A/N: Sorry for the late update!

LORELEI

AFTER THAT intense exchange in the Clarion office, we went back to the campus police station's parking lot where Tita Frigette's car was. Nasa labas ng sasakyan si Alistair, paikot-ikot na naglalakad sa paligid nito. Nasa loob naman sina Luthor at Loki na nasa driver's at passenger's seat. I was hoping that Alistair would also be in the car, para may umawat agad just in case Loki punches Luthor in the face again.

Nang makalapit na kaming tatlong babae sa sasakyan, nginitian kami ni Alistair sabay harap sa amin. "Don't worry about the two. They behaved very well. Loki tried to get out of the car, but I asked Luthor to lock the doors."

Nagawi ang tingin ko sa windshield kung saang kita ang magkapatid. Loki was leaning closely to the car door na parang may nakakahawang sakit ang katabi niya. Luthor was only chill in his seat, his thin arms crossed across the chest.

"Thank you for looking after my sons, handsome one." Tita Frig smiled at Alistair bago pinuntahan ang side ng driver. She knocked on the window and Luthor opened the car door. Mabilis ding lumabas si Loki mula sa sasakyan nang makakita siya ng opportunity.

"So how was it?" tanong ni Alistair. "It went well, didn't it? I can see it in your face."

"Sobra'ng power ni mommy-in-law!" Jamie answered with an exaggerated hand gesture. "Buong Clarion, tiklop sa kanya! Pati na 'yong adviser nila! If you only saw the look on their faces, you would savor it!"

"Adviser?" Alistair's brows furrowed. "Nandoon din si Sir Rivera?"

I nodded. "'Di ko alam kung nataong dumaan siya roon o may tumawag sa kanya para pumunta sa Clarion office."

"Mommy-in-law asked if he approved the article," Jamie added. "Sir Rich said na hindi niya pinapakialaman ang operations ng Clarion. Ano nga ulit ang term na ginamit niya? Ah, editorial independence!"

"I see..." Alistair looked down before raising his gaze again at us. "Bale ite-take down na ng Clarion ang kanilang post tungkol kay Luthor."

Tumango ako. "Pati 'yong mga balak nilang i-post sa kanilang bulletin boards. Gusto talaga nilang ipakalat ang balita."

"Well, wala sila sa mommy-in-law ko!" proud na sabi ni Jamie na parang siya na ang official na magiging daughter-in-law. "If they don't take them down, they'd be facing a libel case tomorrow. Sino ba namang wala sa katinuan ang magtatangkang labanan ang isang Atty. Corazon-Mendez?"

"But the damage has already been done." Lumapit sa amin si Loki. "Some students have already read the article. They'd be telling their friends about it. It's gonna be their lunch time gossip topic. My brother's reputation has been tainted. Not that it's clean to begin with."

He's right. Masyado nang late ang aksyon namin. Kahit halos isang oras lang na nakababad sa page ng Clarion ang article, naimpluwensiyahan na ang opinyon ng mga nakabasa nito kay Luthor.

"Thank you for today, sweeties." Tita Frig gave me and Jamie a peck on our cheeks. Pagtingin ko sa kotse, nasa passenger's seat na si Luthor. "Pasensya na kung naistorbo ko ang umaga n'yo."

"Wala ho 'yon, tita."

"Mauuna na kami ni Lulu." Tita Frig took a pause as she opened the car door on the driver's side. "Kapag may nakita pa kayong naka-post na article tungkol sa kanya, inform me immediately, okay? Hindi ko talaga tatantanan ang Clarion na 'yan kapag 'di sila tumupad sa usapan."

"By the way, mom," Loki called. Papasok na sana si tita sa kotse pero naistorbo na naman siya. "Don't make any food or water deliveries today and don't accept package from any courier, especially if you aren't expecting one."

Naningkit ang mga mata ni tita, maging kami.

"Whoever's angry at my brother might try to poison him," Loki said. "You may think he's safe in our house, but never underestimate the person behind this ruckus."

"Noted, my dear." Tita Frig smiled at him before getting into her car. Ini-start na niya ang engine nito, nag-drive muna in reverse palabas ng parking lot bago tuluyang nag-drive palayo. We watched until the car got out of our sight.

"Tama ba ang narinig namin?" Nanliit ang mga mata ko at dahan-dahang lumingon kay Loki. He must have felt that that look was intriguing. "Concerned ka na kay Luthor?"

"Well, his brother's in danger," Alistair commented, smiling. "No matter how much Loki claims to hate him, it's impossible for him not to feel any concern."

"I'm happy to hear that, Loki dear!" Jamie clapped.

"I'm not concerned about him," Loki spat. "I'm concerned about my mom. She's gonna be so stressed if Luthor gets poisoned while inside the comfort of our home. She has to rush him to the hospital and worry about his condition. What if the worst happens? Her heart may not take it."

Napangisi ako. Kahit ano pa ang palusot nitong si Loki, alam kong deep inside, may pag-aalala pa rin siya sa kanyang kuya kahit katiting lang.

"How sweet naman!" Jamie exclaimed. "I'd probably feel the same kapag may nangyari sa Loki dear ko. Sobra siguro ang magiging stress ko no'n! Kaya sana walang mangyari sa 'yo."

But this wasn't about her.

"Magte-ten o'clock na," Alistair reminded us. "We should probably go back to our classes."

"Right."

We then strode off on our way to the main school building. Now that Luthor's safe, assuming that he and Tita Frig could get to their home without any scratch, we could focus on the case at hand.

"Dapat na siguro tayong makipagtulungan sa campus police," I said as we climbed the front steps of the building. "Nasa kanila na ang lahat ng info. Dumagdag pa kung anumang package ang isinend sa kanila ng so-called anonymous sender."

"You've got it wrong," Loki corrected me. "Dapat sila ang makipagtulungan sa atin. We're open to help them with this case. They're the only ones who refuse to share anything with us. If we combine their resources and our resources, we can solve this case by tomorrow."

"Kanina pa nga ako nag-iisip ng way para makuha ko ang loob nitong si Inspector Morales," sabi ni Jamie. "Susubukan ko sana noong nakita natin siyang lumabas sa student council office, kaso natakot ako sa mukha niya. Don't get me wrong, ha? He looks handsome, but it's just that scar across his nose."

"What if we try to appeal to his emotions?" Alistair suggested. Napatigil kami sa paglalakad at napatingin kaming tatlo sa kanya. "The inspector is still a human. Nataon lang na ayaw niya tayong nakikialam sa crime scenes at sa mga kasong iniimbestigahan ng campus police. But what if we make it personal?"

"I agree with what you say that the inspector still has human qualities." Loki nodded. "But I don't get the point you're trying to drive at. Can you be any clearer?"

"Parang alam ko na kung ano ang gustong mangyari ni Al..." Jamie squinted her eyes as she looked at my childhood friend. "It might work kung tama ang impression natin kay inspector."

Pinanood ko ang kanilang palitan ng tingin. I rewinded in my mind what Alistair said. Appeal to emotions. Make it personal. Naningkit din ang mga mata ko at marahang tumango. I somehow got it. I turned my gaze to Loki who's still looking clueless.

"Are you communicating through telepathy or what?" he asked. "Aren't you going to tell me what's on your mind? Do you want me to take a guess?"

"Loki dear..." Jamie clang to his arms. Nagpatuloy na sila sa paglalakad patungo sa hagdan kaya sumunod na rin kami ni Alistair. "How do you feel about what happened to Luthor this morning?"

"Serves him right," Loki answered with a straight face.

"Wrong question, Jamie," I told her. "Bilang kapatid ni Luthor, ano sa tingin mo ang dapat na maramdaman mo sa nangyari? You read that he's being suspected of something unthinkable. You saw him in the interrogation room, powerless."

"Uhm... Excited to see what's gonna happen to him?" Loki's eyebrows came closer together. We all groaned at his answer. "Just tell me what you wanna hear, okay? This isn't some sort of charade!"

"Loki dear, 'di ba dapat bilang kapatid niya, nalulungkot ka sa nangyari?" malumanay na tanong ni Jamie. "Siyempre pinagbibintangan ang kuya mo. Kung ako ang nasa posisyon mo at ang kuya ko ay biktima ng fake news at fake accusation, I would not only feel sad, but also enraged! I know my brother best. Hindi ko hahayaang may manira sa pangalan niya."

Oh, she shouldn't have said that. I bit my lower lip as Luthor's words about her brother echoed in my mind. "The group founded by the late student council president Jaime Santiago." If we brought up that topic to her, she'd probably react the way she just said she would. Baka isipin pa niyang kami ang nagpapakalat ng fake news.

"Wait a minute." Loki halted in the middle of the flight of stairs. Lumingon siya kay Alistair na parang may kasalanan ito sa kanya. "When you said 'appeal to the inspector's emotions,' do you want me to pretend to be sad about what happened to my brother?"

"And determined to figure out the truth beneath the lie," Alistair added. "Nadungisan ang reputasyon ng kuya mo dahil sa article na ipinublish ng Clarion at ng pag-invite ng campus police sa kanya—"

"—which was perfectly okay with me—"

"—as someone who secretly cares for his brother, it's only natural na you will react that way, right?" Alistair's slightly raised voice drowned Loki's.

"You want me to trick the inspector by lying to him?" Loki jerked his thumb to himself. Pinagtitinginan na tuloy kami ng mga estudyanteng umaakyat sa stairs. Hindi pa kami nagpapatuloy sa paglalakad. "Alistair, I didn't know that you're taking my lessons on trickery too seriously."

"I'm not asking you to lie, Loki." Alistair's tone became serious. The glint on his eyes had an earnest look in them. "I'm asking you to be the little brother that you really are to Luthor. No matter how many times you throw insults at him, we know that deep inside you care about him. Because he's family."

Loki slowly narrowed his eyes into slits. Nagawi ang tingin ko sa mga kamao niya. Kumuyom na naman ang mga 'to. Uh-oh. This doesn't look good. "You presume too much, Alistair, but you know nothing about me. I'm insulting him not because I'm in denial that I truly care about him. I'm insulting him at every turn because that's the only way I can let off some steam. If I don't, my pent-up feelings will implode. Especially now."

"Uhm... guys?" Sinubukang mamagitan ni Jamie. I also wanted to step in and break off the palpable tension on the stairs. I could feel Loki heating up. Alistair was only keeping a calm composure.

"Not everyone is like you, Alistair," Loki said. He unclenched his fists and his shoulders relaxed. "You must not make assumptions out of a flawed generalization that people will always let their innate goodness triumph over their pettiness. You think that some people don't mean what they say or don't show what they genuinely feel."

Alistair took a deep breath and shut his eyes for a second. "I'm sorry if I offended you. I didn't mean to second-guess what you're feeling."

"If not for Luthor, then do it for the sake of the case," I told Loki. "Kung ito ang tanging paraan upang magkaroon tayo ng access sa resources ng campus police, won't you do it? Or will you let your pettiness triumph over the opportunity to end whatever mystery we got ourselves into?"

Loki only stared at me. Hindi ako kumalas ng tingin sa kanya. Mamamagitan na naman ulit sana si Jamie, pero hindi na kailangan. The school bell rang, and Loki went on his way alone. Sinubukan siyang sundan ni Jamie kahit hindi na niya ito pinakinggan.

Alistair and I exchanged glances. Napakibit-balikat ako. Honestly I didn't expect the conversation to turn out this way. Kani-kanina lang, nag-iisip kami ng paraan kung paano makikipagtulungan ang campus police sa amin. Tapos biglang ganito.

For now, maybe we should leave Loki alone and wait for him to calm down.

"I crossed the line, didn't I?" Alistair asked.

"Sort of," I replied.

Wala na rin kaming magagawa kundi maghintay kaya tumuloy na kami patungo sa aming classroom. We're already a few minutes late, thanks to that brief confrontation on the stairs.

"May tanong pala ako, Lori," tawag ni Alistair, ilang hakbang bago kami makapasok sa aming room. The hallway was already clear of bystanders.

"Ano 'yon?" I kept looking ahead, baka makasalubong namin ang aming instructor.

"What happened to Luthor last night?" he asked.

Napahinto ako sa paglalakad at napatingin sa kanya. Lumingon siya sa akin at nagtagpo ang aming tingin.

I've been acting the whole day since I got here so it shouldn't be this hard. First, about Rosetta's death. Second, about Luthor's secret.

"What do you mean?" I asked, trying to keep my face straight.

Huminto siya sa tapat ng pinto at tumabi sa gilid. I also did the same.

"Noong kasama ko ang magkapatid kanina, I noticed a bruise near Luthor's lips. He tried to cover it with concealer cream, but it didn't escape my eyes."

This is a disadvantage of having an observant friend. Nothing escapes them. They'd always notice and feel when something's off.

"How can you say that something happened last night?" tanong ko. Sinubukan kong magmukhang clueless. I don't know what my face looked like, but I hope it's cooperating.

"The last time I saw him yesterday was late in the afternoon," sagot niya. "He didn't have that bruise yet. So he probably got it after he left school yesterday and before the morning classes today. Malayo sa itsura ni Luthor na makikipagsuntukan siya kaya saan kaya niya nakuha 'yon?"

"Hindi ko napansin 'yon," pagsisinungaling ko na may kasamang pag-iling. "I wasn't looking at the area around his lips. Well, I didn't know rin kasi what to look at. Medyo awkward."

For a second there, I was tempted to tell him. But a promise is a promise. 'Yong unang pangako ko nga kay Luthor, kahit na pinressure ako ni Alistair, hindi ko sinabi sa kanya. Heto pa kaya?

His gaze lingered at me for more than five seconds. Wala siyang ini-reply sa akin.

"You should have asked kanina," sabi ko para maputol ang awkward silence. "If the cause of the bruise wasn't so serious, I bet he'd answer your question."

"I see..." Alistair smiled. He may have that curve in his lips, but I felt like he's not satisfied with my answer. "Let's go inside?"

Tumango ako. Sabay na kaming pumasok sa classroom. Thankfully, our instructor wasn't in yet.

***

We met again at lunch time in the execom office. Loki seemed to have calmed down. I don't know, he sometimes has that resting annoyed face so it's hard to tell. Maggie asked us to patrol the bulletin boards and pin the press release issued by the student council. In it, they asked the student body to not believe in any unverified information.

"Everyone's thinking that we tried to censor the Clarion!" Maggie ranted. Sinamahan namin siya sa bulletin board malapit sa Clarion office. "Kaya raw tinanggal ang post tungkol kay Luthor dahil pinagbawalan natin sila! Hindi ba sila nag-iisip? Tinanggal ang post kasi masyadong malicious!"

Ilang beses ko nang nakitang wala sa mood si Maggie, pero hindi sa ganitong level. She's really upset about the so-called fake news that the Clarion posted. Sino ba namang hindi lalo na kung sa tingin mo'y kasinungalingan 'yon?

"Kung 'di lang magmumukhang dictatorial, I would have the IDs of students spreading rumors confiscated," she whispered, careful not to let the students walking past us hear her. "Kasalanan din ng Clarion ito. Hindi muna nag-verify bago mag-publish ng article."

"C-Calm down, madam chair," sabi ni Jamie sabay masahe sa kanyang balikat. "Huwag na kayong masyadong magpa-stress, baka lalong lumabo ang mga mata n'yo."

"Talagang nakaka-stress ang araw na 'to," tugon ni Maggie na pailing-iling ang ulo. She slammed the paper on the board and hammered the push pin at the corners. "We've been putting out fires that we didn't start ourselves!"

"This is just hypothetical, but what if the allegations in the article were true?" Loki asked. Gusto ko sanang mapa-facepalm pero kinontrol ko ang sarili ko. Sa tanong niyang 'yon, lalong mai-stress ang aming chairwoman. "What if my brother isn't the person you thought he was?"

Nagkaroon ng sandaling katahimikan sa tapat ng bulletin board. Maging si Alistair na busy sa paglalagay ng press release ay napahinto rin.

Maggie threw her head back, laughing. "Ano ka ba, Loki? 'Di ba ikaw na mismo ang nagsabi no'n sa meeting natin na imposibleng maging connected si Luthor kay M? This is just a lie that Augustus tried to plant in our minds before he died."

"Oo nga naman, Loki dear!" mabilis na pagsang-ayon ni Jamie. "Augustus is the king of fake news in Clark High. Tanga lang ang maniniwala sa kasinungalingan niya."

Sinubukan kong ngumiti at magpanggap na natatawa sa sinabi niya. Inside, I was laughing nervously. Maggie doesn't want to entertain the idea that Luthor might be one of them. Sarado ang isip niya sa gano'ng senaryo. Which was okay for now, but if the truth gets out...

Pagkatapos namin siyang tulungan sa paglalagay ng press release sa mga board, sinabihan na niya kami na pwede nang mag-lunch muna at bumalik na lang mamaya. Sabay-sabay na kaming apat na naglakad patungo sa cafeteria. May kaunting awkwardness pa rin dahil sa sagutan kanina sa may hagdan.

"I've been thinking about your suggestion," Loki broke his silence. Nauna siyang naglakad sa amin at hindi naisipang lumingon. Parang kausap niya tuloy ang hangin. "If I were to do that, I'm gonna do it for the sake of the case. Not because of my brother. Not because you told me so. We must put a stop to this mystery already."

I agree. Masyado na ngang magulo ang sitwasyon, mas pinapagulo pa ng mga ibang elemento. I could compare it to a plate in a buffet. Puno na ang plato namin, pero may pilit na naglalagay pa rin ng dagdag na ulam at kanin.

"Thank you," sagot ni Alistair. "We can also offer what we know as leverage kay Inspector Morales. Right now, he's focused on finding out who killed Augustus. He's probably not aware yet about what happened to Sir Ephraim yet."

That's right. Those were two separate cases possibly connected by a red thread of malice and murder. Inspector Morales was investigating the Augustus case while Hel and the city police were investigating the Ephraim case.

"Pwede rin nating gamiting bargaining chip 'yong pag-contact ng third party kay Lorelei!" dagdag ni Jamie. She tried to walk at the same pace as Loki, but the latter was hastening his footsteps.

"Sakaling pumayag siya, we can finally paint the full picture of this case—"

"Miss Rios?"

Natigil ako pagsasalita nang may narinig akong tumawag sa akin. I turned to see Sir Friedrich Rivera who looked somewhat troubled. Huminto kami para batiin siya.

"I'm really sorry about what happened this morning," he said in an apologetic tone. Tumingin siya sa amin ni Jamie tapos kay Loki. Pinagpapawisan siya kahit hindi naman gano'n kainit. "If only I read the article before the Clarion published it, I could have assessed it and tried to convince Agatha to not post it."

"What's done is done, sir." Loki regarded him coldly. "But you should heed my mom's advice. She isn't gonna let you go unscathed if you cross with her."

"I know." Sir Rich nodded. "I've already told the Clarion to report just the facts. No unfounded accusations."

I'm glad to hear that. We already had a lot to deal with. Ayaw ko nang dumagdag pa ulit ang Clarion.

"By the way, Miss Rios, if you're still interested in my offer, you may contact this number." Sir Rich gave me another business card. It belonged to the editor-in-chief of the publishing house that he referred to me a few days ago. Jamie peered over my shoulder to look at the name. She then nudged me on elbow, as if she's telling me to "go for it."

That somehow worried me. Hindi na ba niya kayang makapaghintay sa aking sagot kaya bibitawan na niya ako? He's the one who scouted me in the first place.

"Bakit, sir? Hindi na ba kayo affiliated sa kanila?" I tried to phrase my question in the safest way possible. Ayaw ko namang direkta siyang tanungin na "Hindi n'yo na ba kayang hintayin ang sagot ko?"

Sir Rich shook his head. "I may not be able to help you anymore. I might be gone for a long time."

Kumunot ang noo ko, maging ng mga kasama ko.

"I'm on my way to the campus police station," Sir Rich said. He took a deep breath before he continued. "I'm gonna turn myself in. For killing Augustus Moran."

q.e.d.

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