MAVIEL

A CASE study. A thesis subject. Was that what I meant to Sigmund? How foolish of me. I should have suspected that something was amiss when he offered me a part-time job at the cafe. The money was good, so I chose to turn a blind eye on any ulterior motive behind the offer.

Ang tanga-tanga ko. Ni hindi ko man napansin. The dots were already there but I failed to make any connection!

"Let me ask you again, Mav." His soothing voice was meant to console me but I knew better. Namumula pa rin ang isang side ng kanyang pisngi sa sobrang lakas ng pagkakasampal ko. "Where did you get a copy of my thesis proposal?"

"Does it matter kung saan galing?" pabalang kong sagot. "Mas mahalaga kung ano ang nakasulat diyan. How dare you trick me, you manipulative bastard! Why didn't you tell me na balak mo akong gawing case study?"

Umurong na yata ang dila niya kaya hindi na siya nakapagsalita. Shame on him!

"If I did, would you agree to be my subject?" malumanay niyang tanong. The usual smile across his lips became fainter as seconds went by. "The answer would be no, I presume. 'Yon ang dahilan kung bakit kinailangan kong gumamit ng gano'ng strategy sa 'yo, Mav."

"So you are admitting that you used me?"

"There's no point in denying it, is there?" He picked up the folder on the floor and showed it to me. "You already have the evidence. I would be a fool if I try to get away with it."

"Kaya mas mataas ang salary ko bilang part-timer sa inyo? 'Yon ba ang bayad mo sa akin para sa pagiging test subject mo?"

He nodded. My left eye twitched.

"Did you honestly think that we can call it quits dahil lang sa pera?" Hindi ko na mapigilang mapalakas ang aking boses. Kumuyom ang mga kamao ko, halos bumaon na ang aking mga kuko sa palad. Even if my right hand was in pain, I would want to slap him again.

Sigmund bowed his head, probably in shame. Dapat na mahiya siya sa ginawa niyang panloloko sa akin. How could he be so outright dishonest to me? Kung hindi siya nabuking, patuloy niya akong lolokohin.

But seconds later, I heard a giggle from him. Then it eventually turned into a maniacal laughter.

"Hi-hi-hi-hi. Ha-ha-ha-ha! HA-HA-HA-HA!"

I bit my lower lip, trying to control myself from punching him in the face. Was he laughing at my own foolishness? How dare him!

He combed his hair with his fingers as he raised his head, looking at me directly in the eye. "Should I be proud that you have figured it out? Or should I be disappointed that it took you days before you learned the truth?"

The innocent Sigmund was replaced by someone twisted. I did not recognize him for a second. Has he gone mad? Was this the real him?

"I tricked you." He tilted his head on the side. "That's what you wanna hear, right? Happy now?"

"Alam din nina Landice at Nikolai ang tungkol sa case study mo, tama?"

"How can you say?"

"Before the wolfsbane case, nadulas si Landice at sinabi niyang hindi raw ako ang thesis subject niya. He knew all along that this detective training was nothing but a front at ang gusto mo lang ay pag-aralan kung may matututunan ako. Nikolai then beamed awkwardly and tried to divert the topic."

Naiinis ako sa sarili. Bakit ba naging bulag ako? Landice remark was already a dead giveaway. If I wasn't dumb enough, I could have sensed the deception.

Sigmund gave a slow clap. Was that supposed to cheer me up? Or was he mocking my gullibility?

"Excellent, Mav. I can say that you have learned your lesson," he said, grinning from ear to ear. "Am I a good teacher?"

"You're a good trickster... and a liar," I replied. "Remember the day we ate at the ice cream parlor? Sinabi mo sa akin na pumalpak ka sa unang kasong hinawakan mo. But that's not true, is it? Nikolai accidentally spilled the beans that you never failed in your detective career, except for that one case where your part-timer disappeared. Tell me, bakit kinailangan mong magsinungaling sa akin?"

"I needed to comfort you," sagot niya. "Landice's harsh words might have affected your decision to continue working at the cafe. Kinailangan kong maging relatable sa 'yo at ipakitang hindi ka nag-iisa sa naranasan mo. It worked, didn't it? Nabago ko ang isipan mo."

"What you said about me having a potential... was that a lie?"

"Oh, that bit? There must be some truth in it. Kung wala, you wouldn't have figured out my scheme."

"The words of endearment that you used, are they also—"

"People are easily attracted to anything sweet, aren't they? Just sugarcoat some words and they fall for them. That's how I built the rapport between you and me."

Damn this psychologist! Damn this manipulator!

"Now that you have solved the mystery, ano nang gagawin mo ngayon?" Sigmund spread his arms as if he was inviting me for a hug. Yeah, gusto ko siyang yakapin nang mahigpit hanggang sa mawalan siya ng hininga. "You wanna slap me in the face again? Strangle me to death? Be my guest."

"I wouldn't waste my energy on you. I'm quitting from this cafe! Good luck to your case study."

Kinuha ko ang aking school uniform sa locker at pumasok sa washroom. Mabilis kong hinubad ang work uniform at iniwan sa sink.

"Hey, Mav! Saan ka pupunta?" tanong ni Nikolai nang magkasalubong kami sa staff room. Tumabi siya sa gilid nang hindi ako huminto sa paglalakad.

"I quit!" Proud kong inanunsyo sa kanya para marinig din ni Landice na nasa counter. "I don't wanna work with people who deceive others for their own benefit."

"Baka naman pwede—"

Diretso akong naglakad hanggang sa marating ang pinto ng cafe. I have made my decision. For the last time, I shot a glance at Landice who did not seem to care about my departure.

"Take care, Mav! See you around the campus!" pahabol na sabi ng manipulative bastard na si Sigmund. Kung pwede lang ipakain ang mga salita, ipapalamon ko sa kanya.

How I wish na hindi na tayo magkikita kailanman.

Dahil maaga pa para umuwi ako sa dorm, tumambay muna ako sa isang carinderia at um-order ng isang bote ng softdrinks. After everything that happened today, kailangan kong magpalamig ng ulo.

Ano nang gagawin ko ngayon? Dahil nag-quit na ako sa Moriartea Cafe, I no longer had any source of income. Pwede bang mag-apply ako rito? Kahit assistant ng chef nila?

Nabaling ang tingin ko sa lalaking tsina-chop-chop ang isang buong manok. He cut the leg part then put it inside a paper box. Dahil sa laki, pilit itong pinagkasya ng lalaki sa loob.

Marunong naman akong humawak ng kutsilyo at mag-chop kaya kung gano'n ang iuutos ng chef, hindi ako mahihirapan. Should I ask them kung pwede akong mag-apply?

Lumapit ako sa lalaki at muli siyang pinanood sa paghiwa sa parte ng manok. He did not have a hard time putting the wing part inside the paper box dahil maliit lang ito.

Maglalakas-loob na sana akong magtanong... nang may biglang sumagi sa isip ko. Nanlaki ang mga mata kong nakatitig sa pinagpira-pirasong manok.

What if the killer used that method?

Kaagad kong tinawagan si Vivien habang fresh pa ang ideya sa akin. Kung tama ang iniisip ko, alam ko na ang trick sa pagkawala ni Aria!

"Yes, Mav? Mabuti't napatawag ka? Is something wrong?"

"Vivi! I think I have figured out how the culprit hid Aria's body! It may sound a bit absurd but maybe it's worth looking at!"

"Ta-Talaga? You have solved the mystery already?"

"Hindi pa ako sigurado," napakagat ako ng labi. "Can you meet me in ten minutes sa greenhouse?"

"Sure, tatakasan ko na lang ang prof ko. But why there?"

"My instinct tells me na that's the perfect hiding spot."

"But you heard what Sir Verde said. Walang nakit—nevermind. Let's confirm your theory as soon as we get there."

Binaba ko na ang tawag at nagmadaling tumakbo patungo sa campus. I could feel the adrenaline rushing through my veins!

I may no longer be part of the Moriartea Cafe but I couldn't resist to uncover the truth about Aria's disappearance. No, I was not solving this case for Sigmund. Wala na akong pakialam sa kanya.

This was going to be my last case as a detective trainee. Pagkatapos nito, babalik na ako sa dati kong tahimik na buhay.

Magtatakip-silim na nang makarating ako sa greenhouse. The lamp posts guided me here. Dahil nasa liblib itong bahagi ng campus, bilang sa daliri ang mga estudyanteng nakasalubong ko.

Nadatnan kong naghihintay sa entrance si Vivien.

"Unfortunately, ni-lock ni Sir Verde ang greenhouse," bati niya sa akin. "But fortunately, we can unlock it ourselves, can't we?"

Thanks to Nikolai's lockpicking course, alam naming buksan ang mga bagay na naka-lock. I haven't perfected the art yet, but it did not matter anymore. Hindi rin naman ako babalik doon.

"Do you want to give it a try?" Vivien asked, offering two paper clips to me.

"Sure." Kinuha ko ang dalawang clip at lumuhod sa tapat ng pintuan. I recalled how Nikolai demonstrated his extraordinary skill to me. Ipinasok ko ang tension wrench sa ibaba ng keyhole, sunod ang lockpick na paulit-ulit kong inilabas-pasok.

"Just a little more."

Beads of sweat began rolling down my cheeks. Heto na naman tayo. Nakakahiya sa senior ko kung hindi ko mabuksan ang ganitong kasimpleng lock.

Click!

Nakahinga ako nang maluwag matapos ko itong bumukas. I may have failed in our exercises but at least, nagtagumpay ako sa totoong challenge.

Ini-lock mula sa loob ni Vivien ang greenhouse bago kami tuluyang pumasok. Wala pa ring nagbabago sa arrangement nito kanina. Nakahilera pa rin sa gilid ang malalaking paso at nakasabit pa rin ang mga ornamental flower.

"Did you tell Sigmund and the others that you have figured it out?" tanong ng kasama ko habang papalapit kami sa plot ng mga wolfsbane.

Umiling ako. "I already quitted as a part-timer. Ayoko na."

"W-What?" Vivien was shocked. Nagtataka siguro siya kung paano nagbago ang ihip ng hangin sa loob lang ng ilang oras. "Bakit naman? I thought everything is sailing smoothly?"

"You were right yesterday," I sighed, looking at her over my shoulder. "I shouldn't have trusted Sigmund too much."

If I only met my senior earlier, baka maaga akong natauhan. Baka nga itinadhanang magkita kaming dalawa kahapon upang magising ako sa kasinungalingan. Her warning came too late.

"Anyway, let's focus on the case at hand," nakapamewang niyang sabi nang huminto kami sa harap ng mga wolfsbane. "You can tell me more about it later. We don't have too much time. Baka pumunta rito si Sir Verde."

"Remember when we went here earlier?" tanong ko. "Sinabi ni Sir Verde na hinukay ng mga pulis ang garden plot sa paghahanap sa katawan ni Aria, tama?"

"Yeah, the police thought that the killer might have buried it here." Vivien's eyes roamed around the greenhouse. It was getting darker outside. "But they found none, right? So why do you think that this is the perfect hiding spot?"

"Naisip ko lang na baka nagkamali ang mga pulis sa lugar na tiningnan nila."

"If not several feet below the ground, where else can you bury an adult human body here?"

"That!" I pointed a finger at Vivien. "That's exactly the flawed reasoning kaya hindi nila nakita ang katawan."

Naningkit ang mga mata ng kasama ko, napakurap pa ng ilang beses. "Sorry but I don't follow."

"The police were looking for the whole body of a college student," I said as I walked toward the big pots on the side. "But what if that body was chopped into pieces?"

Dahan-dahang bumuka ang bibig ni Vivien, tila hindi makapaniwala sa ipinunto ko. "Th-That's brutal!"

"Inasahan na ng killer na maghuhukay ang mga pulis dito. Para hindi nila makita ang pinagpira-pirasong katawan ng biktima, naisip niyang itago ang mga bahagi ng katawan sa lugar na hindi kaagad paghihinalaan."

"The pots..." Vivien muttered as she looked at one of them. "Sa laki ng mga 'yan, magkakasya nga ang isa o dalawang parte ng katawan ng tao."

"Kung iisa-isahin natin ang mga paso, malamang makita natin ang mga buto o kung anong natira sa katawan ni Aria."

It pained me to think that she suffered such brutal fate. Bakit ba kinailangang gawin 'yon sa kanya? The culprit could have just stabbed her and left her for dead.

"Let's say na tama ang theory mo," Vivien said as she crossed her arms. "Who could have committed that brutality to her?"

"Someone who has access to the greenhouse," I answered, glancing at the door. "Someone who has an authority in the university para ipatawag si Aria dito."

I turned to face my companion. She should already have an idea on who I was talking about.

"Sir Verde."

Naglakad-lakad si Vivien sa aking likuran, nakapasok ang mga kamay sa bulsa ng kanyang palda. Maybe she couldn't believe that a nice-looking teacher would be capable of brutally killing someone.

If one would think about it, Sir Verde being the killer could be linked to the challenge sent to our cafe. Pwedeng siya mismo ang bumunot ng wolfsbane dito sa greenhouse. He did not need to pick the lock dahil may susi siya.

But what would be his motive? Why would he kill Aria? Why would he challenge the cafe months after the death of the part-timer? These were only some questions that needed to be answered. Kailangan namin siyang komprontahin kapag meron na kaming ebidensya.

"You are wrong, Mav."

"Huh?" Lumingon ako kay Vivien na tumigil na sa paglalakad. "Saan ako nagkamali?"

"It wasn't Sir Verde. It was me."

"Wh—"

BZZZ!

Bumagsak ang katawan ko sa lupa matapos makaramdam ng biglaang daloy ng kuryente sa aking tagiliran. The last thing that my eyes captured was Vivien's malignant grin.

~VV~

A/N: Who is the "deceptive detective" now?