✔ 02 | Flames Of Madness [Soon To Be Published Under PSICOM]

CAPITULUM 41

Night Sparrow's Teahouse
9:06 a.m.
---

"You're saying that this kid--Macky--is our Robinhood Arsonist?"

Maingat na pag-uulit ni Detective Nico Yukishito sa ikinuwento sa kanya kanina ng kasama. His cup of tea was left untouched, but his plate of waffles was already clean save for a few smudges of maple syrup. Across the table, walang-kibo namang nakatulala sa labas ng katabing bintana si Nova habang malalim pa ring nag-iisip.

"If he's alive, he won't be a kid anymore, Nico. Kung hindi ako nagkakamali, mas matanda lang siya sa'kin ng ilang taon noong nakita ko siya dati."

"But he's dead," napasimangot si Nico at humalukipkip. "Sinabi mo kaninang may nahanap silang bangkay ng batang lalaki nang masunog ang apartment ng arsonist. Maybe it really was a suicide fire? Maybe Mr. Cabrera burned himself and his adopted son in that fire? All evidences point to that story."

"Kung ganoon, sino yung batang lalaking nakita ko noon sa labas ng eskinita? He had a container of gasoline and a matchbox, for pete's sake! Siya ang nagpasimula ng apoy---"

"At posibleng hindi siya si Macky. Posibleng ibang batang lalaki ang nakita mo, at ang batang 'yon ang Robinhood Arsonist natin.. well, it's even possible that you just imagined things up." Nico shrugged and started making origamis out of the tissues again, "You were just a kid---a traumatized one---so it's also possible that you were hallucinating, Ms. Carlos."

Matagal na hindi nakasagot ang dalaga. Hindi na ito nag-abala pang makipag-away sa kanya at nag-iwas na lang ng tingin.

Detective Nico saw the defiant look in her eyes. Kalaunan, napabuntong-hininga ang binata at inisip ulit ang sitwasyon.

'Nahanap ng mga bumbero ang bangkay ni Macky sa sunog na 'yon, labing-apat na taon na ang nakakaraan.. sino 'yong nakita ni Nova na batang lalaki noon? Mas malamang na ibang bata 'yon. Unless we have a way to determine if Macky really died in that fire...'

Nanlaki ang mga mata ni Nico sa naiisip. He stopped pushing the tissue origamis with his fork and spoke, "Detective Nova, I need you to do something..."

'And while she's doing her task, I have my own part in this investigation.'

Like what Minnesota said, two heads are better than one.

At kung magtutugma ang makakalap nilang impormasyon ni Nova, mukhang mas malala pa pala ang kwentong ito kaysa sa inaasahan niya.

*
Nang matapos nilang pag-usapan ang gagawin, nabigla na lang si Nova nang makatanggap siya ng text message. Mula sa kinaroroonan ni Nico, napansin niya ang bahagyang pagkunot ng noo ng partner.

The pink-haired detective's eyes narrowed at the screen as it it were some criminal. Bad news, perhaps?

'Then again, I might be wrong. Wala pa akong PhD sa pagbabasa ng ikinikilos ng mga babae.' He thought.

"Who is it?"

"Olympia texted," Nova finally said after sending her reply. Base sa ekspresyon nito, mukhang nakatanggap nga siya ng masamang balita.

And then, it clicked.

Nico nodded emotionlessly, "Your little video scandal is finally taking a toll on your reputation at SHADOW, huh?"

"Paano mo alam?"

"I'm a detective, Ms. Carlos."

Walang-ganag sagot ng binata na para bang sapat nang paliwanag 'yon. Out of boredom, he started stacking the forks and spoons into a mini-Eiffel tower. His mind is drifting off into his mental storage cabinet again, organizing new possibilities. Habang abala siya sa kanyang ginagawa, tumayo si Detective Briannova Carlos at inayos ang kanyang béret sa ulo. Of course, the French bonnet had to be color pink.