Chapter 10: Breaking the Ice

LORELEI

NAKAHANDA na ang mga plato’t baso sa wooden table sa dining hall nang dumating kami. Nakahain na rin ang mga pagkain pero nakatakip ang mga ito ng stainless steel na food cover. We couldn’t see what our meals would be for dinner. If the showrunners wanted to pull off a prank, they could put frogs, spiders, or snakes inside.

“Please take your seats!” Damian gestured to the vacant seats around the table. “Ipinatawag ko na rin ang mga boy detective natin. They seem to be bonding so well.”

I doubt that’s the case. Maybe Alistair enjoyed making friends with our rivals. But Loki? He wouldn’t. I could imagine him ignoring the whole conversation.

Jamie and I sat next to each other while Amber and Math did the same on the opposite side. Pareho kaming umupo malapit sa host.

“Saktong-sakto, nagugutom na ako!” Jamie was about to remove the food cover, but . . .

“Teka lang!” Damian stopped her. Napalakas ang kanyang boses kaya napaangat ang parehong balikat ni Jamie. “Alam kong gutom na gutom na kayo, but can we wait until the boys arrive?”

“Titingnan ko lang kung ano ang ulam na ihahain n’yo sa amin,” Jamie insisted na may halong pagpapa-cute.

“Hindi pa naman ako mauunang kumain sa kanila.”

“I suggest na hintayin natin ang mga kasama n’yo,” pagpupumilit din ng host na may kasamang ngiti. “We have an ice breaker prepared for you.”

Hindi na pumalag pa si Jamie at bumalik na lang sa pagkakasandal sa kanyang upuan. She thought that her convincing skills would work, but it didn’t. Normally boys would give in to her charms, but not our host.

“Let me guess,” Amber spoke, folding her arms. She squinted her eyes at the food before us. “You want us to deduce what’s inside those food covers, right?”

Damian smiled. “As expected from our detective candidates. You can see right through our plans. Spot-on deduction, Amber.”

“That’s not actually a deduction.” Math jumped in the conversation. “Common sense lang ang ginamit nitong si Amber. And it’s pretty obvious kung ano ang pinaplano n’yo. Even a sixth grade student can make the same conclusion.”

Amber just ignored the remarks of her seatmate.
We then heard footsteps coming from the hallway. Al, Jeremy, and Gray were walking closer together while Loki was behind them, looking isolated as always. I guess their getting to know part didn’t go well.

“Please take your seats!” Damian gestured to the vacant seats on the other end of the table. “Mukhang mas naging close na kayo compared kanina, ah?”

“Hindi pa masyadong comfortable si Loki sa akin,” Jeremy said. “Pero magagawan ko ‘yan ng paraan. Medyo nahihiya pa kasi siya. Bukas, paggising natin, close na kami.”

“Hindi mo mapipilit ang ayaw,” hirit ni Gray. “You better leave him alone. No offense, but unlike Alistair, he doesn’t seem to be open to the idea of friendship. Something must have happened in the past kaya ganyan ang kanyang attitude.”

“Or maybe I’m not that interested in the exercise you call ‘making friends?’” Loki muttered. “Only Alistair is interested in making you his acquaintance. And I’m not Alistair.”

“As I said over and over again, there’s nothing wrong with making friends.” Al smiled. “Shall we take our seats?”

Umupo sa hilera namin sina Loki at Al habang sa hilera naman nina Amber at Math sina Gray at Jeremy.

“Are we gonna guess what’s inside these food covers before we eat?” Loki asked, staring at the stainless steel. Wala pang binabanggit ang host pero nakuha na niya kaagad.

“Kaya pala hindi pa lumalamon si Maya!” Jeremy jested.

“Kung nauna siyang kumain, sigurado ubos na ang ulam at kanin sa mesa.”

“Ha-ha-ha. That’s so funny, Jeremy.” Umirap si Math dito.

“If I know, kanina pang nasa van tayo nag-aalburoto ang tiyan mo. Baka pati ang food cover kainin mo sa sobrang gutom.”

“Let’s cut off the joking and listen to what the host will say . . .” Gray cut them short. “. . . para makakain na kayong dalawa na parehong gutom. I heard your stomachs grumbling kahit nasa likuran ako ng van,” biro pa niya.

Amber giggled while Jeremy and Math looked slightly embarrassed. Oh, parang may narinig nga akong kumakalam na sikmura habang nasa van kami kanina.

“Can we start this charade?” Loki asked.

“Very well!” Naglabas ng dalawang papel si Damian at ipinasa sa amin. “Let’s play some ice breaker bago tayo kumain. Let me remind you that the second match hasn’t started yet. Parang warm-up pa lang ito. The calm before the storm, as they say.”

I got the first look at what’s printed on the paper. Isang resibo ito mula sa supermarket. Agad namang nakisilip si Jamie. The following items were listed in alphabetical order:

• Baby bok choy
• Beef marrow bones
• Boneless chicken thigh
• Carrots
• Chayote
• Cloves of garlic
• Cobs of corn
• Coconut cream
• Cooking oil
• Curry powder
• Dried bay leaves
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Hotdogs
• Lemon
• Onion
• Patis
• Pepper
• Pig liver • Pork
• Potatoes
• Pound beef shank
• Red bell pepper
• Salt
• Small green bell pepper
• Soy sauce
• Sugar
• Tomato sauce
• Vegetable oil
• Water

Napatingin ako sa tatlong food covers sa mesa. Three viands were obviously prepared for our dinner. Ipinasa ko kina Loki at Al ang resibo. They’re better than me in this game.

“You want us to identify what food were served on the table based on the receipt?” Gray asked, throwing a glance at the smiling host.

“Thank you for stating the obvious,” Loki said.

I nudged him on the elbow. Kapag may sinabi pang nakaka-offend na side comment ang lalaking ito, I would cover his mouth with the glass.

“Hindi ba’t magandang exercise ito bago tayo maghapunan?” tanong ni Damian. Ipinatong niya sa mesa ang parehong siko at ipinagdikit ang mga daliri..

“Alam kong gutom na kayo pero—”

“Sherlock Holmes said, ‘The brain works better on an empty stomach!’” Math interrupted him. She did say that she’s a fan of Holmes. “Maganda itong appetizer bago ang main dish na showdown.”

“So are you up for the challenge?” Damian asked. “Let’s begin with the Detective Triumvirate Plus One. Seriously though, wala ba kayong balak na magpalit ng team name?”

“As the founder of the Triumvirate, ayaw kong mapasama si Math sa amin kaya mananatili siyang Plus One,” sagot ni Jeremy na may kasabay na pagsulyap sa kanyang katabi. “You have to bear with our team name. Wala naman kasi sa pangalan ‘yan. Nasa performance.”

“Enough of that nonsense and get on with this charade,” naiiritang komento ni Loki. He passed the receipt to Al whose face brightened as he read the items.

Napahawak sa kanyang baba si Gray at lumapit naman sina Amber at Math sa kanya. They studied the list with a serious look on their faces. “This is a dead giveaway, but one of the dishes here is Chicken Curry. The coconut oil, the boneless chicken thigh and the most obvious clue: curry powder.”

The host reached for one of the food covers and removed it. “Correct! I already expected na una n’yong makukuha ang curry, and I was right. Now, turn na ng QED Club. What’s the next dish?”

Tumayo si Jamie at lumapit sa puwesto ni Loki para muling makita ang resibo. She was obviously taking advantage of the situation para mapalapit sa ‘dear’ niya. And Loki did not mind..

“Unfortunately, I do not cook our meals at home kaya hindi ako familiar sa ingredients,” Jamie admitted, twirling her braided hair. “Laging ang kasambahay kasi namin ang nagluluto and I haven’t asked her to teach me how to cook. Don’t worry, Loki, kapag naging mag-asawa na tayo, mag-aaral akong magluto para sa ‘yo.”

“I’m going to pass on this one,” Loki said, ignoring what Jamie had told him. “Cooking is not among my cups of tea. I can try guessing, but maybe one of us is good at this.”

Puro kasi siya order sa mga fast-food chain kaya wala siyang kaalam-alam sa pagluluto. Kung hindi lang dahil sa mga pagkaing ibinibigay sa amin ni Tita Martha, baka puro fast-food na ang laman ng tiyan niya.

But I must admit na hindi rin ako gano’n kagaling sa pagluluto. I can cook the basic: eggs, hotdogs, luncheon meats, and corned beef, but not something as complicated as chicken curry and the like. May tagapagluto kasi kami noon sa bahay, way before I transferred here, and I didn’t bother to learn any cooking technique.

“You’re in luck because I know a thing or two about cooking,” Al proudly declared, dahilan para mapatingin kaming tatlo sa kanya. “Bakit ganyan kayo makatingin sa akin? Hindi ba kayo makapaniwala na may alam ako sa pagluluto?”

“I do not want to doubt your capabilities,” Loki said, “But you do not look like a man who loves cooking. You are a spoiled brat like the rest of us here and I thought you let your cook at home to prepare meals for your family.”

Naglabas ng ballpoint pen si Al at nag-cross out ng ilang items sa resibo. “They already answered chicken curry so we can remove the ingredients for that recipe. May ilang items nga lang na dodoble para sa ibang ulam,” sabi niya at saka iniabot sa akin ang papel.

“Bale ang natitirang meat ingredients ay ang beef marrow bones, pound beef shank, pork meat, at pig liver.” I enumerated the ones that weren’t crossed out.

“The beef marrow bones, the pound beef shank, the cobs of corn.” Eyes squinting, Al encircled the mentioned items. “The next dish is pretty obvious. Beef Bulalo!”

Damian stared at him for a moment, showing some doubt on my friend’s answer. Inabot niya ang isang food cover at ini-reveal ang laman nito. “Beef Bulalo is correct!”

Napapunas ng noo si Jamie. “Akala ko mali na tayo. Baka makalamang na ang mga karibal natin.”

“I don’t think Alistair would let us down,” Loki said.
I’d like to trust him completely with this task. Wala namang mawawala kung matatalo kami sa ice breaker na ito. But imagine how Loki’s pride would have been wounded.

Al maintained a humble smile. Kahit na confident siya sa kanyang nalalaman, he wouldn’t brag about it. Unlike someone in our team. “The game is not over yet. May isa pang ulam na kailangang ma-identify,” sabi niya.

“For the third and last dish, mag-uunahan kayo sa pag-deduce kung ano ang nasa natitirang food cover,” Damian instructed, rubbing his palms together. “Raise your hand if you wish to answer. Whoever gets it right will win the ice breaker. Sakaling mali ang sagot n’yo, the other team can steal the chance to answer. Isang beses lang kayong puwedeng sumagot.”

Napatayo ako at lumapit kay Al. The warm-up game just got intense. He began crossing out the ingredients for the Beef Bulalo. Pagkatapos, napasulyap ako sa kabilang grupo. Mukhang seryoso na rin sila. Walang gustong magpatalo sa aming teams.

“Go, Al! Kaya mo ‘yan!” Jamie cheered. She could do nothing but give moral support. If only she spent time reading a cookbook, she would have been our best asset.
At si Loki? Hayun, nakakrus lang ang mga braso at nakasandal sa upuan. He was confident that Al would get the right answer. I wonder what his reaction would be if the other team wins.

A hand was raised in the air. And it’s not from our side.
“Yes, Gray?” Damian turned to the other team. “For the final dish, what’s your answer?”

“Pork mechado,” he replied. “The main ingredient of that dish is beef, but pig meat slices can also be used as an alternative. Potatoes and green peppers are part of its recipe, but what gave it away are the tomato sauce and soy sauce.”

“Quite close, but wrong,” Al countered as soon as Gray paused. “The last dish is Pork Menudo, not Mechado. Tama ang sinabi ni Gray na may tomato sauce at soy sauce ang Mechado na nagbibigay ng kaparehong lasa sa Menudo. But what he missed is the pork liver in the receipt.”

Nagkapalitan ng tingin ang dalawa, walang gusto kumalas sa kanilang mga mata. Lalong tumindi ang suspense nang maghari ang katahimikan sa dining area. Parang nawala ang gutom namin at napalitan ng excitement na malaman kung sino ang mas tama.

“Let’s see who’s correct!” Damian reached for the last remaining food cover and lifted it. “Congratulations, QED Club!”

“Yes!” Napayakap si Jamie kay Al habang napatango ng isang beses si Loki. That’s how he expresses his approval.

“A close fight!” Damian exclaimed. “Don’t worry, mas matindi pa sa ice breaker natin ang huling round. Now, shall we enjoy the dishes that you have deduced?”

At doon na kami nagsimulang kumain. We passed the platter of rice to one another, as well as the bowls of viands. Tinikman ko ang chicken curry nila at nasarapan ako sa lasa. Hindi gano’n kaanghang sa bibig. Sakto lang.

Masarap ding higupin ang sabaw ng Beef Bulalo na mainit-init pa.

“While we are enjoying our ‘sumptuous’ dinner . . .” Damian began as he wiped his lips. “. . . let me brief you about the next round. You were brought into this isolated mansion for a reason, as you have already suspected. Kung napanood n’yo na ang American version ng Whose Deduction Show, the second round is about crime scene simulation.”

“So a fake crime will happen here?” Gray asked before taking in a spoonful of rice.

“Not really a fake crime, but a recreated crime,” Damian clarified, pouring curry sauce over his rice. “Alam n’yo ba na ang mansyong tinutuluyan natin ngayon ay may misteryong matagal nang ‘di nalulutas?”

Bigla kaming napahinto sa pagkain. Nabaling ang mga tingin namin sa kanya at may ilang napakunot-noo sa amin.

“Nirentahan namin ang lugar na ‘to sa mababang fee. Naghahanap kasi kami noon ng shooting location sa Airbnb . . .” kuwento ni Damian habang hinahalo ang curry sauce at ang kanin niya. “. . . then we wondered why a huge place like this was being rented for a low price. We decided to ask around and found out this place is more or less haunted.”

Tumayo ang mga balahibo ko. Maging si Jamie ay tila nakaramdam ng pangingilabot. Should he really be discussing a horror story while we’re taking our dinner?

“Every haunted place has a history,” Al said, putting down his spoon and fork. “Ano po ba’ng nangyari dito?”

“Maybe he’s just making up the whole haunted thing.” Loki’s hand made a dismissive gesture. “He wanted us to think that supernatural forces are lurking in this house.”

“I know that as detectives, you are skeptical to haunted stories.” Damian nodded. “Pero puwede n’yong i-check sa Internet kung totoo bang may nangyaring krimen sa bahay na ‘to.”

“To be a great detective, one has to be a great listener,” Gray said after taking a sip from his glass of water. “Hindi dapat natin basta-basta idini-dismiss ang isang kuwento dahil lang inaakala natin na masyadong absurd para mangyari.”

“Oh, you must be one of those fools who believe that ghosts exist.” Loki sneered. “A great detective knows if he’s about to hear some nonsense story.”

“Only a foolish detective will make presumptions—”

“Can you two please shut your mouths?” sabay naming sigaw ni Amber sa kanilang dalawa. It felt like we were babysitting two toddlers.

What were they, seven-year-old?

“Guys, pakinggan na lang natin ang kuwento kung bakit haunted ang bahay na ‘to, okay?” awkward na sabi ni Math. “Remember, nandito tayo para mag-solve ng case, hindi para mag-away.”

“Martha seems to have forgotten why we are here in the first place,” Loki mocked. Agad naman akong napairap sa maling banggit niya ng pangalan. He has a habit of quickly forgetting the names of people he has met, unless they are too significant to him.

“We are here to compete against each other in solving a case. ‘Mag-away’ is close to the word that will describe what’s bound to happen in the show,” dagdag niya.

“We may be competing against each other, but that doesn’t mean we have to take the competition too seriously.” Al stepped in the discussion. He wouldn’t think twice of countering Loki’s remarks kahit nasa iisang grupo kami. “And Math’s statement shouldn’t be taken literally. Tama naman siya. Nandito tayo para maglaro, hindi para makipag-away.”

“Kaya chill lang kayong dalawa, ha?” paalala ni Jeremy sa kanila. He raised both hands at the two men. “‘Di ba magiging best buddies tayo? Ang mga best bud, hindi nag-aaway.”

“I’m willing to extend the hand of friendship,” Gray said. “But Loki here seems to be too ar—”

Tinapalan ng kutsarang may kanin ni Amber ang bibig ng kanyang katabi. Thanks to her. Kung hindi niya ginawa ‘yon ay baka nagkaroon ng round two ang sagutan ng dalawang detective na ayaw magpatalo.

“Can we go back to the mystery of this haunted house, please?” I asked the host.

Napainom muna ng tubig si Damian bago itinuloy ang kanyang kuwento. “Meron kasing tsismis noon na may construction worker na nahulog sa quick dry cement habang binubuo ang mansyon. They failed to retrieve the body kaya nalibing na siya rito.”

Lalong nanindig ang mga balahibo ko. Nawalan na tuloy ako ng ganang kumain. Sinasadya ba niyang ikuwento ‘yan habang naghahapunan kami?

“Wala namang foul play sa pagkahulog ng construction worker,” pagpapatuloy ni Damian. “Aksidente siyang nahulog mula sa scaffolding. Nang matapos ang mansyon na ‘to, meron daw naririnig ang mga gwardiya na pumupukpok sa pader kahit na tapos na ang construction.”

“So the mansion mystery is the hammering ghost?” Loki asked, trying to suppress his laughter.

Damian shook his head. “We haven’t got to the interesting part yet. Nang tumira na rito ang mga nagpagawa ng bahay, may mga naririnig pa rin silang pagpukpok sa mga pader. They learned to live with that noise hanggang sa hindi na lang nila pinansin. Pero dumating ang isang araw, nakitang patay ang padre de pamilya sa isang kwarto.”

“Was he strangled by a ghost?”

“The back of his head was bashed in,” Damian said. “Parang pinukpok ng matigas na bagay—sorry, dapat pala nag-disclaimer ako.”

“Parang martilyo?” Al narrowed his eyes into slits.

Damian nodded. “Tama. Puwedeng martilyo, puwedeng malaking bato. What made his death more baffling was the room where he was found. Siya lang mag-isa at naka-lock pa ito mula sa loob. Wala ring natagpuang murder weapon kahit saan.”

“The killer obviously fled the crime scene,” Gray said.

“No,” Damian replied. “Nang i-review ang mga footage at nang tanungin ang mga guard, walang outsider na pumasok sa bahay. Imposible ring na-tamper ang footage dahil nasa secured location ang surveillance system.”

“So the killer must be among the residents of the mansion,” Amber guessed. Tumigil na rin siya sa pagkain maging ang mga katabi niya. “Wala ng ibang puwedeng suspek kung hindi sila-sila rin.”

“But the murder weapon wasn’t found, right?” Al clarified to the host. “I assume that none of the mansion residents left the house after the body was found.”

“Tama,” pagkumpirma ni Damian. “The police searched the area and left no stone unturned, but to no avail.”

“So they decided to blame the murder to the construction worker’s ghost?” Loki asked. Hindi na niya napigilang matawa. “This distressed soul decided to smash the head of the mansion owner out of revenge? That’s a good plot for a horror movie.”

“There must be some trick in it.” Gray caressed his chin as he looked down. “May nag-set up ng locked room trick at nalusutan ang mga pulis pati ang mga security camera.”

“That’s more or less the case that we will ask you all to solve,” Damian said. “Don’t you find it interesting? We will tell you more details when the second round starts tomorrow. Shall we continue enjoying our dinner?”

Gusto ko pa sanang kumain pero nawalan na ako ng gana dahil sa ikinuwento niya. Telling a horror and a presumably murder story wasn’t a good idea while eating.

Once we were done, pinabalik na kami ng host sa aming mga kwarto para magpahinga muna. He told us that we could wander around the house later to familiarize ourselves with the surroundings.

As we were on our way to the western corridor leading to our rooms, nakasalubong namin sa entrance hall ang dalawang lalaki at isang babae na kapapasok pa lang sa mansyon. May mga bitbit silang bagahe at mga payong na basa. It was drizzling outside.

“How are our detectives?” Sir Michael B. asked as he put his wet umbrella into the rack. “Kumain na ba kayong lahat? Are you enjoying your stay here?”

“Yes, Sir!” bibong sagot ni Jamie. Nabusog siguro siya sa pagkain kanina kaya puno siya ng energy. “We enjoyed the dinner—”

“And that little ice breaker,” Gray added. “We almost beat the QED Club sa pag-identify kung ano-anong ulam ang inihanda n’yo para sa amin.”

Patagong napangisi si Loki. He had the audacity to smirk even if he didn’t contribute anything earlier. Pasalamat siya’t may alam si Al sa pagluluto, kung hindi baka nakasimangot siya ngayon at ang kabilang team ang nakangiti.

“That is Arturo’s idea!” Tinapik sa likod ni Sir Michael B. ang kasama niyang head writer na si Sir Arturo Cruz. We met him at the TV station earlier.

Napaayos ito ng eyeglasses bago nahihiyang nagsalita. “Boring kasi kung basta-basta lang kayong kakain. Kaya naisipan kong i-spice up ang dinner n’yo.”

“By the way, you haven’t met our director yet, have you?” Sir Michael B. motioned his hand to the woman who’s also wearing their station jacket. Naka-ponytail ang kanyang buhok na may highlights at may kapayatan ang pangangatawan. Hindi rin siya gano’n katangkad. “Meet Veronica Vega, ang dekalibreng direktor na magpapaganda sa production natin!”

“You’re flaterring me too much, Sir,” nakangiting tugon
ni Ms. Veronica. “Tayong lahat ang magpapaganda sa show na ‘to. And looking at our contestants, mukhang hindi tayo mahihirapang mag-rate kapag inere na ang pilot natin.”

“Siguradong matatalo na natin ang kalaban,” pabirong sabi ng producer.

“We’re always camera-ready, Ma’am!” sabi ni Jamie na may kasamang pagpapa-cute.

“We will put up a good fight kaya masisiguro naming mataas ang ratings ng pilot n’yo,” kumpiyansang dagdag ni Math. “There won’t be any dull moment kapag nag-start na ang second round. Hindi magpapatalo ang aming team, at siguradong hindi rin magpapatalo ang kabilang team.”

“Kung gusto n’yo, magbato-bato-pick na lang tayo para malaman kung sino ang winner,” pabirong sabi ni Jeremy. Tiningnan siya nang masama nina Loki at Gray.
“Siyempre, joke lang! Kayo naman, napakaseryoso n’yo.”

“Aba, nandito na pala kayo!”

Damian emerged from the hallway and greeted his colleagues. “Kaya pala may narinig akong boses ng anghel. Nandito na pala ang direktor natin. Kumusta ang biyahe?”

“Hinintay pa namin matapos ang shoot ng isang show ni Direk,” sagot ni Sir Michael B. sabay turo ng kanyang hinlalaki kay Ms. Veronica. “Alam mo naman kung gaano ka-in demand ‘tong si Direk. Halos lahat ng show, gusto siyang kunin.”

“Tapos na kami sa shooting doon sa isang episode ng ‘Matandaan Mo Kaya’ kaya free na ako ngayong weekend para sa Whose Deduction Show,” tugon ni Ms. Veronica. “Kay Damian pa lang, one hundred percent sure na papalo tayo sa ratings. Ang dami niya kayang followers sa social media.”

“I know, right?” natatawang sagot ni Damian na napaayos ng buhok. “They want to make this show a certain hit kaya ako ang kinuha nilang host. I assure you na pilot episode pa lang, trending na tayo. Anyway, tulungan ko na kayo sa mga gamit n’yo. May naka-ready na ring food sa dining hall kung sakaling gutom na kayo.”

Nagpaalam na kami sa mga staff na mauuna na sa aming mga kwarto. Before we were out of their earshot, Damian told us that we could stay in the entertainment room at the east wing. Baka raw kasi ma-bore kami sa aming kwarto at gusto naming maglaro ng board games. We thanked him before we parted ways.

Pagdating sa wing ng mga room namin, nagkahiwalay na kami ng mga lalaki. As the keyholder, ako na ang nagbukas ng pinto ng aming kwarto. As soon as I opened the door, Jamie jumped onto her bed habang umupo sa gilid ng kani-kanilang kama sina Amber at Math.

To our surprise, Jamie screamed.

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