Chapter 30: Apollo in A Locked Room*
Mabilis na dumaan ang mga araw and everyone in Bridle is busy para sa upcoming school festival. Each club were practicing for the cultural night at abala ang bawat section para sa mga sports, literary and musical event. It's only four days including the weekends bago ang festival at abala na ang lahat. As of the play, araw-araw kaming nagpapractice.
May mga nagtayo na rin ng mga booth sa grounds ng Bridle. The gym was cleaned up for the basketball and volleyball. The lawn were already mowed for the soccer and baseball game. Katatapos lamang ng practice namin. We were on the auditorium with the play's main cast at ng ilang mga staff.
Tumayo si Marion at lumapit sa akin. “Amber, samahan mo naman ako. We'll pick out our costumes for the play.”
“But the club will provide us our costume,” wika ko sa kanya.
“I already told Mia about it. She said we can have our own gown as long as it's of the same color,” she said. She's choosing her own gown? Oh yeah, she don't have problems regarding that since they're very rich.
“Please Amber, samahan mo ako please? Magpapasukat lang ako sa couture,” she said and pouted.
Pumayag ako at tuwang-tuwa naman ito. “Yes! Let's go. But first, can we drop by at Castell Hotel? Pinayagan lang kasi ako ni Daddy na pumunta sa couture kapag kasama ko ang pupuntahan natin sa hotel,” she said and I nodded.
Umalis kami ng Bridle at sumakay ng taxi papunta sa Castell Hotel. “Sino ba ang pupuntahan natin sa Castell Hotel Marion?” I asked her nang makasakay na kami ng taxi. She's frowning mula ng sinabi niya na pupunta kami sa Castell Hotel, maybe she doesn't like whoever we're meeting.
I saw her frowned again. “My suitor, oh, not really a suitor. His dad forced him to court me. Daddy wanted me to be acquainted with that guy since business partner niya ang daddy ng guy.”
“You're frowning. You don't like the guy?,” tanong ko sa kanya and she shook her head.
“He's hot and handsome but alam mo namang si Gray-chan ang gusto ko diba?,” she said. Oh, yeah. He's into Gray-CHAN. Whatever.
“Besides, I guess we're the same, you know, that guy who's courting me. I don't like him and he doesn't like me too. Sinabi niya talaga iyon sa akin. Oo, nanliligaw siya but it's like out of compliance. And I hate such,” wika ni Marion.
That's weird. I wonder why there were people who would really go after into orders even if it cost them their happiness. Courting someone out of compliance? Uh, not good.
Tumigil na ang taxi sa harap ng hotel at bumaba na kami. Marion got her phone and dialled a number. “He's not answering. He said kanina na pupuntahan ko lang siya dito and call him if I'm already at the hotel's premises.”
“What did you say? Siya pa mismo ang nagpapunta sayo rito? How rude! Guys should be the one fetching girls and not the other way around!” bulalas ko.
“I told you, he's not into me kaya normal lang na hindi niya ako itrato na parang tunay na nililigawan,” paliwanag ni Marion but I just frowned. Kahit pa siguro hindi niya gusto si Marion, he should be considerate enough not to let Marion fetch him. That's a guy's job.
I rolled my eyes. “Kahit na, you're still a lady.” Whoever it was, wala siyang modo! He makes a girl fetch him? And now he's not answering his phone? What a guy.
Lumapit kami ni Marion sa receptionist at nagtanong doon. “Excuse me, nag-check out na ba ang nasa Suite 202? He told me to be here but he's not answering his phone,” tanong niya and the receptionist checked the records.
“Not yet Ma'am, are you Marion Velmon?,” tanong nito at tumango si Marion. “Mr. Morisson is expecting you on his suit.”
Matapos magpasalamat ay sumakay kami sa elevator at hinanap ang room number na sinabi ni Marion. We knocked and knocked ngunit walang sumagot. When I tried to open the door, it wasn't lock.
“Marion, it wasn't locked,” wika ko at pumasok si Marion. Sumunod naman ako sa kanya. The occupant's things were still inside. Naroon din ang cellphone nito.
“It's weird. Nasaan kaya ang lalaking iyon? I already checked the bathroom ngunit wala pa rin,” wika ni Marion.
“Why don't we stay outside? Doon na lang natin siya hintayin sa baba,” suhestiyon ko at pumayag naman si Marion. Another minus point for that guy! Making a lady wait?
We went out the suite immediately at bumaba na doon. When we passed on the next floor ay may nakita akong mga tao na kumakatok sa isang kwarto.
“Ricky! Buksan mo 'tong pinto!” sigaw ng lalaki. He knocked and knocked ngunit wala pa ring bumubukas doon. Mukhang nababahala na din ang mukha ng kasama nitong babae at lalaki. Napahinto naman ako habang nanunood sa kanila.
“I know you want to check the situation there, you're like Gray-chan, a deduction maniac,” wika niya at hinila ako papunta doon. “Halika, let's see what can we do there.”
Nagpatangay na lang ako sa hila niya at lumapit kami roon.
“Ano po bang nangyari?” tanong ko sa babae ng makarating kami ni Marion doon.
“I've been calling him but he's not answering so I went here alone sa halip na magkita kami sa mall gaya ng napagkasunduan namin. When I arrived here naabutan ko dito sina Sammy at Allen. They said they're knocking here for a while ngunit hindi sila binubuksan ni Ricky,” wika ng babae.
Bumukas ang katabing pinto. “It's been a while nang kumakatok kayo. You're disturbing other guests here too.”
Humingi naman sila ng paumanhin ngunit nababahala pa rin sila kung bakit hindi dila binubuksan ng tinatawag nilang Ricky.
“Hindi kaya natutulog lamang ang kaibigan niyo? Look, the door is locked,” wika ni Marion.
“But we're knocking here and calling his mobile for a while ngunit hindi pa rin siya gumigising kung natutulog man siya, don't you think it's strange?” wika ng tinawag nila na Allen. The three of them look like they were on their late 20's.
“Ah, come to think of it. It's almost two hours when I heard a strange noise mula sa suite na iyan,” wika ng guest mula sa katabing kwarto.
Sabay kaming napalingon sa kanya. “Strange noise?”
“Yeah, it was a loud thud and it sounded like something's hit. I also heard a faint cry,” wika niya. The rooms there were not sound proof dahil hindi iyon VIP room unlike the one that was used by Marion's suitor.
“Something must have happened inside,” wika ko at nagulat silang tatlo.
“Tatawag na ako ng hotel staff! Baka ano ng nangyari kay Ricky,” the girl said at umalis. When she returned ay may kasama na ito. They knocked again at wala pa ring nagbukas niyon. Worried about what may happen ay kumuha ng master key ang hotel staff at binuksan ang kwarto. When he opened it, the safety lock was still latched. Nagulat kami nang may namataan kaming kamay sa sahig. We can't see the whole body dahil hindi pa maayos na nabuksan ang kwarto since the safety lock was on.
“What's going on? Is that Ricky's?” tanong ni Sammy. He kicked the door and bumped his body many times and he was able to break the chain of the safetly lock. Nang mabuksan iyon ay agad kaming pumasok. Laking gulat ko nang makita ang lalaking nakahandusay sa sahig. His head was bleeding. It was Apollo!
“Ryu!” wika ni Marion at lumapit kay Apollo. Ryu? She knows Apollo? Hindi kaya ito ang “suitor” niya na pinuntahan namin dito?
“Marion, siya ba ang hinahanap natin?” tanong ko and she nodded. It's a small world after all talaga. Inalog niya si Apollo at nagising naman ito.
“Marie,” he said ng makita si Marion.
“It's Marion. Ilang beses ko bang sasabihin na Marion ang pangalan ko at hindi Marie?” Marion said at inalalayang tumayo si Apollo. He touched his bleeding head at napangiwi ito. He looked around the room and smirked when he saw me. Uh, another meeting?
“You're here huh,” wika niya and I rolled my eyes at him. Takang tiningnan naman kami ni Marion. She might be wondering why Apollo, or should I say Ryu recognized me.
“You know each other?” she asked at sabay naman kaming sumagot ni Ryu.
“Yes,” he said.
“No!” tanggi ko naman and Marion became more confused. Oh yeah, I know him. He's a devil!
Hindi na ako nakasagot dahil nakarinig kami ng sigaw. It was a loud scream from the lady na kasama namin. We rushed immediately to the bathroom kung saan nangagaling ang sigaw nito. We saw a guy lying dead on the bathroom's floor. He was hit with something on the head at nagkalat ang dugo nito sa sahig.
“Tumawag kayo ng pulis!” wika ko at sumunod naman ang hotel staff. I touched the guy's pulse ngunit binawian na ito ng buhay. Someone was murdered in a sealed room. This is a locked murder case, no doubt about it.
“Rickyyyyy!” the girl was crying as she saw the guy. Hindi rin halos makapaniwala ang dalawang lalaki.
“We just talked kaninang umaga but now he's dead!” wika ng isang lalaki.
“Ricky. Who did this to you?” sambit naman ng isa.
This case is mysterious. Naka-lock ang kwarto and even the safety lock was still latched. Another suspicious point was Apollo inside the locked room. Ano naman ang ginagawa niya rito?
I turned my gaze at him at nilapitan sitya. “You did this or not?” I asked him directly even if I know it's not him dahil kung ito man ang gumawa niyon, malamang ay gumamit ito ng baril. He's a devil who've got gun.
He raised his brow at me and crossed his arms. “Pointing fingers eh?” Tinuro niya ang duguang ulo. “See this? I'm not stupid as getting myself hit after I killed someone and stayed in that murder scene.”
“I'm really confused. How did you know each other?” tanong ni Marion sa amin.
“She's a cat who's good in sticking his butt into others business,” wika ni Ryu and smirked at me.
“Shut up devil, I don't know you. Or maybe I know you but I don't remember you. You're not even worth remembering,” sagot ko at mas lalong napangisi ito.
“Really? Acting tough huh? Since wala naman dito ang pinsan ko, I can put my fingers on your pretty little neck and wring-”
Pinutol ni Marion ang sasabihin nito. “Wait. You're not really friends, ngunit hindi niyo naman kailangang magsagutan as if you're giving each other death threats.”
Dumating na ang mga pulis at nag-imbestiga sa paligid, they questioned the three friends of the victim and Ryu who was inside the crime scene dahil sila ang huling kasama ng biktima bago pa ito pinatay.
The girl's name was Rose Montes. She was the girlfriend of the victim. Ayon sa kanya ay pumunta siya roon dahil may arrangement sila ng boyfriend niya na magkikita. Naroon siya buong gabi at umuwi kinaumagahan upang magbihis. She left by 7 in the morning.
The guy who pushed the door open was Sammy Raval. He was friend of the victim at katrabaho. Ayon sa kanya ay pumunta siya roon upang kunin ang mga naiwang trabaho around 8:30 in the morning at umalis matapos kunin iyon.
The last guy was Allen Salve, at ayon sa kanya ay pumunta siya roon upang kunin sa biktima ang hiniram nitong pera mula sa kanya but the victim wasn't able to pay kaya umalis na lang siya. He left around 11 in the morning.
“Hindi namin siya pinatay!” wika ni Allen.
“Someone might have killed him!” wika naman ni Sammy.
“I shouldn't have leave him,” mangiyak-ngiyak na wika ni Rose. Bumalik si Rose dahil hindi dumating and biktima sa mall gaya ng kasunduan nila. Sammy went back dahil may naiwan siya sa mga paperworks na kinuha niya mula sa biktima kanina and Allen was instructed by the victim to come back in the afternoon dahil magbabayad ito.
Nakatayo lang ako at matamang nakatitig sa tatlo habang tinatanong ito ng mga pulis. Kumuha ng first aid kit si Marion at inilapag iyon sa harap ni Ryu. “Treat yourself, I don't know how to do it,” wika niya but Ryu just smirked.
“Stupid. I can't treat my wound since I cannot see it. Pupunta na lang ako sa clinic ni Tyra after the police questioning,” wika ni Ryu.
“But you may have excessive blood loss,” giit ni Marion ngunit tumahimik din ng inirapan siya ni Ryu bago ito humalukipkip.
Kinuha ko ang first aid kit at binuksan iyon. “I want you dead but since may mga taong nakakakita, I don't want them to say something like wala man lamang akong ginawa upang tulungan ang isang injured na tulad mo,” wika ko at ginamot ang ulo niya. Hindi na ito pumalag, sa halip ay pinabayaan lang niya ako.
“Just because I let you treat my wound doesn't mean I owe you my life,” wika niya and winced when I pressed his wound. “Be careful witch!”
“Tumahimik ka kasi diyan, kaya iyan sumasakit kasi ang dami mong sinasabi eh,” wika ko sa kanya and he shut his mouth habang nagtatakang tiningnan naman kami ni Marion.
Lumapit ang mga pulis kay Ryu at ito naman ang tinanong. “Sabi nila ay nandito ka kanina at walang malay. Anong ginagawa mo rito?” tanong ng pulis.
Sinimulan kong i-bandage ang ulo niya habang kinakausap ito ng mga pulis. “I was passing this way when I heard a faint cry kaya pumasok ako thinking someone might need help,” wika niya.
Uh, he's thinking someone might need help? This devil would help people? Unbelievable.
“At ano ang nasaksihan mo?” tanong ng pulis and Ryu shook his head.
“No, I was about to enter when someone hit me with a hard object and the last thing I know ay nawalan ako ng malay. But I did glance a little at the culprit's body. He was wearing a black shirt,” wika niya.
Tiningnan ko naman ang tatlong kaibigan ng biktima. No one was in black shirt. Nakapula si Sammy, nakasuot naman ng asul na polo si Allen. Rose was wearing a pink dress.
“Sa tatlong suspect na pumunta dito ay walang nakapula, could it be possible na wala na rito ang salarin? Wala ring CCTV cameras dito dahil sira iyon,” wika ng isang pulis.
Matapos kong gamutin ang ulo ni Ryu ay naglibot ako sa loob kahit pa binawalan ako ng mga pulis. I went near the door at tiningnan ang pinto. It was not a simple case dahil nasa loob iyon ng locked room. How did the culprit manage to escape the room since it was locked with a chain lock from the inside? I noticed something on the floor kaya pinulot ko iyon. What is this? Is this a tire wire?
Tiningnan ko ang sirang lock. Ah, I guess I have something that can explain this locked room murder. Anyone of them could be the suspect. The victim let him in kaya marahil ay kilala ng biktima ang kung sino man ang pumatay sa kanya. But if we take account of Ryu's words, the culprit was wearing a black shirt but none of them is wearing black. Hindi kaya nagpalit ito ng damit dahil naisip marahil ng salarin na nakita siya ni Ryu?
“I'm gonna kill whoever knocked me! He even let me lay down on that dirty black rug!” narinig kong nanggagalaiting wika ni Ryu. Oh, the devil's angry.
Tiningnan ko ang area kung saan namin natagpuan si Ryu. He was lying on that dirty black rug- huh, wait. There wasn't any black rug there. It was red and not black, hindi kaya…
Ah, this supports my first theory. I think I know whoever the culprit is. Ang kailangan ko na lang ang ebidensya. I look around but there wasn't anything na maaring magpapatunay na ang taong iyon nga ang salarin.
Lumapit ako kay Ryu at hinarap siya. “Hey devil, aside sa nakasuot ng itim ang salarin, what else did you observe?”
He smirked at me. “Why should I answer you? You're not the police.”
“Amber's a detective kaya sagutin mo na lang siya,” Marion said and Ryu ignored her but Marion is persistent. “Sagutin mo na kasi upang ma-solve na ito and then you can be released here.”
“Fine,” wika ni Ryu. Kahit labag sa kalooban niya ay pilit niyang inalala ang nangyari. “He's wearing white socks,” he said. “And I can't remember anything. I passed out immediately after being hit.”
Lumapit naman ako sa may banyo. The body has been removed and the area where the body was found was marked by the police habang iniimbestigahan nila iyon.
“Hey, I told you not to wander around, this is police works already,” wika ng isang pulis. Lumapit ako ng kaunti and I saw something which will be enough evidence.
“I guess I know who killed the victim,” deklara ko at napatingin silang lahat sa akin. Yeah, I'm now sure of it after seeing the place where the victim's body was found.
“Hey brat, this isn't school work. This is murder,” wika ng pulis at tumango ako sa kanya.
“Yeah, this is police works but why don't you hear my deduction to make this locked room case come into light?” wika ko sa kaya. “Nandito lamang sa silid na ito ang killer.”
Lumapit si Rose sa amin. “I thought some other guy in black killed him,” wika niya.
“No, it was one of the three of you,” wika ko at tiningnan sila.
Galit nasumagot naman si Allen. “Hey, make sure you're giving the right name at hindi basta-basta na lamang kung mang-akusa,” wika niya sa akin.
“Yeah, according to that guy there,” tinuro ko s i Ryu, “He saw someone in a black shirt but the truth is he saw someone in red shirt.”
Gulat naman silang napatingin kay Sammy. “Sinasabi mo bang ako ang pumatay sa biktima?” galit nitong wika.
“Yeah, you killed the victim and hit Ryu in the head,” wika ko. “Ryu is color blind. He mistook red for black. It's the case when someone has dichromic color blindness particularly protanopia,” wika ko.
“What's protanopia?” tanong ni Marion. They were all puzzled by those terms classes of color blindness deficiency.
“It's a severe type of color vision deficiency due to the absence of red retinal photoreceptors,” wika ko.
Ryu stepped in at nagsalita. “You sounded like my doctor. Yeah, I'm color blind and I forgot to wear my single-red tint contact lens which I should put on my non-dominant eye. Ngayon ko lang naalala na hindi ko iyon suot and I mistook red for black. Protan's like me find it difficult to distinguish red and mistook it for black. We hardly distinguish blue from purple too,” wika ni Ryu at bumaling sa akin. “How do you know I have such vision deficiency?”
“It's when you said you laid on the on the black rug when in fact it is red,” wika ko
“And how do you know a lot about that deficiency Amber?” tanong ni Marion.
“I used to read a lot,” wika ko and I saw Ryu smirked.
“Freak,” he uttered and I ignored him.
“Paano naman ipapaliwanag ang nakasaradong pinto?” wika ng isang pulis.
“About it, the culprit already detached it bago pa man siya umalis mula sa kwartong ito. He removed some chains and connected it again with a tire wire nang nasa labas na siya. By that, he has the safety lock still latched. After attaching it, he locked the room from the inside, completing this locked room murder after killing the victim and hitting Ryu,” wika ko.
“But we can discover that trick,” wika ng pulis.
“No, dahil sa simula pa lang ay alam na niya ang mangyayari kaya niya sinira ang safety lock at nagkunwaring nag-aalala sa nangyari. By that even if we saw that the safety lock was manipulated, police may just thought that it was because sinira iyon upang makapasok.”
Galit na lumapit si Sammy sa akin. “At bakit ba ako ang itinuturo mo? May ebidensya ka ba?” wika niya.
“Of course. Ryu said that you were wearing a white sock at naroon ang ebidensya ko,” wika ko at nagtaka ang lahat.
“What?!” tanong niya.
“Remove your shoes,” sabat ni Ryu. “The evidence is in your socks.”
Lumapit naman ang isang pulis at yumuko. “Maari ba naming tingnan ang medyas mo?”
Sammy removed his shoes and showed us his socks at gawa nga ng inaasahan, naroon ang ebidensya. There was a trace of blood under it. Malamang ay hindi niya namalayan na nakaapak siya ng kaunting dugo ng biktima.
“You killed him Sam?,” napaiyak na wika ni Rose. Hindi ito makapaniwala sa nangyari. Napayuko naman si Sammy. “How dare you! You're a murderer! I thought kaibigan ka namin!”
“Huminahaon ka Rose,” wika ni Allen.
“Alam mo ba kung bakit ko siya pinatay? Dahil sinabi niya na malaki ang utang niya kay Allen and he wasn't able to get enough money from you! Oo Rose! Piniperahan ka lamang ni Ricky! That's why nagdilim ang paningin ko at hindi ko napigilan ang sarili ko!” wika niya at napatigil naman si Rose. Halos hindi ito makapaniwala sa narinig.
Pinosasan na ng mga pulis si Sammy. “Ikwento mo ang buong pangyayari sa presinto,” wika ng pulis at inilabas na si Sammy. Panay naman ang iyak ni Rose dahil sa nalaman at inaya ko na si Marion na umalis matapos nagpasalamat ang pulis sa akin.
Lumabas na kami roon at nagpunta sa suite ni Ryu. “You're a freak huh. You identified the culprit. Oh, I forgot to punch that guy since I cannot kill him with the cops around!”
I rolled my eyes at him. Lumapit si Marion kay Ryu. “Wag ka na lang sumama sa amin ni Amber. Magpahinga ka na lang muna dahil sariwa pa ang sugat mo sa ulo,” wika ni Marion but Ryu disagreed.
“Papagalitan ako ni Daddy kapag hindi kita sinamahan Marie,” wika nito and I saw Marion frowned.
“I told you, it's Marion,” inis niyang wika but Ryu just smirked.
“Whatever.”
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