LORELEI

LET US believe for a moment—just this once—that Stein Alberts is not involved in this mall incident. Kinda difficult, right? He's been with us the whole time so he has an alibi. Pero hindi naman kasi kailangang siya mismo ang mag-execute ng isang murder plot. He can ask any of his underlings to do it for him.

However, we still should give him the benefit of the doubt. Hangga't walang ebidensyang magpapatunay na may kinalaman siya rito, he is innocent.

"This isn't a murder," he said as he took a closer look on the victim's body bathing in dark red blood. "I know a murder when I see one."

"I have no doubt about that," Loki lifted his head and gazed on the second floor where the victim fell from. "Considering that you've engineered more or less a hundred murders, you would have known if that's the case in just a single glance."

"Oh, you flatter me so much, Loki." Stein crossed his arms across the chest. "But just to set the record straight, I have only plotted forty-five murders. Eighty-five percent of which are successful."

Was that an achievement for him? Proud pa talaga siya.

"How did you know that this isn't murder?" tanong ko.

With a stare that could spell doom, Stein turned to me. "The circumstance of the victim's death. It would be foolish for anyone to push the victim from the second floor. Maraming witnesses na posibleng makakita sa kanya. Committing the crime won't be clean."

He has a point. Hindi rin malabong habulin ang salarin sakaling may nakakita sa kanyang itinulak mula sa ikalawang palapag ang babae.

"If it were me, I would have chosen a less conspicuous place," he went on. "A parking lot would be the perfect spot. Less witness, less worries."

Spoken like a true criminal mastermind, huh? Hindi na kataka-taka.

"Hannah! Hannah!" Lumapit ang isang grupo ng mga kabataan sa katawan ng biktima. Halos maglupasay ang dalawang babae nang makita nila ang kalagayan ng kanilang kaibigan.

"Don't touch anything," Loki told them when they tried approaching the body. "Stay exactly where you are."

"Hey, Lori?" Jamie nudged me with her the elbow. "A suspicious-looking person is on the second floor. Parang hindi siya mapakali."

Iginala ko ang aking mga mata at hinahanap ang lalaking inilarawan niya. But there was no one with that description on sight.

"He just walked away. But don't worry, I can remember what he's wearing! A black hoodie. His height must be around six feet. Habulin natin siya bago pa siya makatakas!"

Basta-basta na lang niyang hinila ang kamay ko patungo sa escalator. Loki and Stein gave us curious stares, wondering why we suddenly strode out of the scene. We did not have time to explain.

"Excuse me! Excuse me!" With Jamie flashing a charming smile and speaking in polite tone, tumabi sa kanan ang mga nakasakay sa escalator. My eyes roamed around the noisy hallway. Ilang mallgoers din ang nabangga namin at ilang beses din kaming humingi ng sorry sa kanila.

"He went to that direction!" Turo niya sa kanan kaya lumiko kami. A few meters ahead of us, a hooded figure was walking, panning his head from left to right as if he was checking if anyone's following him. Nang lumingon siya sa likuran, nagtagpo ang mga mata namin. Bigla niyang binilisan ang paglalakad hanggang sa tuluyan na siyang tumakbo.

"Oh, cra—" Jamie and I had no choice but to run after him. If he was not guilty of anything, why would he run away? Does he have anything to do with the supposed suicide of the girl? Is Stein's hunch wrong?

"Hoy, bumalik ka rito!" bulyaw ni Jamie sa kanya. Nawala ang poise niya sa pagtakbo. Pinagtitinginan na tuloy kami ng mga tao. "Hoy, tigil! Kung wala kang kasalanan, you better stop running! Napapagod din kami!"

"He won't listen!" I told her.

"Ganun, ha?" Huminto si Jamie sa pagtakbo at inalis ang sapatos ng kanyang kanang paa. She gathered all of her strength on the hand holding her shoe before throwing it like a boomerang.

WHACK!

The shoe spun in the air until it hit the hooded guy's head. Nawalan ng balanse ang lalaki at nadapa sa sahig.

"Bullseye!" Jamie exclaimed before we rushed to our target's side.

"Aray! Aray!" Napahawak sa kanyang ulo ang lalaki habang iniinda ang sakit. It was his fault for running away.

"Kung tumigil ka sana, e 'di hindi ka natamaan ng flying shoe ko?" sabi ni Jamie habang muling isinusuot ang sapatos niya. "Now tell us why you ran away from the scene."

Nang hindi sumagot ang lalaki, muling tinanggal ni Jamie ang sapatos niya at hinawakan bilang panakot. "Gusto mo bang matikman ulit ito?"

Mabilis na isinalag ng lalaki ang kanyang mga kamay sa mukha. "Na-Nagkakamali kayo! Wa-Wala akong kinalaman sa na-nangyari kanina! Ma-Maniwala kayo!"

"Then why did you run?" I asked more gently. Masyado kasing brutal si Jamie. Kahit na effective ang pamamaraan niya, minsan kailangang idaan sa santong dasalan. "Kung hindi mo kami tinakbuhan kanina, you wouldn't have looked more suspicious."

"At bakit parang balisa ka kanina?" Jamie followed up, still holding her shoe on one hand. "Do you know who the victim is?"

"O-Oo! Ini-stalk ko kasi siya ka-kaya nakasunod ako sa ka-kanya!" The hooded man put down his hands. "Lalapitan ko na sana siya para ipakilala ang sarili ko pero bigla siyang nahulog! Teka, huwag n'yong isiping itinulak ko siya! Ni hindi ko nga siya nahawakan!"

"Are you telling the truth?" Marahang ipinalo ni Jamie ang kanyang sapatos sa isa pang kamay. May halong pagbabanta ang tingin at boses niya.

"Ma-Maniwala kayo! Tumakbo lang ako kasi baka paghinalaan akong nagtulak sa kanya! Malapit lang kasi ako noong nahulog siya! May ilang witness sa paligid kaso baka na-misinterpret nila ang sitwasyon at ituro ako bilang suspek! Inosente ako, maniwala kayo!"

Nabaling ang tingin sa akin ni Jamie. "Are you buying his story?"

My eyes gazed on the hooded man. "You said na malapit ka sa biktima bago siya nahulog. Was she with someone else? Or did you see someone pushed her off the second floor?"

The guy shook his head frantically. "Wa-Wala! Kaya nagulat ako nang bigla niyang inihulog ang sarili niya. Natulala ako ng ilang segundo bago ko napagtanto kung anong nangyari."

"So that would mean Stein's theory is correct," Jamie sighed. "This case is suicide."

"Anyway, kailangan mong sumama sa amin para makunan ka ng statement." Iniabot ko ang aking kamay sa lalaki. "They need to know your version of the story and corroborate it with other people's statements."

Hindi na nagmatigas pa ang lalaki kaya walang reklamo siyang sumunod sa amin. We returned to the crime scene where the police have already arrived. I saw a familiar face leading the investigation. He has a towering figure, probably around six feet. My eyes can't help but notice his bushy brows. What was his name again?

"Inspector Tobias," Loki motioned his hand to the police official. "I believe you still remember my partner Lorelei during the coffee shop poisoning case?"

"Of course!" sagot ng inspector sabay ang pakikipag-handshake sa akin. "Siya ang ipinakilalang girlfriend mo sa akin noon! How could I even forget that?"

"G-Girlfriend?" Jamie's left eye twitched as she glared at me with matching furrowed eyebrows. Stein only shot a sideward glance while Loki's face remained as blank as a brick.

"I-It's not what you think." I can't believe that I have to explain myself. Mas mabuti nang linawin ko dahil baka ma-misinterpret ng kasama kong babae. "I asked Loki if he can pretend to be my boyfriend for a day. It was just an act."

Breathing a sigh of relief, Jamie's face brightened up with a smile. "Akala ko kung ano na. Oh! What if I also ask Loki to pretend to be my boyfriend? Not just for a day, but for weeks... or months!"

"As long as there's a good reason for it, I think he would agree."

"That's Jamie Santiago, one of my club members," Loki went on introducing everyone in our team. "And this is Stein Alberts, an uninvited guest who happened to gatecrash to our afternoon tea—"

"Your words wound me deeply—"

But Loki ignored the side comments of the young criminal mastermind. Kahit alam ko kung ano-ano ang mga kasamaang pinaggagawa ni Stein, I somehow feel sorry for him dahil kanina pa siya pinapatutsadahan ni Loki.

"By the way..." Jamie jerked her thumb over her shoulder. "...we caught a person who acted suspiciously moments after the victim jumped off the second floor."

"He claimed that no one pushed the victim," I added. Patango-tango ang lalaking naka-hood. "His statement might shed some light on the case."

On cue, two police officers escorted the hooded guy away from the crime scene. Inspector Tobias, meanwhile, excused himself to check the CCTV footage.

"So did you find out anything while we were chasing that guy?" tanong ni Jamie.

"The victim's friends said that they were supposed to meet here at around two o'clock," Loki explained. "It was the victim herself who set the meeting."

"Isn't that strange?" kunot-noo kong tanong. "Bakit niya tatawagan ang mga kaibagan niya para makipagkita rito kung magpapakamatay pala siya?"

Loki gently touched his chin, his eyes were in deep thought. "I have the same opinion. For what purpose did she call her friends? She was looking forward to this sort of get-together."

"You are doubting my suicide theory?"

We all turned to Stein Alberts whose arms were crossed over his chest. His rectangular spectacles shone as he walked toward us. You could feel an evil aura emanating from him. "Despite the contradicting circumstances, I assure you that this is nothing but a simple suicide case."

"Kung totoo at iko-consider natin ang sinabi ng kahina-hinalang lalaki kanina, walang duda na nagpakamatay nga ang babae," sabi ni Jamie habang nilalaro ang kanyang braided na buhok. "But we cannot disregard the inconsistencies in her actions."

Loki put his hands inside his pockets. "The inspector is now checking the CCTV footage. We can confirm if the girl jumped on her own or if someone pushed her."

"And if the case is the former..." Stein stood side by side with Loki and looked over his shoulder, "...what else is there to investigate? Maybe we can return to the cafe and enjoy the rare opportunity that we are together. Dahil pagkatapos ng araw na ito, magbabalik na naman tayo sa status quo."

"We will see about that."

"Why don't we make a bet instead?" Stein's hands made some waving gestures. "If this is murder, I promise that there won't be any unfortunate incident in our high school for about a month. If this is suicide, you will let me join the QED Club and replace your member who's in a coma."

His emphasis on the word "replace" made me shiver. Parang may iba siyang ibig sabihin doon. Tila may pagbabanta.

Loki scoffed. "Unfortunately, we don't negotiate with criminal masterminds. No deal."

"And if something bad happens to Alistair while he is unconscious and we find out that you are behind it, I won't forgive you." My voice cracked but I stood firm and locked into a staring contest with Stein. I won't let him hurt my childhood friend.

After a few seconds of silence, he chuckled. "Ganyan ba kababa ang tingin n'yo sa akin? Killing someone who's in a comatose state isn't my thing. That is not honorable."

"And that's coming from someone who has no shred of honor," Loki rejoined.

Stein shook his head. "You have already stabbed me three or four times with your blunt words, Loki. But I will let it pass. I understand your hatred, your disgust on me. And I can't blame you."

Their conversation was cut short when Inspector Tobias returned.

"We reviewed the CCTV footage. Gaya ng sinabi ng lalaking naka-hood kanina, papalapit siya sa biktima nang bigla itong tumalon. Walang nagtulak sa kanya. Isa nga itong suicide."

Stein let out a low whistle. "Told yah. Kung natuloy ang bet natin, I would be part of the QED Four by now."

We ignored him.

"But why would she take her own life?" Naningkit ang mga mata ni Jamie. That's exactly the question I have in mind. "How about the meeting with her friends today?"

"This may be suicide, but that doesn't mean the case is already closed." Loki gazed on the pool of blood. "We know how she died but one question remains: why? Perhaps this is a better distraction than sipping tea with the enemy."

The young criminal mastermind only sighed.

"Judging by her clothes, talagang pinaghandaan niya ang pagpunta rito," komento ni Jamie. She probably recalled what the victim wore when we found her on the floor. Kahit tinanggal na ng mga pulis ang katawan niya, my friend with retentive memory could still imagine the victim lying on the floor.

"Why would someone dress up kung magpapakamatay lang siya, 'di ba?" tanong ko. "Something must have happened before she jumped. Something that changed her mind."

"Hindi naman siguro totoo ang rumors, 'di ba?" Hininaan ni Jamie ang kanyang boses. "They say that this mall is cursed. May mga nauna na ring tumalon dito bago siya."

"No supernatural phenomenon was involved here," Loki countered. He has never been a fan of irrational instances. "Remember the Haunt of Bougainville case? Almost everyone thought that the Basco family is cursed that's why they are dying one by one."

"But how do we explain the victim's change of attitude?" I asked. "Unless she has an unstable mind, she wouldn't think of killing herself out of impulse."

"Nagtatanong-tanong kami sa mga classmate niya." Inilabas ni Inspector Tobias ang kanyang notebook na may leather cover at inilipat ang mga pahina nito. "Tinanong namin kung may pinagdaraanan ba ang biktima. Hindi nila ma-recall na may nai-share itong problema sa kanila. Wala siyang boyfriend kaya wala siyang problema sa love life. Wala rin siyang problema sa academics. Financially well off ang pamilya niya kaya wala siyang problema sa pera."

Loki gently touched his chin. "Did the victim go somewhere else? Pwede ba naming makita ang gamit niya?"

The inspector gave a nod to one of his officers. Pagbalik ng pulis, may mga dala siyang plastic bag na may lamang ilang paraphernalia. Ibinigay niya ang mga ito kay Loki.

"We need to understand what the victim was thinking before she jumped," he said while going through the bags, checking every item. "She looked forward to meeting her friends this afternoon so why did she decide to take her own life? Aha."

Ipinakita niya sa amin ang isang resibo. Maingat niya itong inilabas at binasa ang nakalagay roon.

"Less than an hour ago, she went to a restaurant on the second floor. I wonder what transpired there that changed her mind. Let's go?"

Nagpaalam muna kami kay Inspector Tobias at umakyat sa ikalawang palapag. People's curiosity on the incident has died down so there were less onlookers on our way.

Pagpasok namin sa restaurant, we were greeted by a waiter with curly hair who's smiling from ear to ear. He was holding the resto's menu on one hand.

"Welcome to Restie's Resto! A table for four, sir?" the waiter asked. His nameplate says his name is Sigmund. Halos kasing-edad lang yata namin siya.

"No." Ipinakita ni Loki ang resibo sa waiter kasama ang litrato ng biktima. "We are investigating the mysterious suicide of this person. Do you remember her dining here around an hour ago?"

Sigmund's eyes squinted until there was a hint of recognition on his face. "Yes, of course! How could I forget a lady with pretty face? I have an excellent memory."

Itinuro niya ang mesa sa bandang dulo ng resto. "She was seated right there. Mukhang wala siya sa mood na kumain kanina kaya soda lang ang inorder niya."

"How did you know that she's not in the mood?" Loki asked.

"She was fidgeting. She glanced at her wristwatch for more than seven times in a minute. Based on my observation, something was bothering her."

"And do you know what that is?" tanong ni Jamie.

Sigmund shrugged. "Hindi ko na inalam dahil that's none of my business."

"You mentioned na patingin-tingin siya sa relo niya. That's an indication na may hinihintay siya. Did she meet someone here?" I asked.

The waiter nodded. "Twenty minutes yata bago dumating ang ka-meet niya. He looked kinda suspicious though. Nakasuot ng long coat at shades. He then slid an envelope on the table."

"And?"

"Nang buksan at basahin niya ng laman, she almost broke into tears," kwento ni Sigmund habang nakatitig sa mesa kung saan nangyari ang eksenang inilalarawan niya. "I would want to comfort her but it's none of my business."

"You say that it is none of your business but you've kept an eye on her," Loki commented.

Napakamot ng ulo ang waiter at nagbigay ng awkward na tawa. "I have a habit of observing people's behavior—how they speak, how they act. Sometimes a simple twitching of one eye can already tell a story. Even how close a person stands next to another. For instance..."

Itinuro ng kanyang daliri si Stein. "You are not that close to this bespectacled guy. How did I know? The distance between you three and him. You and the two girls here are quite close. You share a common bond. Members of the same class? Ah, no! Same club!"

Halos mapanganga kaming dalawa ni Jamie sa kanyang deductions. How did he know—

"And you have just confirmed it!" The triumphant smile on Sigmund's face grew wider. I remember how Loki read my mind during our first few encounters.

"Excellent observation skills," Stein nodded approvingly. "Spot on."

"If you use your talents right, you can become a good detective someday," Loki said. "Your work as a waiter here will further develop your deduction skills. Oh, isn't that why you are here? To sharpen your mind by meeting a lot of people everyday? You don't work here for money, do you?"

"And you are still young to enter the work force," Stein added. "But you have probably made a special arrangement with the owner. Maybe you agreed not to report this restaurant for certain violations in exchange for giving you a part-time job."

Napangiti na lamang ang waiter. Loki and Stein, despite their differences, probably hit the same bullseye.

"Anyway, thank you for the information." Loki walked away from the restaurant while the three of us followed. He may already have almost all pieces of the puzzle in his pockets.

"Ano nang gagawin natin?" tanong ko habang nakasakay kami sa escalator.

"There isn't a single envelope among the victim's belongings," sagot niya. "Whatever's written in the enclosed document will explain why she entertained the thought of taking her own life."

Nasa scene pa rin si Inspector Tobias kasama ang kanyang mga officer. Loki reported to him what we found out in the restaurant. He asked them to search for a document that might have been thrown in the trash bins.

"Any idea on what's inside the envelope?" Stein asked, his back against a pillar. "It must be so life-changing."

"Let's do process of elimination." Loki glanced at me and Jamie. "What are the factors that impact a high school student's life?"

"Family? Friends? Studies? Love life?" Jamie wasn't so sure. I will probably give the same answers. "The victim's friends said that she doesn't have a boyfriend. Walang boyfriend, walang love life. Walang love life, walang heartbreak. We can cross that off the list."

"Wala rin siyang problema sa studies." I crossed my arms across my chest. "Some students commit suicide because they fail their parents' expectations on their academic performance. Ngunit dahil nasa top ten siya, I think she's performing well."

"How about friends?" Jamie said. "I don't think she had any problem on that aspect. Siya pa nga nag-set ng get-together nila ngayong araw at mukhang supportive naman ang mga kaibigan niya."

"So that leaves the family on the list," I muttered, looking down and trying to find the answer on the floor. "According sa in-interview ng inspector, mukhang wala namang financial problem ang family niya."

"But there might be other problems within her family that might have troubled her," Loki raised that point. "Remember what the waiter observed? The victim met with a shady person in the resto."

"A private investigator, possibly." Stein broke his silence. "Just a hunch: The victim hired a P.I. to investigate something for her. It may be about her family's skeleton in the closet... or something else."

"My bet? She found out something about her parentage," Loki said. "Maybe she was an adopted child and her parents never bothered to tell her the truth. Then it broke her heart and came into a decision to commit suicide."

And Loki's theory was proven right. Half an hour later, the police found the missing envelope. The contents revealed the DNA result of the victim which did not match with her parents.

Somehow I felt bad for the girl. Although I am an illegitimate child—not an adopted one—it was heart-wrenching for me to know that the dad I grew up with isn't my biological dad.

"We can call it a day!" Stein slowly clapped his hands once the case is finally closed. "I'd love to continue our little chat. Kaso may imi-meet pa akong ibang kaibigan kaya kailangan ko nang mauna."

"I never thought you had any friends," Loki countered.

"Neither do you," Stein quipped. "Except for these two girls and that boy in a coma. Anyway, I hope we can do this thing again."

"This might be first and last time though."

Smiling, Stein waved his right hand as he walked away. "Send my regards to Alistair... if ever he wakes up."

Kami namang tatlo, nagtungo na sa parking lot. Ilang oras nang naghihintay ang driver na si Mr. Vasquez. He opened the car doors for us, greeting us with a forced smile. Sa passenger's seat umupo si Loki habang kami naman ni Jamie ang nasa back seat.

It was a tiring day. Cases seemed to follow us everywhere. And also, the shadow of the young criminal mastermind.

"Loki," I called. A not-so-random question popped into my head. "Hindi ko pa yata naitatanong sa 'yo ito. But are you a hundred percent convinced that Stein Alberts is Moriarty?"

Nabaling ang tingin sa akin ni Jamie habang tinitigan naman ako sa rearview mirror ni Loki.

"He might not be the spider at the center of the web after all," he replied.

q.e.d.