and music stands. The clutter severely slows your pursuit. You're still trying to pick you way through when the dark figure reaches the other end of the hall and the double doors that await.

Finally the two of you reach the hallway, but it's too late. The school bell has rung and kids are filing into classes everywhere. The criminal and the evidence are both gone.

"Great." Miranda says, clearly frustrated. "Our one lead and it's gone. Lizzie's gonna love this…"

You hope Lizzie and Gordo are having better luck.