A/N: Another late night update! Kung may pasok kayo bukas ng umaga, unahin n'yo muna ang tulog. Bukas n'yo na lang basahin ang UD. 

LORELEI

"I'm on my way to the campus police station. I'm gonna turn myself in. For killing Augustus Moran."

I WAS at a total loss for words. 'Di ko alam kung ano ang dapat sabihin. 'Di ko alam kung ano ang dapat ire-react. Tulala ang mga mata ko kay Sir Rich pagkatapos niyang umamin. His gaze also lingered at me for a few seconds. I don't know him very well and we weren't that close so I doubt he'd be joking to me.

"I'm really sorry." He turned his back to us and went to the direction of the campus police station. We watched him walk away from us.

Even my friends were stunned by that revelation. We weren't prepared for it. All we had in our mind was to enjoy our lunch and think about our plan to convince the campus police to cooperate with us. Walang nag-expect sa amin na may biglang mag-iiwan ng pasabog habang patungo kami sa cafeteria.

We went silent for another minute, letting the other students walk past us. Loki squinted his eyes. Jamie's eyes were blinking while her mouth gaped. Alistair touched his chin and looked down.

"Uhm... guys?" Binasag ni Jamie ang katahimikan. Siya ang unang nahimasmasan sa amin. "Tama ba ang narinig ko? Umamin si Sir Rich na siya ang pumatay kay Augustus?"

Tumango ako sa kanya. Maging ako'y 'di makapaniwala. I wished I only misheard the English instructor, but no. That's exactly what he said. The four of us heard him perfectly.

"I don't know what to say about this." Alistair sighed, slowly shaking his head. "I have some reservations about Sir Rivera, but I didn't expect anything like this."

"Kinda anticlimactic, if you ask me," Loki commented as he blew some air. He didn't sound surprised. He was disappointed. "If he is truly what he said he is, then our search is over."

It's like a slap on our face that we didn't see coming. Wala mang disclaimer o warning. That thing came totally out of nowhere. Now we're left stunned on the roadside. 'Di ko alam kung gugustuhin ko pang tumuloy sa cafeteria. Ang dami na ngang gumugulo sa utak namin, dumagdag pa 'to.

My consciousness snapped back to the present when I heard someone's stomach grumble. Nagawi ang tingin ko kay Jamie na napahawak sa kanyang tiyan.

"Alam n'yo, ikain muna natin 'to," sabi niya sa amin. "Kailangan muna nating lagyan ng laman ang mga tiyan natin para ma-absorb ang bagong info na 'to. Let's go? Mamaya n'yo na isipin 'yan! Malilipasan kayo ng gutom, eh!"

"But the brain works better in an empty stoma—"

"Loki dear, huwag mo muna akong sabihan ng empty-empty na 'yan lalo na kapag gutom ako."

With her insistence, we went on our way to the crowded cafeteria. I may be physically here, but my mind was elsewhere. I tried to connect the dots, from the moment I met Sir Rich up to the very moment he admitted to killing Augustus. Para akong bumubuo ng puzzle sa isip ko.

Mukhang 'di lang ako ang napapaisip. Maging sina Loki at Alistair, hindi masyadong ginalaw ang in-order na pasta. Well, Loki wasn't really enthusiastic when it comes to eating. But Alistair? Lagi niyang inuubos ang kanyang pagkain. Ngayon lang siya nawalan ng gana. Tanging si Jamie yata ang nag-e-enjoy sa in-order niyang Caesar salad. The rest of us didn't have the appetite.

Mukhang 'di kami matatahimik hangga't 'di namin nalalaman ang katotohanan o kung anumang nangyayari. For the rest of our lunch break, we decided to go to the campus police station. Sir Rich would be there if he's serious about turning himself in. Sakaling wala siya, ibig sabihin, tumakas na siya at nagtago na. I bet it's the former rather than the latter.

"Kayo na naman?" naiiritang bati ng police officer sa front desk. Parang wala siya sa mood na makipag-usap. Shouldn't he be more accommodating? "Nakulong na naman ba ang kaibigan n'yo?"

I nudged Jamie on the arm to make her do the talking. Lagi niyang pinagmamalaki na kaya niyang i-charm ang mga lalaki. Let's see kung tatalab 'yon sa bugnuting officer. She shot me with a questioning look and I pouted my lips to the man in front of us. Mabuti't naintindihan niya agad kung ano ang ibig kong sabihin.

"Uhm... sir?" sabi ni Jamie sa kanyang malambing na boses. Sinabayan niya pa 'to ng pag-twirl ng kanyang buhok at pag-lean sa desk. "Gusto sana naming itanong kung may dumaan bang high school teacher dito?"

Napalitan ng ngiti ang pagkabugnutin ng police officer. Mukhang gumagana, ah? "Ah, oo! 'Yong Rivera ba? Kausap siya ngayon ni Inspector Morales sa interrogation room. Meron daw siyang importanteng impormasyon tungkol sa isang case."

"Thank you, sir!" Jamie winked at him. Nang humarap siya sa amin, agad niyang sinabi, "Mukhang isinuko na ni Sir Rich ang sarili niya. He wasn't lying!"

We then went to the seats in the lobby. Baka pagalitan kami ng pulis na nasa front desk dahil pakalat-kalat kami sa may daanan.

"I still don't understand." I sighed with my eyes narrowed. "Why would Sir Rich confess to Augustus' murder all of a sudden? Parang ayaw ko ngang maniwala na magagawa niya 'yon. But assuming that he killed Augustus, binagabag ba siya ng kanyang konsensya kaya naisipan niyang sumuko?"

"That's what I find weird," kunot-noong sabi ni Jamie. "Nang makita natin siya sa Clarion office kanina, napaka-relax ng mukha niya. Medyo nagkatensyon nang magkasagutan silang dalawa ni mommy-in-law. But that tension quickly subsided. Tapos kanina, nang makasalubong natin siya sa daan, parang balisa siya na ewan. Something's strange with his expressions."

I also had that observation. Pinagpapawisan siya kahit hindi gano'n kainit. Palingon-lingon siya sa paligid na para bang may nakasunod sa kanya.

"And if he really killed Augustus, he must be the third party, right? Or someone connected to the third party..." I raised my gaze and switched it from Loki to Alistair, to Jamie. "The one who's been messing around with us."

Now that I think of it, the mysterious third party chose me to be the new caretaker of Augustus' box. Ilang araw ko ring pinag-isipan kung bakit ako ang pinili niyang pagbigyan. He told me that it was a random choice, that I shouldn't feel special just because I was chosen. If Sir Rich is the third party, it would make some sense kung bakit sa akin niya binigay. He's been kind to me recently. Maybe that meant something.

But some pieces of the puzzle don't add up.

Alistair shook his head, clicking his tongue. "Something doesn't feel right about this case. I still can't point it out, but there must be something. It isn't what it looks like."

"The third party has proven themselves to be a formidable opponent." Loki folded his arms across his chest, his eyes shut. "If our hunch is right, he killed Augustus and Sir Refrain. He left the hard drive in Lorelei's locker and possibly erased the security footage in the locker area to cover his tracks. He masked his voice when Lorelei called her through phone. He's careful to the extreme."

"Are you trying to say that if Sir Rich is the third party, it's out of character for him to walk in a police station and confess to a crime he committed?" Alistair asked. Gano'n din ang nasa isip ko.

"As I said, if this is the resolution to the case, it's kinda anticlimactic," Loki answered. "We no longer need to cooperate with the campus police to investigate Augustus' death because the culprit is already in custody. No need for the 'appeal to the emotions' plan. Case solved already. We can walk out of this station now and go back to mundane execom tasks."

Walang problema sa akin kung nahuli na ang pumatay kay Augustus. That would be one case off our plate. Pero gaya nga ng sinabi ni Alistair, parang may mali. Parang 'di pa ito 'yong resolution na hinahanap namin. There must be more to it than meets the eye.

Something's going on here, my gut feeling told me.

"What if..." Jamie raised her right forefinger, taking a pause as she cast a over us. "...someone wants Sir Rich to be the scapegoat? 'Yong fall guy kumbaga? He's gonna take the blame for a crime that he didn't commit para matanggal ang suspicion sa totoong salarin! I know, I've been watching too many crime stories, pero posible 'yon, 'di ba?"

"If he's not the one who killed Augustus, that's certainly possible." Alistair agreed, nodding. "Because he's now in police custody, the case is finally solved and soon closed. The police will no longer look into it."

I clapped my hand once as if a light bulb above my head lit up. "What if this is just another distraction? Kagaya ng nangyari kay Luthor kanina? Assuming that the third party is behind that thing, he wanted the police to investigate another case. Now he wants them to stop the investigation by offering a scapegoat!"

"That sounds like something that the third party might do." Loki nodded. "He's like a mystery writer who throws a red herring somewhere in the story so the detectives will be misled."

"Kung 'di talaga siya ang pumatay kay Augustus," Alistair emphasized. "Hindi natin pwedeng i-ignore ang possibility na baka siya ang gumamit ng strychnine para patayin ang editor-in-chief. Pero sakaling siya nga talaga ang killer, why would he turn himself in, aside from being bothered by his conscience?"

"At ano ang posibleng motive niya?" nakapamewang na tanong ni Jamie. "He's relatively new sa Clark High, 'di ba? I don't think na basta-basta niya papatayin si Augustus without any reason. What is he, a psychopath?"

Sir Rich didn't strike me as a psychopath. He was kind to me and he acknowledged my talent. Biased na kung biased, pero ayaw kong isipin na siya ang nasa likod ng pagpaslang kay Augustus. Well, it could be him, but it could be someone else too. I'd prefer the theory that someone might be using him as a scapegoat.

"Baka may hawak si Augustus laban sa kanya?" tanong ni Alistair na may pagkibit-balikat. "'Yon lang ang naiisip kong dahilan kung bakit siya magre-resort sa pagpatay."

"Your questions will be answered as soon as the inspector is done asking him." Loki glanced at the interrogation room few doors away from us. "We'll find out more about his motivations and method, if the inspector is willing to share the info with us."

"If Sir Rich is indeed innocent, we can't let him go to prison for something that he didn't do, right?" I asked. "Kaya mukhang kailangan pa rin nating i-convince ang campus police na makipagtulungan sa atin. After all, we know some details that they don't, gaya ng nangyari sa apartment ni Sir Ephraim o ang number ng third party. They might make a wrong judgment because they do not have access to the info we've been keeping."

"So you wanna try to prove his innocence?" Loki asked.

"I wanna try to prove whether he's really the culprit or not," I corrected him.

"Kailangan muna nating ma-convince si Inspector Morales," sabi ni Jamie. "Without his blessing, limited ang magiging actions natin."

"Kaya nga nandito si Loki." I smiled at him. "Para i-convince siya."

Naantala ang pag-uusap namin nang bumukas ang pinto ng station at pumasok ang isang lalaking nakasalamin. Mukhang nagmadali siyang pumunta rito dahil pawisan ang kanyang noo. Naglabas siya ng panyo para punasan ang kanyang pawis. He went straight to the front desk and talked to the officer on duty.

"Sir Jim?" tawag ko.

Iginala ni Sir Jim Morayta ang kanyang tingin sa paligid, hinanap kung saan galing ang boses ko. Nagliwanag ang kanyang mukha nang makita niya kami. He approached us in the lobby and exchanged pleasantries.

"Ano hong ginagawa n'yo rito?" tanong ko.

"May mga campus police officer kasing pumunta sa faculty room at kinonfiscate ang mga gamit ni Sir Rich," sagot niya sabay punas ng noo. "They said that he confessed to committing a crime. Nandito ako ngayon para i-verify 'yon. I was sent here to speak on behalf of the faculty members. Nagulat kasi ang lahat sa faculty room. How about you? Ano'ng ginagawa n'yo rito?"

"Nabanggit sa amin ni Sir Rich na isusuko niya ang sarili niya," sagot ni Jamie na nagbato ng tingin sa interrogation room. "Pumunta rin po kami rito para i-verify 'yon. Mukhang 'di naman niya tinakasan kasi kausap na siya ngayon ni Inspector Morales."

"Do you know kung ano'ng krimen ang inamin niya?" tanong ni Sir Jim. "Ayaw sabihin sa amin ng mga nakausap naming police officer."

Nagkapalitan kaming apat ng tingin. They gave me a nod kaya ako na ang sumagot sa tanong. "Augustus' murder."

Kumurap ang mga mata ni Sir Jim at sandaling natulala sa akin. He then pushed his rectangular spectaculars as he looked away from us.

"That's very serious," he commented. Tila hindi siya makapaniwala. "Hindi ko alam kung ano'ng sasabihin ko. I don't want to believe it. Parang napakaimposibleng magawa niya 'yon. But if he said he did it..."

Ganyan din ang reaksyon namin, sir. We were taken aback by the sudden confession.

"Anyway, kumusta pala si Luthor?" tanong niya kay Loki. "Narinig ko mula kay Maggie na in-invite din siya rito sa station kaninang umaga. He also asked to skip classes for today."

"He probably got home safely," Loki answered in a bored tone. "I haven't received a panic message from my mom so I guess he's still alive and away from danger. For now."

"Nagulat din kaming nasa faculty room nang mabasa namin 'yong—"

Our conversation was interrupted again. This time, bumukas na ang pinto ng interrogation room. Lumabas si Inspector Morales na mukhang seryoso pa rin ang mukha. My eyes instantly noticed the dark scar across his nose. May tinawag agad siyang officer at inutusan ito.

As soon as the officer walked away from him, lumapit na si Sir Jim sa kanya. Sumunod kaming apat para makiusyoso. Well, we also had to talk to him about the proposed cooperation.

Bago tuluyang sumara ang pinto ng interrogation room, nasilip ko si Sir Rich na tahimik na nakaupo roon, nakapikit ang mga mata at magkahawak ang mga kamay.

"Inspector!" Sir Jim called him. Nagawi sa kanya ang tingin nito. "I'm here on behalf of the faculty. May mga nakita kaming campus police officers na kumuha sa mga gamit ni Sir Rich. Gusto ko lang i-confirm kung ano ang nangyari?"

"The investigation is now ongoing," the inspector replied, sliding his hand into his pants pockets. "What I can tell you is that Sir Friedrich Rivera has confessed to poisoning the student Augustus Moran. He told us that the poison he used is in his desk's drawer. I hope you understand why my men intruded into your office."

What? He hid the murder weapon within his reach? Kung ako ang killer, itatapon ko na ang ginamit ko para walang ma-trace sa 'kin. This made it look like Sir Rich was an amateur who's begging to be caught by the authorities.

Sunod na nagawi sa amin ang tingin ni Inspector Morales. Kumunot ang noo niya't naging matalim ang mga mata. "Nandito na naman kayong apat? Didn't I tell you that I don't want you to interfere with police work?"

"But we're not interfering with anything, sir," lakas-loob na sagot ni Loki. "We're just chilling in the campus police station. There's no crime scene here so there's nothing for us interfere with."

Hindi ko alam kung dapat ko ba siyang hangaan sa pamimilosopo niya. It takes guts to talk back to a scary police officer like Inspector Morales. Loki obviously had the guts.

"We both know that you're here for a reason related to a case." Inspector Morales raised his chin. "You asked access to the security footage on the day of Augustus' death, but we already have the tapes here. Akala n'yo ba'y 'di ko naisip na makikialam kayo? I already played along with your charade during the solidarity night. That's the only favor I'd ever grant."

"Inspector..." Loki took a deep breath. "I believe it's time for us to set aside the dumb protocols and start working together. My brother was falsely accused of being connected to that monster. That's an affront not only to him, but to me and the Mendez bloodline as well. It has become too personal now. Let's combine our wits together and find out who's trying to distract us from the real chase."

q.e.d.

If you've enjoyed reading this update, share your thoughts or theories on Twitter using the hashtag #ProjectLOKI!