Chapter 24 — Whoddunit?

THE industrial park was already crowded when Justin and Althea arrived. Students from different departments surrounded the gate with their camera phones aiming at the dead body found in the bed of the daffodils. All of them were asking the same question: Who done it?

“The caretaker of the flowering plants accidentally found the body when he’s about to water the plants,” Emerald informed Justin as they walked their way to the dead body. “We could barely see her face because of blood and wounds, but the ID she’s wearing is Nikki’s.”

“It was really Nikki; she has a mole in her left arm,” the other Nikki’s friend told them. She was shaking in shock and fear. “Whoever did this to her should be put in jail.”

Then they both looked at Althea, who was standing behind Justin and staring at Nikki’s corpse. Justin blocked their view and scowled. “We’ve been together since I took her from the comfort room,” he said. He can read in their glares that they’re suspecting Althea.

“Why? They think that I did this to her?” Althea asked him and looked at the two women. “You’re accusing me that I am responsible for murdering your bully friend?”

“You’re only Nikki’s enemy here—”

“That’s not enough grounds to accuse her, Emerald. Be careful with what you’re saying. It can be used against you,” Justin interrupted the woman and looked at Nikki’s dead body. Her face looked like it was smashed repeatedly, in the beginning, using an abrasive rock. “Have you called the police, sir?” he asked the caretaker who found the body. “She was gone missing just an hour ago. The blood hasn’t dried yet; she was killed between nine and ten in the morning.”

“I already her parents, but they’re on the business trip, and might flew back here tomorrow,” Emerald told them. “I hope the police will arrive soon to investigate the crime scene and find the real culprit,” she said that while glaring at Althea.

“Don’t look at me like that if you don’t want me to sue you,” Althea said and arched her brow at the woman. “Your friend is a bully here in school. I am not her only victim, but more. You were also supporting her in bullying weak students, right? Aren’t you afraid to be next in line?”

Emerald swallowed hard and stepped back at them. “Did you hear that, Justin? She’s threatening me—”

“I am not threatening you, stupid,” Althea cut off. Justin stopped her, but she continued, “what I want you to realize is that karma is a treacherous beast.”

Before the woman could answer her, the school’s dean arrived and told the student to make way for him. He called the caretaker to ask what happened and then talked to Nikki’s friends. The dean also called Justin and told him to speak to him in his office after police took the body from here. They isolated the body and made sure that nobody would come near it to protect the crime scene.

For Justin, it was clear that somebody had done it to Nikki. It doesn’t look like an accident because of the several wounds on her face. And she was lying on her back when the caretaker found her. When the police arrived and collected evidence around the crime scene, the dean announced the cancellation of classes today and advised the student to go straight home.

“Follow me in my office, Mr. Almario,” the dean said and went back to his office.

Justin turned to Althea, who was scowling at the dean as he walked away. “Wait for me outside the office. I’ll just talk to the dean.”

“Why he wanted to talk to you?” Althea asked in an arched brow.

“Because I’m the student council head, and Nikki was a former member of my team,” he said and held her hand. “Don’t leave without me, okay?”

“Don’t talk to me as if I am Audrey,” she said with a frown. “I’ll stay where am I, but if those bitches bug me again, I might not resist the temptation to cause trouble again—”

“Audrey, Justin!” Rose ran towards them. She was panting because of running. “What the hell happened here? I heard Nikki was found dead at the park. Is it true?”

Althea looked at Rose. “It’s real. There is still blood at the crime scene. Do you want to see it?”

Justin noticed that Althea wasn’t that rude to Rose. Maybe because she was Audrey’s friend, and she knows her. “Rose, can you accompany Audrey while she waits for me outside the dean’s office?”

“Why would she wait for you? The classes are suspended already—oh!” She gasped and covered her mouth. “So, rumors are true? You two are already dating?”

“Yes, we’re dating,” Althea said neutrally and looked at him. “Go now, I’ll wait for outside—” When Justin nodded, she continued, “—the school.”

Rose chuckled. “We’ll have milk tea while we wait for you.”

“Okay, I’ll see you in a bit,” he said and waved at Althea, but before he turned away, he caught a glimpse of darkness in Althea’s eyes.

Is she the culprit?

___________________________

“I HEARD Nikki locked you up in the toilet and splashed water on you early this morning,” Rose told Althea as they walked towards the school gate. “Then Justin announced at the school canteen that he’s dating you. And then Nikki was found dead at the industrial park. Nikki was Justin’s ex-girlfriend.”

“What are you trying to say, Rose?” Althea asked her in furrowed brows.

“What I wanted to say is that you and Justin are the first two persons of interest,” she said and pointed at her. “Especially you because you also got in trouble with her yesterday.”

“How did you know that?” Althea was amazed by this girl’s straightforwardness to her best friend, Audrey.

“Girl, your video at the arcade throwing things everywhere is all over the internet,” she said, shaking her head. “I really can’t believe that you could do that.”

“They pissed me off, so I teach them a lesson,” she said and looked from the other side of the road. She saw Nikki’s friends going in their direction. “Look, here they are again.”

Rose quickly went behind her as the two bullies approached them. “What they wanted from you?”

Althea shrugged her shoulders. “Open your camera and record this conversation—”

“Hey, weirdo,” Emerald called her. “If you think that you could get away with killing our friend, you’re wrong. We’ll make sure that you’ll go to prison.”

Althea smirked. “Prepare for your lawyer too. I will sue you accusing me without proof.” She took Rose’s phone and showed it to them. “I have my proof because I am not as stupid as the two of you.”

“You can’t do that!” she swept her hand away, making the phone fell on the asphalt floor and break. “You don’t have evidence now, weirdo.”

Althea clenched her fist as she stared at the shattered phone on the ground. “I don’t want to do this, but you provoked me.” She pulled Emerald’s hair and dragged her towards the wall. The woman screamed, but she didn’t let go. “I told you to leave me alone, right?”

Justin called her name and ran towards her when she was about to smash her head on the wall. He caught her hand and dragged her away from them.