✔ 04 | Bones Of Terror

CAPITULUM 13

The journey to Insula Diaboli took a total of 11 long hours of navigating through the unknown sea and witnessing his pink haired partner's sea sickness.  

"Will you look at that... it really exists!"

Nico was momentarily pulled out of his thoughts when Clyde noticed their destination ahead. Kasabay ng pagsikat ng araw, bumungad sa kanilang harapan ang misteryosong isla. To the detective's surprise, it looked fairly average---and almost welcoming.

"That's a bit disappointing. And here I was expecting a skull-shaped rock formation or cannibals running to greet us by the shore," Nova humored, but her sharp eyes told another story. Despite her calm demeanor, Nico knew how tense she became ever since they stepped foot on deck.

'And for valid reasons,' he silently thought before shoving his hands in his coat pockets.

"Don't be deceived. The loveliest views hold the most tragic stories."

Beside him, Minnesota sighed and pocketed her phone. "Mukhang totoo ang mga kwento. Hindi gumagana ang GPS dito at hindi pa rin bumabalik ang signal."

"Well, at this point, we're as good as dead."

"NICO!" Both Nova and Min yelled at him. He shrugged, completely unaffected.

Sa loob ng labing-isang oras, hindi nakaligtas sa obserbasyon ni Detective Nico Yukishito ang kakaibang sitwasyon sa barko. Needless to say, everything looked pristine and all too luxurious for his taste. The entire ship was spotless, no dirt or dust that can be of any indication of any event (he already checked the bookshelves in the recreational room earlier). Noong sumapit ang hapunan, tanging ang tunog lang ng isang dinner bell ang bumulabog sa tahimik na barko. Pagkapasok nila ng dining hall ay nakahanda na agad ang pagkain, every one of their favorite dishes meticulously arranged in their designated seats.

After checking the food for any poison (thank Sherlock there wasn't any), Nico sneaked out of his room in the middle of the night and roamed around the ship. Several doors locked, those leading to the wheelhouse where the ship's command area is.

'To add to that, I haven't seen the captain or any other crew onboard.'

There was nothing worth noting aside from the theme of black roses that decorated the hallways and dining area. Engraved on the doors and written in the books, the ominous phrase "malo mori quam foedari" kept reappearing like a mantra.

As if someone left it there on purpose.

"Death rather than dishonor."

Napangiti si Nico. Albeit the frustration of not being able to gain any clues so far, he would admit one thing: he's impressed. Kung sinuman ang nasa likod ng lahat ng ito, alam niyang hindi birong kalabanin ang taong ito kung sakaling trahedya rin ang nag-aabang sa kanila sa Devil's Island.

A psycho with enough wealth and power to pull these strings.

*

Insula Diaboli
5:35 a.m.

The moment the ship reached the docks, the group was greeted not by a tribe of cannibals (Nova's words) but by an old butler in a classic black suit and bow tie.

"Welcome to Insula Diaboli, Mr. Yukishito and Ms. Carlos. I am Bernie, the head butler of the Hartwick mansion," pagpapakilala nito sa kanila. Panandaliang dumako ang mga mata ng matanda sa kanilang mga kasama. "And they are...?"

A moment of silence.

And since Eastwood's best detective obviously has no interest in introductions, Nova glared at him before clearing her throat. "They are our err... dates for the ball, Minnesota Gervacio and Clyde Snow."

Nahihiya kumaway si Min at alanganin namang ngumiti si Clyde.

Awkward.

The butler politely nodded and offered to take Nova and Min's luggage. Clyde was already following him to assist. But before Bernie could even lead them to the awaiting carriage, nabaling ang atensyon ng lahat sa lalaking kanina pa tahimik nang nagsimula na itong magsalita.

"You were a boxer in your prime years, weren't you, Bernie?"

Napahinto si Bernie at gulat na tiningnan ang detective. Nico's eyes met the butler's, a smirk played on his lips.

"You have cauliflower ears," he started, indicating the deformed shape of the butler's ears. "Or 'hematoma auris', a collection of blood between the cartilage and skin, giving it its appearance. This is commonly caused by repeated blows. Hence, assuming you were into sports---which, by the outline of your body despite your age, I assume you were... Common ang cauliflower ears lalo na sa boxers, wrestlers, at martial artists. But I'll rule out the two since I noticed you also have a weak grip on one hand when you took Min's suitcase. From where I can see, you also have boxer's fracture, a break in the neck of the 5th metacarpal bone of your hand. Long term effects of this, if not treated properly, may lead to a decrease in grip, limited finger motion, and unusual angle of the finger."

Hindi nakapagsalita si Bernie. His expression spoke a mixture of amazement and something unreadable. "Pray tell, what else can you infer about me, Mr. Yukishito?"

Nico yawned, but he didn't back down from the challenge. Not even with Nova rolling her eyes at him in annoyance.

"Aside from the fact that you're in your mid-70's, there probably isn't a barber shop on this island based on the uneven cut of your hair ends, and that your tailored suit should be dry cleaned but you machine washed it earlier this morning, resulting to very minimal damage in the fabric? Nothing much," he finished.

A lie.

Nico can spend the entire morning analyzing this butler's character, background, and everyday routine, but 1. that's boring, 2. it's a waste of time and brain power, and most importantly, 3. he still needs his cup of morning coffee.

Maya-maya pa, narinig niyang pumalakpak sina Min at Clyde sa kanilang narining. Nova was being Nova, but he can see a ghost of a smile on her lips. Meanwhile, Bernie looked impressed and nodded in approval.

"I admit, when I heard the news of your skills and first saw your name on our guest list, I was a bit skeptical, Mr. Yukishito. Pero nakakatuwang makita na mukhang hindi kami nagkamali ng imbitasyon... Now, shall we head back to the mansion? I understand it was a long trip."

Nagkamali ng imbitasyon?

Tahimik na pinagmasdan ni Nico ang pag-aayos nina Bernie at Clyde ng mga bagahe sa karwahe. Don't they have any cars here? How odd. Sumunod si Nova, kapansin-pansin pa rin ang tensyon sa kanyang mga balikat. She was still on guard, and that brought him a sense of relief.

They need to be prepared for whatever awaits them on this island.

"Nico, are you alright?"

Minnesota worriedly asked beside him. The detective just faked a smile, not wanting Min to waste her concerns on him.

"Kailangan ko lang ng kape."

At least that much was true.

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