The Mystery of an Imaginary Suitor

Part Three

~~

"LET'S START with the president." Panimula ni Chaos. Mula nang makita namin ang keychain sa rooftop, napagdesisyon namin na kilalanin ang mga student council.

Ang akala ko nga ay alam na niya ang mga miyembro ng student council kasa matagal na si Chaos dito. Turns out, wala siyang kilala ni isa.

"Student Council president, Mary Rose Aquinns. Definitely not her since our suspect is a male but she could'v possibly ordered a male student to kill Hazel. She's a powerful student afterall, being the president and all that." Sabi ni Chaos habang hawak ang picture ni Mary Rose.

Nandito nga pala kami sa storage room ng Liberty High. k.u.mpara sa mga usual storage room, malaki ito at halos pwede na ngang faculty ng teachers o di kaya office.

"So you're placing her on the suspect list?" Tanong ko.

Tumango si Chaos. "Everyone is on the suspect list. We have an evidence."

Nalukot ang mukha ko. "Teka nga! Paano ka ba sure na isang student council member talaga ang suspect? Eh marami na ang pumunta ng rooftop after ng crime scene baka nahulog lang habang pumunta sila roon nuong wala na si Hazel." I defended.

Tinitigan ni Chaos ang mukha ko. "The keychain was first covered in dusts so I a.s.sume that it was there for more than an hour. The last time I checked, Hazel's case happened two hours ago and the police came in the rooftop an hour ago. No student is allowed to enter the crime scene unless you are a powerful student: a member of the student council," he continued, "why are you defending them anyway? Is it because of Daeril Ocampo?"

Nanlaki ang mga mata ko. "You know Daeril?"

Tumango si Chaos. "He's one of my many enemies."

"Anyways, our next is the vice president, Daeril Ocampo." Sabi ni Chaos habang tinitignan ang picture. "He's a male so he is definitely our suspect. He was at the rooftop with us together with Mary Rose so I a.s.sume they are together in planning this murder—"

"Hey! Huwag ka nga munang magsalita ng kung ano. Bakit si Daeril agad ang suspect?" Tanong ko. Kahit mukhang serial killer si Daeril dahil sa palagi niyang seryoso na mukha, hindi ibig sabihin ay siya na ang pumatay kay Hazel.

"Think this through, Friday. Daeril went with Mary Rose at the crime scene minutes after it happened. Paano agad nila nalaman iyon? They can't travel all the way from their office at the ground floor to the rooftop in seconds."

"Well, there's an elevator—"

"We're putting him on the suspect list. Number One suspect." Madiin na sabi ni Chaos.

I just sighed heavily. "Next is the Student Council secretary, Arius Villanueva. He became the secretary a year ago. Weeks after he transferred." Pakilala ni Chaos.

"Eunice said that the guy who's following Hazel around was transferred to Liberty High last year." Kuwento ko.

Tumango-tango si Chaos. "So?"

Nagsalubong ang kilay ko. "Kapag ikaw ang nagbibigay ng deduction, may sense pero kapag ako, 'so' lang?" Inis na sambit ko.

"I don't see any connections here."

"Nagbibiro ka ba? There are connections! Arius and the guy following Hazel around both transferred to Liberty High a year ago." I argued.

For the first time, nakita kong ngumiti nang bahagya si Chaos. "Then we're putting him on the suspect list. Number Two."

"Bakit two lang?"

"Daeril will remain our number one suspect."

I just shrugged. "Next is our Student Council auditor, Carlos Vallejo."

Agad akong napatingin kay Chaos. "Let me see the picture." Sabi ko sabay kuha ng larawan.

Nang makita ko ang larawan, agad na pumasok sa isip ko ang sinabi ni Eunice. Ang paglalarawan niya sa lalakeng sumusunod kay Hazel.

"Blonde ang buhok niya at green ang mga mata. "

"This is him. The one who killed Hazel." Sabi ko.

"And?" Walang pakeng tanong ni Chaos.

"Kung nakinig ka sa recording ng conversation namin ni Eunice, she described Hazel's stalker as a man with blonde hair and green eyes. Carlos Vallejo here is a blonde with green eyes."

Tumango-tango si Chaos. "Then we better interview this guy."

~~

Nasa loob kami ngayon ng Student Council office. Mabuti nalang ay pinayagan kami dahil wala naman daw angg president at vice president. Tanging secretary, auditor at p.r.o  lang ang nasa office.

"How can we help you?" Tanong ng Student Council secretary na si Arius Villanueva.

"We're here to ask questions about the death of Hazel Ravena." Chaos answered.

"Oh, right. There were two police officers here, earlier. Sabi nila ay payagan namin kayo na magtanong tungkol sa nangyari kay Hazel."

"Where's Carlos Vallejo?" Tanong ni Chaos.

"I'm here. Why?"

Lumingon kami at naroon si Carlos na nakahiling sa hamba ng pintuan. "Good you're here. We want to ask questions about Hazel." Sambit ni Chaos.

k.u.munot ang noo ni Carlos. "Questions? What kind of questions?"

"Did you kill her?" Deretsahang tanong ni Chaos.

Bahagyang nanlaki ang mga mata ni Carlos. "Ako? I will never kill Hazel. I love her."

"Eunice told me that you look at her with anger." Puna ko.

"That's because she rejected me. Infront of many students! I was hurt that's why I was fuming mad but no way in h.e.l.l that I would push her."

k.u.munot ang noo ko. "We never said anything about pus.h.i.+ng. Paano mo nalaman na tinulak siya?"

Saglit na natahimik si Carlos.

Sumabad sa usapan si Chaos. "The police didn't let anyone enter the crime scene and the rooftop."

"There was a rumor." Simpleng sagot ni Carlos.

"Where were you at the time of the murder?"

"I was at this office. Kasama ko si Mary Rose. Gumagawa kami ng platform para sa school year na 'to."

Tumango-tango ako. He has an alibi. Imposibleng si Carlos ang tumulak kay Hazel.

Pinakita ni Chaos ang keychain na nahanap namin kanina sa rooftop. "Does this belong to you?"

k.u.munot ang noo ni Carlos. "Yes—"

Bingo..

"—but I gave that to Eunice Ramos. Hazel's friend. Naging kami dati two years ago but we broke up."

Nanlaki ang mga mata ko. So the keychain now belongs to Eunice. Ang ininterview ko. Kung naging sila, bakit sinabi ni Eunice sa interview na hindi sila magkakilala?

"Chaos—" hindi ko na natapos ang sasabihin ko nang bigla akong hilain ni Chaos palabas ng Student Council Office.

"Oh, nandito na pala kayo. Hinahanap namin kayo dahil nabago na namin ang report—"

"We found out who is the killer." Biglang sabi ni Chaos sa dalaw.a.n.g police.

Tinignan ko ang relo ko. "Malapit nang mag-uwian. I'm sure paalis na rin si Eunice."

Tinakbo namin ang distansiya papunta sa cla.s.sroom namin. 10-C.

Pagkarating namin doon, saktong uwian na at nagsilabasan na ang mga estudyante. Naiwan si Eunice na inaayos pa ang gamit.

"Eunice." Tawag ko. Tumingin siya sa akin at ngumiti nang makita ako.

"Oh, Friday! Kamusta?"

Bahagya akong ngumiti. Namatay ang best friend niya. Bakit ang saya pa rin niya? "Ayos lang ako."

Sunod na tumingin si Eunice sa dalaw.a.n.g police. "k.u.musta po ang case kay Hazel?"

"Binago namin ang report, hija. Hindi na suicide ang nangyari. Murder na."

Nanlaki ang mga mata ni Eunice. "B-Bakit po? Sino ang pumatay kay Hazel?"

"Ikaw." Deretsahang sagot ni Chaos.

"What?"

Tumikhim si Chaos at pinakita ang keychain. "This keychain belongs to Carlos Vallejo but he said that he gave it to you two years ago. Ang sabi mo sa interview mo, hindi mo kilala si Carlos Vallejo."

"T-That..uhm..."

Nagsimulang magkuwento si Chaos. "When you found out that Carlos, your ex boyfriend is following Hazel, your bestfriend, you became furious. Not to Carlos but to Hazel. That is why you sent a fake message to Hazel telling her to meet at the rooftop. When Hazel went to the rooftop and Friday and I weren't looking, you took the time to push Hazel. Tinakbo mo ang distansiya patungong pinto ng rooftop," tinuro ni Chaos ang ID ni Eunice, "your ID is broken probably because the keychain fell while you were running."

"T-That's not true." Mahinang sambit ni Eunice.

"Do you work for someone?" Tanong ni Chaos.

"No! I was alone—"

"Where were you on the time of the murder?" Tanong ko.

"I-I was at the library—"

"Wrong. The library is not open during lunch hours. The crime happened during lunch hours."

Eunice breathed heavily. "Fine! I was the one who pushed Hazel. I was the one who sent that fake message to her. Nagalit ako sakaniya dahil nakukuha niya ang atensyon ni Carlos na dapat ay sa akin." Naiiyak na sambit ni Eunice.

Kaagad na hinawakan siya ng dalaw.a.n.g police sa kamay at pinosasan.

Pinikit ko ang mga mata ko at huminga nang malalim.

"You were good, today." Chaos said na nagpamulat sa mga mata ko.

"Thanks." Sabi ko.

"Because of that, I need your help."

k.u.munot ang noo ko. "Help with what?"

"To catch my parents' killer."