“What?”
“I saw my name on it.”
He swallowed.
“I thought it was for me.”
He explained that Maya’s locker hadn’t been completely closed.
He had seen the envelope.
His name was written across it.
He assumed it was a gift or assistance for the band trip.
So he took it.
He hadn’t opened it.
He hadn’t spent the money.
He simply believed it had been left there for him.
The entire mystery had been caused by a misunderstanding.
Nothing had been stolen.
No one had robbed Maya.
No one had secretly taken the money.
The envelope had simply disappeared because Maya’s locker wasn’t properly secured.
And Maya had spent the entire night terrified that everyone would think she was a thief.
Principal Patel later explained that the school had another problem to solve.
The informal cash system had been created with good intentions, but it wasn’t safe.
