HARRIET
TICK! TOCK! Tick! Tock!
I was already fidgeting sa kahihintay sa kanya. Pinagtitinginan na tuloy ako ng mga staff sa cofee shop. Halos thirty minutes na kasi akong nandito at tubig lang ang iniinom ko.
Nasa isang mall ako ngayon sa labas ng university. Kailangan ko na kasing bumili ng damit para sa Sherrinford Soiree ngayong Biyernes. Normally, students aren't allowed to leave the campus premises. But in special cases, pinapayagan kami ng aming House leaders para lumabas.
For the upcoming party, I bought a blue off-shoulder dress that reaches my knees. Medyo revealing ngunit hindi masagwang tingnan. For sure, mas may kakabog pa sa suot ko sa Biyernes.
Nalusaw na ang yelo sa iniinom ko tubig. I know that person's a busy man. Kinailangan ko pa ngang magpa-appointment para makipagkita sa kanya. Nakakadismaya lang na hindi pa siya on time dumating.
"Sorry if I am late." A man in his early forties took the seat across my table. He wore a white longsleeved shirt with dotted neckie. His hazelbrown eyes looked at me through his circular spectacles.
Meet my dad: Harold Harrison. He is highly respected in the field of law and he was dubbed as "The Incorruptible." Siya kasi ang tumatayong judge ng Angeles City Regional Trial Court and he handled major cases in the past.
Remember the list of the criminals acquitted by his court? I got the information from his staff. Siguradong hindi niya ako bibigyan ng kahit anong impormasyon dahil classified ang mga detalyeng hinihingi ko. But as always, I managed to find a workaround.
"You are thirty minutes late. I only have less than an hour before I return to the university," I said, relaxing my arms after minutes of being crossed across my chest.
"Pasensya na kung pinaghintay kita, Rie." My dad removed his glasses and started wiping the lenses. I noticed the smudge of ink on his left palm. "Alam mo namang marami kaming tinatapos na papeles sa korte kaya nag-a-adjust ang schedule namin."
"Yes, I can tell. Masyado kayong naging busy sa pagpirma ng mga case file o pagsusulat ng mga report."
Natigil ang dad ko sa kanyang ginagawa at tiningnan ako nang ilang segundo. Pagkatapos noon, bumalik na siya sa pagpunas sa kanyang salamin. "I won't ask kung paano mo nalaman 'yon. Pero bago mo pa ako ulit sabihan ng kung ano-ano, pwede bang um-order muna tayo? Hindi ako nakapag-break kanina sa office."
Tinawag namin ang matangkad na waitress na malamang ay kanina pa naghihintay. Nag-order kami ng dalawang slice ng cheesecake, isang earl grey tea at mocha frappucino
"Habang hinihintay natin ang order natin, pwede na siguro tayong mag-start?" tanong ko pagkaalis ng waitress sa tabi ko.
"Go ahead," my dad nodded.
I opened the PDF file of the list and placed my phone in front of him. He stared curiously at it as he read the names. There's no doubt that he recognized some of them.
"Where did you get this list?" he asked.
"Wrong question. Ang tanong ay kung ano ang koneksyon nila sa isa't isa." Kinuha kong muli ang aking phone at ibinulsa ito. "Almost half of the names you saw are already dead. They were forced to commit suicide by a vigilante. You acquitted them for their crimes. Why?"
"I do not have the authority to discuss their cases but in general, napawalang-sala sila dahil sa kakulangan sa ebidensya," my dad answered, resting his elbows on the mahogany table. "The prosecution failed to present concrete evidence kaya gano'n ang naging ruling ng korte."
"Wala nang ibang dahilan?"
"What else could the reason be?"
"Maybe there was a price for their acquittal?"
Once more, my dad stared at me as if I said something wrong. He placed his eyeglasses on the table. "You think na binayaran ako para pumabor sa kanila ang ruling?"
"That's not new in your profession, is it?" I smiled. "Judges are being bribed so their decisions would favor the one who puts money on the table. You may be called The Incorruptible, but you are not an exemption."
I expected him to be offended by my blunt remarks, but he chuckled. "Ganyan ba kababa ang tingin mo sa trabaho namin?"
"On the contrary, I admire people like you. Hanga ako kung paano nadadala ng konsensya n'yo ang mga paghatol na alam n'yong mali."
Then there was silence. Mabuti't dumating na ang order namin para mawala ang awkward na katahimikan. Inilapag ng waitress ang mga inumin at dalawang platito ng cake sa mesa. I grabbed a fork and took a bite of the cheesecake while my dad sipped his favorite earl grey tea.
"Look here, Rie." My dad put his teacup back on the saucer. "There are things that you won't and will never understand. Siguro maiintindihan mo balang araw, kung sanang hindi ka pumasok sa detective university na 'yan at tumuloy ka sa pagiging abogado."
Yeah, I could still remember him telling me to pursue law as a profession. But I did not want to follow his footsteps. I abhor the idea of sitting in a court room, listening to people argue and deciding based on what I hear. Gusto kong pumunta mismo sa mga crime scene, personal na makita ang lagay nito at bumuo ng mga sarili kong deduction. I wanna be a detective. I wanna be like my mom.
"So you don't deny the idea that you were possibly bribed by certain entities?" tanong ko.
He only smiled and went on eating the cheesecake. I knew it. Wala man siyang sinabi, pero nararamdaman kong tama ang hinala ko. He was, after all, not purely incorruptible. He's just a human. Like everyone else, he's also prone to temptation.
"There are things in life that you need to protect," he explained. "And for you to do so, you need to do the necessary thing, no matter how repugnant that might be."
And what was the thing that he's protecting, I wonder? Kami ba na pamilya niya? O ang kanyang reputasyon? I did not bother anymore to ask.
"So how's your detective career?" tanong niya matapos sumubo ng kaunting cheesecake. He spat the word "detective" like poison. Mula noong nag-aral ako sa QED University, he started to hate that word. "Mabuti't pinayagan ka nilang lumabas ng university?"
At the moment, we were trying to have a casual conversation, like what a father and daughter do. Eating cheesecake. Drinking tea. Catching up. Dahil sa mismong university na ako nag-i-stay, hindi ko na siya madalas na nakakausap. Tuwing semestrial break namin, umuuwi ako sa bahay pero siya naman ang wala.
"Kinailangan kong bumili ng dress para sa Sherrinford Soiree," I jerked my thumb at the paper bags under the table. "It's an acquiantance party where students from all Houses meet. But why would you care?"
"AAAAAAAAAAAAACKKK!"
Isang malakas na "thud!" ang narinig sa buong coffee shop. Paglingon namin ni dad sa kanan, nakita naming bumagsak ang katawan ng isang matabang lalaki, nakahawak ang parehong kamay sa leeg na parang sinasakal ang sarili.
KYAAAH!
Tumili ang katabi niyang waitress kaya lalong na-curious ang ibang customer sa kung ano ang nangyari. Nakadilat ang mga mata ng lalaki, nakabukas ang kanyang bibig at lalo pang bumabaon ang kanyang kuko sa balat niya. 'Di kalaunan, tumigil na siya sa paggalaw at nakatulala sa kisame.
I wasted no time and rushed to the side of the body. Hinawakan ko ang pulso niya sa kamay pero wala na akong maramdaman na kahit ano. He's already dead.
Don't you find it weird? Lagi akong involved sa mga ganitong insidente. Parang kung saan ako magpunta, laging nakasunod ang kamalasan para bigyan ako ng kasong iso-solve. Naalala ko tuloy si Mouri Kogoro sa Detective Conan, "murder magnet" ang tawag sa kanya dahil kahit saan siya magpunta, laging may murder na nangyayari.
I hope that's not the case for me and that this was just a coincidence.
Napansin kong nagkukulay-asul na ang labi ng lalaki. May naamoy akong almond mula sa kanyang bibig. His lips turned blue due to deoxidization... the scent of almond in his mouth... walang duda. This man was poisoned.
"Tumawag kayo ng ambulansya, bilis!" sigaw ng babaeng nasa counter. Aligagang sumunod sa utos niya ang ibang empleyado.
"No need to call for an ambulance!" I shouted, standing from the spot where I knelt. Huminto sa paggalaw ang mga cafe staff na napalingon sa direksyon ko. "Instead, call the police. He's already dead."
"A-Ano?!" pagulat na reaksyon ng mga taong nakapaligid sa akin.
"Make sure that no one leaves this coffee shop." My eyes roamed around the ten customers and three staff. "Posibleng isa sa atin ang lumason sa kanya."
"Rie."
Sighing, I turned around to see my dad who was still sipping his cup of tea. Nababasa ko sa mukha niya na hindi niya gusto ang ginagawa ko. Well, he never liked my choice of career in general.
"You should leave this case to the police," utos niya sabay balik ng teacup sa saucer. "You have no authority to conduct an investigation. Pwede ka pang kasuhan ng obstruction of justice sa ginagawa mo."
I would if I could, but my curiosity to solve this case was getting the better of me. Alam kong minsan nakakapahamak ang pagiging curious—gaya noong hotel murder case kahapon—pero mas gugustuhin kong ma-exercise ang utak ko kaysa uminom ng tsaa kasama ang dad ko.
"It is time for me to test what I learned at that detective school," I insisted, returning my attention to the victim. Tiningnan ko ang mga bagay sa mesa niya. A cup of coffee, a stained tissue, a bowl of fries and a tablet phone. Dahil lason ang cause of death, posibleng nasa inumin niya ito. The only way to confirm that was to let the police examine the cup.
"Waitress!" I raised my hand to get the attention of the woman wearing a black vest and bowtie. Naka-ponytail ang kanyang buhok kahit hanggang batok lang 'yon. "Natatandaan n'yo ba kung ano ang ginawa ng biktima bago siya nag-collapse?"
"Pagkatapos niyang mag-order sa counter, umupo siya sa table na 'yan," sagot ng waitress sabay turo sa mesang malapit sa akin. Pilit niyang iniiwas ang kanyang tingin sa nakahandusay na katawan sa sahig. "Ako ang naghatid ng order niyang hot coffee at fries."
"At sino ang nag-prepare ng in-order niyang kape?" tanong ko.
Nagtaas ng kamay ang lalaking nasa counter. May suot siyang hairnet at itim na apron. "Ako, ma'am. Ako ang barista sa coffee shop na 'to."
Sunod na nagtaas ng kamay ang isang babaeng nakapusod ang buhok na binabalutan din ng hairnet. "Ako naman ang nagluto doon sa in-order niyang fries."
"May napansin ba kayong lumapit sa kanya na posibleng nakapaglagay ng lason sa inumin o pagkain niya?"
Nagkatinginan ang mga staff bago nila ibinalik ang kanilang tingin sa akin at umiling. "Mukhang wala namang lumapit sa kanya. Teka, maitanong ko lang, detective ba kayo?"
Looks like I had no other choice. Ipinakita ko sa kanila ang aking QED University ID card. It would not give me any authority to inspect a crime scene but I hope it would do the trick. "You can say that I'm a detective in training."
Hindi nagtagal, dumating ang dalawang police officer sa coffee shop. Una muna nilang kinausap ang manager bago dumiretso sa loob. I recognized the face of one of them. We have already met before, back in the hotel murder case.
"Officer Madarang!" I waved my hand to get his attention.
Bumuka ang bibig niya at napatitig nang ilang segundo sa akin. Imposibleng nakalimutan na niya kaagad kung sino ako dahil kahapon lang ang huli naming pagkikita. "Ikaw 'yong ni-rescue namin sa abandoned warehouse kahapon, 'di ba? Nandito ka rin?"
"Abandoned warehouse?" Narinig ni dad ang pag-uusap namin ni SPO1 Madarang kaya napatayo siya't lumapit sa akin. Uh-oh. I haven't told him that I almost got killed yesterday. "What happened in the abandoned warehouse that you mentioned?"
"Si-Sir Harrison! Nandito rin pala kayo!"
Why should I be surprised that these two knew each other? My father's the court judge who issues warrants for the police kaya hindi nakapagtatakang magkakilala sila.
"She's my daughter, by the way," my dad introduced, holding me by my right shoulder. "You said something about an abandoned warehouse?"
"Sa inyo siguro namana ng anak n'yo ang kanyang sense of justice!" tugon ni SPO1 Madarang. "Dinala sila sa isang abandonadong warehouse ng suspek sa isang murder case at doon binalak na patayin. Mabuti't kaagad kaming nakaresponde."
My dad looked at me as if I did something wrong. Again. "You almost got yourself killed because of your curiosity in detective work?"
"Let's not bring that up now, dad. I have a case to solve," I said, rolling my eyes to the victim. "I believe this is a murder case kaya sinabihan ko ang staff ng coffee shop na wala munang palalabasin."
"I told you to leave this case to the police—"
But I ignored my dad's protest. Bakit hindi na lang niya enjoy-in ang kanyang earl grey tea kaysa makialam sa ginagawa ko? That would be much appreciated than his unnecessary meddling.
Nagdadalawang-isip pa si SPO1 Madarang kung hahayaan niya akong makipag-cooperate sa kanilang imbestigasyon. But I have already proven myself to be a capable detective when we figured out who the killer was yesterday.
Without telling me to get out of police business, inilabas niya ang kanyang notepad. "Time of death?"
"Five-fifteen in the afternoon." I checked the time on the phone the moment I confirmed that the victim is dead moments ago. "The cause of death, based on his bluish lips due to lack of oxygen and the smell of bitter almonds, is probably cyanide poisoning."
"Kung nilason siya rito mismo sa cafe, posibleng planado ang pagpatay sa kanya," SPO1 Madarang concluded as he examined the victim's corpse, probably looking for any identification. "Ang pangalan ng biktima ay Patrick Paterno, 44, CEO ng isang lending company. Regular customer ba rito ang biktima?"
"Lagi siyang pumupunta rito tuwing Martes at Huwebes, bandang alas-kuwatro ng hapon," sagot ng waitress na nakayakap sa isang itim na service plate. "At lagi niyang pinapa-reserve ang mesang 'yan dahil convenient ang spot sa liwanag, lamig ng aircon at kaagad mapapansin naming staff."
Pumasok ang mga kasama ni SPO1 Madarang at sinumulang manguha ng litrato sa crime scene. Inilagay na rin nila ang bangkay sa isang stretcher, tinakpan ng kumot at saka inilabas ng coffee shop.
Habang patuloy ang interogasyon ng mga pulis, I decided to check on the items sa ibabaw ng mesa. While everyone was busy with their own business, pasimple kong kinuha ang tissue na may mantsa at dahan-dahan itong inilapit sa ilong ko. It smelled like coffee, obviously. When I turned it around, I saw a letter "t" smudged by liquid.
This letter... It was the same symbol that was engraved on the palms of the Russian roulette murder victims! Could this be....
"Kaya kung hindi sila mapaparusahan ng batas, kami ang magpaparusa sa kanila."
"Mas mapapadali ang paglilinis kung mas marami kami, hindi ba?"
I thought this was just a random poisoning case, but there was more to it than meets the eye. Ibinalik ko ang tissue sa mesa at lumapit kay SPO1 Madarang. "Excuse me, officer. Pwede ba akong magtanong sa kanila?"
"Ano 'yon?"
"Regular customer ang biktima, tama?" Humarap ako sa staff habang nakakrus ang aking mga braso. "Aware ba kayo kung merong hint na may kinasangkutan siyang controversy sa lending company niya?"
"Sa pagkakaalam ko, may issue si Sir Paterno sa ilan niyang kliyente," sagot ng waitress, nakadikit ang kanyang daliri sa baba at nakatingin sa taas. "Minsan kasi may mga kinakausap siya sa phone tapos parang galit na galit siya. Dahil nasa gitna ang mesa niya, lagi kong nadaraanan kaya minsan may ilang bagay akong nao-overhear."
"Anong klaseng issue?"
"May mga tsismis akong naririnig na nanloloko ang lending company niya," sagot ng waitress. That's the answer I was expecting. He's been marked by those vigilantes, thus the victim must have done something evil that would warrant his death. "Sinasabi niyang mababa ang interest rate ng loan pero mataas pala talaga."
"Next question. Sino ang nagbigay ng tissue sa kanya?"
Itinaas ng waitress ang kanyang kamay. "Isinabay ko nang ihatid ko 'yong inorder niyang coffee. Bakit, meron bang kakaiba sa tissue?"
Lumapit ako nang ilang hakbang sa kanya. "Merong nakasulat na parang letrang 't' doon sa ginamit niyang tissue. Walang pen sa mesa ng biktima kaya imposibleng siya ang nagsulat no'n. Wala ring ibang lumapit sa kaniya maliban sa 'yo."
"Teka, ano bang meron sa tissue na 'yan?" nagtatakang tanong ni SPO1 Madarang. "At anong ibig sabihin ng letter 't'?"
"Nakalimutan n'yo na ba, officer?" I slowly turned to him. "Sa mga forced suicide case nitong mga nakaraang linggo, laging may nakasulat na 't' sa palad ng mga biktima. I thought that those cases and this one are not related in any way but..."
"But...?"
"Our killer-at-large before and the person who poisoned Mr. Paterno share the same goal. To eliminate—"
Biglang nagdilim sa loob ng coffee shop at sa buong mall. When everything was pitch black, we heard footsteps of someone running away. I clicked my tongue as soon as I realized what was happening. This blackout was that person's cover to escape from the crime scene!
Kahit walang ilaw, alam ko naman kung saan ang exit kaya nagmadali kong sinundan ang mga yabag ng sapatos na papalayo sa amin. May ilan akong natapakan, may ilan akong nakabangga, pero hindi ako tumigil sa pagtakbo. I haven't felt the same adrenaline since my chase of Professor Dred!
It was getting dark outside and the lights inside the mall were not back yet. I could see the silhouette of a woman running a few meters ahead of me.
"Aray!"
"Ouch!"
"Hoy, tumingin ka naman sa dinadaanan mo!"
"Pwede bang mag-'excuse me' ka muna?"
Wala na akong oras para humingi ng paumanhin sa kanila. As every second passed, the distance between me and her grew wider. Parang hindi siya nahihirapang tumakbo sa dilim.
The lights were back, temporarily blinding me with the sudden flash. Napatigil tuloy ako sa paghabol dahil nasa may hagdanan na ako. Mahirap na, baka mahulog at mabagok pa ang ulo ko. When my vision returned to normal, she was already gone.
I was "this close" to catching one of those vigilantes, but she slipped away from my grasp. This was undeniably frustrating.
Dahil target lost na rin naman, bumalik na ako sa coffee shop kung saan nandoon pa rin ang mga pulis. I told SPO1 Madarang that the waitress poisoned the victim since she was the only one missing after the blackout.
My dad was on his seat, finishing his cheesecake. When I returned to our table, he looked at me and asked, "Why do you always rush into danger? You better stop that attitude. You will only put yourself into trouble."
I nodded. There were times where I would act on impulse. "I know. But I'd rather risk my life in pursuit of the truth than play safe to get myself out of danger."
We were locked into a staring contest. He wiped his pale lips with the tissue and got to his feet. "I better get going now. May dinner meeting pa ako. Take care of yourself, Rie."
He walked away while I picked up my things. The matter was at the hands of the police. Kailangan ko na ring bumalik sa university. Hanggang six o'clock lang kasi ang permit ko para lumabas ng campus. Kailangan ko na ring maghanda para sa Sherrinford Soiree bukas.
Napansin ko lang, this was the second time Ihave encountered a case involving those so-called vigilantes. Was it acoincidence or...
-30-