A/N: Tenth update in a row! To perfectly wrap up the "The Last of Augustus" arc, here's the epilogue!
Tama kaya ang theories n'yo sa previous update? Alamin!
LORELEI
AUGUSTUS' FACE haunted me that night. The way his widened eyes stared at me. The way his mouth was gaped. I may not have a strong memory like Jamie, pero nakikita ko pa rin ang mukha niya kapag pumipikit ako.
Nakaupo lang ako sa aming couch at nakatulala sa dartboard kung saan naka-pin pa rin ang butas-butas na photo ng late editor-in-chief. I was expecting that once we cornered him, he would cooperate with us and take down M's organization. Well, may kakaunti siyang na-share sa amin. He even admitted to us that Stein Alberts is M. However, he said that it wasn't as simple as it seemed.
Maybe the biggest question right now was who killed Augustus in the board room? I saw a red dot on his neck. Hindi ko masabi kung related ba 'yon sa pagkamatay niya. Maybe that was an insect bite? Or maybe that was the spot where he was pricked with a needle laced with poison.
What terrifies me was not how he died, but who were with me when he took his last breath. Kung nilason sa labas ng board room si Augustus, there could be a hundred of suspects. Pero kung sa loob siya nilason, the suspect list could be narrowed down to seven people: Me, Jamie, Alistair, Luthor, Maggie, Rye and Professor Jim Morayta.
"So only the seven of you were here when he collapsed on the floor?" the chief of the campus police asked me when they arrived at the scene. It's been a while since I last saw Inspector Morgan Morales. Last week, noong solidarity night, nahagilap ko lang ang mukha niya mula sa malayo. There hasn't been crimes lately in Clark High kaya madalang na lang namin siya makita.
He shook his head the moment na makita niya ako sa board room. Remember that he banned us from going to crime scenes. Ayaw niyang ma-involve kami sa mga imbestigasyon. Unfortunately, today, we didn't go to the crime scene. We were already in it.
Nanginginig pa rin ang mga kamay ko. I tried to firmly clasp them together, but the shaking wouldn't stop. For the last time, I saw Augustus' body being carried on a stretcher and covered by a white cloth. He was brought out of the room.
"Given your experience in amateur crime scene investigation, why didn't you contain the suspects in this room? Why did you let them go out for a while?" tanong ni Inspector Morales. "I don't wanna assume yet that one of you did it, but if that's the case, you have given the culprit a chance to throw any incriminating evidence."
Teka, bakit parang kasalanan ko? "I thought we could still save him! That's why I asked them to call for help. Dapat po ba tumayo na lang kami at pinanood siyang mangisay sa sahig?"
What happened was unexpected. Shocking. My instinct told me to try to save Augustus from dying. To call for help. I was hoping that we could stop death from taking him from us. He was about to tell us something about M!
"We will wait for the toxicology report to see what killed him," Inspector Morales said. "Poor boy. He was too young to die like this. One of my officers will get your statement. Please cooperate."
He turned around and walked away. Bago pa siya tuluyang makalayo sa akin, tinawag ko siya.
"Inspector!" I called. Lumingon siya sa akin at nagbato siya ng tingin na may tanong na "What?"
"Can you share with us the toxicology report?" tanong ko. "We wanna know what killed him."
"The campus police will take it from here," sagot ni Inspector Morales. "We're gonna find who did this to him."
At tuluyan na siyang lumabas sa board room. Gaya ng inaasahan, ayaw niya pa ring ma-involve kami sa imbestigasyon. I have trust in his skills, but given that this case was important to us, we should be taking part as well.
Tumayo ako at nilapitan ang aking mga kasama. Tahimik na nakaupo sina Alistair at Jamie sa labas. Mukhang hindi rin sila makapaniwala sa biglaang pagkamatay ni Augustus.
"Are you okay, Lori?" tanong ni Alistair.
I nodded. Well, I'm not totally okay. Nanginginig pa rin ang mga kamay at tuhod ko. But I don't want him to worry so much about me. "Na-shock lang ako sa nangyari. Lahat naman tayo, 'di in-expect na mangyayari 'to sa kanya."
I really thought Augustus was safe dahil ang mga pinagkakatiwalaan lang namin ang nasa board room. Ang akala ko pa nga, the only way he could die was through suicide.
Jamie covered her face with her hands. She was taking deep breaths. She saw the horrified look in Augustus' face as he died. That image could haunt her in her dreams. Tatanungin ko sana kung okay siya, but it's fairly obvious that she wasn't.
Nagawi ang tingin ko kina Luthor, Maggie, Rye at Sir Morayta. They're being interviewed by one of the police officers.
If one of us in the board room poisoned Augustus, who could it have been?
"Are you all okay?"
Muli akong napatingin sa mga kasama naming nakahiwalay sa amin. Sir Rich Rivera appeared, asking Sir Morayta about what happened. Nang magawi ang tingin niya sa amin nina Jamie at Alistair, kami ang sunod niyang nilapitan.
"I heard what happened," bungad niya sa amin. He looked so worried. "How are you three feeling?"
"Uhm... We're still recovering from the shock," sagot ko matapos magkipagpalitan ng tingin kay Alistair.
The new teacher slowly shook his head and placed his hands on his waist. "I can't believe that this happened. I thought your meeting would have ended up nicely."
"Nagulat din ho kami," I sighed. Alam kong may posibilidad na may mangyaring masama kay Augustus, but the whole thing still surprised me. "I never thought that someone could kill Augustus kahit nasa ligtas na lugar siya. Not to mention, lahat ng mga nasa loob ng board room, pinagkakatiwalaan namin."
"Aren't you gonna investigate who killed him?" Sir Rich jerked his thumb over his shoulder, to the direction of the board room. "I've read na kapag may nangyayaring ganito, you do the investigation yourselves."
"The campus police would no longer allow us," I replied. Napatingin ako sa mga pulis na humahawi sa barricade tape. "Since the new chief took over, hindi na niya kami pinayagang manghimasok sa crime scene."
"Is that so?" Sir Rich asked, nodding. "I know that you are all still in shock. I don't know even what to say. But if there's anything that I can do for you, just tell me."
I smiled at him. "Thank you for your concern, sir."
"Excuse me?" Lumapit sa amin ang isang pulis. "Mag-start na ho tayo sa interview. Sino'ng gustong mauna?"
I raised my hand and followed the officer to another room. Nagpaalam na sa amin si Sir Rich.
Matapos ang interview, nagsagawa ng body search ang mga pulis sa amin. Dahil kaming pito ang nasa immediate vicinity ng biktima bago siya namatay, they decided to check us first. Na-assign sa aming mga babae ang isang lady police officer. Jamie, Maggie and I were escorted to the girl's comfort room. Isa-isa kaming pinahubad ng damit at kinapkapan sa cubicle.
I don't know if it's a good thing or not, pero wala silang nakitang kahina-hinalang bagay sa amin na pwedeng gawing weapon. Maging sa mga lalaki, wala ring nakitang suspicious. So none of us was in possession of the poison.
But that doesn't clear any of us. Kung isa nga sa aming pito ang lumason sa editor-in-chief, posibleng na-dispose na ang ginamit na panglason. When Augustus collapsed, may mga lumabas ng board room para humingi ng tulong.
Sir Morayta was already outside to check why there was a blackout. Pagkabalik niya sa board room, nadatnan niyang nakahandusay na si Augustus sa sahig.
Maggie and Rye rushed out of the room to call for help. I heard them shouting outside.
Jamie took a few steps backwards and quickly looked away as soon as she saw Augustus on the floor. She remained in the room with us.
Alistair dialled a number in his phone and called for an ambulance. He's also with us in the room.
How about Luthor? He only stood there and watched as Augustus writhed in pain.
However, the police found nothing suspicious in the board room and in the nearby areas. Chineck nila ang bawat sulok ng mga katabing room at bawat basaruhan pero wala talaga silang nakitang kahina-hinala.
The police decided to let us go for the meantime. They can't hold us for too long.
Something doesn't feel right in this case.
"Hey, Lorelei?"
Bumalik ang kamalayan ko sa apartment. Loki stood in front of me, waving his hand repeatedly. Napatingin ako sa oras. Mag-a-alas-otso na ng gabi. I've been seated in the couch for two hours already, thinking about what happened.
"You seem preoccupied," komento ni Loki. He was set free by the campus police after Luthor explained the situation to them. Pinagalitan lang silang dalawa ni Inspector Morales dahil sa palabas namin kanina.
Medyo lutang pa ako nang makalaya siya kanina. Hindi pa rin kasi mawala sa isip ko ang nangyari. I informed him of Augustus' death and told him some details. He was disappointed to hear that our strongest lead on M slipped away from our grasp. Habang kinukwento ko sa kanya, he asked me to stop. Mamaya ko na lang daw ikwento ang lahat kapag medyo okay na ako.
"I saw Augustus take his last breath," I replied, staring blankly at the wall. "His face will haunt me in my sleep."
"I was surprised to learn that he was killed," Loki said. He pulled the pin on Augustus' photo and looked at it. "At the same time, I was kinda expecting it. He got exposed. He lost his value."
"Pero 'di ko lang maintindihan talaga," may pagsinghal kong sabi. "Augustus was confident that he's untouchable, that he can't be harmed like you. Then he dropped dead just like that?"
"Maybe he overestimated his worth." Loki crumpled the picture in his hand and threw it at the trash bin. "Maybe he inflated his ego so much that he forgot he's a disposable piece in this game."
"He knew a lot about M's organization," I muttered, pressing my lips on my clenched fists. "He said that if he dies, the secret of their group and the others would be revealed."
"What's your point?" Loki turned to me.
"Isipin nating meron siyang alas laban kay M," paliwanag ko. "Kapag namatay siya, mare-reveal ang alas na 'yon. Do you think M would want him dead?"
"Are you suggesting that someone else might have been involved here? Someone not related to M?" Loki asked. "Or maybe you are still in denial that one of you in the board room killed him?"
Me? In denial? I don't think na 'yon ang pinakadahilan kung bakit ine-entertain ko ang possibility na may ibang pumatay kay Augustus.
"It doesn't make sense kasi." Napatayo tuloy ako at napalakad sa sala namin. "Why would M have Augustus killed kung alam niyang nasa panganib ang sikreto ng organisasyon niya kapag namatay ito? If I were M, I wouldn't sign Augustus' death warrant. It's too risky."
"Unless... M already knew where Augustus was keeping his own version of the Pandora's Box," Loki caressed his chin. "Worse, he might already be in possession of it."
That's possible. Kung nakay M na ang alas ni Augustus laban sa kanya, wala na siyang pakinabang dito. He could dispose of him anytime.
Ang isa lang na nakakagulo sa isipan ko ay ang timing. Biglang nag-blackout noong nagsimula nang magsalita si Augustus tungkol kay Stein. Tapos nang ipagpapatuloy na niya, doon na niya naramdaman ang epekto ng lason. It's either that's coincidence or the killer's timing was perfect.
"Augustus was sharing info na sabi niya'y siya lang ang nakakaalam," I recalled. "He confirmed to us Stein Alberts is Moriarty, but it's more complicated than you think. He cited that saying na Nature abhors a vacuum. Do you know what that means?"
Naglakad si Loki palapit sa kanyang "spider's web." Stein's picture was still at the center. Officer Bastien and Augustus' faces were already crossed out.
"In simple terms, if there's an empty space, it can't remain empty," Loki explained. "It's gonna be filled eventually by someone or something. For example, if a company CEO resigns, his seat can't be vacant forever. Someone has to take his position and be the next CEO."
My mouth gaped. "Augustus also likened Stein to a king with a crown and his organization is his kingdom. Hindi niya natapos ang gusto niyang sabihin, but he was about to say that Stein is actually a su (sa)—. Was it subordinate or something?"
Loki rushed to the cabinet and pulled the drawer. He rummaged through the items there. He pulled out a marker and went back to his spider's web.
"You said that Augustus compared Stein to a king, right?" Loki asked. May dinrawing siya sa picture ni Stein. Lumapit ako para tingnan 'yon. It was a crown. "A king passes down his crown to the next king. The word that Augustus might be trying to say is successor. It's the only word that can fit his king-kingdom analogy."
Napalunok ako ng laway. "Then does that mean—"
"Moriarty is not a person," Loki smirked. I could see his eyes sparkling in the dark. "Moriarty is like a crown that can be passed down from one person to another. A title."
That somehow makes sense. Luthor mentioned to me that Stein had asked him to play Moriarty in numerous occasions. Stein lent his authority as Moriarty to him, just like how a King delegates some of his powers to his loyal officials.
"So we might be dealing with not only one Moriarty?" tanong ko. "There can be another one?"
Loki looked at me. "Remember that time when we solved a suicide case in the mall? You asked me a question after."
I nodded. 'Yon ang araw na binisita namin si Jamie sa kanilang bahay at pumunta kami sa mall para mag-relax. Coincidentally nadatnan namin si Stein doon at sumama siya sa amin para mag-chill sa isang coffee shop.
Nang pauwi na kami noon, I threw a question at Loki.
"Loki, hindi ko pa yata naitatanong sa 'yo ito. But are you a hundred percent convinced that Stein Alberts is Moriarty?"
"You told me that Stein might not be the spider at the center of the web," I recalled.
"Stein is a spider, but he's not the one at the center of the web," Loki said, removing the young mastermind's photo. He moved it to the right, leaving the center empty. Kumuha siya ng blangkong sticky note at inilagay 'to sa gitna. "For the sake of discussion, let's assume that Stein is the current Moriarty and that there's a previous one. The only way for him to be the king of their organization is if the previous king is dead, incapacitated, missing, hiding or has abdicated."
Napanganga ako. Augustus was right all along. The question about Moriarty's identity wasn't as simple as two plus two equals.
"Maybe Augustus knew who the previous Moriarty was?" I pointed out, looking at the blank sticky note. "He was in the organization for two years. Maybe he found out something about the previous king and he's now using it against Stein."
"And that information might be in Augustus' own Pandora's Box," Loki added, turning to me. "If it really exists, we need to get hold of it."
"At kapag nakuha na natin 'yon, we will have everything that Augustus collected to take down the organization," I nodded. "It will be the end."
Kaso nga lang, wala kaming idea kung saan ito nakatago. Augustus said his box was in a safe place. I wonder where that might be.
"Did Augustus tell you anything else?" tanong ni Loki. "He might have dropped a hint or a clue about the location of the box."
"I don't know if this is related." Napahawak ako sa aking baba at yumuko. "Before he took his last breath, he pulled my hair as if he wanted to whisper something important to me. Humihingal siya tapos may sinabi siyang I'm me— Hindi rin niya natuloy dahil nalagutan na siya ng hininga."
"Can you reenact it?" Loki asked. "Maybe you interpreted his words the wrong way."
I looked at him with squinted eyes. He wasn't joking. Fine.
"Hah... hah... hah..." I pretended to be panting. Medyo awkward pakinggan. "I... I... I'm... I'm me... then he died."
Loki repeated what I had just said. I thought he was mocking me.
"You are right, Lorelei," he spoke after a minute of silence.
"About what?"
"Augustus was trying to tell you a name," he answered, lifting his gaze at me. "What name can you form using all those sounds?"
"Hah... ay... me..." I muttered. My eyes widened. "Hay-me?"
"Now tell me. Who in Clark High has that name and had some degree of relevance to the mystery that we're entangled with?"
"Jamie's brother," I said. I could feel my face lighting up. "The former student council president!"
"Jaime Santiago, the late brother of our dear Jamie, is most likely the missing piece in the Moriarty mystery," Loki said, looking at the center of his spider's web. "Without conclusive proof, I can't say where exactly he fits into all of this. But that's what we have to figure out."
q.e.d.
Augustus may be dead, but his presence is gonna haunt us in the next update.
If you've enjoyed reading this chapter, share your thoughts or theories about this chapter on Twitter using the hashtag #ProjectLOKI!