"You're probably checking if your son is dead," I said full of sarcasm. His eyes widened for a moment then stay calm.

"Yes." He looked directly into my eyes. "I am. And I can see, that he's fine."

My forehead twitched.

"Aedrian." I turned my face to Leo who currently walking towards me and when I get my attention back to the man I was talking with, he was finally gone.

"Let's go," he commanded.

"What do you mean let's go?" I frowned. "Are you really going to end the case this way?"

"We don't have a choice. Our serial killer is dead now. Let's go."

I frowned out of disappointment.

"The great detective you were talking about..." I caught his attention. "She was the one who told you about this, right?" Tanong ko.

He grabbed my arm and we left that place.

"You ought to believe your guts, not the traitor!" I shouted inside the car. "I know, you're doubting too, Leo! You shouldn't let this case slip without the right investigation." I added. "I really believe that you're more than this, but you let yourself be fooled."

He heaved a sigh. "Aedrian, do you know what manipulation is?"

I'm confused. "Is that even important?"

"It is how they believe they manipulate you when in fact you are manipulating them."

"What do you mean?"

He grinned and stopped the car.

"We can't lure the real L that fast. We should make him believe that we gave up when in reality we're just starting our move. We will make him believe that we are fooled by his cheap escape."

I was lost in a minute.

And then I laugh.

"Don't tell me."

Damn.

It was brilliant.

***

"So why aren't we investigating that case?" I asked talking about the scene we encountered a while ago. It is obviously not a suicide.

"It was L's plan. At maraming madadamay kapag hindi tayo nag-ingat sa kilos natin. I told you, we saw his face. At kapag umalma kami sa plano, our loved ones and families will be in danger."

"So what are we going to do now? Hindi natin pwedeng hayaang makamit ni L ang gusto niya, kung ano mang dahilan bakit ginagawa niya itong lahat."

"Kikilos tayo ng palihim, Aedrian. Hindi pwedeng i-compromise ang buhay ng marami. For now, kailangan nating malaman ang buo niyang plano so we can use it against him," paliwanag niya.

"At paano naman natin gagawin 'yon?"

"With the help of your friend," sagot niya.

"Friend? I don't have such." Tumingin siya sa akin. "What kind of help do we need from her?" Pagbawi ko.

"I don't know if it was just me, but there is something fishy about your friend the day I met her. Honestly, I was suspecting her when she suddenly brought all the evidences she've collected to lure out L."

"What exactly are those evidences you were talking about?" Tanong ko.

"The tape and the lists of the members of Apple Fraternity."

That was what my father and I were finding when he was still alive. I thought we cannot touch those confidential files because an authorized person only can. And when I came back with a student assistant who needs a copy of it for accreditation, the file's been lost.

"The tape... The lists of the members of the Apple Fraternity," pag-uulit ko sa sinabi niya. "Anong meron sa tape at sa list na nakapagturo kay L?"

Tumawa siya. "Obviously his face and his name."

My eyes narrowed. "Tell me Leo, what is the real name of L?"

Tumuon ang tingin niya sa akin na para bang ayaw niya pang sagutin ang tanong ko. Huminga siya nang malalim bago binuka ang kaniyang bibig. "Louise Villaruel."

"That name doesn't give me the chills." I don't know if it is just my hunch. There are a lot of what ifs on my head right now. I couldn't help but to doubt about the evidences they've collected from my seatmate. It might be fabricated.

"What do you mean?"

"Iniisip ko kung bakit ang isang alipin ay isusuplong ang kaniyang dios," litanya ko.

"Hindi kita maintindihan."

"Unless ang mga ebidensyang ipinasa niya ay hindi magtuturo sa totoo niyang dios kung hindi sa ibang tao," dagdag ko pa.

Kumunot ang noo niya. "Yan din ang iniisip ko noon pero imposible, nasa tape ang mukha ni L at ang taong nadakip namin ay si Louise Villaruel. Iisa ang mukha nila."

"This might be a probability. What if, kamukha lang ni L si Louise Villaruel pero hindi talaga siya ang totoong L?" Tanong ko.

Umiling siya. "That sounds unbelievable but we need evidences to stand with that probability."

"I know. How they find a face which looks like the real L and framed up to become his decoy. That's so wicked."

Tumango-tango siya. "Somehow, it makes sense. Hindi basta-basta mamamatay ang totoong salarin sa ganoong paraan," pagtukoy niya sa kasong nakita namin kanina.

"Yes, so we need to know who is Louise Villaruel and his true identity. Kung anong kinalaman niya kay L."

"I see, and those tampered evidences, it might lead us to the real L."

It's all coming up now. Every piece is slowly getting to its place.

"Doubt is the beginning of knowledge," I murmured.

###