Project LOKI ②

Chapter 26.5: The Woman [SPECIAL]

"Kahit na nabo-bore ka sa klase, kailangan mo pa ring pumasok." She placed both hands on her waist, like my mom when she's scolding me. "Paano kapag bumagsak ka sa subjects mo? Paano kapag naging repeater ka?"

As much as I appreciated her concern, the thought of getting failing grades never bothered me. I could care less whether I would get 95 or 75. Unlike some students, I wasn't addicted to numbers. But for the sake of ending this discussion, I gave her a lazy nod. "Papasok na ako mamaya. Kahit labag sa loob ko."

"Good!" She beamed again, flashing her white teeth. "Dadaan ako sa classroom n'yo mamaya para tingnan kung pumasok ka talaga."

"You don't have to. I'll just send you a picture of me with my classmates."

"Susubukan mo pa akong isahan, 'no? Baka pagkatapos mong mag-picture, aalis ka na ng room n'yo."

"Now you're giving me ideas."

She would sometimes like my elder sister even though I was months older than her. I was born in January while she was born in July. We were both Grade 10 students.

"By the way," she dragged the chair on my right, "have you figured out anything in the M case?"

"No development yet." I pulled myself up and sat straight on the table, my legs hanging over the edge. "There's no direct connection between the two cases except that bloody letter M. If this is the start of a killing spree, the culprit must have randomly picked his victims."

"Uhm . . ." Rhea bit her lower lip as she looked down. "Do you mind kung nag-request ako ng ilang case files sa campus police?"

My eyebrow inched upward. "What for?"

"Just a hunch. Naisip ko kasi na baka hindi ito ang unang beses na involved ang M na 'yan sa mga nangyari sa school. Remember the accidents and suicides more than a year ago? Sabi ng ilan sa mga nakausap ko, hindi capable na magpakamatay ang mga biktima at malabong aksidente ang mga nangyari sa kanila."

Of course, I was well aware of those incidents as I studied them with great detail. But nothing jumped out at me during the investigation. "There's no signature from the mysterious M, so how can we connect these two murders and the cases you've cited?"

She shrugged. "It's just a hunch. My intuition told me. But it may be worth looking at, right? What if noong una, gustong maging discreet ni M? 'Tapos ngayon, gusto na niyang ipaalam na involved siya sa mga kaso?"

I nodded slowly. Rhea's intuition might be worth considering. Maybe if we looked much closer, we might see a scarlet thread that would connect all related cases. Good to know that she was learning my methods.

Then there were two knocks. Rhea opened the door, and a man around his fifties appeared at our doorstep. His mustache was unusually thick. He wore the standard blue police uniform that fitted his large build perfectly.

"Inspector Estrada, what brings you here?" I greeted him, jumping on my feet. "May case ba kayong ire-refer sa amin?"

Gareth Estrada was the senior inspector assigned to the campus police station in Clark High. How did I know him? He and my father were close friends and long-time colleagues. They shared a bond as true as steel that was tested through time. They worked together in the metropolitan police department where my father served as the chief superintendent.

"Kinausap ako ng school principal kanina tungkol sa dalawang case nitong nakaraang linggo," he explained. "Naisipan kong isabay na ang files na ni-request ni Rhea at hingin ang tulong n'yo para ma-solve na ang mga kasong 'yon."

He handed a brown folder to Rhea who checked the files immediately. I watched her intently. Her eyebrows furrowed as a hint of confusion crossed her face. She showed him a forced smile. "Uhm . . . Inspector? Mali po yata itong nadala n'yong files? Robbery-theft cases ang laman nitong folder."