A/N: This is my simple treat to you—a second update for Sunday night!

LORELEI

INSPECTOR MORALES stared at us intently. Looks like he hasn't made up his mind yet. Which could be a good sign. Ibig sabihin, hindi pa sarado ang isip niya sa possibility na bigyan kami ng access sa kanyang resources. Kung buo na ang desisyon niya, he would have already slapped Loki again with his resounding "no."

The next minute was a staring contest between him and Loki. Nagpalitan din kami ng tingin nina Jamie at Alistair. Napapakunot ang noo. Nanliliit ang mga mata. Napapakibit-balikat. We waited with bated breath for the inspector's answer.

"Under one condition," Inspector Morales spoke at last, raising a finger. "You will not do anything without my consent. Maliwanag ba?"

Parang nakahinga ako nang maliwanag. With or without any condition, that's already a win for us! Finally he decided to step aside and let us in.

"A very acceptable condition." Loki nodded. "We will not act without an express permission from you or the campus police."

Naningkit ang mga mata ko. He also said the same to Maggie when we were still applying to be part of the executive committee. We know what happened to that promise, right? He still found a way to work behind Maggie and tried to keep the execom out of the loop.

"Scout's honor?" the inspector asked.

Loki raised his right hand. Lumingon siya sa amin at sumenyas na gayahin namin siya. We awkwardly raised our right hands also. Parang nagpa-Panatang Makabayan kami.

"Scout's honor," Loki promised. We followed in chorus.

I hope he'd never think of breaking his vow. Hindi na si Maggie ang kaharap niya ngayon, kung 'di si Inspector Morales na mismo. If he tries something funny, he'd be kicked out of the campus police station. We as well.

"I don't know if this is within your power as chief of campus police," Loki went on, lowering his hand. Ibinaba na rin namin ang aming mga kamay. "Maybe you can induct us as junior campus police detectives—"

"No," the inspector cut him off. "This won't be a permanent arrangement. I'm only doing this as a favor to your father. Kung hindi niya ako hiningan ng pabor, hinding-hindi ko kayo papayagang makialam sa trabaho namin."

"Is it about the scar across your nose?" Loki teased. Uh-oh. Maybe he shouldn't have mentioned that thing.

The inspector's face darkened. He looked scarier than he was a second ago. Para siyang leyon na gustong lapain si Loki. Bakit kasi binanggit niya ang tungkol doon? He could have shut his mouth.

"What's with the scar thing that Loki mentioned?" Alistair whispered to me.

"May kuwento raw sa likod ng peklat ni inspector," I answered, whispering back to him. "It sounds like a secret he doesn't want to be exposed. Only Loki's mom and dad know about it."

"Great!" Jamie clapped, breaking the tension in the room. She grinned from ear to ear. "Ilang minutes na lang ang natitira sa morning break namin kaya baka pwedeng mag-start na tayo sa kung anuman ang dapat nating pag-usapan?"

The inspector's face became less scary. "Follow me. Let me brief you about what we know so far."

He led the way to what looked like a conference room. May kahon-kahong files na nakatambak sa gilid at kasing tangkad ko na. Meron ding board sa may harapan ng room. I saw the photo of Augustus at center of the board. His autopsy and toxicology reports were also on the side.

We took our seats around the table. The inspector remained standing, his hands still behind his back. He reminded me of Luthor who likes to do the same.

"As you know, Sir Friedrich Rivera turned himself in and confessed to killing Augustus Moran," the inspector said. "We found a bottle of strychnine in his desk drawer."

"Where is he now?" Loki asked. "Has he been transfered to the city jail?"

"You will only speak when I let you." The inspector gave him a sharp look. "You promised to not do anything without my permission, did you not? I haven't given you the permission to speak yet."

"My apologies." Loki shrank into his seat.

"Kung si Estrada pa siguro ang chief ng campus police, sigurado akong ipina-transfer at ipina-inquest na niya si Rivera sa city jail," Inspector Morales said. Was it me or did he lowkey insult the former inspector? "Sa experience ko bilang alagad ng batas, may pagkakataon na ang taong nahuhuli namin ay fall guy para sa isang krimen. Sa kaso ni Rivera, 'di ko maiwasang magkaroon ng pagdududa."

"I knew it!" Jamie whispered. Well, she's the one who opened the possibility of Sir Rich being forced to confess to the crime.

"Rivera is still in the custody of the campus police," Inspector Morales said. "Nasa detention room siya magdamag. Minabuti kong dito muna siya habang wala pa akong desisyon. Hindi pa ako sigurado kung itutuloy ko ang pagsasampa sa kanya ng kasong murder para sa pagpatay kay Augustus. Ayaw ko siyang basta-basta ipadala sa city jail nang hindi malinaw ang lahat sa akin."

Loki raised his hand. At least, he's being polite now. The inspector nodded at him. "What's holding you back from charging him with that case?"

"The convenience of the evidence," Inspector Morales answered. "That bottle of strychnine was found in his desk. Kung ang murderer ay katulad ng mga kriminal na nahuli ko noon, tinapon na niya dapat ang lason. In this case, however, he held on that bottle of poison. He could have thrown it away right after poisoning Augustus. But he kept it. That doesn't seem to fit the workings of a criminal mind."

I had the same thoughts. Parang sinadya na itago sa desk ni Sir Rich ang lason para agad makita ng mga pulis at may makuha na silang ebidensya laban sa kanya. Gaya ng sinabi ni Loki, the third party was careful to the extreme. This was obviously sloppy.

"I can't detain him for another 24 hours or so without any charge," Inspector Morales went on. "I have to make a decision on whether to send him to the city jail or let him walk free. Yesterday, I asked my men to collect the surveillance footages of Rivera from the moment he entered the campus on the day of Augustus' death. Gusto naming ma-confirm kung talaga bang may pagkakataon siyang lasunin si Augustus."

Loki raised his hand for the second time. I have a feeling na dito lang siya mahilig magtaas ng kamay. He doesn't care that much about academics, so I doubt that he'd be raising his hands too during class recitations.

"We volunteer to review those footages," Loki said after being acknowledged by the inspector. "If there's one thing we're also good at, it's watching video footages and spotting what's strange in them."

"'I knew you'd say that." May binunot si Inspector Morales mula sa kanyang bulsa. A black flash drive. He threw it on the table, making it slide to Loki's space. "Inside that device are the surveillance footages following Augustus Moran and Friedrich Rivera. Tell me what you find by the time your afternoon classes are over. Not a minute later."

"You can count on us," Loki assured him.

"Once we answer the question on whether he did it or not, you'll tell me what you know that I do not know," the inspector said.

We left the campus police station with the flash drive that might contain the answer that we're looking for. Pinaglalaruan pa nga 'yon ni Loki. He's throwing it up in the air and catching it repeatedly.

"I'm pretty sure he's testing us," he commented, smirking. "He already knew the answer. He wants to know if we'd arrive at the same conclusion."

"Paano mo nasabi?"

"Inspector Morales doesn't look like a man who would go to sleep without knowing the answer to the question that puzzled him. He probably reviewed the footages over and over before he went to bed last night."

"Aba, may screening exam pala?" komento ni Jamie. "Wala ba siyang tiwala sa atin? Nakalimutan na ba niya kung sino tayo? We're the freaking QED Club!"

"Maybe he wants to know if we're worthy of his trust," Alistair replied. "We're investigating a murder case after all, not putting together a jigsaw puzzle."

"I'll make sure that he deems us worthy," Loki boasted. "You go back to your rooms. I'll go to the Cyberspace Room and review the footages. I'll let you know if I find something."

"No." Hinablot ko ang flash drive nang muli niya itong ihagis. "Magre-resume na ang morning period natin. Kailangan mo munang pumasok sa classes mo."

He tried to grab the drive from me. Para siyang bata na ninakawan ng lollipop. Mabuti't mabilis kong naibulsa ang flash drive. I hid it in my clenched fist inside my skirt pocket. He hesitated on whether he'd still try to steal it back from me or not.

"This case is more important than my classes," Loki told me. "We only have a few hours before the inspector's deadline."

"'Di ba't pinagyabang mo kanina na magaling tayo sa pagre-review ng footages?" pang-aasar ko sa kanya. "We could definitely find the answer by lunch time and before the deadline. Kaya wala tayong dapat ikabahala, 'di ba?"

"Sorry, Loki dear, I'm gonna side with Lori on this one," Jamie added. Wow, I didn't see that coming. I thought she'd also be begging for me to give the flash drive back to her dear. "Solving cases is important, but going to classes is importanter—I mean, more important."

"But—"

"No buts!" sabay naming sabi ni Jamie. It felt good to be on the same side. Mas maganda ngang dalawa kaming nanenermon kay Loki. Para mas tumagos ang mga pangaral namin sa kanya.

"Alistair?" tunog na naghahanap ng kakampi si Loki. "Can you knock some sense into them?"

Pero mali siya ng taong hiningan ng suporta.

"Sorry, but I'm also with them," Alistair said, jerking his thumb to us. "Reviewing the footages can wait. We still have enough time to do it later during lunch time."

Loki let out a long sigh, looking disappointed. "When will you side with me? Just this once, can't you be my ally?"

Napangiti na lang sa kanya si Alistair, hindi na sumagot pa.

Loki was clearly outvoted, three to one. So he had no choice but to wait until lunch time.

Dahil hindi ko dala ang aking laptop—at walang may dalang laptop sa aming apat—we decided to go to the CyberSpace Room. Nauna na kaming tatlo nina Loki at Alistair doon. We waited outside for Jamie who went to the cafeteria to buy us food and drinks. Alistair asked her kung kailangan niya ng tulong, but she said she's okay. So it's gonna be a working lunch, huh? But there's just one problem.

"No food and drinks allowed sa loob, 'di ba?" tanong ko kay Jamie pagkarating niya na may dala-dalang supot ng packed meals.

Nakapamewang siyang humarap sa amin na parang may mali sa sinabi ko. Itinuro ko pa sa kanya ang sign na nagsasabing bawal ang pagkain at inumin sa loob.

"Wala ka talagang tiwala sa akin, Lori!" she said. Itinuro niya ang kanyang sarili sabay sabing, "Walang sign-sign sa isang Jamie Santiago, okay?"

Mukhang alam ko na kung paano niya babaluktutin ang batas. She'd be using her charms on the person stationed inside the CyberSpace Room. Medyo nagkaroon na ako ng duda sa charming skills niya mula nang hindi 'yon tumalab kay Inspector Morales. Maybe she's losing her touch already? But I'd rather not underestimate her.

"But we're execom members," Alistair said. Napahawak siya sa badge na naka-pin sa kanyang collar. I also looked at mine. "Tayo mismo dapat ang sumusunod sa school rules and regulations."

Ngumiti sa kanya si Jamie na hinawakan din ang sariling badge. She then unpinned it and slid it into her pocket. "Problem solved! Wala nang makakaalam na taga-execom tayo. Hindi na natin kailangang strictly sumunod sa rules na ipinapatupad natin!"

Tuluyan na siyang pumasok sa loob ng CyberSpace Room. Tinanggal din ni Loki ang kanyang badge habang kami ni Alistair ay nagkatinginan. We telepathically asked each other if we'd be doing the same. But we decided not to.

Sa isang kindat at isang matamis na ngiti ni Jamie, pinayagan siyang pumasok dala-dala ang mga pagkain. Mukhang 'di pa naglalaho ang kanyang charm. Pagka-swipe namin ng aming ID sa sensor bilang record ng pag-log-in sa room, we went to the last row of computers. Loki took the seat while Alistair dragged three swivel chairs for me, Jamie and him.

Loki inserted the flash drive into the computer's USB port. Jamie distributed the packed meals that she bought for us, as well as the bottled water. Parang may film showing sa likuran ng CyberSpace Room. Nagsimula na kaming kumain habang pine-play ni Loki isa-isa ang mga surveillance clip.

***

Sir Rich couldn't have done it. That's my conclusion after watching the clips. There's no way he could have poisoned Augustus.

Why? Because they were never at the same place at any time before Augustus was invited to the board room!

When Augustus left the white hostel where he's staying, he went alone to the school building. Dumiretso siya sa locker area bago pa mangyari ang acting nina Loki at Luthor. Pagkatapos doon, pumunta muna siya sa Clarion office bago muling dumaan sa locker area para panoorin ang away ng magkapatid.

When he became satisfied with what he saw, umakyat na siya sa kanilang classroom. He returned to the Clarion office during the break. Nakita ko pa nga sa screen ang pagpasok naming dalawa ni Maggie sa kanyang office para sunduin siya. The last time I saw Augustus on screen was when we escorted him to the board room.

Meanwhile, Sir Rich arrived at the campus grounds around the time that the Loki-Luthor act was done. Dumiretso siya sa faculty room at lumabas nang mag-ring na ang school bell. He then went to his classes for the morning period.

Nang muling tumunog ang bell para sa morning break, we saw him leave the campus. That must be the time he went to the printing press to make the general manager confess about the embezzlement. Pagbalik niya, dumiretso siya sa faculty room at lumabas kasama si Sir Jim Morayta. Doon na sila nagtungo sa board room.

The only time that Augustus and Sir Rich were in the same room at the same time was during the board room confontation. When he left the board room, bumalik siya sa faculty room at hindi lumabas hanggang sa may nangyari na kay Augustus.

So how could he have administered the poison to Augustus if he hasn't had the chance?

At 'yon ang sinabi namin kay Inspector Morales pagka-dismiss ng aming klase nitong hapon. We still don't know how exactly the poison got into Augustus' system, but the events showed that Sir Rich couldn't have done it.

He was being framed.

"Hmmm..." Inspector Morales was caressing his chin after we offered him our answer. "I also came to the same conclusion."

Loki was confident about it. Jamie was also confident because Loki was confident. Alistair was not that confident because he still had some reservations.

"Taking into consideration all of the common methods where a person could have introduced the fatal dosage of strychnine to another, it seems unlikely that Sir Friedrice poisoned Augustus," Loki said. "The only way he could have committed the crime was through him being invisible in the surveillance footages or him being so creative that we didn't think he could poison someone through a very ingenious method."

"If he didn't kill Augustus, someone asked him to take the fall," Inspector Morales said. "And that someone is probably the real murderer."

"Baka binlackmail niya si Sir Rivera para akuin ang krimen—" Jamie covered her mouth as soon as she realized she did not ask permission to speak. "Sorry!"

Alistair raised his hand, waiting to be acknowledged by the inspector. When he got the nod, he spoke. "Kailangan nating malaman kung paano nalason si Augustus. Kung magbabase kasi tayo sa data na meron tayo ngayon, mukha ngang imposible na si Sir Rivera ang lumason sa kanya. Based on what we've observed, there's no way he could have done it."

"The problem is I can't detain him any longer in this station without any charge," Inspector Morales said. "Ayaw ko namang pasampahan siya ng kasong murder kahit na kaduda-duda ang kanyang confession at hindi nagtutugma ang circumstances na napansin natin."

Muling nagtaas ng kamay si Alistair. "Maybe you should let the court decide whether he's guilty or not. That's how the justice system works, right? He will be proven guilty if he is guilty."

"I envy you, Alistair," Loki said. "You have so much faith in our justice system. The present circumstances tell us that Sir Friedrice couldn't have done it. If the inspector sends him to jail for a crime he didn't commit, imagine how many months or years he would have rotten in detention. And if the judge who's gonna hand down the verdict isn't smart enough, he's gonna find the teacher guilty just because of a flimsy confession."

"So the inspector should let him walk free?" Alistair asked.

"Until we—I mean, the inspector—finds evidence that proves his guilt," Loki replied, turning to the veteran police officer. "Just because Sir Friedrice has a bottle of strychnine in his desk doesn't automatically mean he's guilty. Someone could have planted it. Someone could have asked him to bring that bottle."

"Thank you for your unsolicited advice on what I should do with Rivera," the inspector said. "But that's up to me now."

I had to thank the inspector for breaking up the building tension between Loki and Alistair. Mukhang maging sa kaso na 'to, magkaiba ang approach na kanilang gusto. While I believe that Sir Rich could be innocent, there's still a blank that needed to be filled in.

Beep! Beep!

I took out my phone as I felt it vibrating in my pocket. I couldn't think of anyone who would be sending me a text message around this time. Maybe it's from my dad? Tita Martha hinted this morning na baka contact-in niya ako.

Pagtingin ko sa screen, I saw Tita Frigette's name.

Lulu is awake! Visit him when you have time, dear.

Hindi ko napigilang mapangiti habang binabasa ang kanyang message. I nudged Loki on the elbow and showed him the news. Malamang may natanggap na rin siyang message pero 'di lang niya tsine-check ang kanyang phone.

Nagtaas ng kamay si Loki sabay tayo. "Sorry, inspector, but I think we have to call it a day. My brother is now awake and I have some questions for him."

"Talaga?!" Napapalakpak si Jamie sa tuwa. "Gising na si future bro-in-law ko?"

"His mom texted me," sabi ko sabay harap sa kanya ng aking phone. Oops. Maybe that's not the right move. Magmumukhang pinagyayabang ko na tine-text ako ng mama ng kanyang Loki dear. She might feel offended.

"I'm giving you permission to leave," Inspector Morales said, opening the door of the conference room. "Please send my get well soon message to your brother and my regards to your father."

"We'll relay your message."

Nagmadali na kaming lumabas ng campus police station at nagtungo sa parking lot. We took our usual spots in Alistair's car. Hindi namin alam kung may pa-meeting pa si Maggie sa execom office, but she'd surely understand kung bakit mas inuna namin ang pagbisita kay Luthor.

Jamie asked Alistair to stop the car in front of the fruit stand along the way. Pinaninindigan talaga niya ang kanyang pagiging concerned na future sis-in-law. Siya na mismo ang bumaba ng kotse para bumili ng mga prutas na dadalhin namin sa ospital. Mas makaka-discount daw siya kung siya ang makikiusap sa nagtitinda.

She returned with a basket of assorted fruits. Parang feeling ko malapit na ang New Year dahil puro bilog na prutas ang pinagbibili niya. Well, it's the thought that counts.

The drive to the hospital was more than half an hour, thanks to the traffic. Alistair parked his car in the basement parking. Siya na ang nag-volunteer na buhatin ang basket of fruits na dala ni Jamie. Loki led the way into the elevator and pressed the button going to the fifth floor.

"Lori, how do I look?" tanong ni Jamie sabay lapit ng kanyang mukha sa akin. She combed her hair with her fingers and pursed her lips. "Nandyan sina tito at tita, 'di ba? Kaya dapat presentable ang itsura ko!"

"You look... fine," I replied awkwardly. I'm not a good critique at how a person looks. But for Jamie, she looks pretty kahit walang make-up at kahit pagod na siya. It's kinda effortless for her.

"Ayaw kong magmukhang haggard kapag nagmano ako kina Tita Frig at Tito Odinaire." Naglabas pa talaga siya ng pocket mirror para tingnan ang itsura niya. "Ano'ng say mo, Al? Okay ba ang itsura ko? Karapat-dapat na ba akong maging daughter-in-law nila?"

"You always look gorgeous," Alistair said, making Jamie blush a little. If he says it, it must be true. He wouldn't lie about a simple compliment.

We felt the elevator stop as a "ding!" sound came off. The doors slid open. Pahakbang na sana kami palabas ng elevator... pero may nagpatigil sa amin.

My eyes widened for a second. Maging sina Jamie at Alistair ay nagulat din. Tanging si Loki lang ang nanatiling seryoso ang mukha.

"Ah, the QED Four! What a coincidence!"

Stein Alberts was smiling at us.

q.e.d.

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