Chapter 38: The Perpetrator

TRIGGER WARNING:

This CHAPTER may contain explicit depictions such as death, killing, self harm or suicide, sexual assault or harassment, vulgar words, swearing, and many disturbing gestures or depictions. TRIGGER WARNING shall be taken into consideration.

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JAMMY

There's something strange sa pagiging close nina Sheila at Kristine na ultimo pag-attend ni Sheila in class consistently ay sinira niya para sa Kristine na yun.

Hindi maganda ang kutob ko sa babaeng yun. Lalo na nang makita ko siyang tila nasisiyahan pa sa ginawang pakikipag-away sa isa pang babae sa harap ng cafeteria, sa parehong araw bago patayin si Isay. Masyadong suspicious ang pangyayaring iyon upang sabihin na nagkataon lang.

Hindi ko alam kung ano ang hinahanap ko rito, ngunit iba talaga ang sinasabi ng kutob ko.

I went straight inside Kristine's proom. Using a flashlight na dala-dala ko, I checked on the mini table's drawer kung saan nakapatong ang lampshade. I saw a bag of cosmetic products. What I had found inside ay suklay, salamin, nail cutter, at iba pa.

I checked another drawer on the other side. It has a diary. Nang basahin ko iyon ay patungkol lang sa mga pang-i-stalk niya sa mga crush niya dito sa campus. Ilan sa kanila ay sina Austin, Denver, at Martin. Tsk.

Sa kabilang table kung saan nakapatong ang ilang books, may lalagyanan doon ng jewelries. I opened it and saw some pairs of earrings at necklace. But there's one thing which had caught my attention. It was an earring na walang kapares. It was exactly the same as Eloise's.

Ito na nga!

Ito na nga ang binabanggit ni Denver na earring ni Eloise na nawawala!

Kung ganun! Si Kristine pala ang totoong pumatay kay Eloise? Pero paano at bakit? Hindi naman siya kilala ni Eloise! Bakit niya 'to papatayin, anong dahilan niya?

I took a picture of it bago ito kuhanin. There's nothing to worry about my fingerprint that might left on it dahil may suot-suot naman akong plastic gloves.

Paalis na sana ako nang mapansin ko ang isang flower vase na may mark of cracks on its surface. I took also a picture of it bago iyon kunin.

It was already 2:30 nang makalabas ako sa building dala-dala ang earring at flower vase mula sa room ni Kristine.

“Look at you now,” salubong sa'kin ni Ezekiel na nakapakrus ang mga kamay habang diretsong nakatingin sa gawi ko. Kalalabas ko pa lang sa hallway. “A thief, huh.”

Inirapan ko lang ito bago magbago ng direksiyon. Ba't ba sinusundan ako nito? Ano bang balak niya sa'kin. Hindi dapat ako maging off guarded sa tuwing nakikita ko ang taong 'to. Hindi ko alam kung ano ang balak niya. At paniguradong hindi maganda kung ano man iyon.

Hindi pa ako nakakalayo sa paglalakad nang muli itong magsalita. “By the way, I'm sorry for putting that wound of yours,” saad nito bago tumawa.

Hindi na 'ko sumagot at tuluyan na siyang iniwan mag-isa roon. Dumiretso na 'ko sa dorm matapos ang interaction naming 'yon ni Kiel.

Kinabukasan ay agad akong humingi ng tulong kay Inspector for Luminol Test upang malaman kung may mga bakas pa ng blood sa mga bagay na hawak ko.

The procedure is very simple. Ii-spray nila ang luminol sa area ng bagay na pinagsusupetyahang may blood stains. If there is, ang iron that is found in the hemoglobin of blood will act as catalyst na magse-set off ng chemical reaction, making the luminol glow in color of blue. But the reaction must be in a dark room in order to see the glowing chemical. And it only last for 30 seconds so forensic photographers must work very fast.

Fortunately, nakitaan ng bakas ng dugo ang earring at ang flower vase. I knew it! Tama ang kutob ko! Si Kristine nga ang pumatay kay Eloise! Magbabayad siya!

P-pero, sino naman ang pumatay kay Isay? Ayon sa napansin ko sa CCTV footage in both buildings where the crime scene is located, dalawang tao ang nagsira sa mga CCTV cameras.

Kung gayon, sino ang isa pa?

“Kung ganun, sinasabi mo bang hindi si Claire ang may sala sa pagpatay kina Eloise at Isay?” tanong sa'kin ni Inspector Tan.

Tumango ako rito bilang pagtugon. “Itong binabanggit ni Denver na earring, galing 'to sa room ni Kristine. I already did an investigation of it. According to the CCTV footages sa tapat at paligid ng Mnemosyne Market, kung saan raw nagpunta si Kristine nang patayin si Eloise as what she said as her alibi, hindi siya nagpunta o dumaan man lang sa oras na seven to nine pm, which was the time when Eloise was killed. Definitely, nagsisinungaling siya. May iba siyang pinuntahan at hindi iyon sa Mnemosyne Market,” paliwanag ko.

“Kung gayon, tara na! Dakpin na natin itong Kristine na tinutukoy mo,” tugon nito.

“Not yet. May isa pa tayong problema,” pagpipigil ko rito sa binabalak.

“Ano naman iyon?” tanong nito.

“There were two suspects behind killing Isay and Eloise,” saad ko saka ipinakita sa kanila ang dalawang screenshots sa magkaibang footage ng mga building kung saan ko ito nakuha. “Look carefully at this two girls wearing this all-in-black fitted suit. From height to body figure and posture, magkaibang-magkaiba ang dalawa,” wika ko.

Napatango-tango ito sa mga sinasabi ko. Tila sumasang-ayon sa nais kong iparating.

“So, kung ang Kristine na tinutukoy mo ang killer ni Eloise, sino naman ang killer ni Isay?” tanong nito sa'kin.

“I don't know yet, Inspector. Yun pa ang aalamin ko sa ngayon,” sagot ko rito.

He said, “I did a good job,” bago ito muling magpaalam sa'kin dala ang mga evidences na hawak ko against Kristine. Nagpasalamat muna ako rito bago sila umalis. Thanks for the luminol testing.

Who are you? Di kaya?

I'm making my way to Athena's building nang makasalubong ko si Zero, este, si Benjamin.

“Oh, hi there, Jammy,” masigla nitong bati sa'kin. Tsk, ano na naman bang kailangan nito? “I'm on a rush, I'm sorry, I can't talk to you now,” saad ko bago tumuloy sa paglalakad.

Narito ako ngayon sa dati naming unit, I lock picked the room of Sheila.

Sana lang talaga mali ang inaakala ko.

Inside the cabinet of Sheila's room, I saw a sachet of powder, I guess it's a cocoa powder, and a… a black suit. Exactly the same as what was the culprit's clothing base on the CCTV footages we had reviewed!

Hindi pwede ito! Hindi pwedeng magkatotoo ang iniisip ko. Bakit si Sheila? Bakit?

The surrounding went black on a sudden. W-what happened?

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DENVER

After informing Austin upon receiving the report from officer Evans, mabilis akong bumalik sa campus nang madiskubre ko kung sino ang totoong pumatay kay Isay.

I need to inform Jammy about this. Wala siyang kaalam-alam sa kung sino ang pumatay kay Isay, and maybe, as well as Eloise.

That Kristine Cornales! She's a psycho! Nasa kapahamakan ngayon ang buhay ni Jammy!

How dumb am I? Hindi ko dapat hinayaan si Jammy mag-isa. Alam ko namang matigas ang ulo nang isang 'yon. Alam kong hindi niya kakausapin at aabalahin si Austin, and that trait of her, iyon palagi ang nagpapahamak sa kanya!

Jammy, wait for me. I'll be there in a minute. Just wait.

When I passed the campus' gate, I immediately ran towards the Athena's building. I also saw Kiel wandering around nearby.

“Hey, there, Denver. It's been a long time,” he greeted me.

“I have no time for your nonsense, Kiel. Where's Jammy? I'm on a rush!” mariin kong sabi.

“Oh, parehong-pareho kayong nagmamadali, ah. Nasa Athena's building siya ngayon. Nagmamadali rin,” wika nito.

Hindi ko na hinintay pa ang mga susunod pa niyang sasabihin, nor leaving him a ‘thank you,’ dahil sinabi niya sa'kin kung nasaan si Jammy. I just rushed and ran towards the said building. I need to save Jammy!

I headed to our old room unit in the Athena's building, and there I saw Austin na kararating lang din, there we saw the door was already open.

Pagkarating namin roon ay nakita namin si Sheila and Kristine. I also saw Gabriel putting his hands up at the back of his head. Kristine is pointing her gun towards Gabriel. Na ngayo'y inilipat ang tutok sa'kin.

Sheila was just standing still to where she stood. Completely shocked and doesn't move even a little. Pirme itong nakatingin sa walang malay na si Jammy.

There were blood streaming down from Jammy's head!

“Jammy!” sigaw ko rito. Of course, she didn't respond. She's unconscious.

“Diyan lang kayo! Huwag kayong lalapit!” pagbabanta sa'min ni Kristine. “Sheila, bantayan mo si Denver at Austin, wag na wag mong tatanggalin ang tingin mo sa kanila! Maliwanag?!” mariin nitong utos kay Sheila.

W-wait! I'm still confuse. Tama ba ang narinig ko? Magkasabwat ba itong si Kristine at Sheila in killing Eloise and Isay?

As what the report said that I had received from officer Evans, nahanap na raw ni Jammy ang nawawalang other pair of earring ni Eloise and it was found inside the room of Kristine.

But he haven't told me na may kasabwat pala siya and it was Sheila.

Inilabas rin ni Sheila ang hawak nitong baril and now she's pointing the gun against me and Austin while Kristine's was pointing against Gabriel.

“What does it mean, Sheila? Kaibigan natin si Eloise hindi ba? She's your bestfriend!” singhal ni Austin. He almost cracked his voice because of extreme bursting of emotion.

Si Sheila naman ay nanginginig sa paghawak ng baril.

“I'm sorry, Austin,” saad nito habang humahagulhol. Tila nawawala na rin ito sa sariling katinuan like how Kristine's behave. She changed the point of her gun and pointed it against her head.

“H-hey! Sheila! Don't—” hindi ko na natapos ang sasabihin ko when Sheila pulled the trigger and shot herself.

She immediately stumbled down. The bullet penetrated her head. Her blood scattered all over the place.

“Sheila!!” I shouted the moment I saw what she did to herself.

Naging off guarded si Kristine because of what happened, at nabaling ang atensiyon sa bumagsak na katawan ni Sheila, and Gabriel used that opportunity upang agawin ang baril mula kay Kristine.

He succeeded on attempt. Matapos niyon ay sinapok nito sa gawing batok si Kristine dahilan upang mawalan ito ng malay.

“That's the best way to silence her for a minute,” wika ni Gabriel nang tumitig lang ako sa kanya matapos ang ginawa nito kay Kristine.

However, Austin was like petrified for what he saw. Di na rin ito makagalaw dahil sa matinding gulat.

Lumapit ako kay Jammy while Gabriel was busy, itinatali nito ang mga kamay ni Kristine.

“Jammy! Jammy! Wake up!” pagsusubok kong gisingin si Jammy but still, she didn't responded.

I need to take her to the clinic immediately.

Binuhat ko na si Jammy at dinala sa clinic. Paglabas ko roon ay marami nang mga estudyante sa labas ng kani-kanilang room, nakikiusyoso. Maging sa labas mismo ng building ay marami ring estudyante. Mabuti na lang at Sunday ngayon, dahil kung hindi, mas dadami pa ang estudyante na makikiusyoso sa mga pangyayari. They might have heard the gunshot na umalingawngaw kanina.

I saw the police are making their way to Athena's building. Finally! Inabisuhan ko na sila kanina na sumunod na rito dahil masama ang kutob ko.

Sheila needs help. She is critical right now, but, she need to be treated as soon as possible bago pa mahuli ang lahat para sa kanya.

Ano na ang nangyari kina Sheila at Eloise? Bakit sila humantong sa ganito? What driving force that pushes Sheila to commit this crime? What is it?!

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