MAVIEL

KUNG HAHAYAAN kong mabagabag ang aking sarili dahil sa pagbisita ni Mama sa cafe, hindi ko na magagawa ang mga dapat kong gawin. I might give our customers an incorrect change or I might serve them wrong drinks. Isa pa, meron din akong iniimbestigahang case. Hindi pwedeng distracted ako habang inaalam namin kung nasaan ang anak ng client.

By lunchtime, umalis na naman kami ni Sigmund ng cafe. Dahil sa trauma ko kaninang umaga, tumanggi na akong sumakay sa motor nang siya ang nagda-drive.

"Promise, I'll be much gentler this time!" He even raised his right hand to make that pledge.

"No thanks." My head shook. Hindi baleng ma-stress ako sa pag-commute, huwag ko lamang ma-experience ulit ang na-experience ko kanina.

"Don't you trust your mentor?"

"I can trust you in anything except motorcycle riding."

He still insisted, but I repeatedly declined. Ayaw ko nang malaglag ang puso ko sa sobrang kaba. Instead of riding Nikolai's motorcycle, sumakay kami ng taxi papuntang mall. Gusto kong mag-commute sakay ng jeep, but Sigmund told me na pwede naming ipa-reimburse ang pasahe.

Pasado ala-una na nang nakarating kami sa mall. Heto ang lugar kung saan pumunta at huling nakita si Charlize bago siya nawala. Some of our questions could be answered here. If we're lucky enough, we might find some clues to her whereabouts. Dumeretso kami sa security office kung saan kami binati ng kanilang chief of security. He was a man with dark skin and large build.

"Gusto po sana naming ma-view ang security footage last weekend," pakiusap ko sa kanya. "Meron kasing nawawalang babae na huling nakita rito."

"Are you with the police?" the chief asked as he crossed his arms. Nababagot ang tono niya na parang wala siya sa mood na makipag-usap sa amin. "Do you have a warrant?"

"We're not with the police, but we're private detectives . . . sort of," my voice trailed off. "H-in-ire kami ng mommy ng nabanggit kong babae para hanapin siya."

Tinitigan ako nang ilang segundo ng chief bago siya tuluyang natawa. "Ikaw? Kayo? Private detectives? E mukha pa kayong mga estudyante, eh. Why are you two playing detectives? You better focus on your studies instead of acting a role."

This was not the first time na may nang-insulto sa amin. Akala ng iba'y mga wannabe detective kami na hanggang roleplaying lamang ang alam. We might not look the part, but the results could speak for us.

"Pero hindi po kami naglalaro o nagpapanggap bilang detectives," paliwanag ko. "We really are investigating a missing person case. Makatutulong sa imbestigasyon namin kung bibigyan n'yo kami ng access sa security footage n'yo."

"Sorry, but I can't grant some wannabe detectives access to our footages," he replied. I had already suspected na gagamitin niya ang term na 'yon. "If I let you inside that room to watch the footage, I will definitely get fired."

"Let me take it from here," Sigmund whispered in my ear before taking a step forward. Inilabas niya ang kanyang phone ay may s-in-earch sa web browser. My charms did not work. I hoped his would. "Sir, I see that you're worried about your job. Ayaw mong pagbigyan ang request namin dahil natatakot kang baka masisante ka kapag hinayaan mo kami."

"I'm only doing my job, boy. I've worked so hard for this position. I won't throw it away just for two wannabe detectives." At talagang inulit niya ang insulto sa amin.

"If you don't help us in our investigation, you will surely lose your job," Sigmund said with a threatening smile. Oras na para sa kanyang trick. "Lahat ng pinaghirapan n'yo para maabot kung nasaan man kayo ngayon, mawawala nang parang bula. So I suggest that you help us, and we will help you keep your job."

Kumunot ang noo ng chief. "Are you two threatening me? Bakit? Anak ka ba ng may-ari ng mall na 'to para pagbantaan ako?"

Uh-oh. Kapag hindi ito na-handle nang maayos ni Sigmund, malamang ay ma-kick out kami. Baka nga ipa-blacklist pa kami ng security. I was confident that he got some tricks up his sleeves, but I hoped that they would work on this guy whose nostrils were flaring up.

"Do you know Charlize Hizon, a popular young actress who has starred in rom-com movies?" Sigmund asked. "What will happen to this mall if the media finds out that she went missing here just a week ago? That will spark a scandal. Magagalit ang fans niya sa inyo kasi pumalpak kayo sa inyong trabaho. You failed to keep her safe and secure. Ngayon, sino ang sisisihin ng boss mo? Walang iba kundi ang head of security. Ikaw."

Napalunok ng laway ang chief, dahan-dahan ding nanlaki ang mga mata. Mukhang alam din niya ang nangyaring pagkawala ni Charlize. Mrs. Hizon must have asked him to keep his mouth shut about it.

"K-Kung gano'n, ang hinahanap n'yo ay si—"

"If we find her, you will have nothing to worry about!" Sigmund assured him. "Everything will go back to normal as if nothing happened. You will keep your job, we will make our client satisfied. It's a win-win situation."

"Our client is Charlize's mom," dagdag ko. "You must have met her no'ng may mall tour ang anak niya rito."

"Dapat sinabi n'yo agad, eh!" sabi ng chief sabay bukas ng pinto para sa amin. "E 'di sana hindi ko na kayo pinagdudahan pa? Come in. Feel free to check every footage on the day of the mall tour."

Kinausap niya ang isang lalaking nakaupo sa harap ng maraming monitor, may feed na nakabantay sa bawat sulok ng mall. Tumayo ito at iniwang bakante ang upuan. Pinaupo ako ni Sigmund habang siya nama'y nanatiling nakatayo. The chief opened a video file and searched for the time stamp kung kailan patapos na ang mall tour. Ibinigay niya sa akin ang mouse nang nahanap na niya at w-in-ish kami ng good luck.

Inalala ko ang kuwento sa amin ni Mrs. Hizon. Pagkatapos daw ng program, pumunta sa washroom si Charlize kasama ang kanyang personal assistant o PA. 'Yon din ang napanood namin sa hallway papunta sa washroom. She was accompanied by a girl with short hair. Maraming babaeng customers ang labas-masok sa washroom kaya kinailangan kong mag-focus kung nakalabas na ba si Charlize.

Fifteen minutes later, lumabas ang personal assistant niya, palingon-lingon sa paligid na tila may hinahanap. Nang hindi niya nakita, tuluyan na siyang bumalik sa backstage ng event center kung saan nandoon ang iba pang artista at ang mama ni Charlize. Doon na sila naalarma.

"So that's when she disappeared?" I muttered. "During that fifteen-minute time frame?"

"Or that's what they want us to think," Sigmund commented. "Don't look away from the footage at the washroom's entrance."

F-in-astforward ko ang video hanggang sa may napansin akong babaeng nakasuot ng shirt at pantalon na pasimpleng iginagala ang tingin sa paligid. Nakasuot siya ng facemask kaya hindi kita nang buo ang mukha niya. But she was acting suspicious with her glances.

"Is that her?" tanong ko. "Mukhang ka-height at ka-build niya si Charlize."

"Probably," Sigmund replied. "But have you noticed anything strange with the PA? Rewind the video to the part where she went inside the washroom, then when she got out of it."

Sinunod ko ang utos niya at pinanood ulit ang video mula sa point na 'yon. P-in-ause ko muna ang frame at sinuri ang bawat detalye bago pumasok ang dalawa sa washroom. Charlize was wearing a white dress. Her PA was wearing shirt. May bitbit din itong bag na nakasukbit sa balikat. Then I fastforwarded it to fifteen minutes. Pagkalabas ng PA, muli kong p-in-ause ang video at in-observe ang frame. She was still wearing the same clothes and she was still carrying a tote bag—Wait a minute. Now that's weird. Nakasilip sa bag niya ang kulay puting tela. Wala naman 'yon noong pumasok siya kanina, ah?

Then it hit me: The PA could be an accomplice! That white clothing must be Charlize's dress! Binigyan niya ng pampalit si Charlize para makapag-disguise ito at hindi kaagad mapansin ng ibang tao. 'Tapos nang lumabas na siya ng washroom, nagkunwari siyang hindi mahanap ang artistang binabantayan niya kahit nasa loob pa talaga ito. She then ran back to the event center to inform Mrs. Hizon and the rest!

"You're right," Sigmund said with a nod. "The PA is in on it."

Hindi na ako masyadong surprised na alam niya ang iniisip ko kahit wala pa akong sinasabi.

"But there's something else," he added. "See if you can notice it when the PA reports to our client."

Saglit kong f-in-astforward ang video hanggang sa pinuntahan ng PA ang mama ni Charlize. I leaned forward closer to the monitor to observe that exact moment. May napansin si Sigmund dito kaya posibleng may suspicious na nangyari. Matapos ma-inform na si Mrs. Hizon, tumango siya sa PA at pinuntahan ang iba pa nilang kasama sa backstage. Doon na nagsitayuan at tila naaligaga ang mga tao.

"Hmmm . . ." I hummed. Muli kong ni-replay ang footage at inobserbahan ang client namin. Nanlaki ang mga mata ko nang may napansin ako. "Mrs. Hizon is also in on it! Nang sabihan siya ng PA, wala mang sense of urgency sa kanya. Look! Normal lamang ang pace ng kanyang lakad nang pinuntahan niya ang ibang tao sa backstage! If I were Charlize's mom, magpi-freak out na ako!"

"She's the mother of an actress, but she doesn't know how to act. Remember what she had told us the first time we met her? Charlize doesn't have any scheduled mall tour for a week after the first one. Does that seem suspicious to you?"

My eyes squinted, then widened shortly. May nag-pop na idea sa isip ko. "What if this is just a PR stunt para pag-usapan si Charlize at ang movie niya? Her rom-com film is showing soon. Kung bigla siyang mawawala, tiyak na pag-uusapan siya at madadamay ang kanyang movie. It might boost ticket sales!"

"But why haven't we heard about her disappearance in showbiz news?" My mentor raised a good point. "Hindi magiging effective ang isang publicity stunt kung hindi alam ng public. Tayo lang ang nakakaalam kasi sinabihan tayo ni Mrs. Hizon."

"Something must have gone wrong," I mumbled bago ako napatingala sa kanya. "Malamang balak i-report ni Mrs. Hizon sa pulis ang biglang pagkawala ni Charlize. Kaso no'ng iko-confirm niya na ang location ng kanyang anak, bigla siya nitong sinabihan ng sorry at binabaan ng tawag. Hindi na niya na-contact pa. Doon na hindi sumunod si Charlize sa script kaya hindi na rin tinuloy ng mama niya ang pag-report sa police."

"And that's where we come in!" Sigmund stretched out his arms. "She wanted to keep her daughter's disappearance under wraps so she employed the services of a private detective agency that's not too well known."

"So ang scripted sanang disappearance ni Charlize, nagkatotoo na," patango-tango kong sabi. Naalala ko tuloy 'yong travel destination searches na nakita namin sa laptop ng nawawalang aktres. "We can't trust what we've seen in her laptop."

"Why so?"

"Parang napaka-careless kung hindi niya iki-clear ang kanyang browser history. That's what I would do kasi if I want to cover my tracks. Malamang sinadya niyang iwan 'yon para lituhin kung sinuman ang maghahanap sa kanya. Red herring. While we're busy checking Baguio, Dumaguete or Davao, she's chilling somewhere else."

Sigmund clapped slowly. "You're getting good at reading and predicting the human mind."

I smiled at him. "I have a good mentor."

Halos araw-araw ko ba naman siyang kasama sa cafe, talagang matututo ako sa techniques niya.

"What shall we do next?" tanong niya.

"Let's talk to Mrs. Hizon and confirm our theory. Maraming siyang kailangan na i-explain sa atin."

— M —

If you've enjoyed this update, let me know your thoughts or theories by using the hashtag #MoriarteaWP!

Credit goes to Raze Dali/Min-Min for the chapter title artwork!