CONTENT AND TRIGGER WARNING: This chapter contains content that might be troubling to some readers, including, but not limited to, depictions of and references to death, self-harm and suicide, graphic violence, sexual assault, strong language and more.
Please be mindful of these sensitive themes and other possible triggers. Remember to practice self-care before, during and after reading.
LOKI
January 14, 2017
"LOKI? LOKI?"
Who would dare to interrupt my sleep?
"Hey, Loki! Gising!"
My eyes opened abruptly. Looking down on me was the smiling face of a girl whose long, braided hair hung over her right shoulder. Her auburn eyes blinked like the Christmas lights, staring back at mine to check if I was fully awake.
For a second, I thought that I was in my bedroom. But the coldness of the table where I was lying flat reminded me that this was the clubroom. I got nothing better to do this morning, so I chose to take a long nap. Only an intriguing case could keep me awake or yank me out of sleep.
"Hindi ka na naman ba pumasok sa klase n'yo?" she asked.
"There's nothing interesting in my class," I answered. "Just some trivial stuff that I won't be using in my line of work. I prefer to enjoy moments of peace in the clubroom than hours of excruciating boredom in the classroom. I would doze off anyway."
She placed her shoulder bag on a chair before erasing the codes that I doodled on our whiteboard. Whenever she dropped by the clubroom, she would always ensure that everything was clean and in proper order. Without her, this place would have been a mess. Not that I was lazy. But as long as I could work effectively in an environment—no matter how messy—cleaning wasn't on my to-do list.
Rhiannon—or Rhea, as how I fondly called her—was the one and only member of the QED Club, apart from me. She might not be as sharp as me, but she complemented what I lacked as an individual. She could communicate very well. She could emphatize with people. And sometimes, she could spot what I rarely missed. Some would consider her as my assistant. But once she learned my methods, she could also become a good deductionist.
"Kahit na nabo-bore ka sa klase, kailangan mo pa ring pumasok." She placed both hands on her waist, like my mom when she's scolding me. "Paano kapag bumagsak ka sa subjects mo? Paano kapag naging repeater ka?"
As much as I appreciated her concern, the thought of getting failing grades never bothered me. I could care less whether I would get 95 or 75. Unlike some students, I wasn't addicted to numbers. But for the sake of ending this discussion, I gave her a lazy nod. "Papasok na ako mamaya. Kahit labag sa loob ko."
"Good!" She beamed again, flashing her white teeth. "Dadaan ako sa classroom n'yo mamaya para tingnan kung pumasok ka talaga."
"You don't have to. I'll just send you a picture of me with my classmates."
"Susubukan mo pa akong isahan, 'no? Baka pagkatapos mong mag-picture, aalis ka na ng room n'yo."
"Now you're giving me ideas."
She would sometimes like my elder sister even though I was months older than her. I was born in January while she was born in July. We were both Grade 10 students.
"By the way," she dragged the chair on my right, "have you figured out anything in the M case?"
"No development yet." I pulled myself up and sat straight on the table, my legs hanging over the edge. "There's no direct connection between the two cases except that bloody letter M. If this is the start of a killing spree, the culprit must have randomly picked his victims."
"Uhm . . ." Rhea bit her lower lip as she looked down. "Do you mind kung nag-request ako ng ilang case files sa campus police?"
My eyebrow inched upward. "What for?"
"Just a hunch. Naisip ko kasi na baka hindi ito ang unang beses na involved ang M na 'yan sa mga nangyari sa school. Remember the accidents and suicides more than a year ago? Sabi ng ilan sa mga nakausap ko, hindi capable na magpakamatay ang mga biktima at malabong aksidente ang mga nangyari sa kanila."
Of course, I was well aware of those incidents as I studied them with great detail. But nothing jumped out at me during the investigation. "There's no signature from the mysterious M, so how can we connect these two murders and the cases you've cited?"
She shrugged. "It's just a hunch. My intuition told me. But it may be worth looking at, right? What if noong una, gustong maging discreet ni M? 'Tapos ngayon, gusto na niyang ipaalam na involved siya sa mga kaso?"
I nodded slowly. Rhea's intuition might be worth considering. Maybe if we looked much closer, we might see a scarlet thread that would connect all related cases. Good to know that she was learning my methods.
Then there were two knocks. Rhea opened the door, and a man around his fifties appeared at our doorstep. His mustache was unusually thick. He wore the standard blue police uniform that fitted his large build perfectly.
"Inspector Estrada, what brings you here?" I greeted him, jumping on my feet. "May case ba kayong ire-refer sa amin?"
Gareth Estrada was the senior inspector assigned to the campus police station in Clark High. How did I know him? He and my father were close friends and long-time colleagues. They shared a bond as true as steel that was tested through time. They worked together in the metropolitan police department where my father served as the chief superintendent.
"Kinausap ako ng school principal kanina tungkol sa dalawang case nitong nakaraang linggo," he explained. "Naisipan kong isabay na ang files na ni-request ni Rhea at hingin ang tulong n'yo para ma-solve na ang mga kasong 'yon."
He handed a brown folder to Rhea who checked the files immediately. I watched her intently. Her eyebrows furrowed as a hint of confusion crossed her face. She showed him a forced smile. "Uhm . . . Inspector? Mali po yata itong nadala n'yong files? Robbery-theft cases ang laman nitong folder."
The inspector grabbed the folder and flipped through every page. He heaved a sigh and slapped a hand on his forehead. "Pinaasikaso ko kasi 'to sa rookie officer namin. Nagkamali siya ng ibinigay. Malalagot siya sa 'kin. Tsk. Tsk. Huwag kayong mag-alala. Ipahahatid ko ang tamang files mamaya."
"As it happens, we're already on the case. We'll untangle this web of mysteries as soon as possible," I assured him. "We only need to find the right dots to connect. Then you'll have your suspect."
"Mabuti kung gano'n. Aasahan ko ang tulong n'yo, ha?" The inspector then excused himself.
Whenever there's a mystery that perplexed the campus police, they would always consult our club. In a way, we had become their go-to person. I asked for nothing in return. The satisfaction of unraveling mysteries was enough as compensation.
A wide yawn escaped my mouth. I checked the time on my phone. It's already twelve noon. I could sleep for an hour again.
"Gutom ka na ba?" Rhea took a purse out of her bag. "Gusto mo bang kumain sa cafeteria?"
I lay flat on the table again and stared at the ceiling. "Sherlock once said the brain works better on an empty stomach."
"Yeah, you've said that many times, but we've got nothing to do right now. Hihintayin pa natin ang files na ni-request ko sa campus police. So why don't we take a break and grab a bite?"
"I wanna sleep."
"You just slept!"
"I wanna sleep more."
"Loki, tumayo ka na riyan at kumain tayo."
I preferred eating alone. None of my classmates wanted to share a table with me. But that changed recently. Since she joined my club, Rhea had been dragging me with her during lunchtime. Turning down a case was much easier than saying no. In the end, I would always come with her.
Lunchtime was the busiest moment of the day, so the cafeteria was crowded with dozens of diners. The queue was quite long, so Rhea and I waited for our turn. Fifteen minutes later, I bought a burger and a can of soda while Rhea ordered a slice of pizza and an orange juice. We rushed to a vacated booth before others could claim it.
Some students—who had nothing better to think about—might get the impression that we're dating. But we're not. We're just two club members who wanted to share a table and satisfy our hunger—even though I wasn't hungry at all.
I surveyed the nearby tables as I took a bite off my burger. Just a table away, two students sat across each other. The guy with muscular build cracked a joke before taking in a spoonful of rice. Meanwhile, the girl in ponytail showed a weak smile after glancing at her phone.
"See those two students on my right?" I lowered my voice. "What can you say about them?"
Rhea glanced sideways. "The guy and the girl who look like they're dating?"
I took another bite. "Yes."
Her eyes narrowed slightly as she began observing the facial expressions, eye movements, and physical gestures of those two. Let's see if you'll arrive at the same conclusion. Once she's satisfied with her observation, she resumed eating her Hawaiian pizza.
"May napansing akong awkwardness sa part ng babae. Parang hindi talaga niya gustong makasabay na kumain ang lalaki. Whenever she smiles, it's forced. She also checks her phone every minute, parang hinihintay niyang matapos na ang lunchtime para makaalis na siya."
"Same observation." I nodded as I raised my can of soda to her. "You're getting sharper each day, huh?"
Her pinkish lips curled into a smile. "I'm being taught by a great deductionist."
"Hey, what's the meaning of this? Are you two dating?"
I was sipping from my soda when I heard a female voice coming from behind me. A female student with full fringe and shoulder-length hair came to our table. Her eyeglasses with thick frame gleamed, reflecting the light coming from the window. I almost choked on my drink!
"I don't see you here very often, Loki. But when I do, lagi mong kasama si Rhea," said Margarette Fernandez, vice chairperson of the student executive committee. Only officers of that elite group could pin a metal badge with Clark High's logo on their lapel. She wiggled her eyebrows at us. "Is something going on between you two? May hindi ka ba sinasabi sa 'kin, Rhea?"
"Kung may something man sa amin, hindi ko itatago sa 'yo, Maggie." Rhea scratched her cheek as she flashed an awkward smile. "Wala namang makalulusot sa 'yo, e."
"Just because a boy and a girl are eating together doesn't mean they share a romantic relationship . . . or anything similar to that." I wiped my lips with the back of my hand. "You and my brother are always together, but never did it cross my mind that you two are more than colleagues."
"Your brother is the committee chairperson. As his second-in-command, kailangang nasa tabi niya ako palagi," Maggie said in her defense. "Mas weird kung hindi mo kami makitang magkasama."
"What's holding you up here, Maggie?" A male student whose towering height loomed over us stood next to the bespectacled student. He clasped his hands behind his back. His lifeless eyes regarded me coldly. Rumors said that his stare could freeze people, but that's just a bunch of bull. The trick was in how he postured himself and how he looked them straight in the eye. His intimidation tactic was quite obvious.
Oh, by the way, he's my brother Luthor.
"Kinumusta ko sina Rhea at Loki." Maggie jerked her thumb toward us. "Nakita ko kasi silang kumakain dito."
"The taste of my food suddenly changed." I put my burger down and clicked my tongue. "I wonder why?"
"I hope that Maggie's presence here did not upset your tastebuds," my brother replied. Either he's mocking me or he wasn't aware that I was referring to him. He turned to his colleague. "We have a meeting at one. We must be on our way back to the execom office."
"Can I stay here for just another five minutes? Masyado kasi tayong busy, hindi na kami nakakapag-usap. Susunod agad ako sa 'yo."
My brother's eyes flickered from me to Rhea. He then glanced at Maggie over his shoulder. "Do not be late."
When he was out of our eyeshot, Maggie sat beside my clubmate.
"Why do you hate your brother so much?" Rhea asked in a whisper. "Mukhang wala naman siyang sama ng loob sa 'yo. Pero ikaw, halatang may kinikimkim na galit sa kaniya."
"You don't know my brother the same way I do," I answered. "When we were kids, he turned our tool shed into an escape room and locked me there. He hanged my teddy bear and told our mom that I did it. Marami pa siyang ginawang kalokohan na isinisi sa 'kin."
"But that was years ago! Gano'n ka ba kagrabeng magtanim ng galit?"
"He's a manipulative bastard. He sees people as pawns on a chessboard. He won't hesitate to sacrifice them if it means winning the game. I won't be surprised anymore if he's concocting a grand scheme in this school."
"Actually, he's being tapped to run for the student council." Maggie looked out if my brother was returning to the cafeteria. "And he wants me to succeed him as chairperson of the execom."
"So he's adding you to his collection, huh? I remember him saying something about power. And I quote, 'Power lies on the people we collect.' I sincerely hope you won't end up as one of his pawns."
"Don't worry, he doesn't treat me that way."
"Anong posisyon ang tatakbuhan niya?" Rhea turned to her seatmate. "Will he run for the presidency? May experience na siya sa pagli-lead bilang execom chair. Puwede niyang gamitin 'yon bilang credential."
I drank from my soda again and let out a burp. "I highly doubt he'd pursue that position. My brother prefers not to be on the spotlight. My guess? He'll choose to be someone's vice president. That's how he can effectively pull strings behind the curtain. I wonder who the sacrificial lamb might be?"
"Emeraude Emerson," Maggie revealed. "Siya 'yong kumakausap sa kuya mo na tumakbo. She's the daughter of a businessman who's making donations to the school. She's also quite popular."
I wasn't keeping tabs on campus personalities, so I had no idea who that person was. But my brother would certainly take advantage of that student's popularity to catapult him to power.
"Speaking of the student council, alam n'yo ba na ang m-in-urder na estudyante last week ay possible candidate sa eleksyon?"
Maggie's word made me stop from drinking. I squinted my eyes at her, and she held my gaze. We never came across that piece of information.
"That late student is somewhat famous," she added. "He's also infamous for making inappropriate advances toward girls. Sikat ang family niya kaya no'ng nabalitaang pinatay siya, the school principal wants the case solved as soon as possible."
That would explain Inspector Estrada's desperation when he visited us before lunchtime. If the case remained unsolved, it would taint our school's image.
"Thank you for that info, Maggie." I finished my drink and crushed the can in my hand. "Now, we have something to work with."
"Teka! Teka!" She held up a hand. "Balak n'yo bang imbestigahan 'yon?"
"We will!" Rhea answered with a nod. "As soon as the police gives us the files we need."
"Bakit hindi n'yo na lang ipaubaya sa mga awtoridad?" Maggie's face was filled with worry. Her tone was changing too. "As your friend, I suggest you drop the case and focus your attention elsewhere. Marami pang ibang cases diyan."
"Our school's image is at stake here," I reasoned. "As Clark High's only detective club, we're compelled by our mandate to take part in the investigation."
"But this isn't your regular case! You don't know what you're dealing with! Paano kapag nalaman ng suspect na iniimbestigahan n'yo siya? Paano kung habang papalapit kayo sa katotohanan, papalapit din kayo sa panganib? They might come after one of you!"
"The more reason for us to remove their mask and expose them," I replied, my hand gesturing in the air. "Whoever this M is, they won't go unpunished for their crimes."
Maggie jumped from her seat, slamming her palms flat on the table. "Just a friendly advice: Drop this case. Please."
"Your advice has been noted, but we—"
"My goodness!" She strode off to the exit, bidding us no words of farewell.
"Maggie!"
Rhea and I were left in the booth. Silence took over for a minute. Seeing Maggie walk out on us was not only unusual, it's also the first time.
"Ano sa tingin mo?" Rhea's eyes flicked up to me. "Dapat bang ipaubaya natin 'to sa mga pulis at huwag na tayong makialam?"
I shook my head. "I've already pledged our assistance to the inspector. If we choose to do nothing, this case may never be solved and closed. I appreciate Maggie's concern, but I'd rather risk my life for this cause than watch others risk their own without me doing anything."
"Kung anuman ang desisyon mo, I'm with you." For the nth time today, Rhea showed me her sweetest smile. I thought of offering her the option to step back and let me do the work. But seeing the fire and determination in her eyes made me reconsider. Her resolve dispelled my doubts.
She finished what remained of her pizza slice while I left my burger only half eaten. After throwing our trash into the bin—because of the "clean as you go" policy—we left the cafeteria and headed back to the high school building. The sun was up so high, almost blinding us with its light.
"Wait!" Rhea stood under a tree. She pulled her phone out. I turned my face up to check if something was hovering above our heads. There was nothing except the clear, blue skies.
"What is it?" I asked, running up to her.
"Can we take a picture?"
I stared at her in disbelief. That's very out of the blue. My mind wondered whether she was serious about that request or not. But her determined face told me that she wasn't joking.
"Sige na! Wala pa tayong picture dalawa, 'di ba?"
"Why now? And why here?"
"Because the weather is nice today! Look, everything's peaceful and serene! So why don't we capture this moment?"
She outstretched her right hand and clicked the front camera option. I saw my bored face in the frame.
"One. Two. Three. Smile!"
When she said the magic word, I turned my head away from the camera. Since I was a kid, I had never been fond of taking photos or being in any of them.
"Naku! Bakit sa ibang direksiyon ka tumingin? Isa pa!"
As she was zooming in and out of the screen, I walked past her and quickened my pace toward the building. She only had one shot. If the photo was blurred or unsatisfactory, I wouldn't give her another chance.
"We have two cases to review," I reminded her. Even if I didn't look back at her, she must be making a disappointed face. "Hindi na dapat tayo mag-aksaya ng oras."
"Well, this is better than nothing," she muttered before following me. "Ise-send ko sa 'yo mamaya para may copy ka rin."
"Yeah. Whatever."
THE INFORMATION that Maggie had volunteered at the cafeteria somewhat helped me and Rhea find the dots that didn't exist at first. The victims, despite being totally unrelated to each other, shared one common denominator—both were potential candidates for the student council presidency.
I decided to take home the files provided by the campus police. I might need to take a look again and see if we missed anything. Before I could concentrate on the files, I needed to clear my apartment of any distraction. I got a new roommate who just moved in last week. His presence alone was an irritant.
To get rid of him, I asked an acquaintance of mine to make a recording of a ghostly voice calling that guy's name. When my roommate took his routinely afternoon shower, I picked the lock in his room, went inside, and placed the cassette tape player under his bed. There's a fifteen-minute dead air in the tape—carefully calculated for his usual fifteen-minute shower time—before an old woman's voice would ask for help. Once he returned to his room, he would get freaked out by the so-called ghost.
"N-Narinig mo ba 'yon?!" he asked after rushing out of his room. Every tinge of color left his face. It's almost as white as the towel covering his body from waist down.
"Narinig ang alin?" I turned another page of the case file without looking at him.
"M-May multong tumatawag sa 'kin! Tinawag niya ang pangalan ko! H-Humihingi siya ng tulong sa 'kin!"
"You must be too tired from your basketball practice, you're starting to imagine stuff."
"Hindi ko in-imagine 'yon! Talagang meron! Baka totoo nga ang sinabi nilang haunted ang unit na 'to!"
Without wearing any decent shirt or shorts, he went outside. He must have gone to the landlady to express his concern about the fake ghost. Sooner or later, he would force himself out and I would have the whole unit to myself.
Beep! Beep!
My phone lit up and buzzed as the image of Rhea and me looking away crossed the screen. I used our selfie as her new contact photo.
RHEA (7:14 PM)
Hey, Loki. I found something in the M case. I wanna discuss it with you ASAP.
Can you come over to my apartment?
Strange. She would normally call whenever she wanted to tell me something important. Was she too absorbed in her own investigation that she couldn't afford to call?
LOKI (7:15 PM)On my way.
The second I sent that reply, I got out of my unit and trotted down the stairs. Her apartment wasn't that far from mine. It would only take five to six minutes to get there if I went by foot.
I arrived there by seven-twenty. The second floor's hallway was eerily quiet. I halted at her doorstep and knocked three times. No reply. I called her phone, but it only kept ringing. Was she taking a bath? Or did she go out for a while?
Wait, what's that noise? I leaned my ear on the narrow gap in the doorframe. A familiar tune was playing inside—a children's song?—but I couldn't hear it clearly. I looked around first before taking out my lock picking kit. I inserted two wires in the keyhole and yanked them repeatedly. Within half a minute, I unlocked and door and swung it open.
Twinkle, twinkle, little star~
The room was dimly lit so I flipped the light switch. She's not in the living room. She's not in the kitchen. She's also not in the bathroom because neither the faucet nor the shower was on. My eyes kept roaming until I noticed the slightly opened door to her bedroom. The familiar children's song was also coming from that area.
"Rhea? Where are you? Rhea?"
How I wonder what you are?
As I entered the room, I beheld the silhouette of a person slumped against the wall. My heart began to race. A lump formed in my throat, and I swallowed it hard. My hands started trembling uncontrollably as I searched for the light switch on the wall.
I hoped that it's not what I thought it was.
Up above the world so high~
My fingers flicked the switch. The whole room was illuminated, revealing the face of that person. I stumbled backwards and fell butt-first on the floor. My eyes went so wide, they almost popped out of their sockets. My mouth hung open as my jaw dropped.
"R-Rhea . . ." I struggled to speak.
Her head was hanging low and her eyes were half-closed. Blood was rushing down her slit throat. She sat in her own pool of blood, most of it coming from stab wounds that she sustained in her stomach.
I mumbled unintelligibly as I looked at her lifeless body. I didn't know what happened. I didn't know what to do. My eyes began to well up with tears. My mouth shook so badly. I wanted to scream, I wanted to cry for help. But no word would come out as if something was stuck in my throat.
Rhea . . . my dear Rhea . . . the only friend I've ever had . . . Why did they do this to you? Who could—
There's something else. My eyes flicked up to the writing on the wall, a couple of inches above her head.
CAN YOU BE MY FRIEND NOW?
M
My eyes narrowed into slits as I stared at the bloody red writing. My nostrils flared. My teeth gritted. My fists clenched so tight that my nails dug deep into my skin. Seeing that letter filled my heart with rage.
THAT B*STARD M! I swear, they're gonna pay for this!
"Rhea? Nandito na ako. Bakit hindi mo isinara ang pinto? Baka pasukan ka ng magnanakaw."
I looked behind me upon hearing a familiar voice and footsteps from the living room. Maggie came into my view as she emerged from the doorway.
"Rhea? Nasaan ka ba—"
The color drained from her face as her gaze landed on the body bathing in blood. She fell on her knees, her hands reaching out. A couple of seconds went by before she screamed at the top of her lungs.
"RHEA! NO!" She crawled toward her friend's body, but I grabbed her arm and pulled her back before she could step on the pool of blood. A flood of tears gushed down her cheeks, her bloodshot eyes glaring at me. "LET ME GO! LET ME GO!"
"This is now a crime scene! We must preserve it!" I yelled at her.
I was trying my best to contain all the emotions swirling inside me. For the last time, I wanted to cradle Rhea's body and caress her innocent face that had always greeted me with a smile. But I knew that I couldn't and I shouldn't. Any traces that might lead us to the person who murdered her must remain untouched until the police arrived.
Maggie pounded on my chest as hard as she could, but I refused to let go of her arm. "IT'S YOUR FAULT! IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT! I'VE TOLD YOU TO DROP THE CASE! I'VE TOLD YOU THEY MIGHT COME AFTER ONE OF YOU! IF YOU TWO ONLY LISTENED, RHEA WOULD STILL BE—"
"You're right. It's my fault," I admitted. "It's all my fault. Rhea's blood was on my hands."
She broke into tears completely, burying her face in my chest and clutching on my shirt. She shook her head frantically as she mumbled incomprehensible words.
That day, my seemingly endless chase of Moriarty began. It's my penance. It's also my curse. And I would live with it until the day I brought him to justice.
q.e.d.