The new semester opens with a bang that shocks the four Houses of QED University, an exclusive school for promising students of the science of deduction and art of detection.
The Holmesian Harriet Harrison never thought that the day would come when...
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HARRIET
IT WAS such a shame that we did not get to extract any information from the late assassin. We could not complete the puzzle as one or two pieces were missing. We were clueless as to why our university chancellor was targeted.
But one thing's for sure: Whoever silenced the suspect was within the walls of the academy at that time. And the scary part? He might be someone whom we have seen at the corridors or in the hall.
"Hey, ang lalim yata ng iniisip mo?"
My wandering thoughts snapped back to reality when Sherry touched my shoulder. Sabay-sabay kaming naglalakad patungo sa Baker Building kasama ang ibang Holmesian.
Days have passed since the foiled assassination. Right after the almost tragic night, everyone was afraid of going out especially during the night. Kumalat kasi ang balitang may killer na pagala-gala sa campus. At kagaya nga ng sabi ng matatanda, kapag pinagpasa-pasahan ang balita, kundi nababawasan, minsa'y nadaragdagan.
Humupa rin ang takot ng mga estudyante kinabukasan. Wala rin kasing nabalitaang sunod na nabiktima ang tinaguriang killer. Dahil may kaunting background kami sa mga kagrupo ng pinaslang na assassin, I doubted that the accomplice would target innocent students.
Everything's back to status quo, but the mystery of that fateful night lingered in me.
"Iniisip mo pa rin ba ang nangyari sa soiree?" Sherry asked, looking slightly worried. Kahit siya ang pinaka-close na Holmesian sa akin, ni minsan hindi ko naikwento sa kanya ang close encounter ko sa mga vigilante. Kapag nagtatanong siya at ang mga Housemate namin, I always told them what the authorities have already told them. Let me bear the burden alone.
I nodded. "Alam n'yo namang kapag may unsolved mystery, hindi basta-basta mawala sa isipan ko."
Hindi nga ako kaagad nakatulog ng ilang araw. Pilit ko kasing inaalam kung sino ang posibleng nagpatahimik sa assassin. Could it be one of the catering service personnel? Possible. But if we followed that theory, paano siya nakapag-prepare ng disguise bilang nurse?
Could it be one of the people inside the university? Possible. But if they were already inside, why would there be a need for an assassin from the outside? They could have carried out the assassination lalo na't nasa loob na mismo sila.
Between the two possibilities, the second one made me more worried. I heard stories about sleeper agents who infiltrate a group and wait until they are activated. Baka napasobra lang ako sa nababasa kong spy stories, but that possibility was something that we couldn't just shrug off.
The more I think about it, lalong sumasakit ang ulo ko! Curiosity is not bad, as long as you can contain it. At heto ang napapala ng mga taong curious na kagaya ko.
"Better if you leave it to the authorities," Locke suggested, his tone was bored. "You and your friends from the other Houses stick your noses to where you shouldn't. You are lucky that you haven't been killed yet by getting yourselves involved."
