Croonford
Detectives Case 39: Prom Wrecker
Author’s
Note: It is
early for Prom to be held by some UK schools but I just feel this story is
appropriate. Here, I’m correcting what I wrote about SMS spoofing previously
although I still could be incorrect.
“Prom?!” A Year
11 student exclaimed.as he read the WhatsApp message the student
council sent to all Year 11 students. Many students were in a new eatery
offering discount meals for school students. “Oh yes! Prom and it says ‘competition
for Prom Queen’, I’m so going win,” Lin looked up from her Laksa Lemak.
“Hey, Miss
Chan, you don’t own the Prom Queen position. I’m claiming the accolade as I’m
also clever and stunning,” Heather Smiths responded, her cleavage visible from
her sleeveless top.
“Hey you two,
my artistic talent also counts. Boobs aren’t the only part of beauty,” Harriet
Coy called.
“I’m in the
contest as well, watch out,” Chelle called from the other end of the table.
“Why not choose
me? A BAME girl as opposed to the nom,” Julia Humes, one of the few black
students called over a fish tagine.
Jenn’s
classmates were also discussing the Prom Queen competition. “They want a Queen.
Well, I debate, act and am and Welsh,” Bethan Morgan remarked to her plate of
Faggots and mash.
“I’ll try my
luck,” Madeleine Ranson threw herself in the ring.
“I’ll have to
get into proper shape then compete,” Molly Peacock remarked. She was remanded
in a young Offender Institution for aiding attempted murder of Jenn and Lin.
Other Year 11
girls joined in the discussion, or rather the ‘battle to be the school’s next
Prom Queen.’ Jenn just sat listening to girls wishing to be Prom Queen. She
never wished to participate especially now she had relationship problem. Male
students also started also stated saying they wished to be Prom King. Art
Morton was one of the first to declare, but hardly anyone like a former school
bully to claim that award. Mark Cavendish, Chelle’s boyfriend, wanted the
title, though he silently didn’t think he would pass the quiz portion. Reinhard
and Richard also stated their intention to enter the race.
Bethan and
Molly caught up with Jenn and asked why she fell silent. “You’re afraid of
wearing a gown for prom like you were at Maddie’s housewarming?” Bethan
wondered.
“That and an
almost broken relationship,” Jenn added, trying not look at Richard.
“You two were
arguing over a music quiz and who will be the school’s top GCSE student. I’m
sure that can easily be worked out,” Molly added.
“I’ll be worse
for me girls, I’ll be having my period that evening,” Bethan remarked.
Suddenly, Jenn’s
phone buzzed and as she excused herself, Lin’s and Chelle’s phones also buzzed.
:”Oh, gosh!” Chelle exclaimed. The text message read: Watch out girls! I’m
going to ruin your Prom! It was signed with a cat emoji.
Shifting out of
the eatery, the girls shouted together, “The Cat!” Lin furiously replied but
instead received a message that the number was no longer in use. Chelle rushed
up to the three boys but none of them received that message. The six teen
detectives hastily congregated at their headquarters with Reinhard the first to
speak up. “The Cat is either using a prepaid SIM card which can be bought at a
cheap price and thrown away,” he remarked. “Or he or she is spoofing, like the
Cat did previously. If it’s spoofing, it’s way more advanced using for example,
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP).”
“How did she,
the probability this foe is female, get our phone numbers? Most of us changed
our numbers in the last year or so. Also, why message just us girls?”
The six of them
brainstormed but couldn’t think of any answers. They decided to head home with
Lin and Reinhard staying to add more security features to their hideout. As Lin
opened a drawer he blurted out, “So, what gown or dress will you be wearing to
prom?”
She smiled in
response.
“Is it purple?”
Lin smiled
again.
“Strapless?
Ankle-length?”
Lin simply
smiled again.
“Oh, you’re
keeping me in suspense.”
“You’ll find
out soon. Let’s get to work.” After receiving permission from the caravan
owner, Mr Morden, they changed the front door lock from a key lock to a digital
type that Lin bought before. The CCTV was modified so that what was filmed
could be viewed on their mobile phones and Lin’s digital watch.
“Hey, why that
bucket for?” He asked before as she balanced a bucket near the top of the
caravan’s door.
“Old school
trap. If someone tries to force their way into here, the bucket will fall on
them. I plan to fill it with liquid that’s hard to remove. We all just have to
be careful when we open the door.”
“Clever. I’m
going to play an online game against that ex-criminal Harv and if I win, he’ll
soupy us with information regarding this number. Want to watch me?” Reinhard
asked.
Mark walked
Chelle home but as she reached the stairs leading to her room, her sister Kate
came rushing to her.
“I just
returned from my choir practice and heard a commotion. Two figures were
crawling out of your room window. I chased after them but they managed to
escaped over the fence. Their black shirts had a minute cat symbol on their
sleeves.”
Chelle rushed
into her room nearly shouting upon seeing everything strewn all over the place.
The police came, however the detective was neither DCI Nikki Heath nor DS
Bluebell Ransom. “Well Miss, thankfully nothing is stolen. We’ll keep looking.”
DI Hugh Smith announced and left.
You won’t catch
me, a new text message appeared on her phone and the number was engaged when
called.
“That was a
nice Age of Empire’s game, mate. I’m a legitimate business shop owner though,
not sure I can help you,” Harv said. “Oh, hi darlin’.” He puffed his cigarette
but the smoke blew away from Lin.
The East Asian
show the text messages and they want they wished to know.
“Ah, SMS or
text message spoofing. It’s prevalent in the criminal world and from any major
company. This manipulation of sender information is achieved through the use of
specialized software or online services that allow users to alter the sender’s
phone number or alphanumeric sender ID. You’re looking at some great apps and
some easily accessible websites. Or, someone uses Signaling System ‘7, a set of
telephony signalling protocols. to send a message through the roaming network
to the Short Message Service Centre (SMSC) They fake the original number and it
can be sent to a recipient with an SMS agreement with the victim’s operator
unknowingly. Yes, you could use prepaid SIM cards if you have the budget for
it. VOIP and Orange Box are more for spoofing calls.”
“I have stated
the wrong information previously,” Lin and Reinhard said simultaneously.
“It’s easy to
mix up and some spoofing isn’t illegal in some cases perhaps if mass spoofing
from the same weird number.”
As those
science-centric teen detectives thought how to find the source these text
messages, Jenn was in deep thought over her last argument with Richard and the
impending challenge of wearing an evening gown. Ok, so I lost a music quiz
against him and he thinks he’ll be first in the GCSEs not me. Is it really my
fault in starting the argument? Jenn kept this question until a WhatsApp
appeared on her phone screen. Initially it was another threatening message from
the Cat, she ignored it. It was Bethan, wondering if she would like to join her
and Molly for shopping for gowns. I guess I’ve to face this fear, she thought.
Reinhard went
over to Chelle’s place and swept her room with portable forensic kit but found
no fingerprints or footprints. “Wow, they so sneaky,” he commented, with Chelle
giving a glum look in response to the dead end.
Chelle went
out, despite Reinhard’s warning to walk close with someone else. She did walk
where there were many passersby’s when suddenly, she heard several muted cries.
It came from a set of thorny bushes and after several scratches, she saw a leaf-covered
sleeping bag and when unzipping it, she found Cara Owen, the school co-president
tightly restrained, gagged and blindfolded.
“Two leather
suit figures pounced on me as I carried decorations for your prom. Now I’ve too
purchase those which they damaged.” Chelle saw torn banners next to her. “You
lot looking chasing after them? Get them!” Cara carefully tore away excess duct
tape from her dress.
Aw, see how I’m
ruining your Prom? The message appeared on the girls’ phones.
The police were
again notified and luckily DS Bluebell Ransom took on the assault and break in
incidents. As uniformed Police Constables patrolled the neighbourhoods of the
girl detectives, the six of them gathered again.
“Based on Cara’s
descriptions, it’s most definitely girls around her 1.62m height. I’m sure
either or both are students from our school.,” Chelle stated.
“That’s some
lead but that means hundreds of students and who knows how to spoof and have
access to leather suits?” Jenn wondered.
With no clear
answers, Reinhard again walked Lin home while Mark walked Chelle and Jenn to
their homes separately. What an arrogant girl I picked, Richard thought as he
headed home also thinking of a formal breakup.
Around seven
days before Prom, Jenn met up with Bethan and Molly. “Still not certain on your
relationship with Richard?” Bethan asked as the three entered a shopping
complex.
Jenn just
nodded.
“Isn’t it
simple to rectify? You humbly agree you lost the music quiz, he stops saying he’ll
be the first in the GCSE results?” Molly added.
Jenn just
mumbled ‘perhaps’. The topic changed as they entered a shop specially for Prom
dresses. Within ten minutes, Bethan and Molly picked their gowns, Bethan picked
a strapless black ankle-length dress with a golden sash, resembling the Flag of
Saint David. Molly picked a black Floral Midi Dress.
“See any you
really like?” Bethan interrupted Jenn’s daydreaming.
“Wouldn’t you
have a larger challenge changing your sanitary napkins with that dress?” Jenn
changed the subject.
“I bought
period pants - they’ll hold whole evening. Focus and you’ll look like a queen
at Proom.”
Should I bother
to look like a high-class girl? Her friends kept pointing at various dresses
and gowns until she chose a sparkling dark blue gown that reached just above
her ankles. It had bow-tied straps thick enough to cover her bra straps which
Jenn preferred. The store didn’t have any matching her dress size but promised
she could pick up one two days before Prom.
“Great, next
hairdresser,” Bethan announced and managed to persuade Jenn her hair needed
styling for the event. As the trio exited, they heard a scream and saw a girl
wearing a black hoodie - unusual for the hot summer weather - being chased by a
younger girl. Instinctively, Jenn ran after the hooded girl and shaking their
heads, Bethan and Molly followed.
Jenn lost sight
of them as she ran outside but quickly heard the distinctive sounds of someone
gagged. In a drainpipe, she found that younger girl trussed up with ropes and
gagged over-the-mouth.
“That teen
wanted to buy fireworks from my dad but she’s underage and stole some from the
shelves!” The girl, Sophie, sobbed as Jenn freed her. Her friends caught up and
Bethan offered to take her back. “Wait, I’ve seen those knots before; one of
the Cat’s colleagues taught me when I was with them,” Molly remarked. Jenn
immediately ran to find this perpetrator with Molly following. Just as Molly
turned the corner behind the shopping centre, she was violently pushed to the
ground. Molly’s arms were forced behind her back and cable ties were secured
around her wrists.
Just as tape
was about to be stuck on her lips, her screams helped. Two hard structs from an
umbrella resulted in a grunt and Molly’s attacker clutched her face and fell.
“Never bound my
friend!” Jenn roared. Molly’s restraints were cut off by Jenn’s trusty penknife
and the pair yanked off the assailant’s hoodie and face mask.
“Lorna Cheatle!”
Molly screamed. “So, you’re the one who got me into the gang.”
“Bitch!” was
Lorna’s reply along with a spit which missed the girls who held her down.
“So, you’re the
Cat!” Jenn shook her classmate but Lorna shook her head violently. A search of
Lorna’s pockets revealed her mobile and a plastic Ziplock bag with SIM cards.
The phone’s message was the same Jenn received and more draft messages
prepared.
“How you
explain this?” Jenn held the phone up at Lorna who just glared at her.
“Miss, we’ll
take it from her,” two PCs called, handcuffed Lorna and led her away.
“She’ll be
spending a long time in a YOI,” Molly meant a Young Offender Institution.
Thanks Jenn, this made me feel so much better. Let’s get our hair done.”
Lorna was
extremely uncooperative during police interviewing. She continuously insisted
she wasn’t the Cat. With the identity of their nemesis still unknown, the teens
cautiously prepared for prom. Mark found Reinhard working out in the local gym
and neared his classmate,
“Okay, whenever
you want to have that discussion,” Mark said.
“What
discussion?” Reinhard asked.
“No man
naturally smells as good as you do when working out,” Mark pointed.
The shorter boy
placed down the dumbbells. “It’s aftershave. I managed to find a great brand.
“Mate, I know
you want to impress your girl but I recommend not to overdo it.”
“Well, it’s the
only item that helps. I can’t find a tux, I’ve not enough money to hire a
limo...”
Mark told him
his parents hired a limo for him and offered to split the cost.
The prom
evening quickly came and Pearlyn Chan was tying the knots on her daughter’s
gown. “Lin Ling, do enjoy yourself but don’t get into any trouble.”
“Yes. Mama, I’ll
be fine,” Lin thought with Lorna detained the possibility of any tricks would
be lower, though her mother also meant otherwise.
“Good evening
Mrs Chan, evening Lin,” Reinhard could barely control himself upon seeing his
girlfriend. Her dark purple floor-length gown was strapless and the front
really emphasised her cleavage. The back consisted of a series of criss-cross
ted strings securing the gown. This contrasted with his navy-blue suit and tie.
Inside the rented limo, Mark was in a tuxedo while Chelle was in an emerald
green strapless dress. At the venue, a hotel in south Birmingham, Chelle
checked with the student councillors. “Only a small glitch with the PA system
but that has been remedied,” Hugh Johnson told her. PCs were patrolling the
exterior but Chelle was still uneasy.
Hattie Coy was
the next to arrive, one of her 3-D art pieces printed on the front of her dark
beige dress. Heather Smith was in a maroon gown with halter straps her cleavage
also very evident. Julia Humes was one of the few wearing a light-coloured
gown, saying brown matched her skin colour. Madeleine Ranson, being thrifty,
wore a black strapped gown from a charity store.
“Jenn, you made
it,” Bethan called as the short girl detective entered and found sanctuary at
the table. Her look prompted a query. “Richard’s seating on the other table,”
Molly pointed with her head. Relaxing a little, Bethan, still bisexual,
introduced her male date, Charlie.
The individual
students competing for Prom King and Queen entered their names on a tablet and
picked up a quiz sheet. Maddy, Art Morton and Chelle decided to sit out while
Lin and Heather already received equal number of votes by the first round. As
starters were served, Chelle looked across the room trying to guess who was the
Cat. She focused on certain girls but none seemed to look like a tormentor. As
food continued was served, Jenn was lost in deep thought especially since heavy
metal music was playing.
“Now, going
back in music time, a set of oldies starting from the 1960s,” the DJ announced.
Jenn looked up but ignored the announcement. A figure then came into view.
“Jenn Thompson,
would you like to dance?” Richard asked.
She just stared
at the table with Bethan mouthing ‘go on’, Molly nodded her head and after
taking a sip of water, she nodded.
“I shouldn’t
have brought the issue of being the top student,” He started.
All I Have
to Do Is Dream played.
“I’m at fault and was too arrogant. I’m sorry.”
“Let’s dance,” he
suggested but neither knew dance steps so they just moved randomly. Others
songs including Ray Charles’ You Don’t Know Me, Neil Sedaka’s Oh
Carrol played. “Treat me like a fool Jenn,” Richard remarked as Elvis’
voice of the ballad written by Leiber and Stoller.
She laughed.
The switch to 1960s came fast and Brown Eyed Girl was the
first played. “Richard, I’m not brown-eyed, ok I’m your girl.”
As the
Shirelles’ version of Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow played,
he held her hands. “Thank you. I will definitely love you tomorrow, in
detective work, in debate in studies, you’re not leaving Croonford are you?”
She shook her
head and joked again over Tell Him by the Exciters with him
replying, “I saw her standing there,” creating much laughter.
“They do make a
perfect couple, don’t they?” Mark commented to Reinhard who nodded. “Let’s grab
our ladies and join in.” The next lot of songs were a mix from the soundtracks
of Dirty Dancing, My Best Friend’s Wedding, and Grease.
As Barry White’s You’re the First, the Last, My Everything started,
Jenn excused herself and found Bethan in the loo.
“Had a great
time with your guy on the floor?”
Jenn gave an
affirmative reply then stopped. “Did you suggest the songs? I know that look.”
Her classmate
grinned. “Molly and I were discussing how to patch up your relationship and
oldies are your weakness. Want to punch me?”
Jenn instead
hugged her. “You’re a great friend, Miss Wales.” They returned just as dessert
was being served and the Prom King and Queen results announced.
Some other male
student got second place while there was a thunderous applause for Mark crowned
as Prom Kin.
“As for Prom
Queen, the runners up is Lin Ling Chan while the winner is...Heather Smith!”
Cara announced.
“It was a nice
fight Lin. You’ll win the Year 13 award. You’re an Asian beauty,” Heather
hugged her classmate.
Mark and
Heather were invited to the dance floor and no one could stop the mass rush of
students joining in. The song played was the cliche (I’ve Had) The Time of My
Life. Heather quickly let Mark dance with his girlfriend, Reinhard was
tiptoeing and hugging Lin while Jenn and Richard were cheek-to-cheek.
A loud
explosion broke but Chelle’s fears ended as confetti and balloons descended
from the ceiling. The Year 11s sang Queen’s famous We Are the Champions and the
DJ quickly played the song to aid the singing. Amidst the euphoria, part of Lin’s
gown came undone, exposing more of her breast. Chelle helped fix the wardrobe
malfunction less it drew unwanted attention. Did someone pull off her gown? She
couldn’t tell with the singing and mess.
Finally, the
event ended but Chelle was still on the lookout. Lin was also partly readying some
of the gadgets she stored in her handbag. Jenn in contrast, was hugging Richard
commenting on his suit and hat. As the six of them walked out, the Cat growled
silently aiming to harasses again
Michelle,
Lin Ling, Jennifer, Mark, Reinhard and Richard will return in ‘Lost in
Translation’.