LORELEI
I TOOK my last sigh before knocking the door in front of me. Nilunok ko na ang pride ko para lang dito. I really just-I.
"Yeah?" Nanlaki ang mata ko nang buksan ni Loki ang pinto niya.
"L-Loki--"
"Lorelei. I told you already, our club doesn't accept requests during weekends." Akmang isasara niya ang pinto niya ng iharang ko ang paa ko doon.
"Ouch!" Daing ko ng maipit ang paa ko sa pinto.
Nakita ko ang pagkagulat sa mata niya at binuksan ulit ang pinto bago.
"What now?" Tanong nito sa akin wearing that bored look again.
"I need you.. To help me.." I said enduring the pain on my toes.
Unti-unti tumaas ang kilay niya pero agad ding nawala ito.
"Really? Because the last time you asked help from me is to be your boyfriend which eventually failed." He said.
"I know, I know. You don't have to remind me." Sagot ko naman.
"So, what is it this time?" Asked Loki.
"Come with me.. Please?" I begged.
"Where to?"
"Public market."
Okay, i mean. I don't know why i want to go to a public market but- I don't know. I'm a girl too!
"No." He said at akmang isasara na naman ang pinto.
"Just this once, please?" I begged.
"What made you think I'll be coming with you in a public market? And what came in your mind and you want to go there? It's too populated and it stin-"
"Loki please, I'll do anything you want after this." Okay, I'm being too desperate. But I'll be mad if i won't do so.
"Anything?" He asked.
"Anything." I guarantied.
***
I don't know what came into my mind and I even offered Loki that "thing".
"Look! Stuffed toys!" Sigaw ko at tumungo roon.
"Lorelei, you can buy stuffed toys at the mall. Unlike here it's not dusty and smelly-"
"Loki!" Saway ko sa kaniya.
In the end, wala rin akong napili dahil sabi ni Loki. Theodore is enough.
"Oh no." Rinig kong sabi ni Loki.
"What?" I asked.
"Don't tell me you're craving dried fish, don't ever bring that to our unit." He said.
"Loki.." I warned.
"No."
"Loki!"
"Okay!" Naiiritang wika niya.
Binayaran ko ang tuyo at iniabot sa kaniya.
"What?"
"Hold this."
"No."
"Loki, may deal tayo diba?" Pagpapaalala ko kay Loki.
"Ugh." He said as he reached for the cellophane which contains the dried fish.
"I think that's all." I said.
Naglakad na kami para pumara ng sasakyan ng makarinig ako ng tumatawag. I didn't hear it clearly dahil sa ingay ng palengke but.
"Lorelei Rios!"
"Loki-" I said.
"I know, keep walking." Said Loki and I did what he said.
Naglakad lang kami at lumiko sa isang shop malapit sa sakayan.
"I think we lost her." I whispered.
"Her? I think it's a boy." Loki replied.
"But I heard a girls vo-"
*bang*
Lumabas kami ni Loki sa shop ng marinig namin ang pagputok ng baril at sigawan ng mga tao. I followed Loki to another shop nearby.
I gasp when I saw a body near a post. It's swimming on it's own blood.
"Yzobel!!" Sigaw ng isang babae. Akmang lalapit siya sa katawan ng pigilan siya ni Loki.
"Don't touch anything, you may ruin evidences that can lead us to the culprit. Call the police." Wika nito. Nagaalanganin man ay tumango na rin ang babae at tinawagan na ang pulisya.
"Lorelei." Seryosong sambit ni Loki.
Tumingin naman ako sa kaniya at lumapit sa kinaroroonan niya.
"Don't be frightened but I think.." Parang nag-aalinlangang sabi niya.
"I think you're the target of our culprit." He said. I was shocked by what he said by I played it cool.
"Look at the body. She was shot from behind and look at her hair, it's long and black. You have similar vital statistics too." I looked at the girl and he was right.
"You're right." I commented.
"Then what do you think is the motive of the felon?"
"I-"
"Loki!" Sigaw ni officer Estrada.
"Inspector." Bati ni Loki sa officer.
"Anong ginagawa niyo sa isang public market?" Tanong nito at bahagyang tinignan ang bankay.
He's probably thinking we're jinxes. Everywhere we go, disaster follows.
Napansin ko naman ang isang binata sa tabi niya.
"Oh, ito nga pala si Reiland Ruiz. Bagong membro ng pulisya." Pagpapakilala ni officer Estrada. Napangiwi ako nang maalala ko si Bastien.
"Reiland." Inialay niya ang kamay niya sa akin kaya tinanggap ko iyon, pero imbes na kamayan ako at hinalikan niya ang kamay ko na siyang ikinagulat ko.
"L-Lorelei." I said.
He turned to Loki, but the latter just ignored him.
"And you are?" Reiland asked.
"Do you mind us roaming around the crime scene?" Tanong ni Loki, seems like he don't want to answer the police's question.
Tumango lang si officer at nagsimula na sa pag-iimbistiga. Nahagip ng tingin ko ang babaeng umiiyak sa gilid kaya lumapit ako roon.
"Hi, maaari ko po bang malaman kung sino kayo't kaano-ano niyo ang biktima?" Tanong ko rito.
Inangat niya ang tingin niya sa akin at tumango.
"Ako po si Krystel Flores, bestfriend ni Yzobel." Wika nito at badyang iiyak nang mabanggit ang kaibigan.
"Mamimili lang sana ako ng susuotin namin para sa birthday niya bukas pero-" naputol ang sasabihin nito ng humagulhol na ito sa harap ko.
"Wala naman akong matandaang may nakaaway si Yzobel, kung sino man ang may gawa nito w-wala siyang puso!" Galit na sambit ni Krystel.
"Sa tingin ko ay hindi si Yzobel ang target." Wika ko sa kaniya.
"A-anong ibig mong sabihin?" Tanong niya.
Ningitian ko lang siya at nagpatuloy lang siya sa pag-iyak.
I'm not good at comforting kaya pinabayaan ko nalang siyang maiyak.
"S-sorry." Wika nito.
"It's okay. I'm sorry for your loss." I said and walked towards Loki whose seriously talking to officer Estrada.
"Unfortunately, the shops here don't have security cameras." Said Loki.
"That's why I hate public markets, it lacks security." Dugtong nito na hindi ko nalang pinansin.
"Officer. By any chance, may security camera ba sa kalyeng ito?" Pagbabaka-sakali ko.
"Excuse me." Wika ng Officer at kinausap ang isa sa mga opisyales.
Ilang minuto lang ay bumalik siya sa dako namin.
"Meron nga, malayo-layo iyon sa pinangyarihan ng krimen pero sa tingin ko ay makakatulong ito." Ani officer Estrada.
***
Matapos naming panuorin ang recorded video ng security camera ay nagkaroon kami ng dalawang suspects according to Loki. The time when we heard the voice calling my name, he estimated the distance of the culprit from us and dalawang lalaki-though I think the culprit's a girl-ang pumasa sa kritiryang hinahanap ni Loki. Those are Maximus Morris and Travis Tan.
"Siguro alam niyo na ang dahilan kung bakit kayo pinatawag dito." Wika ni Reiland.
"Oo, alam namin." Sagot ni Travis na parang wala lang sa kaniya ang pagiging suspek sa kaso.
"Sino naman ang mga ito?" Mayabang na tanong nito at itinuro kaming dalawa ni Loki.
"Loki Mendez." Wika ni Loki at nakipagkamay sa dalawa, nag-alangan pa ito pero sa huli'y nakipagkamay na rin.
"You're palpitating, mr. Maximum." Komento ni Loki matapos makipagkamay sa huli.
I took a glance at mr. Maximus ignoring Loki's error. Same old Loki.
"I-I'm just nervous."
"Why?" Tanong ni Loki.
"I-I have a n-name to protect!" Sigaw nito.
"Then do you mind telling us the reason of why a son of a businessman like you is found roaming around a public market?" Tanong ni Loki na siyang ikinagulat ni mr. Maximus.
"Bawal na palang pumunta ngayon sa public market, ah?" Tanong naman ni Mr. Maximus na isinawalang-bahala lang ni Loki.
Tumungo si Loki sa kinaruroonan ng katawan.
"Uh.." Napalingon ako sa likod ko nang may nagsalita.
"May maitutulong ba ako sa iyo?" Tanong ko rito.
"Hindi ko alam kung makakatulong ba ito pero.."
***
"Loki!" Tawag ko kay Loki at lumapit sa kinaroroonan nila ni officer Estrada. Napatingin naman sila sa kasama ko kaya tumikhim ako para makuha ang atensiyon nila.
"Loki, Reiland, officer. Siya si Javie Jhonson. Isang witness." Pakilala ko sa kanila.
"Where were you during the incident?" Tanong ni Loki sa kaniya.
Itinuro naman ni Javie and isang public CR malapit sa shop na pinangyarihan ng krimen.
"NagsiCR ako nun nang mangyari ang insidente. Noong papalabas na ako ay bigla na lamang akong nakarinig ng putok ng baril na siyang nagpatigil sa akin. Nakita ko lang sa singaw ng pintuan yung baril at sa pagkakaalala ko ay.. Kaliwete and may hawak nun."
Nagkatinginan kami ni Loki bago tumingin sa mga suspek naming tahimik lang na naghihintay at binabantayan ng ibang police.
"Si Maximus lamang ang kaliwete sa kanilang dalawa." Komento ni Reiland.
Tinignan niya si Officer Estrada at tumango lang ang huli.
"Mr. Maximus Morris, you are under arre-" Naputol ang sasabihin ni Officer Estrada ng biglang magsalita si Loki.
"Don't you think that it's too early to conclude the suspect. Reinan?" Asked Loki.
"Anong ibig mong sabihin? May pruweba na tayo nang-" Hindi ulit pinatapos ni Loki ang sasabihin ni Reiland.
"Then where do you think did the culprit hid the murder weapon? What do you think is the motive of the felon to kill the victim?" Tanong ni Loki.
"Ikaw na mismo ang nagsabi na nakakapanghinala na ang isang anak ng businessman na pumunta sa isang public market. At alam naman natin na si ms. Lorelei dapat ang target at hindi si ms. Yzobel." Pagpapaliwanag ni Reiland.
Nakita ko ang pag-angat ng labi ni Loki. Oh that victorious smirk, now I get what he's up to.
"How did you know that I.. Am supposed to be felon's target?" I asked.
"I-" Napatigil siya at sinamaan kami ng tingin. "Didn't you tell us earlier?"
I heard Loki chuckle.
"No, we didn't." Loki said.
"From the very start, I already have a hunch that it's you. We didn't see you following us at the security camera footage because you went the other way to avoid the camera. But after shooting the wrong person, you panicked and lost your mind hence you took the way where the security camera can see you." Loki explained.
"As for the murder weapon, you don't have to dispose it. You can use it freely without anyone suspecting you because you're part of the police." He added.
"It's your words against yours." I said.
"You can check the bullet at the victim's body and the gun that you want more proof." Nakangising wika ni Loki.
Napatingin sina Officer Estrada sa dako ni Reiland.
"Totoo ba ang sinasabi niya, Reiland?" Tanong nito sa binata.
Reiland smirked and let out an impish laugh.
"You got me." Aniya.
"Walang hiya ka!" Sumugod si Krystel kay Reiland at pinagsusuntok ito.
"Mamamatay tao ka! Nandamay ka pa ng inosente! Makakaabot pa sana ng birthday niya si Yzobel pero pinatay mo siyang demonyo ka!" Inawat ito ng mga pulis pero kita pa rin ang galit sa mukha nito.
Tumawa ulit si Reiland at tinignan ako.
"Tama nga siya, hindi ko dapat kayo minaliit." Wika nito.
"Siya?" Tanong naman ni Loki na hindi pinansin ni Reiland.
"M wanna say 'Hi' to you." Said Reiland.
"By killing me?" I asked. He just smirked at my question and let the police take him away.
"Maraming salamat sa pagbigay ng hustisya sa pagkamatay ni Yzobel." Pasasalamat ni Krystel sa amin.
"Walang anuman." I replied and smiled at her.
***
I stretched my body before sitting at the sofa and fingercombed my hair until I recall something.
"Uhh, Loki?" I asked and looked at Loki who's locking the unit's door.
"Hm?"
"Asan yung mga pinamili ko?"
He looked at me and shrugged before walking towards his room. I rolled my eyes at him, I just lost my one week allowance.
"By the way, Lorelei." Rinig kong sabi niya bago buksan ang pinto ng kuwarto.
"You said you'd do anything for me after going to that stinky market." What is it this time Loki?
"I want you to be safe, that bastard might come after you and.." He opened the door before giving me a side glance.
"Go out with me," said Loki before shutting the door.
What?!
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