[ENG] A Peculiar Teacher

Chapter 4

The policemen arrived to the village one week after the events, they sure weren't anticipating being in the countryside, cut from civilization. During the second week, they wandered around the townspeople to retrieve information but the only thing they ended up with was a huge hangover from everyone inviting them to have a drink. The villagers didn't seem to take the situation seriously but gladly answered everything they could, which was to say nothing.
The third week was an opportunity to search thoroughly the villagers' houses since they had by now befriended them but even so, their researches were fruitless and only the head of the garrison decided to stay though that was to have some simile of vacancies.


With the excuse of a trip to the village's library, Eberbach's class penetrated the village again. They split into 2 even groups, one to stay where they should be and the other to lead an investigation. the second group soon found out about the visit of the policemen and how they were unsuccessful so they chose to try doing another one of those activities they learned from TV police dramas, a psychological sketch of the perpetrator. this was the grotesque result:

- he stole a bust so shouldn't that mean he doesn't like bottoms (since they're always naked)
- maybe he is very puritan but he would not steal them
- Maybe he is disabled like the statue and feels understood by it, but it would be hard to steal without legs

The other group, though being here only on watch, gained access to the archives through the perilous and heroic mission that was asking the librarian nicely and perhaps had more interesting information than their counterparts. While some looked at the books featuring the history of the village that were put predominantly on the shelves, others went through old newspapers and after a while, they gathered to "put the pieces of the puzzle together".
The bust was the one of a young man, around 16, who saved women and children by fighting bravely against some evil invaders whose hands were as filthy as their boots. He died tragically like a short-lived hero and his descendants populated the founded village, reported of a solemn voice the students that studied him as if they were grieving, no one knew his name or found his body so the statue was made to pay a tribute to this unknown savior.
To the others, something was wrong, it seemed the story was timeless and they realized that nobody could date it. They had found records that put the sculpture's production at 70 years ago without any context of such a person or similar historical event.
As the outdoor students came into the quiet room, they were told of the indoor other 12's discoveries and dropped of their criminal analysis who after all they agreed "would only make sense to James". The historical inconsistencies surrounding the stolen bust were far more intriguing, and complex for them to make sense out of, than the theft itself.

The opposite was true for Laurence, whose garrison had left him to be pressured by the mayor for results. It was out of the question to investigate the village itself as, "obviously", the thief could only be an outsider, unaware of the patriotic feeling the artwork was supposed to convey.
Somehow, even though they didn't talk about suspects yet, the option that felt almost automatic was to look into the only ones whose alibi have not yet been considered, neither has their place been examined. It seemed plausible and he wasn't ready to work more than his share so he set off for the school only to meet someone going in the opposite direction, a not very talkative teacher.
The conversation was awkward as none would want to reveal their ulterior motives, them suspecting each other lead the dialogue to a dead-end. Not only that but both were upset by their interlocutor's attitude, the uptight and irritable Klaus contrasted with the flashy and obnoxious inspector. Even with his way of glorifying the stolen bust and speaking in a weird eccentric manner, Klaus couldn't dare to compare him to his co-worker Dorian, who was less atrocious.