TONY

PEOPLE LOVE intrigues. That's what I kinda remembered the next day. Kataka-taka pa ba? Mahilig sa tsismis ang mga tao. Mahilig sa mga kontrobersiya.

And I became unwittingly part of these intrigues that spread like wildfire in the campus.

Two days after the tragedy in the University Night, Damon's death was still the hottest topic. Kumbaga sa Twitter, trending pa rin ito hanggang ngayon. May mga bulungan sa hallway. May mga tsismisan sa cafeteria. May mga chika-han sa daan patungo sa school building.

So what happened? Octavio, also known as God's gift to campus journalism, posted a follow-up article on the Damon incident, revealing the shocking cause of death. I wasn't that shocked since I already saw and read the autopsy report.

Kumuha ako ng copy ng Clarion mula sa circulations station sa entrance hall. Dati nilalangaw 'to, ah? Mas marami na ngayon ang nakapila at humihingi ng kopya. Well, everyone wanted to be in. Everyone wanted to be updated on the latest happenings.

Inilahad ko ang diyaryo sa aking harapan. Students around me also did the same. For the second time, Octavio's news article was the banner story on the front page.

PolSci student did not die from allergic reaction —autopsy
by Octavio Agustin

The cause of death of the senior Political Science student who died during the University Night has been revealed.

It has been suspected by witnesses and first responders that Damon Dominic died because of his allergic reaction to peanuts, though it's still unclear how it got triggered.

However, the autopsy report obtained by the Clarion revealed that Dominic's death was due to hyperkalemia, or higher than normal potassium level in the blood, which led to cardiac arrest.

The medical examiner suspected that the content of the auto-injector used on Dominic was a lethal dose of potassium, not epinephrine.

"Upon analysis of the liquid residue in the injector, we found traces of potassium," the medical examiner said. "Kung talagang epinephrine ang laman no'n, dapat nakontra na nito ang allergic reaction ng estudyante. But no, we didn't find any trace. Potassium lang talaga. Para siyang na-lethal injection."

The police would look into how the contents of the epinephrine auto-injector got replaced with potassium and if there's any foul play involved here.

"Ayaw muna naming mag-speculate," Inspector Morgan Morales, chief of the university police, said. "Titingnan namin ang lahat ng anggulo—kung aksidente, kung murder o kung manslaughter ba ito."

And that's the signal. Dahil sa kanyang article, naglipana na ang mga feeling detective. Humayo at nagpakarami na ang mga self-proclaimed theorist sa campus. They posted their theories, from stupid to wacky, on social media. They shared them during cafeteria talks.

And their common angle? Damon was murdered.

Aaminin ko, in-entertain ko rin ang posibilidad na pinatay siya dahil sa dalawang anggulo: Una, sinadyang i-trigger ang kanyang allergies para maudyukan kaming kunin ang epinephrine auto-injector sa clinic. Pangalawa, sinadyang pinalitan ang laman ng injector ng potassium para masigurong mamamatay siya kapag naturukan na.

As my editor Olivia kindly reminded me, we as campus journalists must only present facts, not conspiracy theories. Kaya nga ni-reject niya ang second article ko kasi puro kuro-kuro, walang verified na impormasyon. She and I chose the third one where I presented another side of the story: Cleo tried to do everything to save her boyfriend.

Looking back now, that might have been a mistake. I didn't see how my own words could be used against someone like her.

"Maybe it's Cleo."

Kakapasok ko pa lang sa classroom, hawak-hawak ang nakarolyong diyaryo sa kamay ko, nang marinig kong sabihin 'yon ng isa sa mga classmate ko. Her name's Esmeralda Esguerra, the stereotypical spoiled rich kid in the class. Her hair curls looked like snakes twisting in pain. She's staring at her reflection in a compact mirror while putting on an eyeliner. Three female students sat close to her.

Sandali akong napahinto. Ni-replay ko muna sa isip ko kung tama ba ang aking narinig. Maybe I misheard it? Nevermind. Nagpatuloy ako sa paglalakad sa aking upuan sa likuran. Malakas siguro ang pandinig ko kapag nababanggit ang pangalan ni Cleo.

Speaking of Cleo, her seat was still vacant. It's almost time for our morning period, but she's not around yet. Just like yesterday. She must be taking Damon's death so seriously, especially now that we got to know more about it. Kung sinisisi niya ang kanyang sarili sa nangyari, mas sisisihin niya ang kanyang sarili ngayon. She unknowingly injected too much potassium into Damon's body which caused his death.

"You read the CAScade article, right?" Esmeralda asked her seatmates. Kahit ilang row ang layo ko sa kanila, dinig na dinig ko ang kanilang usapan. Did they forget that they could whisper when saying something so bold yet controversial? "Cleo's the one who got the auto-injector from the clinic. Baka pinalitan niya ang laman nito o sinwitch niya sa injector na may lamang potassium."

"Oo nga, 'no? Nakasulat sa article na siya mismo ang may hawak ng injector at siya rin ang nag-inject kay Damon. Hindi ko naisip 'yon, ah!"

"Kung sinadyang patayin si Damon sa pag-inject ng potassium, she's the only one who could have done it. Or, at least, siya ang primary suspect."

"Maraming witness doon at wala silang napansin na kahit sinong lumapit sa katawan ni Damon at tinurukan siya. Isa lang ang taong nasa tabi niya at nag-inject sa kanya!"

"Ang akala ko pa naman, ginawa niya 'yon dahil love na love niya si Damon. Meron pala siyang ibang motibo!"

What? Halos mag-init ang aking mga tenga. Why were they listening and taking that absurd theory as if it's true? How dare they accuse Cleo of such horrible act! Ang mas nakasasama ng loob, ginamit pa nila ang article na isinulat ko para suportahan ang kanilang haka-haka.

I couldn't let this slide. Hindi ko hahayaang sirain nila ang reputasyon ni Cleo at i-twist ang article ko para sa kanilang narrative. She's not here to defend herself anyway. Someone had to do it for her.

And someone did. Not me. Katatayo ko pa lang para puntahan si Esmeralda, pero may nauna nang tumindig upang kausapin ang mga nagtsitsismisan naming classmates.

"Can you please stop that nonsense!" My female classmate in ponytails stood. She couldn't take it anymore too, I guess? Pagkatayo niya at pagkaharap kay Esmeralda, lumikha ng kaluskos ang kanyang upuan. Napalingon kaming lahat sa kanya. She was seated next to Cleo's vacant chair.

"Nonsense?" Ibinaba ni Esmeralda ang compact mirror at tumitig sa babaeng nagsuway sa kanya. The tension was rising in our classroom. May ilang mas naging interesado at balak pa yatang um-order ng popcorn habang inaabangan ang susunod na eksena.

"It makes a lot of sense, doesn't it? Look, dalawang araw nang absent si Cleo. Baka sa sobrang guilty niya, hindi na niya nakayanang mag-attend ng classes natin."

"She's still grieving, you airhead! Kung ikaw kaya ang mamatayan ng mahal sa buhay, hindi ka rin ba magluluksa? Hindi ka ba mawawalan ng ganang pumasok nang ilang araw?"

"Or she might have escaped already. Alam niyang ilang days after ng pagkamatay ni Damon, paghihinalaan na siya ng mga pulis kaya tumakas na agad siya. That makes sense too, right? Tell us, Hadriana, when was the last time you saw her in person?"

While it's not that surprising to see two female college students bickering with each other in a classroom, it's not normal to watch Esmeralda and Hadriana exchange fiery words. They never had any history of disagreement. Kaya laking gulat ng mga classmate ko na marinig silang magkasagutan.

Hadriana Hermosa is Cleo's best friend and her fiercest defender at this very moment. Not once did she flinch at the accusations. She stood her ground firmly. I've witnessed the friendship of the two, and I could confidently say that anyone's lucky to have Hadriana on their side.

"Teka, dormmates kayo, 'di ba?" tanong ni Esmeralda, naningkit ang mga mata. Halata sa tono niya na pang-iintriga lang ang kanyang dala. "Baka pwede mo kaming pakitaan ng proof na talagang nandyan pa si Cleo at hindi pa niya tayo tinakasan?"

"Cleo's taking a rest in our dorm," Hadriana answered, trying to remain calm. I admire her restraint. Kung ibang best friend lang 'yan, baka sinugod na at sinabunutan ang kausap niya. "She's mentally, emotionally and psychologically devastated by what happened. Tapos kayo, pagsususpetyahan n'yo siyang pumatay kay Damon? Ni hindi pa nga natin alam kung murder ba ang nangyari sa kanya!"

"Kung talagang depressed si Cleo sa nangyari, pwede naman siyang magpa-schedule ng counseling session kay Dr. Estrella," tugon ni Esmeralda. "Sinabihan na tayo ng prof natin na open ang guidance and counseling center para sa mga affected sa nangyari kay Damon. She can go there if she wants. O baka hindi niya magawang mag-consult kasi tumakas na siya?"

"Proof ba talaga ang gusto mo?" may paghahamong tanong ni Hadriana. "Sige! Mamayang lunch time, samahan mo ako sa dorm namin. Kapag nakita mo roon si Cleo, gusto kong mag-public apology ka, ha? Ang lakas ng loob mong siraan siya."

"Masyado akong busy para sa mga ganyan," sagot ni Esmeralda sabay hawi ng kanyang buhok. "Ang mabuti pa, i-video call mo siya ngayon para malaman namin kung nandyan pa talaga siya. We have the right to know, don't we? Karapatan naming malaman kung potential murderer ba ang isa sa atin."

Halos magdikit na ang mga kilay ko. This was already getting ridiculous. Tuluyan na akong tumayo sa pagitan nina Hadriana at Esmeralda. I wasn't the best person to mediate between the two, but I wanted to stop this nonsense before it could get worse.

The truth is, I could totally ignore Esmeralda's comments about Cleo and not bother myself with whatever nonsense she's spouting. Una sa lahat, hindi kami magkaano-ano ni Cleo at hindi directly na idinadawit ang pangalan ko sa isyu. But as a campus journalist who adheres to facts and the truth, I couldn't let someone like her spread that poison among the minds of other students.

Ang nakakatakot kasi kay Esmeralda, meron siyang following sa campus. She's a self-proclamed vlogger. She's kinda famous in the university. So if she posts a ridiculous theory online, her followers would easily believe it. Fall for it. Why? Because it came from her. Ang mindset kasi ng ilan, kapag mas sikat at mas maraming followers ang isang tao, mas kapani-paniwala siya.

If her words are poison, the truth is the antidote. Kailangan ko siyang i-correct bago pa mapunta sa kung saan ang discussion.

"Can we please refrain from speculating?" Sa akin na natuon ang atensyon ng mga classmate ko. "Everyone is presumed innocent until proven otherwise. Huwag sana tayong magpakalat ng conspiracy theories na makasisira sa reputasyon ng iba. You can be charged with slander for what you're saying."

I tried my best not to make any harsh remarks toward Esmeralda and her friends. Fighting fire with fire was a terrible idea, so I chose to pour water to cool them down.

"Mukhang may back-up na defender si Cleo, ah?" natatawang sabi niya. I knew she wouldn't easily back down. "Tony, I didn't randomly come up with the theory that Cleo's the one behind Damon's death. Binasa ko ang article mo sa CAScade tapos may mga disturbing idea na sumagi sa isip ko."

"Nowhere in the article did I write that Cleo switched the epinephrine auto-injector with one containing potassium. Ikaw lang ang nag-isip na ginawa niya 'yon. And that's kinda reaching already."

"Reaching? I just filled in the gaps. Tell me, Tony, can you confidently tell us na hindi nagkaroon ng chance si Cleo na palitan ang injector? You were with her, right? Nakasunod ka sa kanya. O baka sinadya niyang pasunurin ka para may witness kuno siya?"

"I voluntarily followed her kasi wala ni isa sa mga taong nakapaligid sa amin ang gustong kumilos. They were too shocked about what happened."

"Yeah, but you haven't answered my first question. Hindi ba siya nagkaroon ng pagkakataon na i-switch ang injector?"

Napakurap ako nang mapaisip sa tanong niya. I was with Cleo that night. From the moment we left the grand hall and reached the clinic, until we returned to the venue. Siya ang kumuha at humawak ng injector. Siya rin ang nasa unahan sa paglakad o pagtakbo namin.

So was there a chance that she switched the injector or its contents? Without any bias, yes. There was. If she's crafty, she could have done it with a sleight of hand. I didn't keep a close eye on her. My mind's also all over the place because of the incident.

But I didn't want to give Esmeralda the satisfaction. Kapag sinagot ko na oo, lalong lalakas ang hinala niya at ipangangalandakan niya na posibleng si Cleo ang pumatay kay Damon.

"Do you think I wouldn't have noticed if she did something strange?" Answering a question with another question was the best strategy for now. "My eyes were on her dahil worried ako na baka mabitawan niya ang hawak na injector. That's the only one left in the clinic."

Naningkit ang mga mata ni Esmeralda. "Maybe she managed to make the—"

"You know what? Since you love making speculations, why don't you tell us her possible motive?" I asked. "Hindi siya gagawa ng krimen—allegedly—kung wala siyang motibo, 'di ba?"

My question hit the bullseye, I guess? Natahimik nang ilang segundo si Esmeralda habang pakurap-kurap ang mga mata niya. Hinihintay ng iba naming classmates ang kanyang sagot.

"See?" I replied when she did not. "That's why your theory is not making any sense at all. Kung tama ang hinala mo, Cleo must have had a reason for wanting to kill her boyfriend. But you can't think of any motive."

"Baka may third party na involved," may pagkibit-balikat na sagot niya. "Baka may pinagseselosan si Cleo kaya naisipan niyang patayin si Damon. People do stupid things because of love."

"And people say stupid things when they run out of logic," Hadriana retorted. "Cleo and Damon were madly in love with each other. Hindi ba obvious sa kanilang kiss noong koronahan sila bilang faces of the night? Kaya kung ako sa 'yo, ititigil ko na ang pagkakalat ng theory mo. Hindi 'yan makabubuti para kay Cleo na nagluluksa ngayon, at para sa 'yo."

"We'll see about that—"

All heads turned to the door as we heard three knocks. Dahan-dahang bumukas ang pinto at sumilip ang isang lalaking nakasuot ng light-blue uniform. Crew cut ang kanyang hairstyle at mukhang matapang ang itsura, parang aso na ready mangagat any time.

Naningkit ang mga mata ko sa kanya. A university police officer, huh? Why was he here?

"Excuse me?" tanong niya bago tuluyang pumasok sa classroom namin. "Heto ba ang class ng third year Communication Arts?"

"Yes, sir." Lumapit si Hadriana sa kanya. Aside from being Cleo's best friend, she's also the class president. Maging siya'y confused kung bakit kinatok kami ng pulis. "Ano pong kailangan n'yo?"

Inilabas ng police officer ang kanyang maliit na notebook at inilipat ito nang ilang page. Everyone held their breaths as we waited for him to say something. Well, maybe not everyone. It doesn't happen very often that a university police officer would drop by in our class.

While looking at him, I felt something strange. Something worrisome. Parang nandito siya upang imbitahan ako sa presinto o hulihin dahil sa isang krimen. Napa-paranoid lang siguro ako? Maybe it's his mere presence that made me feel this way. Kapag kasi may kaharap akong pulis, iniisip ko minsan na may nagawa akong masama.

"Nandito ba si Cleo... Petrarch?" tanong niya sabay angat ng tingin.

"Absent po siya ngayon," sagot ni Hadriana sabay lingon sa bakanteng upuan sa tabi ng kanya. "May kailangan po ba kayo sa kanya?"

"Gusto sana namin siyang imbitahan sa university police station para interview-in tungkol sa pagkamatay ni Damon Dominic."

Bumilis ang tibok ng puso ko. I would somehow understand if our college dean or guidance counselor invites Cleo for a talk. But the university police? Why them? Why were they interested in her? Were they also pursuing the theory that Esmeralda believed in?

"Alam n'yo ba kung saan namin siya pwedeng bisitahin? Kailangan talaga namin siyang makunan ng statement tungkol sa kaso."

"Kaso?" pag-uulit ko.

"As of this morning, we're treating this as a homicide case," the police officer said. Almost everyone in the classroom gasped. One of them was certainly not Esmeralda who was smirking in her seat.

"D-Dormmates kami sa university hostel," may pag-aalangang sagot ni Hadriana matapos bumalik ang kamalayan niya. "Kung gusto n'yo po, pwede ko kayong samahan doon para makausap n'yo siya."

"Okay lang ba sa 'yo? May klase pa kayo ngayong umaga?"

"Ipagpapaalam ko po sa prof namin," sagot ni Hadriana sabay lingon sa isa naming classmate. She mouthed, "Ikaw na ang bahala," before turning to the officer again. "Tara na po?"

Unang lumabas ang police officer habang sumunod naman si Hadriana. I can't help but become curious on what the university police had to tell her. Babalik na sana ako sa aking upuan, pero tumalikod ako't tumakbo palabas ng classroom.

"Hadriana!" I called. Lumingon siya sa akin, maging ang pulis. "Do you mind if I tag along?"

Tumaas ang kaliwang kilay niya. "Hindi mo na kailangang sumama. Mas mabuti pang bumalik ka na sa classroom. Baka dumating na si ma'am."

She needed some convincing, huh? Luckily I had something with me that could give me free pass anywhere. Almost.

I showed them my CAScade media ID. Kapag may college o university event tapos ayaw akong papasukin, ipapakita ko 'to at magbibigay-daan sila sa akin. That's the power of this rectangular thing. I sometimes used this to excuse myself from boring mandatory college gatherings. Just show them the ID and they'd let you pass without any questions.

"Ako kasi ang in-assign ng editor namin para i-cover ang nangyari kay Damon. I need more details to write for my article. And this is the perfect opportunity to get some info."

Hadriana looked away as she gave it a thought. "Fine. You may come with us."

Bumaba na kami sa second floor at nilakad ang kahabaan ng hallway sa ground floor. I tried to ask the police officer about any developments on the case, but he said he couldn't disclose anything that's still under investigation. Nadulas nga raw siya kanina nang sabihin niyang homicide case na 'to. Tahimik kaming naglakad hanggang sa marating namin ang entrance hall.

"Thank you, by the way," Hadriana said, her slims fingers flying over her phone. "For standing up to Esmeralda and for defending Cleo earlier. I'm sure she'd appreciate what you did."

"Wala 'yon," nakangisi kong sagot. "I'm a campus journalist and I have a particular disdain for people who spread mis- and disinformation. Tama lang na may sumupalpal kay Esmeralda para sa conspiracy theory niya. Mahirap na kapag ipinakalat niya 'yon sa followers niya."

"Not sure if you've noticed, but Esme does not like Cleo." She slid her phone back into her pocket. Pasulyap-sulyap siya sa akin. "She hates my friend for winning Damon's heart. Malakas ang loob niyang magsalita kanina kasi wala si Cleo. Kung nandyan lang ang friend ko, hindi niya magagawang magsalita ng gano'n."

"Dinamay pa nga niya ang article ko para sa theory niya," pailing-iling kong sabi. "Ayaw kong maging instrumento sa paninira niya. Kaya 'di ko rin napigilan ang sarili ko kanina."

"Mabuti nga't kasama ka ni Cleo that night. Meron siyang reliable na witness."

I couldn't say if my presence back there was a blessing for Cleo or not. Because I was there, I could tell people that she did nothing suspicious. If I wasn't there, no one could vouch for her. Speculations would grow, and she'd be the primary suspect.

"How is she?" Kahapon ko pa talaga gustong itanong 'yon. I've been wanting to know how she's doing these past few days. As her dormmate, Hadriana must have the answer.

She let out an exasperated sigh. "Wala pa siya sa mood na pumasok. Wala rin siyang ganang kumain. Pero pinipilit ko siyang kumain nang kahit kaunti lang. Kapag kasi nagpatuloy ang pagmumukmok niya nang walang kinakain, paniguradong magkakasakit siya. She looks terrible. She feels terrible."

"She must be taking it too harshly, huh?"

"She loves Damon so much," Hadriana answered. "Nakita mo naman ang epekto sa kanya. Ilang araw na siyang hindi pumapasok sa mga klase natin. Ilang araw na siyang hindi nakakapag-attend ng volleyball practice. Damon was her sun—her source of energy. Now that he's gone, she feels weak. She doesn't know what to do."

"Nabasa na ba niya ang latest article ng Clarion?" may pag-aalangan kong tanong. "Tungkol sa cause of death?"

Tumango si Hadriana. "Lalong lumala ang pakiramdam niya. Todo iyak siya kagabi. She can't help but blame herself. Dahil siya ang nag-inject, parang siya na raw ang pumatay mismo kay Damon. Poor Cleo. She didn't deserve any of this."

If Damon was truly murdered, someone out there might have planned it. Cleo was just an unwitting pawn. She might get dragged into a mess she didn't want to be part of.

Our not-so-long walk to the university hostel took about ten minutes. Only the rich students could afford the accommodation here. Kung may kakilala akong pwedeng ka-share sa rent ng room, I might have chosen to stay here instead of in the Henson's apartment.

Pagpasok namin, binati agad kami ng babae sa reception desk. Hadriana talked to her for a minute before motioning to the elevator. Pagbukas ng sliding door, hinintay naming lumabas ang mga sakay nitong estudyante. May naka-school uniform, may naka-PE uniform, may naka-hoodie rin.

Hadriana clicked the number five button as soon as we got inside. Umakyat ang elevator sa fifth floor. Pagkatunog ng "ding!", lumabas na kami at nilakad ang corridor hanggang sa marating ang Room 505.

"Cleo? Cleo?"

Ilang beses kumatok si Hadriana, pero wala siyang natanggap na response mula sa loob.

"Baka tulog pa siya?" Inilabas niya ang kanyang card key at isinwipe ito sa sensor. Na-unlock ang pinto at marahan niya itong itinulak. We felt a cold breeze as we stepped inside, but the air conditioner was not turned on.

For a costly rent in this hostel, the room was just small. I couldn't tell if the money's worth it. Para sa mga estudyanteng malalayo ang bahay, hindi na kailangang mag-commute kaya sulit na siguro. The space was enough for two tenants to stretch their arms and legs. Halos kasing-laki ito ng kuwarto ko sa apartment.

To our surprise, there's no one in the bed. I opened the door to the balcony and stepped outside. Sumalubong sa akin ang malakas na bugso ng hangin. Baka kasi nagpapahangin si Cleo rito. But she's not there. Chineck din ni Hadriana ang comfort room, pero walang tao roon.

What caught my attention was the bed and the cabinet. May ilang damit na nakakalat sa kama at nahulog sa sahig. Parang may pumasok na magnanakaw at hinalughog ang mga gamit doon.

As my eyes surveyed the room, a thought flashed on my mind: Cleo hurriedly took some clothes with her and fled the room. That would explain why the aircon was turned off roughly a few minutes ago.

Hadriana paced back and forth. She bit her nails, pulling out her phone and placing it near her ear.

"Nasaan ka na ba, Cleo? Please answer the call."

"The number you have dialled is unattended or out of coverage area..."

Nakailang beses siyang tumawag, pero parehong message ang na-receive niya. I was also hoping that her friend would answer para mawala ang nabubuong hinala sa isip ko. She turned to the police officer and slowly shook her head.

"She's gone."

AND THAT'S where everything became more chaotic. I don't know how some students found out, but they knew two things: the police were looking for Cleo and she's not in her dorm when we visited her. Dumami ang mga Esmeralda sa campus at lumakas ang ingay ng mga conspiracy theory.

"Bakit siya hinahanap ng mga pulis?"

"Bakit wala siya sa dorm nang puntahan siya roon?"

"Bakit hindi niya sinasagot ang tawag ng best friend niya?"

Those were the questions being asked by almost everyone interested in the Damon case. Kaliwa't kanan na ang mga theory. Habang hindi nagpapakita o walang sinasabi si Cleo, lalong lumalakas ang mga hinala laban sa kanya.

In a matter of hours, the campus treated Cleo Petrarch as the primary suspect in the killing of her own boyfriend, Damon Dominic.

How about me? Well, I wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt. I'd like to believe there's a reason why she fled her dorm in a hurry. They say that flight is a sign of guilt. But I don't wanna think that way. There must be a compelling reason why she did what she had to do. At 'yon ang pinanghahawakan ko.

Later that evening, I was staring at the blank Word document on my laptop. Hindi ko alam kung ano ang isusulat ko. Any article that I write about Cleo and the Damon case would only support the silly theories out there. Ayaw ko nang gatungan pa ang apoy na makapapaso kay Cleo.

"Your muse is on the run."

Lumingon ako sa kanan kung saan inilapag ni Emilio ang bowl ng mainit-init na adobong manok. Thank God for him and his cooking skills! Dahil sa kanya, hindi kami masyadong napapagastos sa dinner namin. Mas mahal kasi kapag nagte-take out kami sa mga fast food resto. Well, we sometimes order meals for delivery, but only when Emilio's not in the mood to cook or when we want to taste something different.

"Isa ka rin ba sa mga naniniwalang may kinalaman si Cleo sa pagkamatay ni Damon?" tanong ko. "You also fell for those conspiracy theories out there?"

"I honestly don't think Cleo could have done it. I told you that she's really, really nice." Emilio answered as he put a platter of rice on the table. Nahiya tuloy ako sa kanya dahil sakop ng aking laptop ang mesa. "Pero hindi ko maiwasang mapaisip kung bakit siya biglang nawala sa dorm niya. People want answers. You can't blame us for asking questions."

I shrugged. "Baka may emergency siyang kailangang puntahan."

Tinapik ako sa likod ni Emilio matapos niyang ilagay sa mesa ang tatlong plato. "Ikaw talaga, Tony! Malakas na siguro ang tama mo sa kanya, 'no? Hahanapan mo talaga ng rason para makalusot siya. Baka naman in-inform mo siya na papunta na ang university police sa dorm niya kaya nagawa niyang makatakas?"

"Ako? Ite-text siya?" natawa kong sabi sabay iling ng ulo. "Ni hindi ko nga siya magawang kumustahin—"

My eyes widened as my mouth froze. I remembered something. When we were on our way to the university hostel, Hadriana was typing a message on her phone. Hindi ko nabasa kung para kanino, pero kung tama ang hinala ko, posibleng sinend niya 'yon kay Cleo. She could have informed her friend that a university police officer was coming to talk to her.

"What is it?" Emlio nudged me with his elbow. "Parang may naalala ka? Sinabihan mo talaga siya?"

Pilit akong ngumiti sabay iling. "Wala! Basta wala akong sinabi, wala akong ginawa. Sumama ako sa dormmate niya at sa pulis para sa article na isusulat ko. At saka, hello? Presumption of innocence! Kung tumakas man siya o nataong hindi namin siya nadatnan sa dorm, she's still innocent until proven otherwise."

"She's gonna be officially considered a person of interest tomorrow."

Sabay kaming lumingon ni Emilio sa kasama naming nakaupo sa couch at busy sa kanyang tablet. Mabibilis ang bawat pag-tap ng mga daliri niya sa screen nito. His horn-rimmed spectacles reflected a white rectangle that looked like a Word document file. He's probably writing an article.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

Octavio took a pause from typing as he darted us with a sharp-eyed look. "The police ran the epinephrine auto-injector for fingerprint analysis. They only found one set of fingerprints on it. They looked for a match in the biometric data we have in our university database. Guess who owns them? Cleo Petrarch."

My eyes slowly squinted. Was that supposed to be surprising? Because I wasn't. "Ano ngayon kung nandoon ang fingerprints ni Cleo? Siya ang humawak at nag-inject no'n kay Damon. Malamang mapupunta roon ang fingerprints niya. Ang mas kataka-taka ay kung wala 'yon."

Octavio sighed. "My source in the university police said they interviewed Dr. Fabrizia, the school physician, earlier today. She told them that she checked the epinephrine auto-injector a few hours before the program proper of the University Night. She touched it with her bare hands, therefore her fingerprints should have been on it."

"But they weren't," Emilio muttered, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Which means..."

"Cleo could have switched the injector with the one containing potassium," Octavio finished. "Since the university police highly suspects that this might be a homicide case, that's one of the angles they're looking at."

My eyes blinked for a few seconds, still processing the information he volunteered. Nang bumalik na ang consciousness ko, hindi ko napigilang matawa na parang late kong na-gets ang kanyang joke.

"That's ridiculous! Porke't fingerprints niya lang ang nandoon, siya na agad ang suspect?"

"Person of interest, not suspect," Octavio corrected me, but I did not care. Same difference. "She had the chance this morning to clarify any questions or suspicions, but she chose to flee. If the university police finds her suspicious, it's entirely her fault."

"We still don't know why she fled, okay?" I argued. I may sound biased right now, but I was holding on the presumption of innocence principle. Or maybe I was just biased toward Cleo. "Hindi tayo pwedeng mag-conclude na porke't hindi namin siya nadatnan sa dorm—"

"—hindi nadatnan? You mean, tumakas?" Octavio cut in. "The officer who came with you mentioned in his report that there were obvious signs Cleo hurriedly left the room. The clothes. The aircon."

"Hindi ibig sabihin no'n na may kinalaman siya." Tumataas na yata ang tono ng boses ko. "Let's wait for the facts before making any judgment."

"But that's the fact. She fled. She's nowhere to be found. She cut off communications with everyone."

"Whoa!" Namagitan sa amin si Emilio, nakataas pareho ang mga kamay. "Chill lang kayong dalawa, okay? Alam n'yo, gutom lang 'yan! Ang mabuti pa, tikman n'yo ang iniluto kong adobo. Siguradong mawawala ang init ng ulo n'yo."

Pero ayaw naming magpaawat.

"I hope she'd make an appearance soon so she can clear her name," Octavio said, putting his tablet aside. "The longer she hides, the more suspicious she becomes."

"I know she will! Right now, she's innocent until proven —"

Our doorbell rang, and I halted in my defense of Cleo. Sinensyasan ko si Octavio na buksan ang pinto. Akala ko'y bubuksan niya ang pinto dahil tumayo na siya. Pero pupunta lang pala siya sa mesa at hinila ang upuan sa tabi ko.

I sighed as I made a beeline for the door, unbolted the locks and swang it inward. Who would be knocking at seven in the evening? Wala namang nagpa-deliver sa amin ng pagkain, ah? Hindi rin nagde-deliver ng ganitong oras ang mga courier.

"Yes?"

My eyes went wide as a hooded figure stood before me. The outfit looked familiar! Teka, hindi ba 'to ang suot ng isa sa mga nakita kong lumabas ng elevator sa hostel? Mas maliit siya sa akin dahil kinailangan ko pang ibaba ang tingin ko sa kanya. That person was also holding a gym bag.

Tinanggal niya ang kanyang hoodie at na-reveal ang mahaba niyang buhok.

"Good evening, Tony," she greeted.

"C-Cleo?!"

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