Good morning, Lorelei," she greeted me with a smile while continuing her cleaning. "Did you sleep soundly last night?"
I rubbed my two sleepy eyes. "You're cleaning quite early, auntie? Are we having visitors later or did you just decide to vacuum for exercise?"
She momentarily stopped what she was doing and stared at me for a few seconds. "Didn't I tell you last week? Your dad is coming here today."
"Huh? Really?" I yawned first before my eyes fully widened. My mind suddenly woke up as it tried to process what she said. "W-Wait! What did you say? Dad is coming here?"
"My, I think I'm becoming forgetful," my aunt said, shaking her head as she continued her work. "He might drop by this afternoon, so make sure to come home early later, okay? I'll cook a delicious snack for you both."
Oh, right. Auntie did mention that Dad had a meeting here in Pampanga, so it was possible he would drop by.
I went straight to the bathroom to wash my face. I let the water flow from the faucet for a moment while staring at my reflection in the mirror. Is my dad really serious about visiting me here? Or did he say that just to make me feel like he's parenting me? If you were to ask me, I don't want to see him yet.
Because of the "breaking news" delivered by my aunt, I couldn't even eat breakfast. I went straight to the bathroom to bathe and change clothes. After fixing my appearance, I left my apartment.
All morning, I couldn't get the thought out of my head that Dad was arriving later. I tried to focus on our class discussions, but every now and then, the thought of seeing him sitting on the couch, legs crossed, and sipping tea would enter my mind.
It's becoming an irritant to my attention.
"You look worried," Loki commented while reading the latest issue of our school paper. "Something's bothering you."
My gaze turned to him. "How can you say that?"
"In the span of five minutes, you've let out four deep sighs," he put down the newspaper to look at me. "You're trying to relieve yourself from stress but it persists in your mind."
Now, for the fifth time, I let out an exasperated sigh. "My dad's coming to the apartment to visit me." Loki brought the newspaper page closer. "To most people, that's good news. But based on your repeated sighs and how you spoke of his arrival, it's quite troubling for you. You have issues with your father, don't you?"
I looked away and avoided answering his question.
"Don't worry, I know the feeling of despising someone," he said after a few moments of silence. "Sometimes, you wish that you won't cross paths with them again. Sometimes, you hope that you can extricate them out of your life. That's how I feel with my brother."
"Just to be clear, I don't despise my dad," I corrected him before he took the wrong impression. "'Despise' is a strong word. I don't hate him either. I just don't want to see him right now."
"Then you should get him out of your head," he tossed the newspaper to the bookshelf and turned to me. "Don't think about it if you don't want to be troubled. I'm certain that you can't focus on your classes because of that ill news."
"How can I easily do that? Easier said than done."
"That's the problem with you people." Once again, he sounded as if he's not one of us. "You worry yourself with the inevitable. If he's really coming here, there's nothing you can do to stop it. Just shut up and embrace it."
And he's back to being that Loki again. Last week, after going through the painful memories, he showed me that he's capable of being genuine with his words and actions. I thought that was the side I would see every day. After the weekend, he returned to the Loki I first met during my first few days here in Pampanga.
"If meeting him is so troubling for you, why don't you do the opposite?" he asked. "Don't show up wherever you are supposed to meet. Say you're too busy to meet him. Your problem is solved."
"And what will I do? Stay here in the clubroom after class until I'm sure he's no longer at the apartment?"
"If you're lucky, someone will go through that door, borrow our wisdom and keep us busy for a couple of hours," Loki replied. "You'll have a legit excuse so you won't have to see him."
Most people would suggest that I meet my papa, especially since we haven't seen each other for several weeks. But Loki had a dissenting opinion. He was encouraging me to find a way to prevent our scheduled meeting from happening. I must say, this is one of the rare occasions where I appreciate his unpopular opinions.
We waited from lunchtime until afternoon but not a single client arrived at the clubroom. It looks like I still need to work hard on writing the blog to attract clients. The...I first thought that clients would keep pouring in after Madonna brought her boring problem to us.
Wait, did I say "boring"? I think I'm starting to pick up Loki's way of speaking.
And since there was no problem or case to serve as a distraction for me, I looked for other ways to keep from having to go home to the apartment right away. Luckily, I have a friend I can rely on during times like this. Take note: I'm not referring to Loki.
"Huh? Really? You want to stay at my dorm first?" Rosetta asked in surprise while she was fixing her things in her bag.
"Yes, I forgot my keys to the apartment," I lied. "My roommate won't be home until later tonight, so I have nowhere else to go."
"Sure, I don't mind!" She seemed quite happy with my request. "My roommate won't be home until later tonight anyway, so there's no problem staying there for a bit. And you can help me with our Chemistry assignment."
Problem solved. All I need to do now is wait for my dad to leave the apartment. But don't think badly of me. I'm just returning the favor to him. There were numerous instances before where he said we would meet but he never showed up. Not even a shadow of him was seen.
Rosetta's dorm is located right inside the campus. It's just a short walk to get there. It has five floors, covered in white paint, and you'd mistake it for a hotel.
When we opened the glass door, the guard at the desk greeted us. "Good afternoon, Miss Rodriguez! Who is your companion?"
"She's my classmate, kuya," Rosetta answered. "We have an assignment to do. There shouldn't be a problem if she goes up to my unit, right?"
"No problem at all, ma'am!" The guard took something from behind his desk—a blue logbook—and opened it in front of us. "Ma'am, please just write down your contact details here."
I took the pen from his desk and wrote my name, my phone number, and the person-to-visit in the logbook. When I finished, the guard smiled at me and greeted, "Welcome to the White Hostel, ma'am!"
Rosetta and I headed to the elevator, and she pressed number four. A few other students entered with us.
When the elevator reached the fourth floor, Rosetta stepped out first and walked toward her unit while I followed. She stopped in front of Room 402 and inserted her key into the doorknob."Compared to our apartment, Rosetta's room was much smaller. It had a double-deck bed where clothes, towels, underwear, and other items were scattered. Their washroom was located at the back.
"Okay, shall we start?" Rosetta asked as she took out her Chemistry notebook.
More than an hour passed since we started doing the assignment. I stretched my arms before checking the time. It was past five in the afternoon.
"I wonder what time he'll leave?" I whispered to myself. I still hadn't received any calls or texts from Aunt Martha or Dad. If they were looking for me, they would likely call to ask where I was.
While the phone was in my hand, it suddenly vibrated. An unknown number was calling me. It was either my dad changed his number or it was someone else.
"Hello?"
"Are you home yet, Lorelei?" It was Loki. "So how did the meeting with your father go?"
"I haven't gone back to the apartment yet," I lowered my voice so as not to disturb Rosetta's writing. "I'm staying at a classmate's dorm. At White Hostel."
"Oh, what a coincidence," he said. "I was actually on my way there."
"Don't tell me you're following me?"
"No, no. Why would I do that? Inspector Estrada texted me minutes ago. He said something happened in Room 404 of the White Hostel. He wants my—or should I say—our help. Since you aren't doing anything there, you can help me out."
He didn't wait for my answer on whether I was available. He just abruptly hung up.
Wait, I'm in Room 402 right now on the fourth floor. If that's the case, did something happen in a room nearby?
"Where are you going?" Rosetta asked when I opened the door.
"I'm just going to check something outside," I replied and stepped out of her room. I was greeted by police cordoning off a room not far away. There was a female student sobbing and tearful, being calmed down by a policeman.
"Lorelei, right?"
I turned around and saw Inspector Estrada approaching. I couldn't help but look at his thick mustache. "How did you get here so fast? Where is Loki?"It just so happened that I'm here. My classmate and I were working on an assignment."
"Is that so?" The inspector continued walking toward Room 404. "Isn't it like bad luck is following you? It seems like wherever you go, something bad happens. First, at the Chemistry Lab. Now, here at the White Hostel."
Believe me, inspector, even I'm wondering why I keep getting involved in things like this. Ever since I met Loki, mysterious things began happening around me.
"What do we have here?" Loki suddenly appeared behind me like a ninja. "How convenient for you to be near the crime scene."
"Is it my fault that something happened here?"
He smiled first before heading to the front of Room 404, the crime scene. He lifted the cord and bowed slightly to pass under. Even if he didn't signal for me, I knew he wanted me to follow him.
"According to the inspector, this is a murder investigation," he explained while looking into the room from the hallway. "A female student was found stabbed to death not more than fifteen minutes ago."
The first person he went to was the woman who had been crying earlier.
"You know," Loki began, placing a hand on the woman's shoulder. "More often than not, the person who first discovers the body is the suspect."
The woman's eyes widened and she sobbed even harder. She shook her head repeatedly. "Believe hic me. I couldn't hic kill my roommate! I just got home past five o'clock when I saw her hic lifeless."
"Do you have any idea who could have done this to her?" I asked.
She shook her head repeatedly again. "Yes. Last night she was writing something on her blog hic about her ex-boyfriend. Jessica broke up with that guy hic because she wanted to focus on her studies. The thing is, her ex didn't like that; he grabbed her and forced a kiss on her while they were on campus yesterday."
Loki sighed and rolled his eyes in another direction. We left the woman and entered Room 404. I immediately noticed shards of glass on the floor, likely from a broken glass. There was also a glass still containing water sitting on the table.
I looked around and saw the bloodied body of a woman slumped against the wall. It looked like she had been stabbed repeatedly based on the number of holes in her uniform. Her eyes were slightly open, her head was bowed, and her mouth was open.I immediately turned my back and forced myself to avoid looking at her corpse again. And for the first time, Loki quickly averted his gaze from the corpse. I heard him mutter, "I really hate seeing that pose."
"The victim's name is Jessica Montemayor," Inspector Estrada informed us as he handed us gloves that Loki and I both put on. "Her body is still warm and rigor mortis hasn't set in yet. According to the forensic examiner's estimate, she was likely killed less than an hour ago. We also checked if there were fingerprints on the murder weapon but we didn't find any. Any ideas?"
Loki raised his index finger. "First, the one who found the body didn't kill poor Jessica. If she did, there should be some splatters of blood on her school uniform. Our victim was stabbed repeatedly in front so blood would have surely splattered on her killer. I have little doubt that she could change her bloodied clothes and dispose of them easily."
"So it's possible that what her friend said is true—that her ex-boyfriend might be the one behind this?" I asked.
"Possible," he leaned over the table and examined the shards. "Judging by the multiple stab wounds that Jessica's body sustained, it looks like whoever did this was angry at her. Having a broken heart could be a vicious motivation for murder."
"I had them get the logbook held by the guard on duty this afternoon," Inspector Estrada handed over a photocopy of a page from the said notebook. Written there was a list of names, contact numbers, the person-to-visit, as well as their time-in. There was also a list of names. "If the crime happened between four and five o'clock, there are three names there that fit the timeframe and the person-to-visit was Jessica."
"Have you contacted them yet?"
"Yes, they've been called to confirm if one of them is the culprit. They are on their way here."
Inspector Estrada left us inside the room with other police officers who were taking photos and checking for fingerprints at the crime scene. Loki was busy examining the water and the shards under the table.
Out of curiosity, I also leaned down to see what could be found there... when I suddenly felt a vibration from my phone.
Dad is calling...
I rolled my eyes and put my phone inside my pocket, ignoring his call. He's probably at the apartment now, likely drinking his favorite chamomile tea.
"Aren't you going to answer that?" Loki asked, dipping his finger into the water inside the glass.
"It's better if he thinks I'm busy, which is why I didn't answer his call," I replied. "Besides, I just want to focus on what we're doing right now."Then what can you say about these glasses of water?" He stood up and pointed to the two glasses he had been preoccupied with earlier.
I mimicked what he did earlier—I dipped my finger into the water. I felt it was cold even though there was no ice and the air conditioner wasn't on. Next, I looked at the glass shards on the floor. It looked like someone had bumped into it, causing it to fall and break.
"Your thoughts?"
I glanced at the small refrigerator located at the back of the room. "It's possible Jessica put two glasses here on the table and filled them with water. When we arrived here, the ice had already melted, but the water in the glass was still quite cold."
"That much is obvious. What else?"
I crossed my arms and looked at the floor. "Someone offered her water—possibly the killer—before she was killed."
"And why would she offer water to someone who intended to kill her?"
My eyes narrowed as I forced my brain to search for an answer.
"Tell me, would you let someone into your room and offer them a glass of water?" He held the glass and held it out to me, as if offering me a drink.
"No, not unless you know that someon—I get it! She knew the person who killed her!"
"We have little doubt about that," he said, placing the glass back on the table and looking outside the room. "The question is, who among the three would she most likely let inside her room and offer a glass of water?"
Eventually, the police removed Jessica's body. Following that, three men arrived who, if I wasn't mistaken, were the suspects in her murder. The police didn't allow them to step into the crime scene, so they stayed in the hallway.
One of them had an emotionless face. If he were told Jessica was dead, I couldn't see how he would feel sadness. But despite any trace of this, I couldn't see it on his face. Or maybe he's just good at hiding his emotions.
The one next to him was tearful while staring inside the room. His grief was very visible on his face. He took off his glasses and wiped his eyes, which had turned red.
The last of them almost fainted upon seeing the blood left on the wall and floor. He kept crying and whispering, "Why? Why did this happen to her?" I saw a few tears fall down his smooth face. It's rare for me to see a well-built man crying.
You shameless person!" the woman who found Jessica's body charged at the well-built man, scratching at his face. "I know you did this! Why did you kill Jessica, huh? Answer me!"
Before she could wound the man's face, the police officers on guard restrained her.
"I may die today, but I didn't kill her!" the man shouted. "How could I kill the person I love, huh?"
"By stabbing her multiple times," Loki whispered while looking in another direction.
"Christopher Bautista, right?" Inspector Estrada asked the well-built man. "According to Eunice, you have a motive to kill Jessica. You were forcing her to get back together with you, but it seems she didn't want to anymore."
"Just because of that?" Christopher's eyebrows nearly met. "What a shallow reason! Just because she didn't want to get back with me, I'd kill her? If you're going to suspect someone, ask Richmond or that idiot over there, 'tol'!"
He first pointed to the man wearing glasses, then to the man with no reaction on his face.
"Richmond Morales?" The inspector looked at his copy of the logsheet to confirm the name mentioned. "Does he have a motive to kill Jessica?"
"We've been close friends since elementary school," the man in glasses explained. "Even if we have misunderstandings, we talk them out. I wouldn't resort to a brutal way."
Christopher smirked. "Close friends, huh? Weren't you always lurking by her side when we were together? Abangers, and she told me last week that you confessed your feelings for her. But as it happens, the feeling wasn't mutual, so you're left with nothing."
"Are you saying it's possible Richmond killed Jessica because of his unrequited love?"
"Yes, I did ask Jessica out last week," Richmond confirmed, his voice rising slightly. "But she can only offer friendship. I'm satisfied with that. I'm actually happy our friendship didn't become awkward after I confessed to her."
Inspector Estrada turned to the man with no reaction. "And how did David Florencio get involved in this?"
"Jessica told me someone had been following her from the moment she entered school until she went home. A stalker, basically," Christopher answered. "Last week, I saw this man following her. Not only once, but thrice! It's possible he entered Jessica's room and killed her because of his obsession with my girlfriend!"
David did not speak. He simply stared back at the person accusing him.Loki sighed and rubbed his bored eyes. "Can we now ask them why they visited Jessica? I'm getting bored of this complicated romantic plot in the poor girl's murder."
"David was the first to log in at around 4:05," said Inspector Estrada while holding a copy of the logsheet. "According to the guard's record, he clocked out at 4:21. That's enough time to commit a quick murder."
At first, he hesitated to answer. "Because... I went to Room 404 to introduce myself to Jessica. Yes, I've been following her wherever she goes for a long time. But I didn't want to hide in the dark anymore, I didn't want to scare her either, so I thought of coming here earlier."
"And then when you knocked, she opened the door, you were let in, offered a glass of water, and then you stabbed her?" Loki interjected quickly.
"No! I did knock, but she didn't open the door. I knew she was inside the room but it seemed like she really didn't want to notice me. I waited for a few minutes before I decided to leave."
Even I, probably, wouldn't open the door for a man I didn't know and who was always following me.
"The next one to log in at 4:24 was Richmond," the inspector looked at the man wearing glasses. "The guard noted that you left at 4:40. What were you doing here for almost fifteen minutes?"
"I came from the gym before coming here. I had something to do—Jessica's assignment in Trigonometry. But when I knocked on the door, she didn't answer. I also waited for a few minutes because I thought she just bought something outside. After ten minutes, I left."
"And the last one is Christopher, who logged in at 4:44," the inspector turned his gaze to the muscular man. "According to the guard's record, you left at 4:59."
Christopher showed a text message named after his ex-girlfriend. "Jessica texted me around 4:35 this afternoon," he showed the message. According to the message, Jessica wanted to meet him to fix the mess of their breakup. "I rushed here because I wanted us to reconcile. When I knocked on the door, she didn't open it. No one answered even though I shouted and asked for forgiveness several times while kneeling at the door. I thought she might just be playing a trick on me, so I just left."
If so, none of these three saw Jessica when they went to Room 404. If one of them is the killer, only one thing is for sure: one of them is lying.
"Inspector, is there no CCTV camera installed here on the fourth floor?" Loki asked while looking up at the ceiling.
"We already asked the guard about that. Only the lobby has a CCTV camera. But they plan to install some next month."How convenient for the killer!" Loki commented. "But unfortunately, I already have an idea of who he might be."
The three suspects' eyes widened.
"He is among the three of you, just to reiterate the obvious," he said, pointing to the three men one by one. "At the moment, we don't have any evidence to pin on you yet. But give me a few minutes and I will expose what you did. In the meantime, inspector, why don't you escort them to the lobby while waiting?"
When the three of them started walking along with some police officers, I heard a scratching noise coming from the floor. There must be something on their shoes that's causing that sound whenever the sole makes contact with the tiled floor.
Wait a minute. If the shoes of one of the three suspects are making that scratching sound, is it possible that...
"So you heard it too, huh?" Loki gave me a side-glance. "If our hunch is correct, that's what we can use as evidence against the culprit."
"How can you be sure we're thinking the same thing? I don't even know which of the three is the culprit," I replied. "Do you mind telling me who he is?"
"I'm going to ask the question again: Who among the three would Jessica most likely let inside her room and offer a glass of water?" As usual, he didn't want to share the answer with me. He wanted to make my head ache first. "There's only one thing that bothers me. Jessica did something out of place, something that she shouldn't have done. Unless, of course, it wasn't Jessica who did that thing."
Shortly after, we followed them downstairs. We found the three suspects sitting in the lobby. Christopher was bowing his head, hands clasped as if praying. Richmond's legs were shaking and he seemed restless. Meanwhile, David still had no reaction and was staring into the distance.
Inspector Estrada approached us and whispered, "Well, did you find any evidence?"
"We don't have any evidence against the culprit," Loki answered, causing the inspector to close his eyes. "Don't be disappointed, inspector. I said we don't have it because the culprit's still in possession of it."
"R-Really?"
"Shall we draw the curtain of mystery and put an end to this murder case?"
Loki stood in front of the three suspects and placed his hands behind his back. "Sorry for waiting. Now is the moment of truth."Don't beat around the bush anymore! Tell me who killed Jessica!" Christopher shouted. "I'll make sure that guy doesn't leave this building alive!"
Loki just ignored him and continued with his deduction show. "Before I reveal who the culprit is, I want you to think about this question: Who among you three would Jessica most likely let inside her room and offer a glass of water?"
The three looked at each other, their facial expressions a mix of confusion.
"If we use what we said earlier as a basis, Jessica didn't open the door when we knocked," Richmond replied.
"One of you lied earlier," Loki countered. "One of you stood in front of Jessica's room and knocked on her door. Then she let that person in, unaware of what that person is capable of doing. Who among the three of you was it?"
None of them answered. I noticed Christopher and Richmond's brows furrowing, while David had no reaction.
"Could it be David Florencio, the suspicious stalker who's been following her?" Loki said while pointing at the suspect. "No. Jessica may be aware of your presence but she doesn't know anything about you. So will she open the door to a stranger, let you in and offer you a glass of water? No."
David seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, as if a thorn had been removed from his throat.
"Maybe it's Christopher Bautista, the ex-boyfriend?" he next pointed to the man who shot him a surprised look. "Yes, possibly. But considering what happened the past few days—your break-up and what you attempted to do to her—she won't even think of inviting you in. She'd rather tell you to go to hell."
"But why did she send me a text message earlier? She said she wanted to talk about what happened?"
"That's a trick used by the culprit to make us think that Jessica was still alive by the time she sent you that message, around 4:35. That's right, the culprit is none other than the person who went to Jessica's room between 4:24 and 4:40—her best friend Richmond Morales."
Everyone looked at the man wearing glasses. He swallowed hard as his eyes widened and he repeatedly shook his head. "No... You're wrong! That's not true!"
"Among the three, you are the only one who's in good terms with Jessica," Loki explained while grinning at the culprit. "As what you said earlier, you are her close friend and your relationship didn't turn sour even after you confessed your feelings. I have no doubt that she would open the door for you, let you in and offer you a glass of water."How convenient for the killer!" Loki commented. "But unfortunately, I already have an idea of who he might be."
The three suspects' eyes widened.
"He is among the three of you, just to reiterate the obvious," he said, pointing to the three men one by one. "At the moment, we don't have any evidence to pin on you yet. But give me a few minutes and I will expose what you did. In the meantime, inspector, why don't you escort them to the lobby while waiting?"
When the three of them started walking along with some police officers, I heard a scratching noise coming from the floor. There must be something on their shoes that's causing that sound whenever the sole makes contact with the tiled floor.
Wait a minute. If the shoes of one of the three suspects are making that scratching sound, is it possible that...
"So you heard it too, huh?" Loki gave me a side-glance. "If our hunch is correct, that's what we can use as evidence against the culprit."
"How can you be sure we're thinking the same thing? I don't even know which of the three is the culprit," I replied. "Do you mind telling me who he is?"
"I'm going to ask the question again: Who among the three would Jessica most likely let inside her room and offer a glass of water?" As usual, he didn't want to share the answer with me. He wanted to make my head ache first. "There's only one thing that bothers me. Jessica did something out of place, something that she shouldn't have done. Unless, of course, it wasn't Jessica who did that thing."
Shortly after, we followed them downstairs. We found the three suspects sitting in the lobby. Christopher was bowing his head, hands clasped as if praying. Richmond's legs were shaking and he seemed restless. Meanwhile, David still had no reaction and was staring into the distance.
Inspector Estrada approached us and whispered, "Well, did you find any evidence?"
"We don't have any evidence against the culprit," Loki answered, causing the inspector to close his eyes. "Don't be disappointed, inspector. I said we don't have it because the culprit's still in possession of it."
"R-Really?"
"Shall we draw the curtain of mystery and put an end to this murder case?"
Loki stood in front of the three suspects and placed his hands behind his back. "Sorry for waiting. Now is the moment of truth."Don't beat around the bush anymore! Tell me who killed Jessica!" Christopher shouted. "I'll make sure that guy doesn't leave this building alive!"
Loki just ignored him and continued with his deduction show. "Before I reveal who the culprit is, I want you to think about this question: Who among you three would Jessica most likely let inside her room and offer a glass of water?"
The three looked at each other, their facial expressions a mix of confusion.
"If we use what we said earlier as a basis, Jessica didn't open the door when we knocked," Richmond replied.
"One of you lied earlier," Loki countered. "One of you stood in front of Jessica's room and knocked on her door. Then she let that person in, unaware of what that person is capable of doing. Who among the three of you was it?"
None of them answered. I noticed Christopher and Richmond's brows furrowing, while David had no reaction.
"Could it be David Florencio, the suspicious stalker who's been following her?" Loki said while pointing at the suspect. "No. Jessica may be aware of your presence but she doesn't know anything about you. So will she open the door to a stranger, let you in and offer you a glass of water? No."
David seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, as if a thorn had been removed from his throat.
"Maybe it's Christopher Bautista, the ex-boyfriend?" he next pointed to the man who shot him a surprised look. "Yes, possibly. But considering what happened the past few days—your break-up and what you attempted to do to her—she won't even think of inviting you in. She'd rather tell you to go to hell."
"But why did she send me a text message earlier? She said she wanted to talk about what happened?"
"That's a trick used by the culprit to make us think that Jessica was still alive by the time she sent you that message, around 4:35. That's right, the culprit is none other than the person who went to Jessica's room between 4:24 and 4:40—her best friend Richmond Morales."
Everyone looked at the man wearing glasses. He swallowed hard as his eyes widened and he repeatedly shook his head. "No... You're wrong! That's not true!"
"Among the three, you are the only one who's in good terms with Jessica," Loki explained while grinning at the culprit. "As what you said earlier, you are her close friend and your relationship didn't turn sour even after you confessed your feelings. I have no doubt that she would open the door for you, let you in and offer you a glass of water."If your accusation is true, why would I kill her?" Richmond retorted. "I wouldn't just stab her for no reason!"
"What if you saw their breakup with Christopher as an opportunity?" I couldn't help but interject. It was only a mere conjecture but at this point, it's all that I can think of. "You probably thought you could step in as Jessica's boyfriend. But even though they broke up, she couldn't reciprocate your feelings because she didn't feel anything for you. It's possible your vision went dark, you grabbed a knife, and repeatedly stabbed her."
"You bastard!" Richmond was about to punch me in the face when he was quickly restrained by the police. "I'll make sure to wreck your face, ha! Do you hear me?!"
Richmond closed his eyes, as if trying to calm himself. When he opened them again, he was accompanied by a smirk. "That's a good idea for a mystery novel. Sure, for the sake of discussion, let's say I did that. Where is your evidence?"
"It's on you," was Loki's quick reply.
"Hmm?" Richmond raised his left eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"Take off your shoes and show the soles to everyone in this lobby."
"That's ridiculous!" Richmond was smiling as he removed his black shoes. "How does taking off my shoes prove that I'm the culprit?"
When he showed us the soles of his shoes, we saw a small shard of glass stuck there, just like the ones in Jessica's room upstairs.
"After you killed Jessica, you accidentally stepped on the shards of glasses near the table," Loki grabbed the right shoe from the culprit and showed the shard to the inspector. "You were probably in such a hurry that you didn't notice it stuck to the bottom of your shoes. We didn't let any of you into the crime scene earlier, so how did this glass get here? Eliminate all the other possibilities, and the one which remains is the truth."
"Wait, Loki," Inspector Estrada cut in. "If he was the one who killed Jessica, there should be bloodstains on his clothes, right? Why was there nothing unusual when he came out of the hostel? Surely the guard would have noticed a strange stain on his clothes."
"He changed his clothes," Loki answered. "He said earlier that he came from the gym so I'm sure he had a bag containing extra clothes. If the glass on his shoes isn't enough to prove he is the culprit, I suggest that you review the CCTV footage in the lobby the time he went in and went out. I'm certain that you will notice the change in his clothes. You can also run a luminol test on his shoes to see if there are blood splatters there."
Now that he's cornered with Loki's piercing deductions, Richmond had no other choice but to confess to the murder. He confirmed that my mentioned motive for why he killed Jessica was correct.Somehow, he felt guilty about what he had done. He thought of turning himself over to the police the moment he realized what he had done. But he was worried that his family would be caught in a scandal, so he chose not to admit the crime.
"You've solved another case!" Inspector Estrada tapped Loki on the shoulder. "I can really count on you guys from the Q.E.D. Club."
"By the way, inspector, is there any update regarding the missing chemicals in the Chemistry Lab?" Loki asked, his face becoming serious.
"According to the property custodian, several bottles of sodium hydroxide are missing," the inspector said. "What we don't understand is why a student would be interested in something used as a drain cleaner."
"Sodium hydroxide..." Loki whispered, his eyes narrowing slightly as he rubbed his chin. "What does M plan to do with that chemical compound? Does he plan to clean the drains of his house?"
"We'll let you know once we learn more information. For now, we need to get Richmond's confession at the station."
Inspector Estrada said his goodbyes before leaving White Hostel along with the other police officers.
I took out my phone to check the time. It's already six in the evening. My dad hasn't called yet, nor has he sent a text message. Why should I be surprised? He probably left the apartment right away when I didn't answer his call earlier. He has little patience for waiting.
"Shall we go now? It's getting dark," Loki said, looking toward the glass entrance where the exit of the hostel could be seen.
"Wait, I have to say goodbye to my classmate first." Oh right, I left my bag in Rosetta's room. I hadn't even told her that I was going to help solve the murder that happened in a room near hers.
"Oh right, you said you'd just look outside."
I looked back and saw Rosetta carrying my bag. She had just stepped out of the elevator.
"Ro-Rosetta, you're there," I said, stuttering. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to say goodbye."
"You also didn't tell me that you're a member of the Q.E.D. Club," she said with a smile as she handed over my things. "That's why you didn't want to join the Paranormal Club."
Loki shot a curious glance from me to my classmate. "Who's this girl?"
She's my classmate, Rosetta Rodriguez. I was in her room earlier, doing a Chemistry assignment, when you called me."
"Hi!" Rosetta waved at him. "I've heard a lot about your club. By the way, if you need photos for documentation, I have some here on my phone."
"Photos?"
"I secretly took photos of you while you were in the hallway talking to the suspect," Rosetta said, showing her phone. "I'm planning to submit these to CHS Confessions so they can find out about your club."
"Wait, don't do that!" I don't know why, but I didn't want anyone to see the two of us, Loki and me, in a photo.
"It's fine with me." And here I thought he would be against it! "The CHS Confessions Facebook page has a lot of followers. If they see us in action, customers might start pouring in. I would consider it a favor if you do exactly what you just said."
I tried to protest but it seemed it would just be ignored, so I chose to keep quiet in the corner. I couldn't do anything but let out a deep sigh.
It was half-past six when we arrived at our apartment. For the second time, Loki and I went home together. Before entering the gate, I first checked if there was a black car parked outside. I didn't see anything, so my dad must have already left.
When we entered Room 302, Tita Martha greeted us as she was setting the food on the table. The food in the plates and bowls looked like it came from an expensive restaurant. No doubt, my dad brought those earlier.
"Lorelei, your dad was waiting for you earlier," Tita greeted me sadly. Loki sat on the couch. "I told him to wait because you were still doing something at school. But, he said he had to go back to Manila tonight."
I'm not surprised anymore. It would be a miracle if he actually waited for me to arrive.
"You and Loki go ahead and eat, your dad brought that earlier," Tita Martha said, heading toward the door. But before she finally left, she looked back at me. "Oh, by the way, your dad left something in your room."
"I hope it's not a bomb," I muttered before turning the doorknob of my room. When I entered, I was greeted by a large teddy bear sitting on my bed, staring in my direction as if it had been waiting for my returnIt was the teddy bear that my mother bought when I was a child. I used to always have it with me when I slept back then.
I approached it and touched its soft arms with my trembling hands. I could feel my eyes welling up with tears as I looked at the eyes of the old bear. Is this why he brought this stuffed toy here? To emotionally torture me?
I mustered all of my strength as I lifted the teddy bear and threw it out of my room. I'm not a child anymore, dad!
"Ouch!" I heard Loki groan. It looked like he was hit. "Where the hell did this bear come from?"
"Sorry!" I shouted from my room. "If you want it, you can have it."
"Do you know that many children in this world want to have a teddy bear as cute as this one?" Loki's voice grew slightly louder, coming from the living room. "And here you are, throwing it out as if it's trash. Your dad surely had a hard time bringing a bear this big."
"Are you sympathizing with my dad?"
"No, I'm sympathizing with the innocent teddy bear."
Somehow, I felt a sense of guilt after throwing the toy that had been with me since I was young. I stepped out of my room to retrieve it. I saw Loki playing with its hands. "Okay, now give it to me."
He suddenly hugged it tightly, his arms wrapped around the bear's soft body. "You said moments ago that I can have it. No take-backs."
"Tss..." I turned around and went back into my room. I couldn't tell if he was just messing with me or if he really wanted to have that bear.
Or maybe, he didn't have one when he was a child.
A/N: I'd like to take this little space to thank the readers of Project LOKI! Thank you very much to those who voted and commented! I'm always moved by your gesture of appreciation for my work. :)
As usual, I would like to hear your thoughts about this long update (took me hours to finish it!).
And now, for the next chapter...
"Did he materialize out of thin air, emerge from a pentagram or walk through the walls?"
"It's such an honor to meet you, Miss Lorelei. I'm Loki's brother."
You can continue reading the rest of Project Loki.