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.
LORELEI
LOKI WAS no doubt disappointed with the recent developments. Another mystery was presented to him by a not yet identified culprit. Handang-handa na siyang i-solve ang kaso na malamang ay konektado kay Moriarty. But thanks to Inspector Morales, he could no longer meddle with cases. During Inspector Estrada's term as campus police chief, he could offer his assistance and enter any crime scene whenever he wanted. Ngayon, parang naka-blacklist na ang club namin sa lahat ng pangyayarihan ng krimen sa Clark High.
Thus, he became extremely frustrated. He tried to entertain himself by playing a crime investigation app as a substitute, but he was not satisfied. A case in a game would not be enough to satiate his hunger for something to solve. Jamie attempted to soothe him, but to no avail.
A case. That was what he needed. Kailangan niyang i-distract ang sarili sa ibang bagay. Mabuti't may naisip akong kaso na puwede naming pagkaabalahan. Initially, he would have rejected it because of how absurd it sounded. But he got no choice at the moment.
"I thought na mare-reject ang request ko!" Tuwang-tuwa si Rosetta nang ibalita kong iimbestigahan 'yon. Kung wala kaming isyu sa campus police, she would be right. Loki had no taste for cases that involved the supernatural. "Mabuti't pumayag kayong imbestigahan ang Haunt of Bascoville."
Nitong Sabado ng hapon, nagkita-kita kaming members ng QED Club at ni Rosetta sa tapat ng campus. This was the only day when we got nothing on our schedule. Alistair brought his car so we would not have any problem with the transportation. Nakabalik na siya noong isang araw matapos ang kaniyang business sa Manila.
I sat on the shotgun seat, fastening my seatbelt. Loki, Jamie, and Rosetta sat at the back. Naalala ko tuloy noong muntikan nang maging member ng club si Rosetta kung hindi ni-reject ni Loki ang application niya. Nakapag-move on na siguro ang classmate ko. Hindi rin siya nagpakita ng kahit anong sign na may tampo siya sa club president namin.
"So we're going to investigate if something supernatural caused the deaths of two people in a certain subdivision?" Sumulyap si Alistair sa client namin sa rearview mirror. "That's quite refreshing. Ito yata ang first supernatural case na iha-handle natin."
"If we count the rumored ghost in the abandoned school building that Loki and I have solved, this case is going to be the second one," komento ko habang pinagmamasdan ang mga nilalagpasan naming sasakyan at gusali. Come to think of it, Rosetta was also the one who referred that case to us. Little did we know that we would meet the enigmatic Moriarty inside that forsaken building.
"Sorry to trouble you, guys!" Ipinagdikit ni Rosetta ang mga palad niya. "Natatakot kasi 'yong clubmates ko kaya sa inyo ko na ini-refer. Baka puro kalokohan din ang gawin namin at hindi namin maayos na ma-investigate ang paranormal case na 'to."
"Paano n'yo pala nalamang may ganitong case?" sunod na tanong ni Alistair, deretso ang tingin sa highway. "May nakatira ba kayong member sa subdivision na 'yon o may nag-refer sa inyo?"
"Na-share siya sa 'kin ng friend ko. Alam niyang taga-Paranormal Club ako kaya naisip niyang baka interested kaming imbestigahan ang kababalaghan sa kanilang subdivision."
"Tch."
Only Loki would click his tongue to express his annoyance. Either hindi siya komportable na napapagitnaan siya ng dalawang babae o naiinis siya sa narrative ng client namin.
"And this is the reason why I rejected your application to our club," sabi niya sabay layo ng tingin mula sa katabi. "You believe in something that doesn't exist! Ghost stories are made by our parents and elders to scare us."
Kahit ang harsh ng tono at sinabi niya, mukhang hindi na-offend si Rosetta. "Kaya nga sa inyo ko ipinagkatiwala ito. Gusto kong malaman kung totoo nga o hindi 'yong rumor na may involved na supernatural force sa pagkamatay ng dalawang residents doon."
"You can cut my head off if ghosts took the lives of those victims. Someone must have disguised their deaths as unfortunate incidents caused by supernatural reasons."
"Hey, don't say that, Loki dear!" Biglang hinawakan ni Jamie ang braso ni Loki na parang ayaw na niyang pakawalan. "Hindi rin ako naniniwalang ghosts ang pumatay sa kanila. But don't bet your life on something so trivial! I still need you by my side."
"It's so trivial and laughable that I'm willing to risk my life." Puno ng kumpiyansa ang boses niya. "Let me prove to you once again, Roswell, that ghosts don't exist and your club's existence is a joke."
"Let's see!" naghahamong tugon ni Rosetta.
Her name's Roset—oh, never mind. He would not remember anyway.
Almost an hour went by before we arrived at the gates of the Bascoville Subdivision. The guards asked for Alistair's identification card before lifting the boom barrier and letting our car inside. He drove past the two-story houses painted in white. Gaya sa subdivision namin sa Manila, wala masyadong tao sa daan at nakabibingi ang katahimikan.
"Sino ba'ng pupuntahan natin dito?" tanong ko sabay lingon kay Rosetta.
"A friend of mine lives here. Malamang kilala n'yo rin siya." Naningkit ang mga mata niya habang tinitingnan ang mga bahay na nadaraanan namin. "Well, almost everyone at school must have heard of her name."
Her? Babae? I could not recall any of my female classmates or schoolmates who lived in an exclusive subdivision. Base sa pagkaka-describe niya, that person was a popular figure. A singer? A dancer? A theater actress? An academic achiever?
The car stopped in front of another white house that was exactly the same as the others. Unang lumabas si Rosetta mula sa kotse para pindutin ang doorbell. Noong una'y ayaw pang lumabas ni Loki. Kundi namin siya hinila ni Jamie palabas ng sasakyan, hindi siya susunod.
Ding-dong!
Hinintay naming lumabas ang isang babaeng may mahabang kulot na buhok. Matapos makita nang malapitan ang mukha niya, nanlaki ang mga mata ko at bahagyang napabuka ang bibig. Indeed, everyone at school must have heard of her name and seen her face!
"M-Madam President?!" bulalas ko.
Our student council president, Emeraude Emerson, was as shocked as we were when our eyes met. "You're the QED Club, right? What a pleasant surprise! I thought you will be with the Paranormal Club, Rosie?"
"Ay, hindi ko ba nasabi sa 'yo, Em?" Napakamot ng pisngi si Rosetta. "Sorry! My clubmates chickened out kasi."
Nagulat din ako na nickname ang tawagan nina Rosetta at Emeraude. These two must be quite close.
"Who's she?" bulong ni Loki. At first, we thought that he was just kidding. We then remembered that he's Loki. "Is she some sort of celebrity?"
"Loki dear, she's the student council president!" bulong pabalik ni Jamie. Even she could not believe that he forgot the name or the position of the girl in front of us. "'Di mo ba natatandaan ang itsura niya? Siya ang nagbigay ng award sa atin after ng bomb threat case!"
"Ah!" Loki's face lit up. "My brother's puppet!"
Lumingon kami sa kaniya. Ako ang nahihiya para sa kasama namin. I nudged him on the arm. Napaka-rude namang tawagin niyang puppet si Emeraude. Puwede bang pumreno ang bibig niya minsan?
"Sorry—I meant my brother's president," pagtama niya sa sarili. "I was thinking of a case involving puppets so the word escaped my lips. My apologies."
Nginitian siya nito, mukhang hindi na-offend sa unang narinig. "You must be Luthor's younger brother. Marami na siyang naikuwento tungkol sa 'yo."
He flinched at the mention of his brother's name. "I bet he told you my embarrassing moments at home. He has nothing good to say about me."
"May ilan siyang nabanggit sa 'kin." Bumaling si Emeraude sa amin at napakumpas sa bahay niya. "Why don't you all come in? Sa loob na natin pag-usapan ang details ng mysterious incidents dito sa subdivision."
Binuksan niya ang gate at pinapasok kami sa loob. Naunang tumuloy sina Rosetta at Jamie habang nagpahuli ako kasama sina Loki at Alistair. I ensured that our club president would not find a way to sneak out.
Halos kasing-laki ng bahay namin sa Manila ang bahay ng mga Emerson. Malawak ang living room na may couches at center table, luxury area rug sa sahig, at duo roller blinds sa mga bintana. May malaking chandelier din sa kisame. May bifurcated stairs din patungo sa second floor kung nasaan ang mga kuwarto.
"This morning, my dad left for an out-of-the-country trip while my mom is working in the States," kuwento ni Emeraude habang ine-escort niya kami sa sala. "When dad's not around, I'm usually alone here. Well, not technically alone because our housemaids are with me."
I heard from Luthor that her dad was a businessman. 'Yon ang dahilan kaya tinarget siya ng mga hostage-taker sa campus nitong linggo. Thanks to the vice president and his friends, we managed to save her from trouble.
"Dito muna kayo. Magtitimpla ako ng juice," sabi ni Emeraude bago nagtungo sa kusina. "Just relax there and feel at home, okay?"
"Samahan na kita!" Sumunod si Rosetta sa kaniya.
Naiwan kaming apat na member ng QED Club sa sala. Loki sat on the sofa and played with his phone while Jamie positioned herself beside him. Kaming dalawa ni Alistair ang magkatabi sa kabilang sofa.
"Maybe we shouldn't have taken this ridiculous case," reklamo ni Loki habang nagta-tap sa kaniyang phone. "I'd rather solve a thousand-piece jigsaw puzzle than listen to a ludicrous tale. Don't you agree with me, Alistair? Say that this isn't also worth your time."
"I'm interested in hearing what they have to tell us," tugon ng katabi ko. "If your hunch is correct that someone disguised those deaths as paranormal encounters, then shouldn't we be more motivated to uncover the trick and reveal the truth? Maitatama pa natin ang mga haka-haka na multo ang may gawa ng mga 'yon."
Nahinto sa pagta-tap ang club president namin at umangat ang tingin niya. "You do have a point. Residents in this subdivision are so gullible, they fell for the ghosts-did-it theory. They're in the darkness right now so we must shed some light."
"Basta kung saan si Loki dear, doon din ako!" hirit ni Jamie kahit hindi siya tinatanong. "Let's prove to the people of this subdivision that ghosts don't exist! Let's find out who's behind those murders!"
Baka kapag nakakita siya ng multo, siya pa ang maunang tumakbo sa amin at magsisigaw sa takot.
About ten minutes later, Emeraude and Rosetta came out of the kitchen, bringing a pitcher of orange juice and six empty glasses. Maingat nilang inilapag ang mga 'yon sa center table bago umupo sa isa pang couch.
"We came here to solve a case, not to drink refreshments," sabi ni Loki habang pinanonood ang kaibigan kong i-distribute ang mga inumin. "Let's get straight to the point so we can go home early."
"Don't mind him," I told our host and client. Bakit ba siya nagmamadali? Walang masama kung nag-serve sila ng maiinom sa amin. Nauhaw rin ako dahil sa biyahe. "He's had a bad day kaya wala siya sa mood."
"Who said that I've had a ba—"
"Please feel free to share the details with us." Nilakasan ko pa ang aking boses para masapawan ang pagprotesta niya. Could someone shut his mouth using a tape?
Emeraude cleared her throat first. "The two victims of the so-called Haunt of Bascoville are my relatives. The one who died due to heart attack was my uncle while the one who crashed his car into the tree was my cousin."
"Coincidence?" Ibinaba ni Alistair ang baso niya.
Napakibit-balikat ang host namin. "The police said there was nothing strange in the scenes. Before my uncle suffered a heart attack, natawagan pa niya ang kaniyang anak at sinabing hinahabol siya ni Kamatayan. Later that night, he was found dead on the roadside with his hand clutching on his chest."
"K-Kamatayan?" Napabuka ang bibig ni Jamie, naudlot ang pag-inom niya. "As in the Grim Reaper?"
"Is it possible that your uncle was hallucinating when he encountered Death?" tanong ni Loki. "Drugs, maybe?"
"My uncle was not into drugs. Maliban sa maintenance niya, wala siyang iniinom na ibang gamot. Hindi rin siya nakainom no'ng gabing 'yon. He was eating and living healthy. Kaya paano siya inatake sa puso?"
"How about your cousin?" Alistair leaned forward and put one hand on top of the other. "What made you think na related ang pagkamatay niya sa tito mo?"
"We don't believe that he accidentally crashed his car. Una, may mga poste ng ilaw sa bawat street kaya malabong hindi niya nakita ang puno. Pangalawa, nang suriin ang car brake matapos ang aksidente, walang nakitang problema roon. At pangatlo, hindi nakainom ang pinsan ko noong bumangga siya. He was not also texting while driving since his phone was found in his pocket."
"So you're thinking that he also got chased by Death?" Pinigilan ni Loki ang tawag niya. Sinamaan ko siya ng tingin para patahimikin siya. Hindi dapat tawanan ang pagkamatay ng sinuman.
"Unlike my uncle, he didn't call anyone to tell who or what was chasing him. But we strongly believe that the same phenomenon was involved in their deaths."
"Can you think of a reason why, let's say, Death came after your relatives?" Mabuti si Alistair, sineseryoso ang pagdinig sa kaso.
Napakagat ng labi si Emeraude. "There's a rumor that the house they're living in is cursed. They acquired it after their family friend failed to pay his debts to them. It's in this subdivision, too."
"Cursed?" Halos nagsalubong ang mga kilay ko. "In what way?"
"Before my uncle bought that house, the former owner made it for rent. Sabi ng mga kapitbahay, wala ni isang tenant ang nagtagal ng mahigit tatlong buwan doon maliban sa isa na naaksidente habang pauwi siya."
"You think that the house is cursed and that Death took the lives of your uncle and cousin because they stayed there for more than three months?" Muntik na namang natawa si Loki. "So if I stayed there for two months, I'll be unaffected by the curse."
"What else could have caused my relatives' misfortune? Despite the suspicious circumstances of their deaths, the police declared their deaths as accidents. On our own, we have no way of proving it, that's why I came to Rosie for help."
"At ako ang naglapit ng case niya sa inyo," dugtong ni Rosetta, nakangiti sa amin. "This is your turf."
Ngumisi si Loki. "My prior hypothesis must be true. Those deaths are murders disguised as accidents. Whoever the culprit is, they must have taken advantage of the rumor about the curse to justify the misfortunes."
Mukhang 'yon ang pinaka-rational explanation. Kung ang mga pagkamatay ay hindi kagagawan ng sumpa, kagagawan 'yon ng katusuhan ng tao.
"Ang sabi ng tito mo, hinabol siya ni Kamatayan, 'di ba?" tanong ni Alistair. "Kung tama ang theory ni Loki, baka merong nag-costume bilang si Kamatayan para habulin at takutin ang tito mo?"
"If the disguise is too convincing, baka talagang atakihin sa puso ang matanda. But what if it's just someone in a low budget costume?" singit ni Jamie. "Kung may nakita akong taong may suot na itim na robe at may dala-dalang scythe, I'd probably laugh at them."
"And it would be a terrible joke if her cousin crashed his car into a tree just because he saw a grim reaper cosplayer on the road," dagdag ni Loki. "What a ridiculous way to die."
"Wala bang CCTV camera sa bawat street ng subdivision?" tanong ko. "They might have spotted the so-called grim reaper."
Umiling si Emeraude. "Only the subdivision entrance has a security camera. Kung sanang naglagay sila ng gano'n strategically sa ilang parts ng subdivision, baka nalaman na namin kung ano ang eksaktong itsura ng humabol kay tito o sa pinsan ko."
"Wala bang witness na nakakita kung ano ang humabol sa kanila?" sunod kong tanong.
"If I remembered correctly, the police talked to one or two witnesses. They heard my uncle scream so they looked out their window. Parang may tinatakbuhan daw siya. They claimed to have noticed a black cloak floating right behind him. But they couldn't confirm it with absolute certainty because their eyes might be mistaken."
"Black cloak?" Parang hindi sapat 'yon para mapatakbo ang isang tao at mamatay dala ng atake sa puso. There must be something else on that flying piece of cloth.
"If you want, we can visit my uncle's house." Tumayo si Emeraude sabay baba ng walang lamang baso niya. "Doon din nakatira ang mga anak niya. They may be able to give you some insights."
Unang-unang tumayo sa amin si Loki, halatang nabagot na sa discussion. "Much better. I'd rather hear the stories straight from their mouths. And if that house is cursed as you claim it to be, there may be another victim in their family. Something to look forward, eh?"
Inubos muna namin ang aming orange juice bago lumabas. Nilagpasan namin ang isang street at huminto sa tapat ng isang bahay. Naagaw ng nakaparadang police car sa labas ang atensiyon namin. May nangyari na naman bang aksidente?
Pinindot ni Emeraude ang doorbell at hinintay naming may lumabas. From the door, a middle-aged woman who might be around the same age as Tita Martha appeared and opened the gate for us. Nagdalawang-isip ang ale nang sabihin ni Emeraude na nandito kami para mangalap ng dagdag na impormasyon.
"Aba, nandito rin ang mga pulis, nagtatanong ulit tungkol sa nangyari sa tito at pinsan mo."
"Huh? Ang akala ko po c-in-onsider na nilang aksidente?"
"Tinitingnan din nila ang anggulo ng murder." Napakamot ng ulo ang ale. "Ewan ko ba sa kanila. Biglang nagbago ang isip. Ayaw nilang maniwala na baka ang sumpa ng bahay ang may kagagawan nito."
"Puwede po ba kaming pumasok? Para marinig din namin kung ano'ng itatanong ng mga pulis sa kanila?"
Tiningnan muna kami ng katiwala mula ulo hanggang paa bago kami pinatuloy sa loob ng bahay. Bumungad na agad sa amin ang mga kamag-anak ni Emeraude sa sala, may kausap na pulis na malaki ang katawan. His body frame was so familiar as if I had already seen him somewhere.
"Excuse me? I'm with my schoomates. They also want to investigate what happened to Tito and my cousin," pagpapakilala sa amin ni Emeraude sa mga kaanak niya. "They're from the QED Club."
"QED Club? Tama ba ang dinig ko?" Lumingon ang police officer sa aming direksiyon. Pagharap niya, napansin ko ang makapal niyang bigote at ang ilang hibla ng buhok na namumuti na.
That's Inspector Estrada!
"Loki! Lorelei! Jamie! Alistair, tama?" Nagliwanag ang mukha niya at nilapitan ang grupo namin. Isa-isa niya kaming niyakap. Nagmistulang reunion ang pagpunta namin dito. Parang kamag-anak namin siya na ilang taon na kaming hindi nakita. "Kumusta na kayo? Kumusta na ang Clark High?"
"You're sorely missed, Inspector." Mukhang kahit paano'y na-miss ni Loki ang dating chief na nakatrabaho niya. "The campus police is better off with you as their head."
"Mukhang hindi kayo nagkakasundo ni Morgan, ah? Inasahan ko nang mangyayari 'yan." Natawa ang dating police chief. Ano na kaya ang ranggo niya? He was transferred to another unit, according to his successor, so his title might have changed. "Ayaw niya kasing humihingi ng tulong sa mga taong hindi parte ng official police force. Baka maging tinik siya sa lalamunan n'yo."
"Saan na po kayo naka-assign ngayon?" tanong ko.
"Nasa major crimes unit na ako ng Angeles City Police Station 6. Coincidence bang nandito rin kayo o pilit talagang pinagkukrus ng tadhana ang mga landas natin? Anyway, it's nice to see you four again."
"Why don't you return to the campus police?" suhestiyon ni Loki. "This must be fate's way of telling us that Clark High needs you again. I'm sure your subordinates would rather have you as their boss than Inspector Morales."
Sumimangot ang dating chief. "Isang malaking karangalan ang makapaglingkod sa inyong high school. Pero sa buhay, talagang darating tayo sa punto kung saan kailangang lisanin ang mga posisyong hinahawakan natin, lalo na kung sa tingin ng mga may kapangyarihan ay hindi na tayo ang nararapat para doon."
I see. Inspector Morales mentioned in our first encounter that ex-Inspector Estrada was relieved from his position. As chief of a police unit, malaking sampal 'yon sa kaniyang integridad.
"I thought the police have already concluded that the two deaths were accidents?" Iniba ni Loki ang topic. "So why are you reviewing the case again?"
"Gusto naming i-check kung posibleng murder ang nangyari, gaya ng sinabi ng consultant namin."
"Consultant?" Nanliit ang mga mata ng kasama namin. "But I haven't contacted you in a while. You also haven't reached out to me. So how was I able to share my thoughts with you?"
"Ah, ibang tao ang tinutukoy ko!" Napakamot ng ulo si Officer Estrada. "Puwede kong sabihin na siya ang bagong ikaw sa department namin. Baka gusto mo siyang makilala? Siguradong magkakasundo kayong dalawa! Ah, nandiyan na pala siya!"
Isang babae na nakasuot ng itim na jacket ang pumasok sa bahay. Agad niyang nakuha ang atensiyon namin dahil magkaiba ang kulay ng buhok niya na lagpas-panga. Kulay black ang sa kaliwang side habang blonde ang kanan. May kuwintas din siya na bungo ang disenyo. Sa itsura niya, halos kasing-edad siguro namin siya.
"Sorry if I'm late, officer! I've just solved a murder in a restaurant. Who are these—"
Nanlaki ang mga mata niya na magkaiba rin ang kulay—itim sa kaliwa at gray sa kanan. Lumawak ang kaniyang ngiti nang mabaling kay Loki. Parang na-starstruck siya sa kasama namin. What's with her reaction?
"I'm not dreaming, am I?" pakurap-kurap niyang tanong sa dating inspector. "Is he really . . . that person?"
"In the flesh!" Tumango si Officer Estrada sabay kumpas ng kamay. "Siya ang lagi kong ikinukuwento sa 'yo. Ang number one consultant ko sa Clark High noon."
"You must be the legendary Loki Mendez!" Nilapitan ng babae si Loki at hinawakan ang dalawa niyang kamay. Lalong nagningning ang mga mata niya, tila nakakita ng artista. Jamie glared at her for holding Loki's hand while Alistair regarded her curiously. "You can call me Hel, your number one fan!"
Hel? As in, impiyerno?
"Do you mind if I call you Dad?" dugtong niya.
q.e.d.