MORRIE
A POTENTIAL murder plot? Interesting.
I could see in Aiden's face that he was trying to remain calm. But him talking in a faster than usual pace hinted that he's genuinely worried by what he had heard. Someone's life might be in mortal danger, and that's a thought that he couldn't easily shrug off.
The Adlerians are known for their pranks, hence me being skeptical on what he shared to me. But this was no time to be playing tricks on the attendees. His intel might be legit so I decided to hear him out. I had nothing better to do anyway, except endure a few hours of partying.
"What did you hear?" I asked, showing that he had my undivided attention.
"Tinawag niyang White, Wine o Wayne ang sarili niya," he started explaining. "Tapos may nabanggit siya tungkol sa isang anghel. I can't remember kung ganito ang exact words niya pero parang 'the Angel has descended. I will drag that angel to hell.' Meron pa siyang nabanggit tungkol sa healing powers, pero baka exaggeration lang 'yon."
Angel? Healing powers? Those words struck something in my mind.
For a second or two, I glanced at the people sharing the stage. If Aiden's memory was as sharp as I expected it to be, the clues seemed to point to that person. My gut feeling agreed to what I was just thinking.
"Obviously, ang target ay isa sa mga attendee sa Grand Hall. Ang tanong ay kung sino sa atin," the Adlerian went on, turning his head to the direction of the VIPs. "Speaking of angel, 'yong chick mula sa Rios Foundation ang unang pumasok sa isip ko."
"Lorelei Rios the chairwoman?"
Aiden nodded. "Meron siyang mala-anghel na mukha at aura. Kung physical appearance ang ginamit na basehan ng lalaking narinig ko para gamitin niya ang salitang 'angel,' siya na ang perfect match."
"I don't think it was based on someone's physical qualities. The clues were already spoonfed to you." I revealed my phone and started searching something on Google. Though I had an idea on who might be the target, I needed to confirm my deduction first.
"If not her, baka isa sa mga VIP sa party?" Aiden asked, his curious eyes gazing at the people on the stage. "Baka ito lang ang pagkakataon para maisagawa niya ang murder dahil sa mga ganitong event pumupunta ang target niya?"
"You are quite right," I agreed as I got my answer online. My deduction was correct. "The target is one of the VIPs, but not the girl from the Foundation. It's the university chancellor."
"Huh?" Aiden's forehead creased. "Paano naging siya?"
"If I were to trust your memory recall and hearing ability, the words 'angel' and 'healing powers' refer to him," I cast a sideward glance at the middle-aged man on the stage. "The chancellor shares the same name with one of the four Archangels. And among them, there's only one who possesses healing powers. Raphael."
The Adlerian appeared to have been convinced by my deductions. "Kung siya nga talaga ang target, ano ang pwede nating gawin? Hindi naman siguro tayo basta tutunganga rito at hintaying may mangyaring masama sa matanda, 'di ba?"
"We need to stop the assassin before he does harm to the chancellor." I pocketed my phone as I began panning my head, looking for any suspicious individual. If the assassin was any good, he would know how to blend in the crowd and avoid being noticed by the likes of me.
"Natatandaan ko pa ang boses niya kaya kapag narinig ko siguro siyang magsalita, makikilala ko pa siya," Aiden whispered, wary of people around us. "Matigas ang kanyang boses, malamang nasa late 20's hanggang mid-30's. Base sa tunog ng mga yabag niya, leather shoes ang suot niyang sapatos."
Good observation. That would somehow help us in our search for the would-be assassin. Using the process of elimination, we could narrow down the list of suspects.
"Naghugas siya ng kamay kanina at hindi ko narinig na gumamit siya ng hand dryer," Aiden added. "Posibleng gumamit siya ng panyo para punasan ang mga kamay niya."
"And it is possible that his handkerchief somehow got wet?" I started looking for people who had their hankys out. "Most attendees here are below twenty years of age. If we were to trust your words, our suspect might be among the faculty members, special guests and the crew from the catering services."
Aiden pointed at the side stage where rows of seats were arranged for our professors. "Nandoon pa lahat ng mga instructor natin maliban kay Sir Dred na kapapasok lang sa comfort room. I doubt na isa sa kanila ang kagagaling dito."
"And the special guests are on the stage the whole time," I added, staring at the seats of the board of trustees. "If one of them leaves his seat, someone would have noticed."
"Ngayon, ang natitira na lang ay ang crew ng catering services." Aiden watched the waiters freely moving around the hall, carrying a service plate with glasses of water and placing them on the tables. "Dahil lagi silang gumagalaw, hindi kahina-hinala kung isa sa kanila'y pumunta sa comfort room."
They would be the perfect center of our suspicions. The assassin might be an outsider, and the best way for him to get inside the university was by acting as a catering service crew. He could bypass the tight security and get close to his target without anyone noticing.
"So... magkasama pala ngayon ang partners in crime. Why am I not shocked?"
With his jaw dropped, Aiden was visibly surprised to see Harriet appear in front of us. We were too busy looking around that we failed to notice her presence. Compared to the Harriet I was used to seeing, tonight's Harriet wore a blue dress, revealing some of her skin. Usually in ponytail, she wore her hair down, reaching past her shoulders.
"Ano kayang kalokohan ang binabalak n'yong dalawa, huh?" she asked, raising her left eyebrow. "Tama nga talaga ang kutob ko na magkakuntsaba kayo, lalo na noong gymasium incident."
The Adlerian raised both of his hands in defense. "Te-Teka, Harriet! Nagkakamali ka. Nagkataon na nagkasalubong kaming dalawa ni Morrie dito! At for the record, wala kaming binabalak na masama. Hindi kami mga kampon ng kadiliman!"
"He's right. You may very well think that we are up to no good, but that's an unfair assessment," I reacted. She had all the reason to think that we might be brewing some trouble here, but she's entirely wrong. For tonight, at least. "We are not planning to cause any mischief here. In fact, we are trying to prevent any of that sort from happening."
"Like what? Bombing this venue?" Harriet quipped, rolling her eyes and shaking her head. Her judgment had been clouded by feelings against me and the Adlerian so she refused to believe it.
"Assassinating the university chancellor," I revealed.
"You're kidding, right?" She stared at my face for a few seconds, wondering if that was just a joke. "Okay, your face tells me you are not, though mahirap pa ring basahin kung nagsisinungaling ka dahil walang ekspresyon 'yang mukha mo. But are you dead serious about it?"
Aiden nodded, his face was flashing the seriousness of the situation. "May narinig ako sa male comfort room kanina. May nagpaplanong pumatay sa chancellor. We deduced na isa siya sa mga taong nandito ngayon sa Grand Hall. Posibleng isa sa crew ng catering services."
"Posibleng isa sa mga waiter?" Harriet's eyes squinted as she glanced at men wearing black vest and black bowtie.
"Bakit? May mali ba sa deduction namin?" Aiden wondered.
"No... It's just..." She looked at us with a hint of worry on her face. "May na-encounter kasi akong murder case kahapon sa isang coffee shop sa mall. The victim was a CEO of a lending company who was poisoned by a waiter."
"And how is that relevant to this case?" I asked.
"Bigla kong naalala kasi posibleng connected 'yon sa hotel murder case," she answered, recalling the incident where she and the Adlerian almost got killed. "Remember the 't' mark on the victims' hands? May nakita rin akong gano'n sa tissue na ginamit ng nilasong CEO. Maybe the waiter who poisoned that guy and the man behind the Russian roulette murders know each other."
"Sinabi nga ng killer sa abandonadong warehouse na hindi siya nag-iisa sa misyon para magbigay-hustisya," Aiden recounted. "Wala naman siguro silang kinalaman dito, tama? Dahil unang-una sa lahat, hindi kriminal ang university chancellor natin."
"As long as we don't see their trademark, we can treat this assassination attempt as an isolated case. Anyway, what are you two doing? We must inform the authorities!" Harriet walked away from us, going to the direction of Sir Dred who got out of the comfort room. I grabbed her by the wrist, forcing her to turn to me. "Hey, anong ginagawa mo?"
"If you tell anyone else about the looming threat, it might create unnecessary panic," I warned. Harriet's suggestion was, no doubt, the right thing to do. But I had another scheme in mind. "Now that we know about the murder plot, we are at an advantage. We must let the would-be assassin think that everything is going exactly as he planned. That's how we are going to catch him."
"Hmm..." Harriet stared down as she gently touched her chin. I knew she couldn't resist the thrill of catching a criminal. Just like what she did in the hotel murder case, I expected her curiosity to solve this case get the better of her. No detective with a strong sense of justice could resist that temptation.
"If you tell our professors, they would put the chancellor in protective custody and we will lose the chance of catching the assassin red-handed," I added, hoping that would convince the Holmesian to change her mind.
"Hindi naman sa tutol ako sa pinaplano mo, Morrie, pero hindi ba masyadong risky kung tayo mismo ang magha-handle nito?" Aiden butt in. "Ibang-iba 'to sa mga kasong una nating hinawakan. Karamihan sa mga 'yon, nangyari na ang mga krimen. Dito, mangyayari pa lang ang pagpatay."
"Not that I consider this pursuit thrilling, but if we catch him before he finds the window of opportunity to kill his target, we will win," I answered. "Instead of arguing, we should probably start the hunt now. Time is running."
Still weighing the options, Harriet crossed her arms across her chest. "Kung gusto nating ma-pacify ang assassin, kailangang well equipped tayo. I can take him down with a few blows pero we need a back-up plan. Ayaw ko nang maulit ang nangyari doon sa abandoned warehouse."
"I know someone who might help us," I said.
"Who?"
"Wilhelmina," I spoke of her name with utmost respect. She has proven herself to be pretty useful in dire situations. "Back when we pursued you to the warehouse where you were being held hostage, she told me that she had some gadgets with her in case the worse happen."
"And you think na may dala siyang stun gun ngayong gabi ng kasiyahan?" Harriet giggled as if I told a joke.
"Why don't you ask Wilhelmina so we would know?" I challenged her to prove me wrong. If it was already a habit for someone to bring something in case of an emergency, they would certainly have it with them.
To settle the issue, we walked toward the Watsonian territory, at the northeastern part of the Grand Hall, where all tables were covered by yellow mantle. Others may find it weird that three students from three different Houses were hanging around. Such a rare sight, some may think.
On the stage, the House leaders took turns to deliver their so-called heartfelt speeches. Each speaker was met with applauses and whistling from their own Housemates. When our leader Yohan was done, all Moriartians stood and raised their crossed fingers in the air, chanting "TALIA RAUX RAVIERNAZ!"
Aiden and I waited at the side, watching Harriet walk with a girl wearing grey dress. I almost failed to recognize Wilhelmina because her shoulder-long hair was braided and turned into a crown. She was still wearing her eyeglasses and carrying her tablet.
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"We wanna ask if you have anything that can pacify a potential killer," I asked, glancing at Harriet who still couldn't believe that what I claimed about our Watsonian classmate was true. She was fortunate that we made no bets about that fact. Otherwise, she would have been indebted to me.
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Wilhelmina pulled something out of her dress pocket and showed a pen-like item to us. She hastily scribbled some dots and dashes on her iPad. Even if we tell her that someone's going to die within a few seconds, she still would resort to her usual way of communication.
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The doubtful Harriet made face after the Watsonian proved my observation.
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She handed the gadget to Harriet and shot another question.
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"Someone's plotting to murder someone in this party," Harriet explained. "To not ruin our chances of catching him red handed, we decided not to tell the professors about the potential threat. Why? Because Morrie has trust issues in them. Just kidding about the last part."
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"That's why we need your stun pen to help us incapacitate him," I reasoned. "We will try to stop him before he executes his plan."
"By the way, where do you get your stuff?" Harriet asked, playing with the pen in her hand. "Do you invent them yourself?"
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Professor Herschel Aguirre, our tech geek instructor in SciTech classes? That clearly explained why Wilhelmina was in possession of these incredibly useful gadgets. I heard that Professor Aguirre has been inventing gadgets way back a decade ago. He could have been a billionaire if he only sold his inventions in the market. He's a man in his late twenties with Einstein-like hair and a white lab gown draped on his back.
"Now, it is time for the much awaited waltz! Those who wish to join, you may also have the floor!" the student regent announced. Pairs of students began marching to the area at the center of the hall. A mellow song was playing as the pairs started slowly swaying from left to right. Quite frankly, the music was inviting me to sleep.
"What now?" Harriet asked, watching the students enjoy the waltz. "Huwag n'yong sabihing tatayo lang tayo rito? Time is running, right?"
"Pwede akong mag-disguise na waiter para makalapit sa crew," Aiden suggested. "Pwede kong tanungin kung sino sa kanila ang pumunta sa comfort room kanina at sabihing may naiwan siya sa loob. Kung susuwertehin, malalaman na agad natin ang katauhan ng assassin."
"Tama. In that way, hindi ka magmumukhang kaniha-hinala," Harriet agreed, her eyes roaming around the hall. She seemed to be spotting each man wearing black vests and serving drinks to the attendees. "There are only about twenty waiters here."
"Kahit na maging tatlo o apat na lang ang suspects natin, mahihirapan pa rin tayong bantayan ang kilos nila," Aiden said. "Lagi silang gumagalaw kaya hindi natin basta-basta masusundan kung saan sila pumupunta."
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"Really?"
The three of us shot a curious glance at Wilhelmina who simply nodded to our question. She then took out a small, black box and opened it. Items resembling wireless headsets were inside.
"What are these?"
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"Cool!" Aiden picked one of the headsets and tried putting it on his ear. "Kahit nasa malayo ako, pwede ko kayong sabihan kung sino o anong itsura ng suspek."
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"Okay! Aiden's gonna gather info and narrow down our suspects while Mina will monitor their movements," Harriet instructed, pointing at our two companions. "Wait, what am I supposed to do?"
"What are we going to do," I corrected, offering my right hand to her.
"And what does that supposed to mean?" She stared curiously at my hand.
"We need to be near the target so we can protect him right away," I answered, glancing at the university chancellor. "Obviously, we cannot come on the stage. But the waltz will provide us cover since the dance floor is only a few meters from the target."
"Gu-Gusto mong sumayaw tayo?! Do you really think that I will—"
"Let's get moving before someone drops dead inthe next few minutes."
-30-