JUSTE

"DO YOU think one of them really did it?"

I was staring at the white board with photos of four college students and one teacher. The victim Zacharias Zafra was at the center while Anastacia, Beatrice, Cole and Desmond were scattered around it. Each of the four outlying photo had a red string linking them to the one at the center. May sticky notes din na nakadikit sa paligid ng mga 'to.

"Hey, are you listening?"

My partner Verity stood behind me. I could hear her sipping from a hot cup of coffee. I could tell by the smell of it. Lumapit siya sa tabi ko nang hindi ako kumibo. I was so used to working alone that I didn't feel the need to have someone else on my side.

"They all have motives," I answered, folding my arms across my chest. I saw on the edge of the long table behind me. "None of them has been eliminated as a suspect."

Ipinagkrus din ni Verity ang kanyang mga braso at napaupo rin sa mesa habang pinagmamasdan ang obra maestra. "Do you think their motives are enough to make at least one of them kill the victim? By the way, your handwriting sucks."

I plucked one of the sticky notes on the board. Tama nga ang sinabi niya. Medyo pangit ang sulat-kamay ko. But in my defense, I was in a hurry to write my thoughts about each suspect. Wala na akong oras para pagandahin pa ito. "They're meant for my eyes only. But you can still make out what's written on them if you look hard enough."

Verity snatched the note from me. She put it closer to her face and squinted at it. Sumuko rin siya makalipas ang ilang segundo at ibinalik sa akin ang maliit na papel. "If someone were to kill you and you left a dying message, no one would be able to crack it."

"And who would want to kill me?"

"Basically everyone you pissed off."

"Including you?"

"You haven't pissed me off. Yet. Huwag mong subukan."

I chuckled before sticking the note back on my board, near the victim's photo. "I don't think the motives are compelling enough to make them actually kill someone. But people have proven from time to time that they can kill for the pettiest reason. If you accidentally spill your coffee on me, I might be tempted to entertain the idea."

"Oh, really?"

"Ouch!" I felt something warm on my chest. Pagkayuko ko, may mantsa na sa harapan ng aking white shirt. I glared at Verity who was giggling at me. Did she think that this was funny? Was this some sort of a sick joke?

I grabbed a pair of scissors on the table, the one I used to cut the photos of the suspects and the victim. Humigpit ang hawak ko sa gunting. Verity's smile faded as she stared at the sharp weapon in my hand. Humakbang siya paurong at may pagkabahala sa mukha niya.

"Hey—"

"Just kidding!" I burst into laughter and put the scissors back on the table. The look on her face was just priceless! Did she honestly think that I'd kill her for just spilling coffee on me? I wasn't a petty person.

Napahawak siya sa kanyang dibdib at huminga nang malaim sabay ng sandaling pagpikit ng kanyang mga mata. Once she opened her eyes again, it's her turn to glare at me.

"Ouch!"

Again, she spilled what remained of her coffee on me. Hindi ba siya nanghihinayang sa kape niya? Kumuha agad ako ng tissue at ipinunas sa basang parte ng damit ko. She could be brutal sometimes.

"How about the suspicious circumstances on the part of the victim?" Verity asked as if nothing happened. Tumapat siya sa board at inilapit ang ulo sa picture ni Zacharias Zafra. "We've double-checked the banking and credit card history, and found nothing that would suggest na nag-book siya ng flight sa mga susunod na araw."

"Now that is the most curious part, isn't it?" The wet part of my shirt was making me feel uneasy. I removed my blazer and started to unbutton my polo. "Possible na may plano siyang mag-book on the night before his flight kung may available tickets pa sa plane. However, people only do that for emergency purposes. Matagal na niyang planong umalis."

"So he lied to the four suspects?" Verity turned to me. "Is it—What on earth are you doing?!" She quickly averted her gaze.

I removed my polo and my inner shirt, revealing my half naked body to her. "Bakit ganyan ka maka-react? First time mo bang makakita ng lalaking naka-topless?" If she had a boyfriend, this shouldn't be something new to her.

"Of course not!" Muntik siyang mapatingin ulit sa akin pero nagawa niyang umiwas agad. "This is totally inappropriate especially in a work environment! Put something on you!"

"Whose fault was it again that I had to do this?" Hindi siya dapat mag-alala. Wala akong balak na manatiling topless hanggang mamaya. Ang lamig kaya rito sa conference room. I put my blazer on and buttoned it from top to bottom. I felt colder than I did a moment ago because I had no inner shirt. But this would do for now. Baka ireklamo pa ako nitong si Verity. "You can look at me now."

Nag-aalangan pa siyang tumingin sa akin, pero bumigay rin siya. "So where were we again?"

"The victim," I recalled. "One of the possibilities that we can entertain is something that we can read in a novel or watch on a TV series: Zafra poisoned himself so he could put the blame on the four students and make them suspects to his apparent murder."

"That is possible, but complicated," Verity replied. She jerked her thumb over her right shoulder, pointing at the board. "The question is, why would he do that? Meron ba siyang motibo para gantihan ang apat?"

To that, I agree. Masyadong komplikado ang scenario kung titingnan sa ganitong anggulo. But hey, if I was right about Possibility #1, then the victim's plan worked totally fine! The police were already onto the four students.

"Based on your observations, three of them had huge respect for the victim. We can also assume the same for the fourth one dahil student aide niya ito," Verity went on. "Mukhang wala naman siyang kagalit sa apat. Sila pa nga ang may motibo para gawan siya nang masama, 'di ba?"

"So you're buying the straightforward angle that one of them did it?"

"One, two, three or all of them might have done it. Alam na nating may video at audio clips sa phone ng victim na pwede niyang gamitin na pam-blackmail sa kanila. Maybe one of them had enough and decided to take matter into their own hands. Maybe it's a solo effort. Maybe it's a collaboration."

"There won't be much thrill if that's the case," I replied. "Possibility #1, the frame up angle, is more exciting than yours."

Verity rolled her eyes. "We're not here to choose which among the possibilities is the most interesting. We're here to see which of them makes the most perfect sense and fits all the puzzle pieces."

"Then let's put a twist in your explanation!" I pulled the victim's card from the board and showed it at eye-level to my partner. "This is how you see the case. Upright. But what if . . ." I turned the photo upside down. ". . . this is the truth?"

Her eyes narrowed slightly as she looked at the victim's face. "Can you stop with all these symbolisms and get straight to the point?"

"Nabanggit mo na kanina na posibleng bina-blackmail ni Zafra ang isa o ang apat sa mga estudyante. Pero paano kung ang kabaligtaran ay ang totoo?"

Lalo pang naningkit ang tingin niya sa akin. "I'm not sure if I still need coffee to process what you're saying or you're just not making any sense."

"Ano'ng napansin mo sa files na nakita at narinig natin?" I asked her. Sorry, I didn't want to spoonfed her with the answers. "Sa apat, tatlo roon ang directly involved si Zafra. In the Anastacia's video, he was . . . teaching her the art of coitus. In the Beatrice's clip, he told her that he had a friend who could solve her receipt problems. In the Desmond's clip, he offered the answers to his exams. Noticed anything?"

"He's complicit in what can be considered as illegal acts," Verity answered. "Sakaling may balak siyang i-leak ang mga 'yon, madali siyang madadawit sa controversies. All the three had to say was his name. He would also be affected as much as these students."

"He will be villified," I added. "Remember, he's in a position of power. He's a college instructor and a guidance counselor, for crying out loud! Zafra should be guiding the students, not leading them astray."

"You think it's possible that the blackmail plan backfired?"

"Let's say someone or some people pulled an Uno reverse card on him." I guessed that's the perfect way to describe it. "He's supposed to be the blackmailer, but now he's the one being blackmailed. That might explain why he resigned from the university. To get away from the mess he created and start anew somewhere."

"But someone or some people might not want to let him off the hook." Verity touched the scarlet thread that connected the victim to everyone else on the board. "Baka wala siyang balak na tatantanan ito kahit na umalis sa university."

"Saan mang educational institution siya mag-transfer, pwedeng padalhan ng email ang school at i-expose ang mga ginawa nitong kuwestiyonable," dagdag ko. "The past is gonna hunt Zafra forever unless he deals with it head on."

"So he finally had enough and decided to take the way out in the most convoluted way possible." Verity turned to me. "By planning his own murder and pinning it on that someone . . . or some people. If this was truly the case, the alleged victim tried to play a 3D chess."

"Which was outright stupid."

"Eh?"

"There were so many ways where Zafra could get back at them," I explained. "Killing himself and framing them up should have been the last resort, not the first. It's a nuclear option, the most drastic or extreme response to the situation. You think someone who managed to keep a trove of blackmailing materials was that dumb?"

"Hey, exploring this angle was your idea," Verity reminded me.

"That's my method," I replied. "I come up with a theory, look for loopholes and try to debunk it. Mas mabuting ako na ang makasira nito kaysa mapahiya ako sa ibang tao."

Formulating theories is like building a house of cards. You stack one card on top of another until it gets higher and taller. Once it's tall enough, I'll pull one card at the bottom. If it stays still, then my theory is strong. If it collapses, then my theory doesn't have a strong foundation.

"Kaya rin Possibility #1 ang tawag ko rito, dahil may iba pang angle na pwede nating i-entertain. Here's Possibility #2: It's actually an accident."

"Explain?"

"Someone accidentally slipped poison in his drink." Kinuha ko ang walang laman niyang cup sa mesa at i-d-in-emonstrate ang susunod kong theory. "Maybe Zafra wanted to put some drugs in his wine. Or someone wanted to put drugs in it. Pwedeng pampatulog o pampawala ng malay. Pero imbes na tamang drug ang mailagay, lason pala ang nakuha."

Kumunot ang noo ni Verity. "Seryoso ka ba? Why would anyone bring potassium cyanide to a despedida party and mistake it for a drug? Doon pa lang, suspicious na kung sinuman ang may dala n'on. The fact that they brought poison means that they had intention to kill someone. That's murder."

"Maybe they're bringing it everywhere they go just in case they feel like killing someone."

Verity shook her head, her hand on her waist. "Gusto mo bang sakyan kita? Fine. What if may naglagay nga ng drugs sa inumin ng biktima, pero hindi alam ng taong 'yon na habang nasa CR siya, may isang nagpalit sa dala niyang drugs at ginawang potassium cyanide. Tell me that is not interesting enough for you."

I clapped my hands once and pointed at my partner. "That requires big brain energy and I like it! Posible nga rin 'yan! We can consider that as Possibility #2.5."

"Seriously? Nakikisakay lang ako sa trip mo."

"Sometimes the answer just pops into our head. Kahit gaano pa ka-wacky 'yan, kung within the realm of possibility, we can entertain it."

"I believe in Occam's razor," Verity said. "The simplest solution is usually the answer. One of the four did it. If not just one, then it's a collaboration. Maybe we should focus our attention on that angle first? Once na na-debunk na natin, doon natin isunod ang mga complex theory mo."

"If that's what my partner want—"

Knock! Knock!

"Come in!" I yelled to whoever's on the other side of the door. The door slid open and an officer in uniform came inside. "Good news or bad news?"

"Good news," the officer said. "S-in-earch namin ang bawat barbituate retailer na nasa city. Ginamit na rin namin ang ating assets para malaman kung saan posibleng binili ang potassium cyanide."

"And?"

Iniabot ng police officer ang isang folder sa akin. Verity leaned closer to me to see what was inside. I opened it and saw a couple of pictures.

"Wala masyadong bumibili ng potassium cyanide," paliwanag niya. "Kaya hindi nahirapan ang mga nakausap namin na ma-identify kung sino-sino ang mga bumili recently."

I took up one of the photos and placed it at eye level. "Paano nakuha ang picture na 'to?"

"May naka-install na hidden camera doon sa store," sagot ng officer. "Inilagay nila riyan just in case may maghabol sa kanila at mangailangan ng ebidensya. Tingnan n'yo ang nakalagay sa jacket ng taong nakunan sa picture."

A person in purple jacket was caught on the front desk of the store. Nakasuot din siya ng purple cap na may logo na familiar sa akin. I couldn't see the face clearly because the cap's bill was covering it.

"A Clark University jacket?" Verity asked, glancing at me.

"Not just a university jacket," I muttered. "That's the jersey jacket of Clark University's varsity team."

-30-

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