Vanessa,Vanessa examines the room, and finds some sort of tear in the carpet right next to Lauren's desk chair. The agent thinks that whatever took her grabbed her here and there was a bit of a struggle. She also finds some of the gray goo that Stephen had shown her. There are only a few flecks of it that line the carpet from the desk to the balcony, but it seems clear that whatever took her perhaps "shed" a bit during the attempt.
Other than that, she gets down to examining the room. Much of it is mundane and of little relevance to the investigation. When Vanessa's about to give up in frustration inspiration strikes her, and she looks under the mattress. There she finds a leather colored book that can only be Lauren's diary. It was a neat trick. Perhaps she had done the same when she was a teenager.
There's no key on it, so Vanessa can read through it if she likes. The agent estimates it will take about an hour. But does she think it's worth violating the dead girl's privacy in hopes of a lead?
Nik,"[color=#0040FF]Oh, of course[/color]." says the woman. [color=#0040FF]"Take the elevator up to the third floor. Principal Harold's office is at the end of the hall[/color]."
Nik does so. Along the way he passes a few straggling students either late for class or skipping, all of whom give him curious looks. Several classes are also passed, along with many lockers. One of them catches Nik's eye, because it has been written on all over.
[i]RIP Lauren
We love you Angel
Cheer won't be the same without you :( [/i]
A few ornaments hang from the locker's door, but it itself is firmly locked.
Continuing on, Nik soon finds himself in the administration office. Two students sit in the corner, both looking pissed. The receptionist here, a woman of maybe 70, inquires as to Nik's business. Once he flashes a badge she holds up a finger and picks up the phone. A hushed discussion follows, before she instructs Nik he can go into the office.
It's a modest sized office, but clean and functional. Various awards and certificates line the walls and shelves. Behind the desk sits a large middle aged man wearing glasses and a bad toupee. His build suggests a former athlete who still maintains much of his bulk but is losing more and more of it to fat. He holds out a meaty hand and welcomes Nik.
"[color=#0040FF]Thank you for coming, Agent, ah[/color]..." he struggles with Nik's name and looks to him for support. "I[color=#0040FF]'m Derek Harolds, the principal[/color].
[color=#0040FF]"Obviously our whole town has been affected by these murders, but Glendridge High has suffered more than most. Lauren was one of our most promising students, and very well liked. And Ms. Hatvan, well, the loss of any of the facility is hard on all of us.[/color]"