The Rabbit's Bar and Resto
7:15 p.m.

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No matter how fancy a restaurant is, it still won't be enough to put an end to the "awkwardness" of a situation.

Sinulyapan ni Nova ang kanyang partner na abala pa rin sa pagkain.

'Gosh. Mukhang 'di naman apektado ang isang 'to!' She thought and picked up her spoon. Nova had to stop the urge to throw it at him in frustration.

Noong nag-aya ulit ng dinner si Detective Nico Yukishito, hindi naman niya inaasahang ganito ang magiging setup nila...

"Attorney, paabot naman 'nong soup! Ay, teka---'yong carbonara na lang---ay, joke. Sige, kahit 'yong parang alimasag na lang pala!"

Nabulabog ang mga tao sa restaurant sa lakas ng boses ni Dan. Sa kanyang kaliwa, she saw Lelouch's patient smile as he handed him all of the mentioned dishes.

"Dahan-dahan lang, baka 'di ka matunawan." Lelouch joked.

Nagningning naman ang mga mata ni Dan at walang seremonyas na nilantakan ang mga ito. Plate after plate, he literally consumed everything!

'Patay-gutom lang? Hay.'

Nova wanted to sink into her chair and magically transport back to her office.

Balak niya sana kaninang mag-overtime at aralin ulit ang kaso nang tinawagan siya ni Nico. His exact words?

"Dinner at seven. The Rabbit's."

Typical asshole.

But somehow, she hated how he knew Nova didn't eat yet. Kung nahulaan lang niya ito o nagamitan ng skills sa deduction, she can never be too sure. In the end, umuwi pa muna siya ng bahay at nag-ayos para sa kanilang "dinner". Tutal naman naudlot ang dinner na 'to noong kaso ng Robinhood Arsonist, why not make an effort to look nice?

Even though Nova knew he wouldn't even care.

Nico had seen her in her worst, so what difference would it make?

Kaya siguro ganoon na lang ang pagtataka ni Nova nang makitang naka-pwesto na rin pala dito ang ex-boyfriend niyang si Lelouch at ang colleague nitong si Dan. She quickly discovered that "dinner" in Nico's vocabulary simply means "discuss the case while eating at an expensive restaurant for privacy".

And no, Nova doesn't even know why she's disappointed with this.

"So, the Unknown Disease is actually a woman," Lelouch started. "Nakwento na rin sa'kin ni Brian kanina."

Tumango si Nico at itinabi ang kanyang plato. Hindi nakaligtas sa obserbasyon ni Nova ang pasimpleng paglibot ng mga mata nito sa resto, making sure that no one is in earshot.

"That's the closest profile we got, yes."

"May suspects na ba kayo? Hindi mo ba nabosesan ang narinig mo kanina?Hindi mo narinig 'yong instructions sa taxi driver?" Lelouch pried, his lawyer instincts kicking in.

Umismid ang detective.

"Tried. Kaso sa highway lang siya nagpahatid. From there, it's a dead end. At kung kilala ko ang boses niya, we wouldn't even be sitting here discussing this matter, don't you think, attorney?"

"Just asking. And by the way, ikaw naman ang nag-imbita sa'min dito," Leouch countered. "Hindi nakakabawas ng pagkalalaki ang amining kailangan mo ng tulong namin, detective."

Nico glared.

Nova rolled her eyes at the two and pushed her unfinished salad to Dan (who ate it immediately). Nawalan na siya ng ganang kumain dahil sa dalawang 'to.

'Sa totoo lang, mas nakaka-stress ang mga lalaki.'

"Kung mag-aaway lang din kayong dalawa buong magdamag, kindly advise me beforehand so that I can pay the bill," she said. Dan raised his hand but Nova scowled and added, "At bawal umorder ulit."

At her words, the two men exchanged looks but kept their mouths shut.

Makalipas ang ilang sandali ng katahimikan sa mesa nila (with the only sound being Dan's silverware against his plate), nagsalita muli si Nico, "Just to make things clear, if it weren't for the complexity of this case, I'd never call this stuck up attorney and detective-wanna-be."

That earned him violent reactions from both.

'Kahit kailan talaga, hirap makipag-communicate ang isang 'to,' Nova decided. "Is this the part where you're going to stop whining like a kid and actually 'discuss'? Gusto ko lang ipaalala na may serial killer pang nakakawala at virus na kumakalat."

"Laging nakakakawala si UD sa bawat crime scene. Somehow, she always has an escape route figured out before we could even catch her. Parang isang disease na nakakahanap ng paraan para makahawa ng iba... That's why we pin her down and block all possible exits," Nico explained and hovered a table napkin over the flame of a candle. It immediately caught fire and Nico watched it burn in front of him.

"Isolate her, then let her have a taste of her own medicine."

Nova didn't like the sound of that. "I hope you don't mean infecting her with the virus, too..."

"That would be fun, wouldn't it?"

Lelouch frowned. "With all due respect, I think you're out of your mind."

"Nico, hindi tayo kasing-sama ni UD. Walang sinasanto ang hustisya, but I'd be damn if we stray from morality."

Ngumisi si Nico at sinulyapan ang abo ng napkin sa mesa. "Chill ka lang, Miss Carlos. I was just kidding. Even though UD deserves every bit of torture from that virus, may mga prinsipyo pa rin ako... This is where Attorney and Dan comes in." He gestured the two, "San Andres will handle the legal matters when we catch UD, while Dan will be stationed at the crime scene. Simple."

Hindi makapaniwala si Nova sa kanyang narinig.

"Yon lang?"

"Yup."

"Wala kang plano? Wala kang ideya kung sino si UD? Wala kang step-by-step process ng paghuli sa kanya?"

"Wala. And as a gentleman, it wouldn't be nice to use force on a woman---even if she's a killer," kalmadong sabi ni Nico at kinuha ang kanyang wineglass. Agad na nawirduhan ang dumaang waiter nang magrequest ang detective ng kape at ibinigay ito sa kanya.

Nova couldn't believe it.

Pero base sa ekspresyon at ikinikilos ni Nico (pati na rin sa kanyang gut feeling), mukhang nagsasabi ito ng totoo. Wala nga talagang "concrete plan" ngayon ang tinaguriang "greatest detective" ng Eastwood. But then again, "Why do you look so calm about it?"

"Anong maidudulot ng pag-panic?" He inquired. "Everyone's in a state of anxiety right now. We can't do anything about the virus, but we can do something about the one who brought it here. Malakas ang kutob kong nalalapit na rin ang katapusan dahil dito..."

Nico placed the carved stone on the table, specifically on the number on it.

45

'45°,' Nova reminded herself.

With this, Nico explained, "Polar coordinates ang ginagamit ni UD para iparating ang mensahe sa'tin. If you check the map and include this next location for the crime scene, the circle is almost complete. Malapit nang matapos ang lahat ng ito... One interesting thing, do you know that the ancient Mayans believe in recurring cycles of creation and destruction? Kaya nga bilog ang calendar nila. They believe that time doesn't follow a straight line, but moves in a repeating circle, a spiral."

Nova nodded, not quite grasping the morbid theme.

After which, Nico stood up, just in time when the waiter returned with his coffee. Mabilis niya itong ininom at nilagay sa mesa ang glass, together with enough money to cover the bill, leaving them speechless.

"I need to go. Ihahatid ko pa kay Omari ang Eidos mask."

Nova nodded and decided not to question him tonight. Gabi na at pare-pareho silang pagod sa kaso, but that doesn't mean she won't ask him about it tomorrow.

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