CONTENT AND TRIGGER WARNING: This chapter contains content that might be troubling to some readers, including, but not limited to, depictions of and references to death, self-harm and suicide, graphic violence, sexual assault, strong language and more.

Please be mindful of these sensitive themes and other possible triggers. Remember to practice self-care before, during and after reading.

LORELEI

I BLEW the steam off my mug of hot chocolate as I stared at Loki's web of conspiracy on our apartment unit's wall. Na-update na siya ngayong gabi. Out of twenty-five, only four faces were familiar to me.

"Are you planning to make a collage or something?" I asked, looking at him over my shoulder. He sat slouched on the couch, reading The ABC Murders by Agatha Christie.

Ilang oras na ang lumipas mula nang makakuha kami ng importanteng clue mula kay Adonis Abellana. Agad na kumuha ang roommate ko ng kopya ng Clarion at isa-isang sinearch ang mga estudyanteng nasa masthead nito. Dinownload at ipina-print niya ang kanilang mga profile photo galing sa social media.

"One of them is definitely related to Moriarty. Now, we need to figure out who among them should be added to my spider's web," he replied, turning the page of the book. "If I were Moriarty and I have to pick one agent in the student paper, I'd choose someone with authority—an editor."

Hinawakan ko ang retrato ni Augustus Moran, ang editor-in-chief ng Clarion. Among all the writers and editors on our list, he seemed to be the best choice to be Moriarty's asset. Meron siyang final say sa lahat ng ipina-publish at kaya niyang kontrolin ang impormasyon.

How about Agatha Cortez? Sa mga taga-Clarion, siya ang unang um-approach sa amin at nag-offer na i-publish ang mga case na sinolve namin ni Loki—with Augustus' approval whom I had not met back then. She also brought two cases before our club.

There was also the features editor who introduced herself as Felicity Ferrer. Kaninang umaga pa lang namin siya nakilala. Wala akong naramdamang masamang aura sa kaniya. Never did it cross my mind na puwede siyang maging tauhan ni Moriarty.

Kasama rin ang babaeng iniligtas namin ni Alistair sa Petrarchan case. I forgot her name, but I could easily recognize her face. Sabi ni Agatha, maayos na ang kalagayan niya matapos siyang abusuhin ng kaniyang boyfriend.

Wait! That reminded me of something. Noong pinuntahan namin ang apartment kung saan siya ikinulong, agad na nakabalik ang boyfriend niya at tinangka kaming saksakin. Mabuti't na-disarm siya ni Alistair bago pa siya makapanakit sa amin. But a question lingered: Bakit parang alam niyang nandoon kami sa apartment para iligtas ang inabuso niyang girlfriend? Did someone tell him? If someone did, bilang sa mga daliri ng kamay ko ang nakakaalam ng impormasyong 'yon: Alistair, Augustus, Agatha, and me.

The rest of the editorial staff, hindi ko na kilala. We could not also discount the possibility that Moriarty's agent was someone not too prominent para maiwasan ang paghihinala sa kaniya. Or it might be the other way around. We needed to find a way para ma-eliminate ang lahat ng unlikely suspects.

"By the way," umupo ako sa isa pang couch matapos humigop ng mainit kong tsokolate, "have you talked to Alistair after the case?"

"Why should I? Is there something we need to talk about?" He turned another page without darting a glance at me. The topic did not interest him. Typical Loki.

"You had a difference of opinion about the plan. I thought you two should clear up the misunderstanding."

Ibinaba niya ang binabasang libro at umangat ang tingin sa akin. "I don't appreciate it whenever someone doesn't act and something doesn't go according to plan. Your childhood friend went off-script. His action almost botched the operation."

"You can't blame him for acting on what his moral code told him." To be blunt, I agreed with what my childhood friend did. Kahit anong klaseng plano ang iniluto ni Loki, hindi dapat nalalagay sa panganib ang buhay o dignidad ng tinuturing niyang pain. "How about Jamie? Have you apologized to her? For what almost happened?"

"Why should I?" he answered in monotone as he resumed reading the book. Gusto kong ibuhos ang iniinom kong hot chocolate sa kaniya. Parang wala siyang pakialam sa consequence ng plano niya. He only cared about the outcome because he always believed that the end would justify the means.

"Basta kausapin mo sila bukas, okay?"

Whenever Moriarty was involved, Loki had the tendency to forget his morals. During the serial disappearances case, kung hindi ko siya pinigilan, nilusaw na niya ang katawan ng suspek gamit ang sodium hydroxide. He also showed his brutal side when he confronted Stein Alberts and slammed him with a wooden chair in the head. At kanina, tinorture niya si Adonis para malaman kung saan nakatago ang mga pam-blackmail na hawak nito.

And then there were three knocks on the door. Tita Martha would knock only twice when visiting us so that could not be her. Naulit ang mga katok sa pinto, pero tila walang naririnig si Loki. Was he too absorbed with reading o baka tinatamad siyang tumayo gaya palagi?

Ako na mismo ang nagbukas ng pinto. Nakahihiya sa kasama ko na mas malapit sa pintuan. As soon as I turned the knob and swung the door inward, I was greeted by a man in blue police uniform. Nang iniangat ko ang aking tingin para makita ang mukha niya, bigla akong napaurong.

Standing before me was Officer Bastien Montreal, one of Moriarty's agents.

"Good evening, Lorelei. Nandiyan ba si Loki?"

Napalunok ako ng laway habang nakatitig sa seryosong mukha niya. What was he doing here? Was this a direct attack by the enemy?

"Lorelei?"

I shook my head to shrug those thoughts off. Hindi dapat ako kumilos o mag-react na parang aware akong isa siya sa mga tauhan ni Moriarty. Kalma lang, Lori. Act normal.

"Kayo pala 'yan, officer!" Pinilit kong ngumiti. That's how we would normally greet people who appeared at our doorsteps, right? "Opo, nandito siya. May kailangan ba kayo sa kaniya?"

"May message si Inspector Estrada para sa kaniya. Do you mind if I come in so we can discuss this inside?"

"Sure—"

Patutuluyin ko na sana siya, pero bigla kong naalala ang spider's web of conspiracy na nakadikit sa pader namin. Nandoon ang retrato niya na may nakakonektang pulang thread kay Stein. He should never ever catch a glimpse of Loki's artwork.

"P-Pasensiya na, officer. Medyo marumi kasi sa apartment namin," paumanhin ko. "Kung okay sa inyo, diyan na kayo sa labas mag-usap. Tatawagin ko na siya—"

"What's the matter, Lorelei?" Biglang sumulpot sa likuran ko si Loki. Napahawak tuloy ako sa dibdib. Sumilip siya sa balikat ko. "Officer Baste? What a pleasant surprise. What brings you here?"

Tumabi ako at pumuwesto sa anggulo para hindi makasilip si Officer Montreal sa loob. My roommate greeted him with a blank face. He managed to look unaware of the rookie officer's affiliation with the young mastermind.

"Gusto kang ipasundo ni Inspector Estrada papunta sa isang crime scene sa campus. Kung okay sa 'yo kahit medyo late na, ihahatid kita roon."

"He doesn't usually call on me this late. He could have told me about it tomorrow. How is this crime scene any different from the previous ones? And why is my presence requested?"

"May ilang elements kasi sa crime scene na posibleng familiar sa 'yo. Baka makapagbigay ka raw ng insight sa kaso."

Loki jerked his thumb toward me. "Will he mind if Lorelei tags along?"

"Another pair of eyes won't be a problem, I guess?"

"Hey, wala akong sinabing gusto kong suma—" I tried to protest, but Loki silenced me with a single stare. He could not say it directly to me, but his eyes communicated something. I understood what he meant by that look. Here was our opportunity to investigate not only the crime scene that Inspector Estrada wanted him to observe, but also the scarlet thread that could lead us to Moriarty—Officer Montreal.

Nagsuot ako ng jacket dahil medyo malamig bago kami lumabas ni Loki. Kung ano ang suot niyang pambahay, 'yon din ang suot niyang pang-alis. The officer led the way out of the apartment and to the police car parked in front of the gate. Sumakay kami sa back seat. Nang umandar na ang sasakyan, pinagtinginan kami ng mga taong nakatambay sa labas. Pakiramdam ko tuloy, parang mga kriminal kami na inaresto at dadalhin sa presinto.

The trip to the campus only took us around four minutes. Dumeretso ang kotse hanggang huminto sa tapat ng White Hostel. May ilang police car na ring naka-park doon at mga residente ng dorm na nakikiusyoso kung bakit may mga pulis. We entered the dormitory with the officer leading the way. Hindi na namin kinailangang magsulat sa logbook kaya deretso kaming nagtungo sa elevator.

We stopped at the fourth floor and walked down the hallway with quick steps. Dito rin pala sa palapag na ito ang unit ni Rosetta. May murder case nang sinolve ni Loki rito noon—sa Room 404 kung tama ang pagkakaalala ko. Base sa barricade tape sa labas ng Room 410, mukhang may krimen na naman. Was this floor cursed?

Itinaas ni Officer Montreal ang kordon at pinadaan kami ni Loki. Inspector Estrada was waiting at the door. Lumingon siya sa amin nang tawagin siya ng kasama naming pulis. Ilang linggo ko rin siyang hindi nakita.

"Long time no see, Loki . . . and Lorelei," bati ng inspector. Agad niya kaming inabutan ng gloves bilang bahagi ng protocol sa crime scene investigation. "Pasensiya na kung pinatawag ko kayo nang ganito ka-late."

"There must be an interesting element in this case." Isinuot ni Loki ang ibinigay na gloves. Ginaya ko siya. "You won't summon me here so urgently if there isn't one, right?"

Ilang beses kumurap ang mga mata ng inspector at ilang segundo rin siyang natahimik. There was a look of hesitation on his face. "Hindi ko alam kung dapat kong ipakita 'to sa 'yo, Loki. Pero kailangan ko ang input mo para malutas agad ang kaso."

"Why don't we cut the unnecessary introduction and let me see the body?" Loki sounded impatient and excited at the same time. This was the second case that he got to investigate today.

Binuksan ng inspector ang pinto. Bumungad sa amin ang ilan sa mga tauhan niyang abala sa pangdo-document ng crime scene. May mga kumukuha ng retrato gamit ang camera na may flash. May ilang bina-brush ang mga mesa at upuan, malamang ay naghahanap ng fingerprints.

Nakakailang hakbang pa lang si Loki papasok nang bigla siyang mapahinto. I peered over his shoulder to see what caused him to stop. Nakasandal ang duguang katawan ng isang babae sa pader, may hiwa sa leeg at tadtad ng saksak ang katawan. Tumingin ako palayo at napatakip ng bibig. Pinilit kong huwag masuka sa aking nakita.

"I really hate that pose."

I glanced at Loki. He was biting his lower lip. His dull eyes were wet with tears. He also muttered the same thing during our murder investigation in Room 404 before. It probably reminded him of a memory that he might be trying to suppress.

Maliban sa kalunos-lunos na sinapit ng bangkay, meron ding nakasulat sa bandang itaas ng ulo niya sa pader. Kasing-pula ng dugo ang bawat letra.

THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING

Loki stood in front of the bloody writing on the wall and touched it. The excitement on his face faded and was replaced by a feeling of nostalgia. "The strokes . . . the width of every letter . . . all familiar."

"Kaya nga nagdadalawang-isip ako kung dapat ba kitang papuntahin ngayon." Nilapitan siya ni Inspector Estrada na nakakrus ang mga braso. "This crime scene reminds you of that case."

He let out a sigh through his nose before turning around. "Is there anything else?"

The inspector called one of his officers who brought him a plastic bag containing a piece of evidence found in the crime scene. Inside was a black, rectangular object with the size of a phone. "Hawak-hawak 'yan ng biktima nang natagpuan siya kanina. Paulit-ulit daw na pinatutugtog ang isang pamilyar na kanta."

Tinanggap ng mga nanginginig na kamay ni Loki ang cassette tape player. Inilapit niya 'yon sa kaniyang tainga bago pinindot ang play button.

Twinkle, twinkle, little star
How I wonder what you are

"Loki? Are you okay?" tanong ko nang nanatili siyang nakatulala at nanigas sa kinatatayuan niya. Bahagyang nakabuka ang kaniyang bibig. "Hey? Are you okay?"

"Sabi na nga ba, pangit ang idea na 'to." Napapalatak ang inspector, pailing-iling ang ulo. "Bastien, ihatid mo na sina Loki at Lorelei sa kanilang apartment."

"Yes, sir!"

q.e.d.

Moriarty and friends wanna say "hi!" again.