✔ 01 | Crime Of Passion [Published Under PSICOM]

Capitulum 47

T H U R S D A Y

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February 28, 2018
DEATH's headquarters, Eastwood
10:00 a.m.

"Alam mo, Yuki, ganito lang 'yan. Nag-aalala lang ang uncle mo sa'yo---" sabay kain ni Dan ng mansanas, "---kasi hindi mo siya kinakausap mula nang bumalik siya---" isa pang kagat, "---sa opisina! That's crazy, dude. Uncle mo 'yon. Ano bang nangyayari sa'yo at bakit parang mas matampuhin ka pa kaysa sa babaeng may dalaw?" Dan finished before taking another bite out of the apple again. Yakap-yakap pa nito ang basket ng prutas.

Nico distainfully eyed the basket. 'Uncle X is stupid to think I'll talk to him just because he sent this stupid fruit basket!' Huminga nang malalim si Nico, "Dan, try minding your own business, would you? Can't you see I'm in the middle of solving the Heartless Killer mystery?"

The geek just laughed. "Ayaw mo lang pag-usapan ang problema niyo ng uncle mo. Para namang 'di kita kilala, Yuki."

Lalong napasimangot si Nico.

Matapos ang insidente kagabi, hindi halos nakatulog si Nico sa kakaisip ng mga posibilidad. All along, Cassio was leading them off the trail. 'Pero bakit naman siya nagpapakilala sa'min ngayon? Damn Sherlock, this is giving me a migraine!' He kept repeating Cassio Salvador's information inside his head like a mantra. Pero kahit anong gawin ni Nico, wala siyang makitang clue sa mga ito.

Dumagdag pa sa sakit ng ulo niya ang pagbabalik-opisina ng CEO ng DEATH, si Xavier Alcantara. Kaninang umaga niya lang nalaman, pero wala siyang panahon para usisain pa ang mga detalye. Hindi niya pa ito kinakausap kahit pa pinapatawag siya nito sa kanyang opisina. Nang hindi sumipot si Nico, bigla na lang dumating si Dan na may dala-dalang basket ng prutas. Pinapabigay daw ng Uncle X niya. Does he really think Nico would just forgive him that easily?

Napapailing na lang si Nico. 'Sana kape na lang ang ginawa niyang peace offering! Tsk.'

"If you're not gonna stop bugging me, at least don't talk about him, Dan. I've got enough problems to sort out." Walang-lingong sabi ni Nico habang nagbabasa ng mga medical files ni Cassio Salvador. Naroon rin ang findings sa kanya ng mga psychiatrists sa Eastwood Asylum.

Dan sighed, "Mukhang naiistress ka na naman diyan sa kaso niyo? Oh, I know! Why don't you tell me about your partner? Hindi mo pa siya naku-kwento sa'kin, Yuki!"

Lalo yatang sumama ang timpla ni Nico, "Why are you so interested in my partner all of a sudden? Tsk."

Ngumiti si Dan at maayos na ipinatong ang basket sa harapan ng kausap, "I'm just curious, Yuki. Halos hindi nagpapakita sa publiko ang second best detective! Rumor has it, Detective Brian Carlos of SHADOW is an old hag who is an expert in sorcery!"

Nico suddenly stopped typing on his laptop and stared at Dan. 'Sorcery?' Ngumiti ang binatang detective, "Nah. I can say my partner's a witch who's obsessed with make-up."

Kumunot ang noo ni Dan, "Err.. Make-up?! What are you---?"

"I am as obsessed with make-up as much as you are obsessed with crime, Detective Yukishito."

Napalingon sina Nico at Dan sa may pintuan. There, a pink-haired woman leaned on the door frame, smirking at them. Hinawi ni Detective Briannova Carlos ang kanyang buhok at pumasok sa loob ng opisina. The sound of her high-heeled boots echoed throughout Nico's office. Nang madaanan niya ang nakangangang si Dan, Nova grabbed a banana from the fruit basket and smiled angelically at them.

"Mukhang kanina niyo pa ako pinag-uusapan, Nico."

Nico looked bored, "You're late."

"I missed you too," she teased and sat down.

Kamuntikan namang malaglag ang panga ni Dan sa sahig. Palipat-lipat ang kanyang tingin sa dalawang detectives. "B-B-Babae si Detective Brian?!"

The female detective nodded. "What do you expect? Oh, and I'd appreciate it if you would leave us for a while. May 'private' matters lang kaming aasikasuhin ng kaibigan mo." She took a bite out of the banana and seductively glanced at Nico (who only ignored her).

Namula si Dan sa sinabi ni Nova at mabilis na tumayo. "O-Oo naman! Um. Sige. G-Good luck sa inyo!" At kumaripas siya paalis ng office, naiwan ang fruit basket sa lamesa ni Nico.

Makalipas ng ilang minuto, humagalpak ng tawa si Nova.

Napabuntong-hininga naman si Nico at binalingan ang kasama, "You only did that to make him feel uncomfortable, didn't you?"

"Maybe, maybe not," at kumindat ang dalaga sa kanya. Ibinaba nito ang kinakaing saging at napatingin sa kamay ni Nico. "Does that still hurt?"

"Don't worry. I've had worse."

Nova frowned. Maya-maya pa, sumeryoso ang kanyang ekspresyon at ipinatong sa harapan ni Nico ang dala niyang folder. "Inimbestigahan ko ang kaso ni Covaline Perez. I interviewed her ex-boyfriend, James. Turns out, Covaline was pregnant. Noong nalaman ito ng live-in partner niya, agad siyang pinag-resign nito sa trabaho niya noong December. Everything went well for Covaline and James until..."

"Until?"

"...he found out that the baby wasn't his."

Nanahimik si Nico at ipinagpatuloy ang pagbabasa ng ilang dokumento. Nagpatuloy sa pagsasalita si Nova, tila ba nababagabag sa nalaman, "Isang araw, inamin ito sa kanya ni Covaline. Sa galit ni James, naging abusive na ang relasyon nila. He beated her, almost to death. Hindi nagsumbong sa mga awtoridad si Covaline dahil natatakot siya kay James. Then, she had miscarriage." Huminga nang malalim si Nova, "Nang malaglag ang fetus, naging depressed si Covaline. Kasabay noon, iniwan siya ni James. Miranda said her cousin had been drinking anti-depressant pills for a few weeks before she died."

'Amitriptyline. Ang parehong kemikal na nakuha namin sa katawan ni Mrs. Bonnie Javie.' Isip-isip ni Nico. Then, he spoke, "Sa kaso naman ni Mrs. Javier, matagal nang alam ng asawa niya na may kalaguyo ang misis niya. He didn't give a damn since they only had an arranged marriage. Kinailangan lang niyang pakasalan si Mrs. Javier para sa kompanya nila, so her affairs is the least of his concerns."

Nova rolled her eyes. "That much is obvious. Kay Thami Esteban?"

Sumandal sa upuan si Nico at ipinikit ang mga mata, "Pinuntahan ko kanina ang gym kung saan madalas bumibisita si Thami. I had to blackmail her gym instructor to get a confession out of him. Matagal-tagal na rin silang may relasyon ni Thami kahit pa may boyfriend ang dalaga. A few of her friends noted that she was a playgirl, sleeping with other men on a weekly basis."

Inayos ni Nova ang ilang nagkalat na papeles sa mesa ni Nico, "That confirms it. May pattern nga ang mga biktima ni Cassio. He kills women who commit infidelity. Magagamit natin 'to para malaman kung sino ang susunod niyang biktima."

Kinuha ni Nico ang papel na inayos ni Nova at ginawang paper airplanes. Nova raised an eyebrow at his childish behavior, but said nothing.

"Yes and no."

"Huh?"

Isang pilyong ngiti ang sumilay sa mga labi ni Nico habang pinapanood niyang lumipad ang mga eroplanong gawa sa papel, "Oo, alam na natin kung ano ang pattern niya sa pagpatay. But I don't think he chose his victims randomly. Ayon sa nakalap nating impormasyon, mukhang matagal-tagal nang binabantayan ni Cassio Salvador ang mga babaeng 'to. And I still think he's the kind of smart-ass to have reasons for everything. He chose those women, specifically. The Heartless Killer is a psychopath like that."

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