Project LOKI ②

Chapter 31: Game of the Generals (The Chase)

Sandaling napasulyap sa akin si Rosetta. Nabasa ko sa pagkunot ng noo niya at paniningkit ng mga mata kung ano ang gusto niyang itanong. She wanted to bring up—what's the name of those incidents again?—ah! "The Haunt of Bascoville" to our club.

"May free time ba kayo this weekend?" tanong niya. "May ire-refer sana akong case sa inyo. Alam kong hesitant kayong mag-investigate ng allegedly supernatural incidents, pero baka interested kayong i-check kung legit bang supernatural 'yon o gawa-gawa ng isang taong malikot ang imagination."

Bumuntonghininga si Loki. "I've told you before that—"

KYAH!

Lahat kami'y napalingon sa gym kung saan galing ang sigaw ng isang babae. Agad na tumakbo si Loki papunta roon. Sumunod kami dalawa ni Jamie sa kaniya. Sorry, Rosie, but your request would have to wait.

Pagpasok sa loob, nadatnan naming nakapalibot ang mga estudyante sa nakabulagtang katawan ng isang lalaki. Seeing the guy's face made us gasp because we recognized him. Pero ang mas nakasosorpresa ay ang sticky note na nakadikit sa kaniya.

THIS IS FOR YOU, M.

"Si Adonis 'yan, 'di ba?" bulong ni Jamie. Nakaiwas ang tingin niya mula sa lalaki. Her retentive memory might save the image of the guy who was clawing his left chest with protruding eyes and wide open mouth.

Judging by the message, the same person who killed Benjamin Tenorio struck again. Coincidentally, those two guys were mentioned in the article written by Zoey Bernardo against our club. Meron bang pattern ang pagpatay niya?

Whoever killed Adonis took advantage of the commotion caused by the hostage-taking.

Loki put on his latex gloves and approached the dead body. Kinapa niya muna ang pulso nito bago niya inilapit ang kaniyang ilong sa bibig ng biktima. "No scent of almond. His lips aren't turning bluish. This isn't murder via potassium cyanide. Hmmm . . . The poison must have been injected through a vein in his neck, based on the puncture wound here."

"Anong klaseng chemical ang ginamit?" tanong ko.

Tumayo na siya habang nakatitig pa rin sa walang buhay na biktima. "Autopsy needs to be performed on the body to determine what chemical was injected in him. But my guess? Potassium chloride, one of the drugs used in lethal injections. Stops the heart. Quick death. Look at his hands his chest. He looked like he was having a heart attack before he passed away."

Kung sanang hindi binaril ang mga CCTV camera, baka nahuli na sa frame ang itsura ng pumatay. Mukhang tinake advantage din 'yon ng killer.

"Who gave you permission to play around the crime scene?" Dumating na si Inspector Morales at agad na lumapit sa katawan ng biktima. Kasama niya ang ilang pulis na sinimulang kontrolin ang nakikiusyosong crowd.

"You have nothing to worry about, Inspector." Tinanggal ni Loki ang latex gloves niya bago humarap sa matandang pulis. "Rest assured we didn't contaminate the crime scene."

"Ayaw kong may nakikialam sa crime scene nang walang permiso mula sa akin." Nakapamulsang lumapit ang inspector kay Loki. He tried to intimidate him with his glare and raspy voice. Pero hindi natinag ang kasama namin. "Seryosong trabaho ito ng mga pulis. Hindi ito laro para sa iyo at sa iyong club."

"I've always helped the campus police whenever they're in a pinch. You can ask your subordinates about our invaluable contribution to your unit. You should welcome our club's assistance—"

"Nakalimutan mo na yatang hindi na si Estrada ang chief dito? Kung noo'y pinapayagan niya kayong basta-basta manghimasok sa crime scene, ngayo'y hindi na puwede. Naintindihan n'yo ba?"

"But sir, with all due respect—"

"I don't want to see you loitering around our crime scenes ever again," may bantang sabi ni Inspector Morales. "Sa susunod na madatnan ko kayong pakalat-kalat, hindi lamang sermon ang aabutin n'yo sa akin. We can solve this case without your help, boy."

Doon na dahan-dahang umurong si Loki. Mukhang sarado na ang isip ng inspector kaya walang patutunguhan ang pakikipagdebate niya. Wala ring sinabi ang mga pulis na laging tumutulong sa amin noon.

"Go back to your classes!" sigaw nito sa mga nakapaligid na estudyante. "Now!"

Maliban sa Moriarty case, mukhang may panibago kaming problema na kahaharapin—ang chief ng campus police.

q.e.d.