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

"Before we proceed, I want to introduce you to the key officers of the execom. This is Margarette. You already know her as the brains of the committee." Nagmuwestra si Sir Morayta sa kanan 'tapos sa kaliwa. "And this is Rye Rubio, the brawn."

So Rye is his name, huh? He nodded at us as he was recognized.

"You're the one who followed me in multiple occasions." Naisipan ko nang komprontahin siya ngayon. "Mula no'ng ni-rescue namin si Stein sa abandoned building hanggang sa insidente roon noong nakaraang linggo.

"Inutusan ko siyang magmatyag sa inyo mula nang malaman naming involved na kayo sa Moriarty case," paliwanag ni Sir Morayta sabay tulak sa bridge ng salamin niya. "Lagi siyang nakabuntot sa 'yo para masigurong hindi ka mapapahamak."

"Respectfully, sir, I didn't ask for your protection."

"But that's direct order from the principal. We must oblige."

I got a feeling na may koneksiyon ang nabanggit niyang principal sa daddy ko kaya gusto nila akong protektahan. But I was not a damsel in distress. I could protect myself from harm, but maybe not all the time.

"Last week, palihim kayong sinundan ni Rye kaya agad kong natimbrehan ang mga pulis," dagdag niya bago sumulyap kay Rye. "Kung hindi siya nakabuntot sa inyo, baka napaano na kayong apat."

So that explained the quick response of the campus police.

"So what exactly do you wanna discuss, sir?" Loki began tapping his forefinger on the table. He was bored as usual.

"Stein Alberts," Sir Morayta answered. "You accused him of being Moriarty. When you made that claim, I ran a background check on him. We didn't find any concrete evidence connecting him to the murders. Hence, we can't make the conclusion that he is Moriarty."

"But . . . ?" Umangat ang kaliwang kilay ni Loki. "You found nothing concrete, but you must have found something else."

Marahang tumango si Sir Morayta bago iniabot ang isang folder. Kinuha 'yon ni Loki. Bumungad sa amin ang retrato ni Stein Alberts at ang personal details niya. The copies had the seal of the registrar's office embossed on them.

"What are we looking at?" Inilipat-lipat ng katabi ko ang mga page nang hindi binabasa ang mga nakalagay roon.

"We dug deep into Stein's school records to see if the possibility of him being Moriarty exists. He transferred here in Clark High two years ago. Malinis ang kaniyang record mula sa dati niyang high school. Wala siyang kahit anong offenses, pero may ilang reports na b-in-ully siya noon. Ipinag-match namin ang date ng kaniyang transfer dito at ang mga buwan kung kailan posibleng nagsimula ang mga krimeng konektado sa taong kilala natin noon bilang M."

"Months after Stein's transfer to Clark High, doon na nagsimula ang mga kahina-hinalang aksidente at suicide sa campus," si Margarette naman ang nagsalita. "The police didn't consider the possibility of foul play dahil masyadong malinis ang pagkamatay nila."

"We believe that's the time Moriarty and his gang became active," dagdag ni Sir Morayta. "If we're right with out hunch, they started by disguising their target's deaths as accidents and suicides."

So Moriarty's terror began two years ago. But why did the phrase two years ago seem to ring a bell in me?

"He's been dead for two years. Died because of an accident. He was also a student here. He was actually the student council president."

Jamie's voice rang in my ears as I recalled what she had told me during the bomb threat incident. Maliban sa two years ago, nag-match din ang binanggit niyang accident sa mga nabanggit na cause of death ng mga umano'y unang biktima ni Moriarty.

"Meron ba silang high profile victim noon?" Naningkit ang mga mata ko sa math instructor namin. "Someone whose death was suspicious?"

"If I'm not mistaken, the president of the student council at that time." Napaangat ang tingin ni Sir Morayta sa kisame bago ibinalik 'yon sa akin. "He was also unconvinced of the dubious circumstances of the victims' deaths back then."

"The one who died in an accident?" Mukhang familiar si Margarette sa taong 'yon. "Luthor mentioned him once or twice to me. That late president asked for an investigation of those incidents. Sa pagkakatanda ko, naaksidente ang sinasakyan niyang kotse."

"Upon his death, no one dared to continue the investigations. Makalipas ang ilang buwan, naging lantaran na ang pagpatay na ginawa ng mga tauhan ni Moriarty."

Lalo pang naningkit ang mga mata ko. "And that person is?"

"President Jaime Santiago," Sir Morayta revealed.

Nagtinginan kami ni Alistair habang si Loki nama'y napahinto sa pagta-tap ng daliri niya.

"Jaime Santiago?" ulit ng kababata ko sabay sulyap sa akin. "Nataon bang kapangalan siya ng kasama natin sa club?"

"Our absent club member once mentioned to me that she had a brother who served as a student council president and died in an accident," I shared with them after observing the look of confusion on their faces. "Mukhang siya rin ang tinutukoy ni sir. The details perfectly match."

"So Moriarty considered her brother as an obstacle to his plans." Napakrus ang mga braso ni Alistair at napatitig sa mesa na tila may malalim na iniisip. "They must have schemed to disguise the president's death as an accident. Without any actual opposition, Moriarty's moves became less restricted."

"Kaya lumakas ang hinala namin na posible ngang si Stein ang hinahanap nating Moriarty," sabi ni Sir Morayta. "The timing of his transfer and the start of the killings may not be a coincidence."

"Let me do you a favor so we can set the record straight," biglang hirit ni Loki. "Stein Alberts is Moriarty. It's not just a possibility or a theory. It's a fact."

"It's not yet a fact until it's proven." Umiling si Margarette, sumabay sa galaw ng ulo niya ang kaniyang buhok. "You don't even have any proof to support that claim."

"Bastien Montreal has confirmed to us that Stein is the criminal mastermind. Minutes before he blew his head off, he admitted it to me via Morse code."

"How can you be so sure that he's telling you the truth?" Tinaasan siya ng kilay.

"Why would a man tell one last lie before committing suicide? The moment he got arrested, he knew it was a game over for him. Either he offs himself or someone else silences him. Forever."

"If that's the case, he should have confessed everything he knew!" bulalas ni Margarette. "Sana'y sinabi niya sa mga pulis ang connection ni Stein sa mga kasong involved si Moriarty. This case would have been over by now."

"Baka kaya hindi niya nagawa 'yan ay dahil may hawak na alas laban sa kaniya?" Naalala ko ang sinabi ng yumaong officer sa interrogation room. "Moriarty may not be able to directly hurt him, but he can hurt the people that Officer Montreal cares about. Ayaw niya sigurong i-risk ang buhay ng iba."

"Collateral damage," bulong ni Loki. "He told only me about this confirmation. And I haven't told anyone except the people in this room. Let's keep it to ourselves if we don't want another dead body to drop."

Sabay-sabay na tumango ang tatlong kausap namin. If none of them was a spy of Moriarty in the execom, revealing that info would not do any damage.

"Now, how can we prove that Stein Alberts is connected to those murders committed by Moriarty's gang?" tanong ni Sir Morayta matapos ang sandaling katahimikan. "Without any proof, whatever we say against him are merely allegations."

Kumibit-balikat si Loki. "The late officer was the only scarlet thread directly connected to the center of this mess. Unfortunately, he cut himself off. We're at a total loss here."

Of course, that was a lie. Alam na niya kung sino ang susunod naming dapat imbestigahan. He trusted them with the confirmation that Stein is Moriarty, but he got no intention of revealing that Augustus Moran was also involved in the gang. What's going on in his mind?

"Do you have any idea where we should look at?" sunod na tanong ng math instructor namin.

"Since the execom is the second highest student organization in the campus, why don't you start with yourselves and the student council?" suhestiyon ng kasama ko. Medyo nasorpresa ang mga kausap namin. "It's time to check if there's any rat among your ranks."

"You think one of us is an agent of Moriarty?" Natawa si Margarette, pailing-iling pa. "Unbelievable."

"The reason why he remained elusive all these years is due to him having eyes and ears everywhere. Officer Montreal positioned himself in the campus police so he could eliminate their agents once they were arrested to leave no loose ends. If I were Moriarty, I would have one of my minions infiltrate major student organizations."

"That's absurd—"

"It isn't," singit ko. "Remember the case where one of your members burnt his girlfriend alive because the latter was getting close to the truth? Kung nangyari 'yon sa execom, posible ring mangyari 'yon sa student council. We must not disregard the possibility."

Umiwas ng tingin si Margarette. Mukhang naalala niya kung sino at anong case ang tinutukoy ko. "I will look into it. Discreetly."

"And Sir Morayta may want to check out his friends in the faculty room." Nagmuwestra si Loki sa kaharap niyang teacher. "Having a spy among the teachers who are privy to some confidential information will surely help our criminal acquaintance expand his influence and keep his cover."

"I doubt na merong isa sa amin na gugustuhing masangkot sa conspiracy na 'to. But I will keep an eye on my colleagues. Kapag meron akong napansing kahina-hinala, sasabihan ko agad kayo."

"How about you?" Tumango si direksiyon namin si Margarette. "Ano'ng gagawin n'yo?"

"We're gonna be featured in the Clarion's magazine issue." Pagilid na tumingin sa amin si Loki. "We can start our investigation on the campus journalists and observe if one of them is acting as a spy for Moriarty."

"So all major areas are covered, huh?" Makalipas ang ilang minuto ng pananahimik at pagmamasid, nagsalita na rin si Rye. Hindi ko na nga tanda ang boses niya dahil matagal-tagal na rin mula nang una kaming nagkausap.

"It's high time for us to take the offensive." Tumayo na si Loki, palipat-lipat ang tingin sa mga taong nasa kabilang side ng mesa. "Do we still have anything to discuss? I need to charge my phone so I can continue playing this puzzle game."

"That's all for now," tugon ni Sir Morayta na may kasamang ngiti. "Sasabihan namin kayo kapag may update na kami. I hope you will do the same once you figure something out. Let's work together to solve and close this case once and for all."

"You have our word. Now, if you'll excuse us." Tumango na sa amin si Loki bago siya nagtungo sa pintuan. Kami na ang nagpaalam at nagpasalamat sa mga naka-meeting namin.

Inakyat namin ang hagdanan patungong third floor. Mabibilis ang mga hakbang ni Loki na parang may hinahabol siya kaya binilisan din namin ni Alistair.

"You told them about Officer Montreal confirming Stein is Moriarty." Hininaan ko ang aking boses, baka marinig ng mga kasabay namin ang tanong ko. "But you didn't tell them about Augustus. Why?"

"I wanna know if they can be truly trusted," sagot ni Loki habang naglalaro sa phone niya. "Claiming they're our allies is easy. Proving it is an entirely different matter. The trick is to give them crumbs and observe what they do with it. Consider it as a test for them."

"That's quite a risky move," komento ni Alistair. "Kapag nalaman ni Moriarty na tinraydor siya ng dati niyang tauhan, may inosenteng madadamay. Hindi lamang impormasyon ang ginawa mong pain, pati ang buhay ng isang tao. Are you sure it's going to pay off?"

"If the execom is on our side, yes. If not, still a yes. Should something untoward happen to a person closely connected to the late officer as punishment for him revealing Moriarty's identity, then we'll know one of them is an enemy."

I was unsure whether to be impressed or not by how he intended to use that piece of information in determining their true allegiance. Inilagay niya rin kasi sa panganib ang buhay ng isang inosenteng tao na hindi namin kilala.

Pagtuntong sa third floor at pagliko sa hallway, may narinig akong mahinang pag-iyak mula sa dulo, malapit sa clubroom namin. Parang narinig ko na 'yon kanina. Nauna na ako kina Loki at Alistair para i-confirm ang hinala ko.

"Meow!"

Oh my! That cute ball of fur sat in front of our clubroom's door as if it was waiting for me. Nang nakita niya akong paparating, agad siyang lumapit sa akin kasabay ng patuloy niyang pag-meow. She rubbed her furry body against my legs. Umupo ako para haplusin ang ulo niya.

"W-What is that?!" Napaurong ng isang hakbang si Loki pagkakita sa pusa. If only I had my camera phone ready, I would have taken a snap of his surprised facial expression.

"A cat, obviously!" Kinarga ko ang pusa sa mga bisig ko na parang baby. "How did you find us? Alam mo bang dito kami tumatambay?"

"The cat must have followed your scent." Nakikamot na rin si Alistair sa chin nito. "They have incredible sense of smell after all."

"Tell that creature to leave and never come here again." Kumumpas si Loki na parang itinataboy ang pusa bago hawakan ang doorknob. "Ayaw kong mangamoy pusa ang clubroom. Our clients will be turned off."

"Why don't we keep it?" suhestiyon ko habang idinuduyan ang pusa. "As our club cat?"

Pipihitin na sana niya ang knob nang lumingon siya sa akin. "You seriously wanna keep that cat? You want her fur all over the place?"

"Hindi natin siya puwedeng iuwi sa apartment dahil sa policy ni Tita. But we can take care of this cat while we're at school. Hindi ka ba naaawa sa kaniya?"

"Ayaw mo ba sa mga pusa, Loki?" tanong ni Alistair. Mukhang nag-e-enjoy ang pusa sa pagkamot niya sa chin nito.

"I don't want a cat rubbing its body against our furniture and spreading its pheromones to mark the clubroom as its territory."

"Meow!"

Tumalon ang pusa mula sa mga braso ko at lumapit kay Loki. Kiniskis nito ang mabalahibong katawan sa kanang binti ng naiilang na club president namin. Sinubukan niyang lumayo, pero sinundan siya nito.

"Okay, fine!" Itinaas niya ang parehong kamay na parang sumusuko. "We'll keep you!"

"Meow!"

"Yes!" Halos hindi mabura ang ngiti sa aking mga labi. "If we're going to keep her, dapat natin siyang pangalanan!"

"If it were a puppy, I would name it Fenrir," sabi ni Loki.

"That cat is a girl, so we need a cute name that matches her cuteness."

"How about Catherine? So we can call her Cat—"

"Too common. Hindi rin gano'n ka-creative. She needs a cute yet unique name."

"Mingming—"

"No."

Hindi na natiis ni Loki ang pusa kaya kinarga na niya ito. He began by scratching her chin. Ewan kung namalik-mata ako o talagang totoo ang nakita ko, but the cat made Loki smile? Sino ba naman ang hindi matutuwa sa pusang 'yon? Kahit kasing-tigas ng bato ang kaniyang puso, lalambot din 'yon sa cuteness ng karga niya.

"How about Freya?" suhestiyon niya.

"Why that name?" tanong ko.

"The Norse goddess Freya is known for her love of cats," paliwanag niya habang hinahaplos ang baba ng bago naming club pet. "She rides a chariot pulled by two of them."

"Freya sounds good to me," may pagtangong sabi ni Alistair. "It also matches the Norse origin of your name."

"Then Freya it is."

q.e.d.