The Greystone Cases: Arbor Heist

It wasn't the first time the chemistry lab was sealed off. A couple of years ago, some kid left the gas on for one of the Bunsen burners and we couldn't use the lab for a couple of days. My girlfriend, Julie, and I were running late to chemistry, as usual.

"What's going on?" she asked one of the officers.

"Labs closed today, keep moving" an officer responded, coldly.

"Yeah we can see that, did something happen?" I interjected.

"I said move it!" Now, sounding slightly angry, the officer made his point.

"Alright, alright jeeze. We'll just ask the professor.." I let out a chuckle, thinking I had outsmarted and outwitted this officer.

We kept walking until we got to the next door, the door to the chemistry classroom and Professor Bantle's office. We let ourselves in to find Professor Bantle speaking with what looked like two detectives. The wrinkles on his forehead and crossed arms were enough for Julie and I to change our tone. I've never seen Professor Bantle look so concerned. Something must be really wrong to shake up someone like him. He's ex-military, but that's all he's been able to tell us. Julie thinks he was a spy, but I like to think he was a SEAL or some kind of special forces. Truth is, no one really knows.

"You kids need to leave, this is a police matter" stated one of the men.

"Sorry, we just want to know what's going on, are you ok, professor?" I ask out of genuine care, but also because I'm rather nosy.

"What's the matter with you?! My partner just told you to leave, why are you still here?" Not the most welcoming couple of guys I've met.

"It's ok, they're students of mine, they're both studying Advanced Chemistry as part of their Criminal Justice degrees here at Greystone University." Professor Bantle has always had our backs, even when Julie and I would stop by after class with questions because we were too busy flirting and daydreaming during class.

"Ok, that's cute, but we're actual detectives and we have a job to do. So, unless you suspect these kids might have had something to do with this, they need to leave right now." The first detective was barely the harsher of the two.

Professor Bantle give us the 'it's ok, you guys better go' look, which was disheartening, to say the least. "Ok, alright, we're going..." Julie said, disappointedly.

We turned around and walked out the door like a couple of kids who just found out the ice cream shop didn't have their favorite flavors. After we were back out into the hallway, Julie and I looked at each other with the same level of concern. Something was wrong, but why would a chemistry lab be closed off like that, and why are there detectives talking to Professor Bantle? Is he caught up in something illegal? I mean, sure, he's got a pretty mysterious past, but he's a really good guy and always held every student to a high standard, both academically and personally. I can't imagine him doing anything that would warrant the police showing up.

We walked a bit further down the hall, but still close enough that we could see the door to Professor Bantle's room. "Hey, let's wait here for the detectives to leave, I want to know what's going on." I couldn't help myself, I needed to know.

"Yeah no kidding, this is so crazy!" Julie exclaimed with a whisper. "Oh, by the way, Alicia, Katie, and I are going dress shopping this afternoon, you need to make sure you and the boys get your tuxes soon, there's only two more months until Homecoming!"