Serial Codes

The Butcher Code: Floating Sail of Voyage

"Negotiator ng murder? Pa-papaanong..." the Manager must've been really shocked of the happenings. Sino nga ba ang hindi, given the fact that a detective introduced a murderer to him which is one of his employees?

"Tell me. Paanong ang lugar na 'to ay negotiator ng murder? Sa paanong paraan? Ha?" the waitress bravely asked.

"You're ignoring something that is worthy to get attention of," I continued, "Listen to everything, specifically to your surroundings."

"Listen to- what?!" the waitress upsized her eyes and looked around, "Do you-"

The atmosphere became more questioning as the waitress' face looked as if she's having hints of what's happening. Maybe the guard saw through this that's why he opened his mouth at last after minutes of silencing himself, "Ang ibig mo bang sabihin ay ang 'metal' na tumutugtog ngayon? Na ito ay kakaiba? Pero hindi naman nanggagaling sa restawran ang tunog. Hindi nga namin mapunterya kung saan nanggagaling 'yun gabi-gabi para mapagsabihan namin 'yung may-ari na nambubulabog sila."

Henry replied to everyone's bewilderment, "Tell me. If the sound doesn't come from here and the only establishment near your restaurant is a cabin about meters from its location, where do you think the sound comes from ultimately?"

"Sa cabin?" walang anu-anong paninigurado ng waitress, "Teka nga. Ano naman ngayon kung merong tumutugtog na 'rak' sa resto? Ibig sabihin ba no'n, ka-sosyo na agad ng restaurant na 'to ang patayan because we let weird music na guluhin ang peaceful aura ng resto? Since sinuggest niyo na rin naman, hindi ba dapat ang cabin na 'yon ang dapat na puntahan niyo in the first place?"

"Nagawa na namin," I announced, "Then we found something great. Mas maganda kung mamaya ko na sabihin 'yon to chill the suspense. For now, I hope that you won't get too shocked if you knew that a dead victim is here in your restaurant. Ah! Rather, a part of the victim."

I looked at Henry whose eyes are still gazing on his suspect. I'm on the table beside theirs and as far as I can predict from his smile which formed across his lips, he knows already what to do next.

He stood and in just a slide of his hand, he removed the white silk that covers the table number one or the table that the man in black suit has transferred into. Ikinagulat ito ng marami and at the same time, they were confused as to why Henry did it. I could see from the man in the suit that his calm demeanor's still consuming his whole just like the flyer girl. Wala kaming nakitang kakaiba. Of course, wala talaga. Henry's just playing tricks. Henry and I knew where the victim is hidden.

"Oh yes, I was wrong," he sarcastically remarked which made the targets turned to him in daze. Yes, 'targets'. Bakit nga ba matagal pa bago ko ma-conclude ang mga akto ng murderer? Henry's right. Though hindi ako nagtiwala sa kanya n'ong una, I admit that he's correct when he said na may patutunguhan ang imbestigasyon namin. Bago pa sumikat ang araw, the murderer will have his hands caught.

After some seconds, Henry walked to the table number nine which the two latest men customers have sat on. He grabbed the white silk that was covering the table, "Maybe this one's right, now?"

Tumingin paibaba ang flyer girl and the man in the black suit that I was also observing earlier closed his eyes in a calm manner.

He made everybody anticipate the surprise he'll be having but he didn't continue in opening the surprise yet. He instead stopped and asked the waiter na kanina ri'y tahimik pa, "Ah, yes. What time is it, Mr. Waiter?"

"12:30, Sir."

"12:30. The rock music's louder than ever now. No one would notice that dahil kanina pa ito tumutugtog and the characteristics of rock is actually loud right? One can't sense it easily. But five minutes ago, our two new customers which are these men went to our restaurant and sat on table number nine in which, the big man in table number one had it reserved since the big man came to the restaurant." Henry explained pointing to the two men na kararating lamang sa resto.