The party ended at about 2pm as the wind got stronger. All the Russian students left with Molly and Mirna while Aga, Ballqis and Iqball had to return to the Student Union office to collect their deposit. A representative went over the BBQ spot for a quick cleanliness check before signing the deposit release form.

A group message for all the student lab assistants came from Micah as their affair concluded.

Mrs Jogh needs help. Whoever could come, please make your way to the lab now.

Iqball, Ballqis and Aga who had just tucked away all the BBQ utensils they borrowed from the Student Union office pantry decided to make the trip as the faculty was only a 3 minutes walk away.

They bumped into Nastia on their way up to the lab on the second floor.

"I was about to take a shower but I came back out here. I wonder what's going on," she said to Aga as they climbed the stairs.

"It's the lab. Someone broke in earlier today," Micah replied from behind them, making the girls jumped in fright.

The lab was a mess. The fish were all safe, but the fries kept to only one side of the double tank and T6 was guarding her offspring, so much so some even went back into her mouth to seek refuge.

"I need to know if the fish are all OK. I need you all to keep an eye on their behaviour. But please don't touch anything. The police are on their way. So please walk only along this yellow tape line towards the tanks and don't stray elsewhere," the shaken professor pleaded.

A researcher was also there to observe the fries, so the students each picked a big fish.

Iqball reached T7's lair.

What happened, are you OK? He tried to investigate.

T7 was shaking its tail the way Mirna had described as fear. His apprehension was apparent as the fish kept its movement curt and short.

The other fish seemed to behaved similarly.

"There's a pattern in their movement. They are fidgety to a certain degree," Aga said from in front of Tank 10 after about 5 minutes.

"They don't do long swims around the tank. T9 kept pushing away the pellets and sinking itself down to one bottom corner of its tank," Nastia agreed.

"Is your fish eating?" Ballqis asked her peers. They had been asked by Mrs Jogh to drop some pellets to soothe the animals but it didn't seem like it is working.

All of them confirmed a 'no'.

"They are either too nervous to eat, or they simply won't eat because right now is not their usual feeding time," Iqball surmised.

The police arrived before they could discuss further. All of them was asked to vacate the lab. A researcher had given the police a copy of the lab camera surveillance footage. The students were hanging on the corridor outside the lab, so they could hear pretty much everything.

A figure in black hoodie had entered the lab at about 3pm.

"I must have spooked the guy when I came into the lab suddenly. I just wanted to pick up my coffee mug which I had left on the rack near the fries' tank. He ran pass me when he saw me coming through the door. He was skinny and about my height. When I saw the papers strewn on the floor I quickly alerted Mrs Jogh and went through the CCTV footage. From Camera 1 I could see that he did something strange just minutes before I arrived. He had switched on a device that emitted a blinding light. It didn't seem like a camera flash as it lasted for a few seconds. Our cameras cought white noise during that few seconds, but after that it could be seen that the person ransacked these work desks," the female researcher said to the police, pointing at the workstations.

"It all happened in less than 5 minutes. I don't have anything precious stored here. Even our machines here are just input terminals. This lab is strictly an observation area so it only has daily data, fish and machines that aren't new," Mrs Jogh whined to the policewoman who was in charge of getting her statement.

The other researchers and students watched the forensics team scour the lab from a distance.

"This is just like in movies, but minus the diamonds and wads of money," Aga commented.

"The only things worth stealing in the lab are the fish or the newer computers, but all those are still there," Ballqis said suddenly.

"Yeah, the room with the server and numbers crunching machines that stores all the data are intact," Micah asked.

"Oh where is the server room?" Nastia asked.

Micah snorted.

"Don't worry about it. I am one of the three people who holds the key to that room. It is safe," he said smugly.

Nastia grinned along.

***
"We have to ask T7 if he knew anything," Iqball said as he and Ballqis met up with Molly that night at their favourite convenient store.

"The fish is still shaken. He couldn't even pushed a thought just now. The light could have scared him to bits," Ballqis sighed.

"What's the use, it's not like you all could talk to Mrs Jogh if you find out anything from the guy," Molly pointed out.

The trio sat there glumly.

"Hey guys."

Aga sat next to Iqball with a pack of chips.

"Aga, what brings you here?" Ballqis asked. Aga haven't been hanging out with them often for past few weeks.

"I need to tell you all something, but promise me you'd keep this a secret," he said as he sat on the chair opposite his three friends.

Not waiting for nods, Aga straightaway launched into his confession.

"Nastia held on to my wallet when we were busy buying fish this morning, and I forgot to take it back. She returned it moments before we entered the lab to help out Mrs Jogh."

Ballqis felt uneasy. Iqball immediately sensed where this was going. Molly's eyes latch on Aga's.

He hesitated for a second, but Aga went on.

"I checked the lab door log. At about the same time the intruder broke in, my lab ID was recorded at the entrance, but... it was never tapped out. The moment I tapped in to enter the lab with you guys, it beeped twice, which meant it was recording my exit. I had to tap again to enter..."

Molly's eyes became so round Ballqis feared it might pop out.

"Aga...you're not saying what I think you're saying... Are you?" Molly gasped a question.

Aga nodded sadly.

"I think it was Nastia who broke into the lab... Using my ID..."

"She did show up in black tight pants and a black top lining... Which she didn't have on while we were brunching. Except for the oversized outer top which she did wore to the beach..." Ballqis recalled.

"And she broke away from the group as soon as we got into campus grounds. Mirna and I hung out with Andrei and Lev at the entrance cafe, but she said she wanted to go back straight to her room," Molly added.

"And she spoke as if she just got back to her apartment but raced back out to help Mrs Jogh, but she carried a bag. I was wondering what's up with that," Iqball's turn to muse.

"She must have stashed her beach top some place and came into the lab with the cat suit. I'm in trouble, I'm going to be called as a suspect, right?" Aga whined uncharacteristically.

Ballqis pat his back.

"You were with us all the way from the brunch to the Student Union office then the lab, idiot. Stop worrying," Iqball laughed.

"But what about my ID?"

"Just come clean about it to Mrs Jogh and she will decide what to do with you. It's the only logical solution. I say text her now before she found it out it," Molly scolded Aga.

Aga nodded sadly. He quickly typed a text and sent it to Mrs Jogh.

"I still feel very queasy about all this. What is Nastia up to?" Aga sighed.

"Aga, we've been wondering about it for some time already. It's about time you came around," Ballqis told him.

"Be careful around her, Aga," Molly said earnestly.

"I second that," Iqball agreed.

Aga's shoulders dropped. The young man looked so defeated.

"I thought she likes me," he said forlornly.

Only Ballqis noticed how Molly had gritted her teeth.