Happy Friday :)

It's time for Johnson and Perez to get in on this scene :D

•

               PEREZ AND JOHNSON opened the doors to the car to get in.

               The investigator closed the door and turned to his workmate. “Okay. It's been we've been in this school for nearly two hours. Let's see what intel we've gathered,”

               “I spoke to the students,” Perez reached out for her handbag to grab a bottle of water. Breaking the seal, she opened the bottle and took a few gulps. “Dawn, according to what I've gathered, is the most envied and hated girl in the school,”

             “Elaborate,”

             “She is envied for her beauty. The girls and guys couldn't stop talking about it. It almost reminded me of you,” Perez chuckled.

              The investigator couldn't fight off the smile that made its way to his face. That was one thing he had in common with his...stepdaughter?

               He shivered at the name he addressed the beauteous blonde.

               “However, it was the boys who revealed to me the reason she's hated. She and Jace Alexander Hamilton were dating for a certain period of time before Dawn broke it off,”

               “I don't see why she's hated,”

              “Jace Alexander Hamilton is Melrose Academy's sweetheart as well as the star quarterback of the Academy. The girls all adore him, but after Dawn dumped him for reasons that nobody knows, they turned against her,”

               “Because she broke the heart of Melrose Academy's sweetheart,”

              “That and the rumors that some girls had brought up to me,”

              “What kind of rumors?”

               “Just petty rumors to make Dawn look bad. Apparently, they were spread by the head cheerleader, Isabella Martinez,”

               “What? Aren't those two best friends?”

               “Dawn was best friends with Isabella Martinez up until the point when Dawn dumped Jace and Isabella went after him,”

               “So after Dawn dumped Jace, Isabella and Jace started dating?”

               “Yes. She always had a massive crush on him, but he never had his eyes on her. He always had eyes on her beautiful best friend, Dawn, which made her jealous. Some say that he is still crazy about her,”

                “So Isabella started talking about Dawn badly to the other girls once she and Jace started dating?”

                “When you say ‘she and Jace’, by ‘she’ you mean Isabella, right?”

                “Right,”

                “Then, yes. Thus, why Dawn is hated by almost all of the female population at school,”

               “What about the males like Jace, Parker and Jack?”

               “Jace was said to have been head over heels for Dawn. Some say he still is and that the only reason he dated Isabella was to nurse his hurt feelings for Dawn,”

                “Jack?”

                “Jack is the most popular boy in school because of his status as the Prime Minister's incredibly gorgeous son. Jace was number one, though. Jack is said to be a flirt and even while Jace and Dawn were together, he would openly hit on Dawn,”

                “Was it anything serious though?”

               “No one knows,”

               “Parker?”

               “He tolerated Dawn, which is a big deal since he loathes nearly everybody in the school, according to the students that I've interrogated. Apparently, he doesn't hide his hate from anyone,”

              Without thinking, Johnson let out a snort.

               The brunette cracked a smile before she proceeded. “Parker is also in the football team, like Jace and Jack, but he is said to be more reserved yet intimidating between the three. There are some people who say that he was the male version of Bailey,”

              “Speaking of whom, anything about Bailey?”

             “Bailey is the most feared person throughout Melrose Academy. She intimidates nearly everybody, including the football team,” Perez stopped to laugh for a second, before going on. “Her friends were her agemates from the children's home and they would often spread disaster everywhere they go,”

              “Name one example,”

             “They once locked all the teachers in the teachers' lounge for an entire school day. They didn't learn anything in school that day and the only way the teachers managed to get out was through getting out through the air ventilation vents,”

               “They must have huge ventilation systems. How did the girls get the key?”

               “They snagged it from the janitor, before stuffing him into the janitor's closet,”

               “Those girls are trouble,”

              “Indeed. What did you find out through the teachers?”

             “Dawn is a very intelligent student. She is actually on their honour roll list. Madison's aunt, her Biology teacher, kept on going on and on about how hardworking Dawn is. She is a strong debater and got along well with all her teachers and classmates,”

              “Well, for the classmates part, that is no longer the case. Jace?”

              “Madison's aunt also teaches Jace Biology. She claimed that Jace was smart, only he wasn't applying himself. So she asked Madison if she could tutor him. However, after a while, Jace went up to her and told her that he didn't need a tutor anymore. He started passing on his own,”

              “Why do you think Jace didn't want Madison as a tutor anymore? It sounds to me that he only started applying himself after he dropped Madison as his tutor, yet he could have done that from the very beginning,”

              “Beats me. As for Parker, there was not much said aside from how he is just as smart as Dawn even though he doesn't participate in class as much as Dawn does. He always sits at the back and when he raises his hand, it is to ask a question,”

                 “Jack?”

                 “Jack is the complete opposite of Parker. He's always talking in class and distracting the class with his mischievous antics. Always. But somehow, in his exams, he manages to get exceptional grades. Parker is said to have been tutoring him,”

                 “Isabella?”

                 “She is not as smart as the four I've mentioned, but she is always polite, kind and is on all the teacher's good side,”

                 “So she's a teacher's pet?”

                “Yes,”

                “Bailey?”

                “Bailey cares more about English, Literature and Drama than any other subject in the world. She's the only student in her class who scores above an A every single time. She's the director of the drama club,”

                “She sounds like she's quite the Shakespearian,”

               “Yes, she...does,” Johnson frowned as his coworker's words replayed themselves in his head. He shifted his position in order to face Perez. “Hang on, Perez. Say that again,”

               “She sounds like she is quite the Shakespearian,” The brunette tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. “What's going on in your head, Johnson?”

             “Shakespeare! I knew I heard that from somewhere!” He exclaimed, face palming himself. 

              “Heard what?”

              “Remember the phone call that I received a few hours ago?”

               “Yes,”

               “The caller mentioned something about humans, tickling, pricking and blood...she was quoting Shakespeare!”

                “I don't follow,”

                The investigator sighed. “Have you ever read any of Shakespeare's works?”

                “Only Romeo and Juliet,”

               “Well, there's another book he wrote called The Merchant Of Venice. The book has three plots in one, but what the book is well known for is the speech that antagonist of the book, Shylock, gave,”

               “What did he say?”

               “If I remember correctly, it was ‘I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions; fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, heal'd by the same means, warm'd and cool'd by the same winter and summer, as a Christian is? If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, do we not revenge? If we are like you in the rest, we will resemble you in that’,”

               “She did mention something along those lines...” Perez bit her lip, in thought. “Do you think that she quoted Shakespeare on purpose?”

                “Yes. Why else would she quote him?” The male investigator combed his hair with his fingers. “Our next location must have something to do with William Shakespeare,”

               “Since he was a script writer, my hunch is that our next location must be where a play is taking place, ”

              Johnson felt his pant leg for his phone. “I'll check online if there are Shakespearian plays going on in Melrose,”

              “Check the online newspaper. Maybe you'll find something there,”

               “Good thinking,” Johnson placed his thumb on the fingerprint scanner on his phone and the phone unlocked itself.

               After a minute or so, he was able to pull up the Melrose News on a new tab. He brought the phone in between Perez and himself, so that they could both examine the paper carefully.

               “Here!” Perez pointed at the right hand corner of the screen. Placing her index finger and her thumb, she enlarged the advertisement for the play at the theatre.

                “The Melrose Theatre welcomes one and all to the re-enactment of The Merchant of Venice written by William Shakespeare. The play will be performed in the Theatre on Mountain Hill drive on the fifth of April. Entry fee is ninety-nine dollars,” Johnson made a face, as he scorned. “Well, that's highway robbery, if you ask me!”

                “Well done, Johnson. You uncovered the riddle!” Perez cheered with a grin. “Next stop, the theatre,” Striking a dramatic pause that made Johnson chuckle, she declared, “Let the show begin!”