A/N: The "November rush" continues! This is the first update for today (11/10/2020). There's a second one!

LORELEI

SOMETHING DID not feel quite right in Clark High. Ilang araw pa lang ang nakalilipas, pakiramdam ko'y malaki na ang pagbabago rito. Maybe I was just exaggerating. Or maybe I was just getting emotional. I was starting to think that it was no longer the school that I used to know when I transfered here.

Maggie's death might have had the most impact among them all. Nasanay na akong nakikita siya lagi sa execom office o nakasasalubong sa hallway at nagbabawal ng mga pasaway na estudyante. Now the corridors felt empty without her presence. Bumaba rin ang morale ng mga execom member mula nang mawala siya. They skipped their duties and they no longer reported to the office.

Rosie's planned disappearance also changed the atmosphere in the classroom. She's still alive though, but her presence meant so much not only to me, but also to my other classmates. Parang nabawasan ang "kulay" sa klase namin. Despite who she was and what she did, I kinda missed her morning greetings and her wide grin whenever our eyes meet.

Loki's absence also made me feel that something was off. Oo, lagi kaming magkasama sa apartment, pero iba pa rin ang feeling kapag 'di namin naaaninag ni anino niya sa campus. It felt like the puzzle was missing a huge chunk of it.

"Are you not coming to school today?" tanong ko pagkalabas ng aking kwarto matapos magbihis at mag-ayos. It's already six-forty and he hasn't moved on the couch since I found him there.

He shook his head slowly in response. He was still covered in blanket. His hair was a mess and his eyes looked tired. I updated him yesterday sa meeting namin kay Hel. I told him what we told his self-proclaimed daughter, if I could borrow that phrase. He seemed not that interested in the discussion. Tumatango siya at napapa-"oh?" minsan. Walang kinang sa kanyang mga mata, 'di gaya dati.

Nagawi ang tingin ko sa folder na nasa mesa. I wanted to talk to him about it, pero mukhang wala pa siya sa mood. Ni hindi nga niya ako tinanong kung bakit ko isinulat ang pangalan ni Jaime Santiago sa sticky note at inilagay sa gitna ng web. He seemed to have lost his enthusiasm in everything.

But I trust that he'd regain it soon enough. In due time, the old Loki would be back to his usual self. I'd see again the sparkle in his eyes as he starts to make deductions about a case.

Normally I would have told him to get his ass off the couch and prepare for school. His absence, while totally understandable, might take a toll in his academics. But for now, I'd let him be. Mabuti nga't nakalalabas na siya ng kanyang kuwarto at kumakain na rin kapag tinatawag ko. That's already an improvement in itself.

Gaya ng nakasanayan, dumiretso ako sa execom office bago magsimula ang aming morning period. The door was already opened, but no one was inside. I wandered around the room, trailing my fingers across the round table. Napansin ko ang picture ni Maggie na naka-frame at nakalagay sa taas ng cabinet. This wasn't here before. Malamang nilagay ni Rye o ng iba pang execom member bilang pag-aalala sa dati naming chairwoman.

"Bakit ang aga mo?"

Bigla akong lumingon sa likuran. I thought I heard Maggie's voice. But no one was here except me. Baka guni-guni ko lang 'yon. O baka nagpaparamdam siya sa akin. She's always in this office when she's still alive. Hindi na ako magugulat pa kung dadalaw siya rito. Would I be afraid of her spirit? No.

I lifted the photo frame and touched Maggie's face on it. I had to thank her for the audio clips that she left for us. Nakakuha ako ng malaking clue tungkol kay M. If we wanted to make sure that her death wouldn't be in vain and that the justice she longed for would be delivered, we have to solve and close the M case once and for all.

"Good morning, Lori."

This time, I was a hundred percent sure that voice wasn't a product of my imagination. I heard the door creaked behind me. Lumingon ako sa pintuan at bumungad sa akin ang mukha ni Jamie. Napaaga yata ang pagpasok niya ngayon, ah?

"Good morning too, Jamie."

She pulled a chair and sat on it. Naglabas siya ng compact powder mula sa bag niya at naglagay ng kaunti sa kanyang mukha. There's still awkwardness between us. But hearing her greet me this morning was a good sign.

Pagkatapos ng meeting namin kay Hel kahapon, medyo may uneasy feeling pa rin sa loob ng sasakyan ni Alistair. She kept on being quiet the whole trip while resting her face on her palm. Wala yata siya sa mood na makipag-usap sa amin noon. Nagpatugtog na lang ng songs si Alistair para 'di boring ang aming biyahe.

Bumalik ako sa aking upuan at tahimik na nag-scroll sa aking social media feed. Namayani ang katahimikan sa office. We were busy doing our own thing na parang strangers kami na na-trap sa iisang kuwarto.

"Lori," Jamie called, putting down her compact powder. Iniangat ko ang aking tingin sa kanya. "I hope this isn't late yet, but I'm sorry."

Kumurap ang mga mata ko at bahagyang kumunot ang aking noo. I didn't see that coming.

"Pinagnilayan ko kagabi 'yong sinabi ni Al," she went on, looking down. "While my reaction—or overreaction—was justified, that shouldn't invalidate your reasons for not sharing with me what you've been thinking. I guess I got carried away kaya nakalimutan kong maging rational."

Patuloy ang pagkurap ng mga mata ko sa kanya. My lips parted slightly, as I was about to say something, but I held my tongue when she seemed to be not done yet.

"I don't know what made you think that my brother's death might be a big piece in the puzzle that is M," Jamie said. "Maybe you realized something that proves that I was right about my foul play theory. Maybe you realized something that hints there's much more than what I knew about it. What I'm trying to say is that, I'm willing to defend what remains of my brother's memory and legacy. And you not telling us about it might be a sign na there's something I shouldn't know for the time being."

She got the last part right. There's really something that I couldn't tell her at this very moment. Why? Because it's complicated. Overly complicated. Pero naiintindihan ko siya. I had to put myself in her shoes to fully understand how she thinks and feels. When you admire someone so much, you wouldn't want that person's image to be stained with dirt. You would fight fiercely to defend that person, whether he's right or wrong.

"You didn't have to say anything at all, but your apology is much appreciated and accepted." I smiled at her. "Ang importante'y nagkakaintindihan tayong dalawa. Ang importante'y natututo tayo—"

She then embraced me so tight, I almost couldn't breathe. She whispered in my ear, "Thank you, Lori." Niyakap ko rin siya nang mahigpit hanggang sa pakawalan na niya ako.

I felt somehow bad thinking this way, but this reconciliation could make things easier for me. I needed to ask her questions about her late brother. Her answers might be biased, but I might be able to read between the lines or beyond what she's gonna tell me. Hindi ko magagawa 'yon kung hostile ang attitude niya sa akin. Kailangan kong kunin ulit ang kanyang loob. Kaya nga ako na ang nagpakumbaba at unang humingi ng sorry sa kanya kahapon.

Bumalik na siya sa kanyang upuan at inayos ang kanyang make-up. Bumalik na ang liwanag sa mukha niya, parang gumaan na ang pakiramdam niya. I also felt the same. That burden on my chest was lifted. I could breathe freely again.

"I still remember the days after my brother died," Jamie said, her eyes staring blankly at the wall. "Ganito rin ang mood. Napakalungkot. Parang nagluluksa ang buong campus sa passing niya. Well, he's loved by the student body. He won by a landslide in the elections. As in tambak ang kalaban niya noon. Nakalulungkot nga lang, hindi niya natapos ang kanyang term."

I didn't expect her to share something this early, but it's a good conversation starter.

"He must be the perfect brother that anyone could hope for," I replied, forcing a smile. "Hindi ko alam ang feeling ng may kuya dahil mag-isa lang ako. Al's the only one who comes close to my ideal image of a brother."

"My brother does not try to be perfect, but he tries to be the best!" nakangiting tugon ni Jamie. Her eyes sparkled with joy. "Alam mo ba na noong siya ang student council president, medyo untouchable ako? Not in the sense na pwede akong mag-break ng rules tapos walang consequences. Pero natatakot ang mga lalaki na lumapit sa akin. I wasn't scary or ugly back then, ha?"

"Oh?" I feigned interest. She might brag about her beauty, which she rightfully earned.

"There's one time na may nambastos sa akin." Muling ibinaling ni tingin ni Jamie sa salamin ng kanyang compact powder. Pasulyap-sulyap siya sa akin habang nagkukuwento. "The next day, lumuhod siya sa haparan ko at ng ibang students tapos humingi ng sorry. Hindi siya tumayo hangga't hindi ko tinatanggap ang paumanhin niya. My brother probably heard about me being harassed kaya gumawa siya ng paraan upang ma-correct 'yon."

Bahagyang naningkit ang mga mata ko. If my impression of the person was spot on, Jaime probably threatened that boy to make a public apology. If he didn't do as he was asked, something bad might happen to him.

"Did I mention before na napaka-protective niya sa akin?" Jamie took a pause to look at me. "Pati nga lamok, ayaw niyang dumampi sa balat ko. Exaggeration, yeah. But you got my point, 'di ba? Kaya nga ngayong wala na siya..." Her voice trailed off. "... I have to protect him. Dead men can't protect their honor anymore. It's up to us, the living, to defend them."

And that's gonna be a problem once I tell her what I know. She's gonna defend him. She's gonna fight to the death to preserve her brother's image.

"You two seemed to be quite close," I commented. "Ibang-iba sa relationship nina Loki at Luthor. Parang aso't pusa ang dalawa, hindi nagkakasundo. Well, si Loki kadalasan ang pasimuno ng gulo."

"Sobrang close!" Jamie corrected me. "Since our parents died two years apart, wala kaming maaasahan kundi ang mga sarili namin. Kaya gano'n kami kadikit dalawa. We have each other's back."

Ang sabi nila, kapag sobrang close mo sa isang tao, limitado ang nakikita mo sa kanya. You only focus on what's in front of you and ignore the things on the peripherals—like that person's flaws, imperfections and shortcomings. Posibleng gano'n ang kaso nitong si Jamie kaya puro papuri ang sinasabi niya tungkol sa kanyang kuya.

"Sa sobrang close n'yo siguro, transparent siya sa 'yo sa lahat ng ginagawa niya." I didn't want that statement to sound like a question. Magmumukhang kumukuha ako ng impormasyon. Pero 'yan ang gusto ko talagang malaman. Jamie's awareness of her brother's alter ego as the original M depends on how much she knew about him.

Jamie paused, her eyes glancing to the right. "Hindi naman sa lahat. He also kept some things from me. For example, pagdating sa council work, hindi siya masyadong nagse-share sa akin unless gusto niyang hingin ang opinion ko sa isang proposal."

So there's a chance she couldn't have known about that thing. But what she said wasn't conclusive.

"Are you aware ba kung merong—"

"Mukhang okay na kayong dalawa, ah?"

Our conversation got interrupted when the door swung open and Alistair entered with a bag slung over his shoulder. He greeted us with his ever present smile. He pulled the chair beside me and settled down.

"I'm glad that you two are more comfortable now," he said.

"Well, Lori and I are besties!" tugon ni Jamie sabay akbay sa akin. I got pulled closer to her. "We won't let a simple misunderstaning ruin our friendship, right?"

I nodded. "Y-Yeah."

That made Alistair's smile wider. Nagpapasalamat siguro siya dahil mawawala na ang awkwardness mamaya sa kanyang sasakyan kapag inihatid niya kami. Iginala niya ang kanyang mga mata sa office. "Loki's not coming in today?"

Umiling ako matapos pakawalan ni Jamie. "Mukhang wala pa siya sa mood para pumasok. Nagmumukmok pa rin siya sa sala pagkagising ko kanina."

"Talagang dinibdib niya ang pagkawala ni Maggie, 'no?" Napabuntong-hininga si Jamie at saka tumingin sa ibaba. "Nakaka-miss din talaga si madam chair. Parang nag-iba na ang aura nitong office mula nang mawala siya."

"How about Luthor?" tanong ni Alistair. "Have you heard anything about him?"

"Dapat ba natin siyang bisitahin ulit sa ospital?" dagdag na tanong ni Jamie. "Baka kailangan natin siyang i-cheer up, especially ngayon?"

I shook my head. "Tita Frigette told me na mabuti na ang lagay niya. He'd be discharged anytime soon. Pero she told me na we shouldn't visit him anymore in the hospital."

"Bakit naman?" pagulat na tanong ni Jamie. "Luthor's also probably hurt by Maggie's passing. Baka pwede natin siyang bisitahin at i-comfort. Wala naman sigurong nakakahawang sakit ang future bro-in-law ko, 'no? Hala! Baka may mas malala siyang sakit?"

Medyo OA naman nitong si Jamie. The danger on Luthor's life courtesy of the poison had already passed.

"Si Luthor mismo ang ayaw tumanggap ng bisita," sabi ko. "Bisitahin na lang daw natin siya kapag nakalabas na siya ng ospital at okay na ang pakiramdam niya."

I wanted to see how Luthor's doing since Maggie' death. I haven't heard from him in a while. Hindi rin masyadong nagse-share si Tita Frigette kung paano siya nagko-cope magmula nang malaman niyang naaksidente ang isa sa mga pinagkakatiwalaan niya. "He's taking it well," laging sagot ni tita sa akin. Wala nang elaboration.

Kahit gustong-gusto ko siyang bisitahin, naiintindihan ko kung bakit mas pinili niyang huwag kaming papuntahin doon. If the four of us kept on visiting him, Stein might suspect that something was up. Mas mabuti na kung dumistansya muna kami sa kanya habang hindi pa siya nakakabalik dito.

"Wala pa akong natatanggap na update mula kay tita," dugtong ko. "I don't think Luthor will be coming to his classes today or tomorrow."

"Sana maging okay na silang dalawa ni Loki dear," nakasimangot na sabi ni Jamie. "I wish na everything will go back to normal, but I doubt na mangyayari pa 'yon. Things have changed. Things will still change."

For the third time, the door creaked open. Rye Rubio—and his signature coat draped over his shoulders—walked in and almost took the seat in front of us. Paupo na siya nang bigla siyang huminto at tumayo ulit. He then settled down in the chair next to it. 'Yon kasi ang usual spot ni Maggie noong nandito pa siya. Maybe out of respect for her, Rye chose to leave it vacant.

Kung may kakaiba man kay Rye ngayon, 'yon ay ang toothpick na kagat-kagat niya. That used to be a lollipop stick. Maybe he's also decided to quit sucking lollipop and playing with the stick between his teeth?

"Good morning," bati niya sa amin. Since Maggie's death, he became the acting chairperson of the executive committee. Hindi na kami nagulat pa, lalo't siya ang laging kasama ng dati naming boss sa mga importanteng lakad.

"Good morning too."

"We need to get back to work," Rye said. He stood and laid his palms flat on the table surface. "Bumabalik na naman ang mga pasaway na estudyante dahil naging maluwag tayo last week. Alam kong may mga nagluluksa pa rin para sa dati nating chairwoman, pero alam kong mas matutuwa siya kung itutuloy natin ang nasimulan niya."

Napahawak ako sa badge na naka-pin sa aking collar. This was the last thing that Maggie personally gave me, right after we decided to join the execom.

"For our usual tasks, we will restart the deployment in key parts of the campus," Rye went on. "For our special task, we will review the audio clips that Maggie left us. Lorelei?"

I swallowed the lump in my throat as my eyes blinked once. "Yes?"

"Binigyan na kita ng copy ng mga audio clip last week, 'di ba?" tanong niya. Sabay na napatingin sa akin sina Jamie at Alistair, may kaunting pagtataka sa kanilang mukha. "Have you listened to them?"

"I... uhm..." I reluctantly returned their gaze. Hindi ko alam kung ano ang sasabihin sa kanila. Not once did I mention anything about the clips. Umiling na lang ako. "Hindi ko pa napapakinggan ang mga audio clip. Dahil sa dami at bigat ng mga nangyari last week, nawala ako sa mood."

I had to lie. Again. Those clips gave me hint why Rhea thought that M was trying to be a Samaritan and how Jaime Santiago fit into the picture. Sakaling ma-realize nila kung ano ang na-realize ko, I wonder what Jamie's reaction would be.

"That's okay." Rye nodded. Hindi ko masabi kung talagang okay lang talaga sa kanya. He kept a straight face. "We'll listen to them as soon as we're able. Teka, hindi pa rin ba pumapasok si Loki?"

Umiling ulit ako. "He's not yet feeling well."

"I hope he comes back soon," Rye replied. "Kailangan natin ang lahat ng resources na meron tayo para sa imbestigasyon na 'to. The best way to honor Maggie's memory is to solve the case that she's working on before she..." Hindi na niya nagawang tapusin ang sasabihin niya. Napatingin na lang siya sa ibaba.

"Wait, she's working on the M case while we're dealing with all the mess in Clark High?" tanong ni Jamie.

Madiin ang pagtango ni Rye. "In between the issues we dealt with, nakahanap siya ng oras para magtanong-tanong sa mga estudyanteng nakaaalala pa sa mga kasong related kay M. She recorded interviews with those students, hoping that she'd find something. Kung napansin n'yo, may mga pagkakataon na hindi kami agad nakakapag-attend sa briefings natin dito sa office. Doon namin isinisingit ang pagsasagawa ng interview."

Kaya pala minsan, kahit expected naming nandito na silang dalawa sa office, wala pa rin sila. Take note: May ibang case pa kaming iniiimbestigahan, pero nagawa ni Maggie na mag-multi-task.

"Ite-text ko sa inyo ang mga assignment n'yo. Kung wala na kayong tanong, dismiss."

After our morning briefing in the execom office, naghiwalay na kaming tatlo ng landas. Nagtungo na kaming dalawa ni Alistair sa aming classroom. While on the way there, he looked like he wanted to ask something, but he decided to keep it to himself. Either he wanted to know more about the clips or he noticed that I was lying when I told them that I didn't listen to the clips yet.

When our Math time came, Sir Jim Morayta didn't come to our class. May meeting daw ang faculty members kaya hindi siya makaka-attend, pero may ipinagawa siyang seatwork sa amin. The word "class unity" started to buzz around the room as my classmates exchanged notes to—how do I put it mildly—compare if their answers were correct.

Sir Jim, huh? He revealed to us during Maggie's burial some pieces of information that we didn't know about Jaime Santiago. Being the president of the Math-Physics Society. Asking if killing a bad person would reduce the number of bad people in the world. He said that they weren't close, but he might have known more than he realized. Mukhang harmless ang dalawang statement ni Jaime na shinare niya sa amin. Pero nagbigay ang mga 'yon ng dagdag na insight sa dating student council president.

So once the time was up for our Math period, kinausap ko ang aming class president at nag-volunteer na ako na ang maghahatid ng mga worksheet kay Sir Jim. She was thankful to me dahil hindi na niyang kinailangang umakyat-baba sa faculty room.

"Do you want me to help you?" tanong ni Alistair.

Umiling ako. Iilang piraso ng papel lang naman ang kailangan kong dalhin. If I were carrying a bunch of books, I might be needing his help. "Kaya ko na 'to."

"You sure?"

"Uh-uh."

Lumabas na ako sa classroom at bumaba sa hagdan hanggang sa marating ang ground floor. When I arrived before the glass door of the faculty room, sumilip muna ako para tingnan kung nandyan na si Sir Jim. Mukhang tapos na ang kanilang meeting dahil nagsiupo na sa kani-kanilang spot ang mga teacher.

"Miss Rios?"

My shoulders jerked upwards when I heard a familiar voice call my name. Dahan-dahan akong lumingon sa aking likuran. The smiling face of Sir Friedrich Rivera greeted me. Nanlaki ang mga mata ko nang makita siya roon.

Wasn't he in the custody of the campus police? Wait, that was a week ago. Ngayon ko ulit siya nakita magmula nang huli ko siyang masulyapan sa station. He surrendered himself to the police and confessed to killing the late editor-in-chief Augustus Moran. Itinuro pa nga niya ang lalagyan ng strychnine na ginamit umano niya. But Inspector Morgan Morales, the chief of campus police, suspected that something was off.

Teka. Parang nabanggit sa amin ni Sir Jim noong una kaming magkita sa libing ni Maggie na pinalaya ng campus police si Sir Rich? I wasn't entirely sure. I was mourning back then so some information might have gone in one ear and out the other.

Well, I was glad to see him free and doing well. The four of us could vouch that he didn't go near Augustus on the day of the latter's death. There's no way he could have put the poison.

"I don't know if you've heard, but the inspector decided to let me walk free," he said as he stood face to face with me. There was a tone of relief in his voice. "He found the circumstances of my confession suspicious. He's right. I was blackmailed to admit to something I didn't do."

So the inspector chose not to press any charges against him? That's good news. Hindi makatarungan na ipadala sa kulungan ang isang tao kung may duda siya sa confession nito.

"I heard from him that you and your friends suggested there's no way I could have committed the crime," he went on. "For that I am thankful. I honestly thought that the footages on that day would link me to the murder."

I smiled at him. "We don't want an innocent person to pay for a crime that he couldn't have committed."

He smiled back. "Hindi muna kita kukulitin tungkol sa publishing offer sa 'yo. I know that last week was hard for you. My condolences to you and the executive committee. Who are you looking for? We just finished our meeting moments ago."

Until now, I haven't decided kung tatanggapin ko ba ang offer. Hindi pa ako nagkaroon ng time para seryosong pag-isipan 'yon. "Ibibigay ko lang ho sana itong worksheets namin kay Sir Jim."

"I think he's still inside." Binuksan ni Sir Rich ang pinto at nagmuwestra sa daanan. Pinauna na niya akong pumasok bago siya sumunod sa akin. Itinuro niya ang puwesto ni Sir Jim pagkatapos ay naghiwalay na kami. He went to the right while I walked to my left.

Nakaupo lang doon si Sir Jim habang may isinusulat sa kanyang notebook. The teachers who sat next to him weren't around. Baka pumasok na sila sa kani-kanilang klase. So if I were to ask him a confidential question, no one would overhear us.

Muli akong napalingon sa may pintuan dahil labas-pasok ang iba pang teacher at mga estudyanteng nagpapasa rin ng worksheet gaya ko.

"Excuse me, sir? Heto na po 'yong worksheets namin."

Nahinto siya sa pagsusulat at iniangat ang kanyang tingin sa akin. Medyo nagulat pa nga siyang makita akong nakatayo sa harapan niya.

"Lorelei?" He pushed back his eyeglasses as he twisted in his seat to face me. "Absent ba ang class president n'yo?"

"Hindi po. Nag-volunteer po akong i-deliver sa inyo ang mga 'to."

Kinuha niya ang mga dala kong papel at mabilisang ini-scan ang worksheets.

There's another reason why I was here. Gusto ko siyang tanungin kung ano pa ba ang alam niya tungkol kay Jaime Santiago. The question is: Could I trust him? Would asking him a few questions about a dead student put me in trouble?

I don't think so. Remember? He saved us from the late Officer Bastien Montreal in the abandoned building. He wouldn't have intervened in that situation if he's one of them. Oo, pinagkamalan siya noon ni Loki bilang si M, but it turned out to be wrong.

"Sir? Do you mind if I ask you some questions about Jaime Santiago?"

"Jaime Santiago?" he repeated, raising his eyes at me.

"The late student council president," I clarified. Baka si Jamie ang maisip niya.

"Sure." He reclined in his seat. "What do you wanna know about him?"

"Gusto ko lang sanang malaman kung—"

Sir Jim held up his left hand as the other pulled out a phone from his pocket. A series of numbers flashed on the screen. Someone was calling him.

"Sorry, do you mind if I take this call?" he asked.

"Go ahead, sir."

He excused himself and turned to the other direction. I folded my arms as I waited for him to return.

"I didn't expect to see you here. Alone."

My eyes grew wide as I felt shivers down my spine. No, that wasn't Luthor. I didn't feel his chilling aura.

Mabilis akong lumingon sa likuran kung saan galing ang familiar na boses. I only stared at the bespectacled figure of the student standing before me.

"Ayaw kong maging tsismoso, but why are you interested in Jaime Santiago?" Stein Alberts asked, smiling at me.

q.e.d.

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