Chapter 17: Liquefied Remains

Lynch's POV

It's been a month since Pallas, whoever she was, visited Arya.

Hindi ako mapakali- sino nga ba naman ang mapapakali kapag makikita mo si Arya ngayon. Parang walang nangyari.

Marky and I are worried. She's acting like nothing happened- at all! She returned to her usually bossy and crazy state. Whatever bothered her, she didn't let it show.

Sometimes, I'd ask her kung okay lang siya pero she'd shrug me off saying that she's fine.

So I stopped asking by the third week because she would just ignore me.

Today marks the official month since pinayagan siyang madischarge sa hospital. We didn't even get to enjoy our Christmas break because busy siya noon na nagpapalakas para malusog na siyang pumasok sa school.

Things were pretty much back to normal except Arya. People still think we're dating, Althea is still a bitch, at mahilig parin ako sa banana cake.

I really wish na maging normal na si Arya dahil miss na miss ko na ang kanyang luto.

Nang pumasok kami ni Arya sa school, maraming nagbubulungan sa corridors. Buti na lang ay biglang sumulpot ang mukha ni Marky kaya agad kaming pumunta sa kanya.

"What's going on?", bulong ko habang hinila si Arya sa side.

"Hindi ko alam, biglang may narinig silang sigaw sa Anatomy Room, apparently, meroon daw isang fragment nang bungo sa room na nakakalat and the room reeks! Ayaw ko ngang pumasok dahil kahit sa labas pa lang ay amoy na amoy na ang baho ng mga cadavers."

Agad agad ko namang tinawagan ang number ni Inspector Lustrade. Usually kasi, ako yung consultant niya at nagkakilala kami through connections. Pero ngayon ko na naman siya natawagan dahil nagleave siya noon for his wife na nagpaanak.

I heard na bumalik na siya sa trabaho last month but because of the lack of cases, ngayon ko lang siya makocontact na naman.

After three rings, sinagot niya ang tawag ko, "Hello?"

"Inspector, it's me, Lynch Hidalgo. I'm here to report something that happened in our school." I explained what I knew. Because of my lack of information, wala pa akong madededuce na useful ngayon.

Ibinaba ko ang tawag ko at hinila si Arya sa Anatomy room kung saan natagpuan ang buto. Pagkadating namin, tila ba sumuntok sa ilong ko ang masamang amoy. Both of us had to step back because of the pungent smell.

Binuksan ko ang malalaking bintana bago namin ipinagpatuloy ang surveying ng room.

We examined the scene.

1. The bone is a part of the skull, though I'm not sure which part. Based on the crack, it was pounded by a heavy thing and is missing a part dahil sharp ang pagkacrack nito.

2. The skull is fresh. There are no traces of blood or flesh and whatsoever.

3. Hindi pa matagal ang buto, kung titingnan nang maiigi, it looks fresh pero masyadong malinis.

That is one of my questions. How can a person decay so fast and so clean?

Something is not right here. "Bakit malinis ang bone? If matagal na ito, brownish dapat at hindi smooth and surface. Plus, paano na crack?"

Apparently, we have the same insights. Papunta pa lamang ako sa isnag side nang biglang pumasok si Inspector kaya binati ko muna siya. "Good morning, inspector." I shook my hands with his at ipinakilala ko si Arya, "Ito nga pala ang partner ko na si Arya." Nagwave naman siya.

"Partner? Ilang buwang lang akong nawala, may jowa ka na?" Sabi niya sabay tapik sa ulo.

"Huh? Nako, iba ang pagkakaintindi mo," sabi ko habang kinamot ang ulo, "partner IN crime. Ikaw talaga." After that, we went to work.

Sinabi ko lahat nang napansin ko at inilista naman niya ang mga ito. Ipinakuha ko rin ang buto para irun sa forensics department. Si Arya naman ay linibot ang kuwarto.

"Kakaiba nga ang kasi na ito-" I stopped mid sentence when I heard the loud thud that came from the corner. Tumakbo ako sa tabi ni Arya na nadulas, "Okay ka lang?" I was worried na baka masaktan niya ang sarili niya lalo na na kagagaling lang niya sa hospital.

I examined her head and feet, kinapakapa ko pa siya, pero sinabi niya na okay lang siya kaya tinulungan kong bumangon. "Paano ka ba kasi nadulas?"

"Yung liquid, yan oh." Tiningnan ko a pool ng medyo pinkish liquid. Vinyl pa naman ang tiles kaya mabilis lang na nadulas si Arya. But, there was something peculiar with the liquid. It's not ordinary looking.

"Huwag mong hawakan." I called the Inspector's attention and took a cotton swab. Idipil ko sa liquid at biglang nadissolve yung ilang parts nang cotton.

I was right. It is acid. Pero, what type?

"Pakikuhanan po nang forensics test. Kung acid nga ito, ito na rin ang murder weapon."

Sumulpot naman si Arya, "That explains everything! Kung paano malinis ang decay nang flesh at yung buto. We can deduce na ibinabad sa kung ano mang acid ito ang victim. However, the broken bones must mean na nafracture muna ang skull niya bago ibinabad sa acid. Possible na namatay siya sa assault tapos para mawala ang evidences, liniquefy niya ang bangkay."

"That's why it was done in the anatomy room para walang magsuspect sa amoy."

Nagbuntong hininga naman si Inspector, "Unfortunately, hindi lang yan ang kay
kailangan para macatch ang tunay na culprit. Sino? at Bakit?"

Unfortunately, we couldn't do anything until they have finished the test para malaman kung sino ang victim, until then, I'm not much of help. I need to find common ground.

common

Common! Of course, kung acid nga ang ginamit niya, it needed to be something common, like something lethal pero ginagamit na pangdispose sa mga cadaver, how could have I missed this?!

Nasa anatomy room kami, new practices require students to dissolve bodies using acids.

Tumakbo ako ulit sa room at pumunta sa storage nila. Voila! Tama nga ang hinala ko.

In a big can on the middle was full of stickers such as 'DANGEROUS, KEEP OUT OF REACH'. Sa baba naman ay may label na, 'Potassium Hydroxide: Toxic'.

Now, I have his/her methods. The only thing missing now is the identity of the victim and the identity of the murderer.

As if on cue, nagring ang cellphone ko. "Hello?"

"We figured out kung sino ang victim. The name was Aleah Jacinto, she was apparently the best anatomy student and hasn't gone home yet since yesterday pero dahil wala pang 24 hrs, hindi pa siya maaaring marule out as a missing person."

"How about her belongings? Meron ba kayong nakuha? Cellphone or etc?"

"Wala pero pinaretrieve namin ang number niya at lahat ng messages niya for the past hour. She messaged three people with 'Alam ko ang ginawa mo, magkita tayo sa room.'"

"Sino naman ang mga ito?" Napakunot ako ng noo sa nakita ko pang ebidensya habang tinatawagan ako.

"Deanna Fernandez, Maricar Agustin, at si Justin Porras. I called the three for inspection, you're free to come by at three pm, I'll excuse you from your classes."

"Okay, we'll be there." Napaisip ako, "Inspector! Can you send someone for this piece of evidence?"

So, three o'clock came by, I called Arya earlier na pupunta kami sa station. We met at the school gates and took a taxi there.

"Inspector, nasaan sila?"

After ten minutes, pumyesto na kaming lahat.

"Where were you at the time between 4:00 and 6:30?"

Naunang sumagot si Deanna, "Nasa PE ako, last period namin kaya nagshower muna ako kaya medyo natagalan ako sa paguwi."

"Did someone see you?" I countered. "Wala."

"Which means na wala kang alibi." Sabi naman ni Arya, "Ikaw?"

"Nasa dorm na ako by five pm. I have no business after classes.", rason naman ni Justin. "Pero I have a witness that can confirm that. Kasama ko ang dormmate kong umuwi."

"Ako naman ay nasadetention ako. As punishment, pinaglinis ako nang banyo kaya ganon."

"Can someone confirm your statement, Miss Maricar?"

Ibinaba niya ang kanyang ulo, "Wala po."

"In other words, no alibi ka rin.", I stated, "First of all, I have a question. How are you related to the victim?"

Sinimulan naman ni Deanna ang kanyang kwento, "Well, best friend ko siya. She's been missing since yesterday."

Napatunganga naman ang dalawa, "Huh? Nawawala si Leah? Akala ko may pinuntahan."

Ako naman ngayon ang nalito, "Anong may pinuntahan? Sino ang nagsabi sayo?"

"Ako ang palagi niyang kasama sa pag-uwi dahil ako ang dorm mate niya. Ako ang pumunta sa police station para ireport na missing siya pero wala pang 24 hrs nun kaya hindi ako pinayagan. Kahit tingnan ninyo sa CCTV. I was here yesterday." I nodded and signaled Justin, "I'm just her classmate in anatomy. Nothing more, nothing less.", at kay Maricar naman, "She's my friend, we also have a friendly competition going on. But, walang hard feelings between the two of us."

One of them lied. But...I already know who killed her.

"Let's stop this nonsense. Sino ba ang pumatay kay Aleah!?", sigaw ni Deanna.

Napatingin silang lahat sa kanya, "Paano...paano mo alam na patay na siya?"

Kinamot niya ang kanyang ulo at ipinaharao ang mga kamay, "Eh, nandito tayo for questioning, hindi ba? Isa lang ang maaring kahulugan nito. Patay na siya."

"Stop talking. I know who the killer is." All heads swung to my direction.

"Earlier, bumalik ako sa room and saw something. The liquefied remains of Leah were thrown out the window along with one evidence. I figured that bago siya ibinabad sa Potassium Hydroxide ay inassault muna siya wich cause the breaking of her bones.

I did more investigating and learned that the motive of the murderer is because of jealousy. It was you..." Itinuro ko ang daliri ko sa kanyang direction, "Deanna."

"I never killed anyone! I loved her like a sister."

"But you were tired of being in her shadows. That's why you made a false rumor but she found out kaya itinext niya kayong tatlo to find out who did it. Unfortunately, nauna siyang namatay. Naattack siya ng martilyo at nabagok ang ulo.

Yung lamesa ay kulang yung tip but there were dried blood in there. There was also a piece of hair on the floor." I paused, "Inspector, please give me the DNA results."

Bigla naman siyang lumuhod at umiyak, "Okay, fine. I admit it."

Pagkatapos nun ay akala namin tapos na, nagsisi na siya sa mga hinawa niya nang bigla bumula ang kanyang bibig.

"Poison." Sabay naming ika ni Arya.

After an hour, Inspector Lustrade approached us, "I don't understand how she ingested the poison, but she kept on saying 'message'. It was hemlock."

Bigla naman nagring ang cellphone ko, "Did you miss me?" Biglang tumaas ang balahibo ko sinabi niya. "Tell her that the East wind is coming to blow her."

"Arya, I need to ask you something." She held up her hand, "I already know who called you, why they called you. The truth is..."

"My real name is Athena."

A/N: Hi guys! Long time.....haha

Ito na ang pagbabalik ko, though it may be boring, I don't give damn. Medyo slow updates but not as slow as the previous ones. Ipagpapatuloy ko na talaga ito.

Anyways, see you in the next chapter.

Go follow my other accounts on social media, though😂😂😂