Translator's Note: Uh, welcome back to me! How are you all? Sorry for disappearing all of the sudden. I hope everyone's doing great!
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AUTHOR'S NOTE : This is the updated 2022 version of Chapter 08. If you are re-reading this part, you may observe some changes from the previous version.
CONTENT AND TRIGGER WARNING : This chapter contains depictions of death and gore that may be upsetting for some readers. Please be mindful of these sensitive themes and other possible triggers. Remember to practice self-care before, during and after reading.
LORELEI
I WOKE up early this Monday, not because of my alarm, but because of the loud and irritating sound of a vacuum cleaner. I still wanted to go back to sleep, but I couldn't fight the noise. I got out of bed and stepped outside my room to see who was cleaning the carpet in the living room.
I thought Loki might already be awake at this early hour and had decided to do some household chores. But that seemed unlikely. He couldn't even sweep or mop the floor, so vacuuming was even more impossible.
I was surprised to see Tita Martha holding the black hose of the vacuum cleaner while seemingly dancing to a certain tune. The annoyance on my face instantly disappeared.
"Good morning, Lori!" she greeted me with a smile while continuing her cleaning. "Did you sleep well last night?"
I rubbed the sleep from my eyes. "You seem to be cleaning quite early, Tita. Are we expecting visitors later, or did you just decide to turn vacuuming into exercise?"
I found myself wondering if I had asked her to vacuum the carpet, but I couldn't remember doing so. Even though she's my relative, I don't like ordering her around. She already let me stay in her apartment, and I'd still make her do chores? No way. Could it be Loki? Impossible. He wouldn't think of having the living room cleaned. He probably doesn't even care about cleanliness.
She paused and looked at me with a furrowed brow. "Didn't I tell you last week? Your father is coming here today! It would be embarrassing for Walter if the unit his only daughter is staying in is messy."
"Huh? Really?" I yawned. So our visitor was just my dad—Wait! Dad?! My eyes widened in surprise. I suddenly felt fully awake as my brain processed what she said. "W-What did you say? Dad is coming here? Like, today?"
"Oh dear! You're becoming forgetful!" Tita said, shaking her head. She resumed cleaning and swaying to the music. "He might drop by this afternoon, so come home early, okay? I'll cook something delicious for your after class snack."
Oh right. Last week, Tita mentioned that Dad had a meeting here in Pampanga. He was planning to hit two birds with one stone while he was here. As usual, I wasn't his priority.
I headed straight to the bathroom to wash my face. I let the water run from the faucet while staring at my reflection in the mirror. Was my dad really serious about visiting me here? Maybe he only said that to make it seem like he was actually parenting me. If it were up to me, I didn't want to see him yet. It hadn't even been that long since we last met.
Because of the breaking news Tita delivered, I ended up skipping breakfast. I lost my appetite, and my mood for the day was already affected. I went into the bathroom to shower and change clothes. I was so preoccupied that I accidentally wore mismatched socks. Annoying. After fixing my appearance, I left the apartment.
All morning, I couldn't get the news that Dad was coming later out of my head. I couldn't concentrate. I tried to focus on our class discussions, but every now and then the thought would slip in—seeing him sitting on the couch, legs crossed, sipping his favorite chamomile tea.
This wasn't good. I needed to distract myself. Academics weren't an effective distraction. Maybe extracurricular activities would help.
"You look troubled," Loki commented while reading the latest issue of Clark Clarion, the official student publication of Clark High. He lowered the newspaper to glance at me. "Something's bothering you."
I paused from answering my assignment. Our eyes met. "How could you tell? Is it obvious on my face?"
"Since you came in here, you've sighed six times already." He folded the newspaper in his hands. "You've never done that during your previous visits. I can tell you're trying to fight off whatever's troubling you, but it's still lingering in your mind."
Now, for the seventh time, I let out a long sigh. "This is none of your business, and you probably don't care at all, but my dad is coming to the apartment to visit me."
"Now that explains why the landlady is cleaning even before the roosters crow," he said, opening the newspaper again and turning the page. "For most people, parents visiting their children is good news. But judging by your repeated sighs and lack of enthusiasm about his arrival, it doesn't seem that way for you. Do you have issues with your father?"
I looked away, just like I avoided answering his question.
"Don't worry, I know the feeling of despising someone," he said after a few seconds of silence. "Sometimes, you wish you'd never cross paths with them again. Sometimes, you wish you could cut them out of your life. That's how strongly I feel about my brother."
"Just to be clear, I don't despise my dad. Despise is a strong word," I corrected him. "I don't hate him either. I just don't want to see him right now."
"Don't let him live rent-free in your head. You must evict him." He tossed the newspaper onto the bookshelf before looking back at me. "The more you think about him, the more bothered you become. The solution? Stop thinking about your dad. I bet you couldn't even focus on your classes because of the news."
"I wish it were that easy. I wish, in an instant, we could stop thinking about a person or a thing. But we can't."
"That's the problem with you people." There he goes again. When Loki speaks, it's like we're not even the same species. "You worry so much about the inevitable. If your dad's coming here, there's nothing you can do about it. You must accept what you cannot change and adjust accordingly."
And just like that, he was back to being the usual Loki. Last week, after going through those painful memories, he showed me that he could be genuine with his words and actions. I thought that side of him would be what I'd see every day. But after the weekend, he reverted to the Loki I met on my first day here in Pampanga.
"If meeting him is so troubling for you, why don't you do the opposite?" he asked. "Don't show up where you two are supposed to meet. Tell him you're too busy with schoolwork. Problem solved."
"And what am I supposed to do? Stay here in the clubroom after class until I'm sure he's gone from the apartment?"
"If you're lucky, someone will come in here, pick our brains, and keep us busy for a couple of hours." He glanced at the closed door, and I followed his gaze. "Then you'd have a legit excuse not to meet him."
Most people would suggest I meet my dad, especially since we hadn't seen each other in weeks. But Loki had a dissenting opinion. He was even indulging me in finding a way to avoid the scheduled meeting. I have to admit, this was one of the rare occasions I appreciated his unpopular takes.
I waited from lunchtime until afternoon, but not a single client showed up in the clubroom. Looks like I'd have to put more effort into writing the blog to attract attention. At first, I thought clients would start pouring in once Madonna referred her boring problem to us.
Wait, did I just say boring? I think I'm picking up Loki's way of speaking.
And since there wasn't a case to serve as a distraction, I looked for another way to avoid going straight back to the apartment. Thankfully, I had a friend I could rely on at times like this. Take note: I'm not talking about Loki.
"Really? You want to stay at my dorm for a while?" Rosetta asked in surprise as she adjusted her things inside her handbag.
"If possible? I, uh… forgot my apartment keys," I lied. I actually had the keys in my bag. "My roommate won't be home until later tonight, so I have nowhere else to go."
"Sure, I don't mind!" She seemed genuinely happy about my request. I could always count on Rosetta in situations like this. Accepting her offer of friendship during my first week at school was definitely the right decision.
"My roommate's coming home late too, so there's no problem if you stay here for a while. Plus, I can help you with our General Mathematics assignment."
Problem solved! All that's left now is to wait for Dad to leave the apartment. If we had a normal father-daughter relationship, I wouldn't let the chance to see him pass. But our situation is… complicated. And I was just returning the favor. There were countless times back then when he said we'd meet, but he didn't show up. He always claimed he had an emergency meeting.
Rosetta's dormitory is located on campus itself. From the high school building, it's just a short walk of a few meters to get there. They call it the "White Hostel" because of its hotel-like ambiance and the white paint on the exterior. It has five floors and even an elevator. Most of the tenants there are wealthy, or they live far away from campus.
As we pushed open the glass door and stepped inside, the guard at the reception desk immediately greeted us. "Good afternoon, Miss Rodriguez! Who's this with you?"
"She's my classmate," Rosetta replied, placing her hands on the desk. She smiled at the guard as if they were really close. "We're working on an assignment. I don't think it's a problem if she stays in my unit for a while, right?"
"No problem at all, ma'am!" The guard grabbed something from behind the desk—a blue logbook—and opened it in front of me. "Ma'am, please just write your name and contact details here."
I borrowed the pen from his desk and wrote my name, my phone number, and the person I was visiting in the logbook. When I finished, the guard smiled at me and cheerfully said, "Welcome to the White Hostel, ma'am!"
"Thank you," I replied with a smile.
Rosetta and I headed straight to the elevator. She pressed number four. A few other students got in with us, and it turned out they knew each other, so a small chat started. I felt a little out of place for a moment.
When the elevator reached the fourth floor, Rosetta stepped out first, and I followed her. We walked down the hallway until we stopped in front of Room 402. She inserted the key into the doorknob, pushed the door open, and let me go in first.
Compared to our apartment, Rosetta's unit was much smaller. Clothes, underwear, towels, and other things were scattered across the bunk bed. There was a small foldable table on the side where the two tenants ate. The kitchen was at the front, while the bathroom was at the back.
"Shall we get started?" Rosetta asked, pulling out her General Mathematics notebook.
MORE THAN an hour had passed since we started working on the assignment. Our heads were almost aching from going through all the items. Rosetta even joked about dropping the subject because it was so hard. But that wasn't an option. We had no choice but to endure it until the end of the academic year.
I stretched my arms before checking the time on my phone. It was already past five o'clock in the afternoon.
"What time will he leave, I wonder?" I whispered. I still hadn't received a single call or text from Tita Martha or Dad. If they wanted to know where I was, they would surely contact me.
While the phone was in my hand, it suddenly vibrated. An unregistered number was calling me. I felt a little nervous. Either my dad had changed his number, or it was someone else.
"Hello?" I said, pressing the answer key.
"Are you home, Lorelei?" I heard Loki's voice. I let out a small, relieved breath. "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 while answering. "I'm staying at my classmate's dorm for now, at the White Hostel. I'll probably get home by six. If you get there before me, let me know if my dad is still around."
"Oh, what a coincidence. I'm on my way there."
"Heading to the White Hostel? Are you following me?"
"No, no. Why would I even do that? Chief Estrada texted me a few minutes ago. Something happened in Room 404 of the White Hostel. He wants my—or should I say—our help. If you've got nothing else to do there, you can join me. See you."
"Hey, I'm still—"
He didn't wait for me to answer. He just ended the call abruptly.
Wait, I'm in Room 402 on the fourth floor. If that's the case, something must have happened in the unit nearby. I had to take a look.
"Where are you going, Lori?" Rosetta asked as I stood up and headed for the door. "Are you going home already?"
"I need to check something outside," I replied before opening the door and stepping out of her room. A few campus police officers were cordoning off a room not far from us. A female student was sobbing and crying, trying to be calmed down by a young-looking officer.
"Lorelei?"
I turned around toward the voice that called my name. I immediately recognized the officer approaching me because of his thick mustache.
"You got here fast! Where's Loki? He said he was just leaving the clubroom."
"I just happened to be here," I replied, embarrassed. "I was doing an assignment with my classmate."
"I see," the inspector paused in front of me. "Or maybe misfortune is following you? It seems like wherever you go, something bad happens. At first, it was the chemistry lab. Now, here at the White Hostel."
I couldn't help but wonder why I kept getting involved in these things. Ever since I met Loki, mysterious stuff seemed to start happening around me.
"I was thinking the same thing—"
"Just kidding!" the inspector said, laughing. "Sorry if my kids were a bit of a bother. Seems like these kinds of cases are happening more often again."
He excused himself and headed toward Room 404. I hoped it really was a joke about bringing bad luck. It would be so unfortunate if there was a case wherever I went.
"So, what do we have here?" Loki suddenly appeared behind me. My shoulders jumped, and I instinctively pressed a hand to my chest. Why does he always sneak up on me like that?
"How convenient for you to be just a few doors away from the crime scene. You didn't have to walk as far as I did."
"Being near the crime scene is far from convenient," I replied, glaring at him. "I probably should have spent my time somewhere else. Or maybe I should've gone home and endured the meeting with Dad."
"This is no time to dwell on what-ifs." He focused on the police line outside the unit. "Since you're here, you might as well help me figure out the truth about the case."
"But I'm not here to—"
"Whatever trivial task you're doing can wait. Remember that you're now a member of the QED Club. We must assist the campus police in finding justice for the victims."
Answering the assignment wasn't trivial. If I didn't finish it—or if I got a low score—it could affect my grade in the subject. And that would have an impact on my academic standing.
Loki walked toward Room 404. He lifted the cordon and ducked under to get through. He glanced back at me and gestured for me to follow. I sighed before stepping after him.
"According to the inspector, this is a murder investigation," he explained, peering into the unit from the hallway. "A female student was found dead here not more than fifteen minutes ago."
My eyes closed for a brief moment. This crime scene looked even bloodier than the chemistry lab. I needed to prepare myself.
He first approached the girl who had been crying earlier. According to the officer with her, she was the first to discover the body and had reported it to the police. I thought he was going to console the grieving girl, but I was wrong.
"You know," Loki began, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder, "more often than not, the person who first discovers the body is the culprit."
The girl's eyes went wide, and her sobbing grew louder. She shook her head repeatedly. Why would he say something like that to someone in grief?
"B-Believe me! I-I couldn't kill my dormmate! I just got home and found her… lifeless," she stammered.
"Do you have any idea who could have done this to her?" I asked gently. We'd have a harder time interviewing her if Loki kept making her cry.
She nodded repeatedly. "Yes! Last night, she was writing on her blog about her ex-boyfriend. Janine broke up with him because she wanted to focus on her studies. But her ex didn't like it, so he grabbed her and forced a kiss while she was on campus yesterday!"
Loki sighed and looked away.
We left the girl behind and stepped into the unit. I immediately noticed shards of glass scattered on the floor, probably from a broken glass. One glass, still containing water, remained on the table.
I shifted my gaze. Against the wall lay the bloodied body of a woman. She had been stabbed repeatedly, judging by the number of holes in her uniform. Her eyes were partially open, her head tilted down, and her mouth gaping.
My instinct told me to turn around and try not to stare at the bloody scene, and I did. I glanced at my companion. Loki quickly averted his gaze from the corpse. That was strange. He hadn't reacted that way when he saw the bloodied male body in the chemistry lab the other day. I heard him mutter, "I really hate seeing that pose."
"The victim's name is Janine Montemayor." Inspector Estrada handed us disposable gloves, which we both put on. "Her body is still warm, and rigor mortis hasn't set in yet. We estimate she was killed less than an hour ago. We also checked for fingerprints on the murder weapon, but found nothing. Any ideas?"
Loki raised his index finger. "The girl outside who found the body didn't kill the unfortunate victim. If she had, there would be blood splatters on her school uniform. I seriously doubt she could change out of bloodstained clothes and dispose of them in such a short time."
"So it's possible the girl was right—that her ex-boyfriend is behind this?" I asked.
"Possible." He leaned over the table and examined the glass shards. "Judging by the multiple stab wounds the victim sustained, the killer must have held a deep grudge against her. A broken heart can be a vicious motive for murder."
"I requested a copy of the logbook held by the guard on duty this afternoon." Inspector Estrada handed us a photocopy of a page. It contained a list of names, contact numbers, and the person-to-visit, along with time-in and time-out entries. My name was on it as well.
"If the crime happened between four and five o'clock, there are three names here that fit the time frame, and the person-to-visit is Janine."
"Have you already contacted them?"
"I've summoned them so we can find out if one of them is the culprit. They're on their way here."
Inspector Estrada left us for a moment, busy with other officers taking photos and checking fingerprints on the furniture. Loki, meanwhile, was fully absorbed in examining the glass of water and the shards under the table.
Curious, I bent down to see what he was looking at. Suddenly, I felt my phone vibrating continuously in my pocket. I took it out and checked the name or number calling.
Dad is calling…
I rolled my eyes and slid the phone back into my pocket. He's probably at the apartment now, most likely sipping his favorite chamomile tea. Papa isn't a patient man, so he'll probably leave soon anyway.
"Aren't you going to answer that call?" Loki dipped his finger into the glass of water. What is he even doing?
"It's better if he thinks I'm busy and couldn't answer," I replied while observing the shards of glass on the floor. "Besides, I should be focused on what we're doing right now."
"Then what can you say about this glass of water?" He stood up and pointed to the glass he had been preoccupied with.
I copied what he did earlier and dipped my finger into the water. It still felt cold even without ice and with the air conditioner turned off. Then I looked at the shards on the floor. It seemed like something had bumped into another glass, causing it to fall and shatter.
"Your thoughts?"
I checked the contents of the small refrigerator in the unit's kitchen. When I opened the freezer, I noticed an ice cube mold inside. Half of its squares were already empty.
"Janine must have put ice cubes into two glasses of water and placed them on the table. The ice she added has already melted, but the water is still cold. Then something bumped into one of the glasses, causing it to fall and shatter, which explains the broken shards here."
"That much is obvious. What else?"
"She offered a glass of water to someone—possibly the killer—before she was killed."
"Why would she offer a glass of water to a person who intended to kill her?"
His point made me pause. Why indeed?
"Tell me, would you let someone into your room and offer him a glass of water?" He held the glass up in front of my face, as if offering it for me to drink. "Would you also make the effort to put ice cubes in it?"
"No, not unless you know that some—" My eyes widened. "I get it! She knew the person who killed her!"
"We have little to no doubt about that angle." He placed the glass back on the table before looking outside the unit. "The question is, who among her three visitors would she most likely let into her room and offer a glass of water?"
The police had already placed Janine's body onto a stretcher and covered it with a black sheet. Soon after, three male students arrived, most likely the suspects in her murder. The officers didn't allow them to step onto the crime scene, so they remained in the hallway.
The first boy showed no trace of emotion on his face. If someone told him Janine was dead, he should at least feel shock or sadness. But I couldn't see even the slightest hint of that in his expression. Then again, maybe he was just good at hiding his emotions.
The next boy was sobbing as his tearful eyes peered inside the unit. His grief was obvious, his face nearly unrecognizable from crying. He removed his glasses for a moment and wiped his continuously streaming eyes.
The last boy almost passed out when he saw the blood on the wall and floor. He kept shaking his head, whispering, "Why? Why did this happen to her?" A few tears slipped from his swollen eyes.
"You shameless jerk!" The girl who had found Janine's body suddenly lunged at the boy who nearly fainted and tried to scratch his face. "I know you did this! Why did you kill Janine, huh? Answer me!"
Before she could injure him, the officers standing nearby quickly intervened and pulled them apart.
"Even if I die right now, Eunice, I didn't kill her!" the boy shouted. "How could I kill the person I love, huh?"
"By stabbing her multiple times," Loki muttered while looking elsewhere. I shot him a sharp glare to silence him. Things were already chaotic, did he really want to make it worse?
"Christopher Bautista, correct?" Chief Estrada asked the well-built boy. "According to the victim's roommate, Eunice, you had a motive to kill Janine. You kept forcing her to get back together with you even though she didn't want to anymore."
"Just because of that?" Christopher's brows furrowed deeply. "That's such a shallow reason! Just because she didn't want to get back with me, I'd kill her? If you want someone to suspect, ask Richmond, or that jerk over there!"
He first pointed at the boy with glasses, then at the expressionless one.
"Richmond Montero?" The chief glanced at the copy of the logbook to confirm the name mentioned. "Did he have any motive to kill Janine?"
"Janine and I have been close friends since elementary school," the boy addressed by the inspector explained. After wiping his glasses, he put them back on. He had also stopped sobbing. "Even if we had misunderstandings, we talked them out. I wouldn't resort to something brutal."
Christopher smirked. "Close friends, huh? Weren't you already hovering around her even when we were still together? You were just waiting for your chance! Janine told me last week that you confessed your feelings to her. But the feeling wasn't mutual, so you ended up rejected."
"Are you saying Richmond might have killed Janine because she didn't reciprocate his feelings?"
"Yes, I did confess to Janine last week!" Richmond confirmed, his voice slightly raised. "But she could only offer friendship. I was satisfied with that. I was actually happy that our friendship didn't become awkward after I confessed."
The inspector then turned to the boy who had shown no reaction earlier. "And how is David Florencio involved in this?"
"Janine told me that someone had been following her, from the moment she entered school until she returned here. A stalker, basically," Christopher explained, glancing repeatedly at the boy he was referring to. "Last week, I saw this guy tailing her. Not just once, but three times! It's possible he entered Janine's room and killed her because of his obsession with my girlfriend!"
David still didn't speak. He locked eyes with the person accusing him. This was the perfect opportunity for him to defend himself, so why was he letting it pass?
Loki let out a loud yawn and rubbed his bored eyes. "Can we now ask them why they visited the victim? I'm getting bored of this complicated romantic plot in the poor girl's murder."
"David logged in first at around 4:05," Inspector Estrada read from the copy of the logbook in his hand. "According to the guard's record, he logged out at 4:21. That's enough time to commit a quick crime."
At first, David hesitated to answer. Maybe he was hiding something. "Because… I went to Room 404 to finally introduce myself to Janine. Yes, I've been following her for a long time wherever she goes. I didn't want to keep hiding in the shadows anymore. I also didn't want to scare her, so I decided to come here earlier."
"Then when you knocked, she opened the door for you, asked you to come in, and offered you a glass of water. And that's when you stabbed her multiple times?" Loki's rapid-fire words almost sounded like a rap.
"No. I did knock, but she didn't open the door. I knew she was inside, but she clearly didn't want to acknowledge me. I waited a few minutes before deciding to leave."
Even I wouldn't open the door to a guy I didn't know who was constantly tailing me. Janine did the right thing by ignoring him.
"The next person to log in was Richmond at 4:24," the inspector said, lifting his gaze from the copy of the logbook to the boy with glasses. "The guard noted that you left at 4:40. What did you do during those sixteen minutes?"
"I came from the gym before heading to the hostel," Richmond began to explain. "Janine and I had an assignment to work on for our ICT subject. When I knocked, she didn't answer. I waited a few minutes, maybe she went out to buy something. After ten minutes, I left."
"And the last to log in was Christopher at 4:44," the inspector said, turning his gaze to the well-built boy. "According to the guard's record, you left at 4:59."
"Janine texted me around 4:35 in the afternoon." Christopher showed a message from his late ex-girlfriend. She supposedly wanted to meet him to settle the tension from their breakup. "I hurried over because I wanted us to make amends. When I knocked, she still didn't open the door. No one answered even after I shouted and apologized several times while kneeling by the door. I thought she was just messing with me, so I left."
If that's the case, not a single one of these three saw Janine at the time they went to Room 404. If one of them really is the culprit, it only means one thing: Someone is lying to them.
"Inspector, don't they have a security camera installed on every floor of the hostel?" Loki asked, staring at the ceiling. "If we check the footage, we can confirm whether they entered the victim's room or not."
The inspector shook his head. "We already asked the guard about that. There's only a security camera in the lobby. But I think they're planning to install more next month."
"How convenient for the killer!" Loki turned his attention back to the three men. "But unfortunately for him, I have an idea of who he might be."
The two suspects' eyes widened, while the other remained expressionless. One of them probably did not expect someone to uncover the truth that quickly.
"Just to reiterate the obvious, he's one of you three." He pointed to each of the three men. "At the moment, I don't have concrete proof against that person. But just give me a few more minutes, and I'll expose what he did and how he did it. In the meantime, inspector, why don't you escort them to the lobby while we wait?"
As some police officers escorted them to the elevator, I heard a scratching noise. The sound was curling and twisting. I even cringed. Something sharp must have been stuck in the sole of their shoes.
Wait a minute. If one of the three suspects' shoes is making that noise, could it be possible that…
"So you heard it too, huh?" Loki looked at me sideways. He then turned his gaze back to the three suspects walking away. "If our hunch is right, that's the evidence we can use against the culprit."
I frowned as I looked at him. "How can you be so sure we're thinking the same thing? I don't even know which one of the three is the culprit. Do you mind telling me who he is?"
"I'm gonna ask again: Who among the three would Janine most likely let inside her room and offer a glass of water?" As usual, he refused to share the answer right away. He wanted to mess with my head first. "There's only one thing that bothers me. Janine did something out of place, something she couldn't have done. Unless, of course, it wasn't Janine who did that thing."
We didn't stay long on the fourth floor and headed down together. We rode the elevator in silence for a moment. When we arrived, we found the three suspects sitting on the couches in the lounge. Christopher had his head bowed, hands clasped as if in prayer. Richmond's legs were shaking, and he seemed restless. David, meanwhile, still showed no reaction, staring off into the distance.
Inspector Estrada approached us and whispered, "So? Did you find any evidence that would prove one of them killed the victim?"
"We don't have any evidence against the culprit." Loki shook his head, making the inspector blink in surprise. "Don't be disappointed. I said we don't have it because the culprit is still in possession of it."
"R-Really?"
"Shall we draw the curtain of mystery and put an end to this case?"
Loki stepped in front of the three suspects, hands clasped behind his back. Even the officers on standby turned to look at him. "Sorry for the wait. Now is the moment of truth."
"Stop beating around the bush! Just tell us who killed Janine!" Christopher shouted. "I'll make sure that man crawls out of this building!"
Loki ignored him and continued with his show. "Before I reveal who the culprit is, I want you to think about this question: Who among you three would Janine most likely let inside her room and offer a glass of water?"
The three exchanged glances. Surprise was etched on Christopher and Richmond's faces, while David's expression remained unchanged. Some police officers around us whispered among themselves as well.
"If we go by the statements we made earlier, Janine didn't open the door when we knocked," Richmond replied. "She didn't offer any of us water."
"One of you lied earlier," Loki countered. "One of you stood in front of Janine's room and knocked on her door. She let that person in, unaware of what that person was capable of. Who could it be?"
Their mouths stayed shut. Not a single one answered. Christopher and Richmond furrowed their brows, while David showed no reaction.
"Could it be David Florencio, the suspicious stalker who had been following her?" Loki asked, pointing at the man who didn't flinch when his name was mentioned. "No. Janine might have been aware of your presence, but she didn't know anything about you. So would she open the door to a stranger, let you in, and offer you a glass of water? No."
David's face remained expressionless, so I couldn't even tell if he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Maybe it's Christopher Bautista, the ex-boyfriend?" He then pointed at the man who shot him a surprised look. "Yes, possibly. But considering what happened over the past few days, your breakup and what you attempted to do to her, she wouldn't even think of inviting you in. She'd rather tell you to go to hell."
"But why did she send me a text earlier? She said she wanted to talk about what happened."
"That's a trick used by the culprit to make us think that Janine was still alive by the time she sent you that message, around 4:35." Almost everyone in the lobby gasped. "That's right. The culprit is none other than the person who went to Janine's room between 4:24 and 4:40, her best friend, Richmond Montero."
Everyone turned to look at the man wearing glasses. He swallowed hard, his eyes widening as he shook his head several times. "N-No! You're wrong! That's not true!"
"Among the three of you, you're the only one on good terms with Janine," Loki explained, never taking his eyes off the culprit. "As you said earlier, you are her close friend, and your relationship didn't turn sour even after you confessed your feelings to her. There's no doubt 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 asked, sweat forming on his forehead. "Would I just stab her for no reason?"
"What if you saw an opportunity after her breakup with Christopher?" I couldn't help but interject. This was just a guess, but it was the most likely motive I could think of. "You probably thought you could take the place of her boyfriend in Janine's life. The thing is, even though they had broken up, she couldn't reciprocate your feelings because she didn't feel anything for you. Maybe your vision darkened, you grabbed a knife, and repeatedly stabbed her."
"Shameless!" Christopher was about to punch Richmond in the face, but the police officers quickly restrained him. He struggled, forcing them to hold him tighter. "I'll make sure your face gets destroyed, hear me?!"
Richmond closed his eyes, as if trying to calm himself. When he opened them again, he forced a smile. "That's a good idea for a mystery novel. Fine, for the sake of discussion, let's say I did it. Where's your evidence?"
Loki pointed at him. "It's on you."
"Huh?" Richmond raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? How is it on me?"
"Take off your shoes and show the soles to everyone in this lobby," Loki commanded.
"How does taking this off prove that I'm the culprit?" Richmond smiled as he removed his black shoes. "Are you really relying on a guess? I thought you were supposed to be smart."
When he held the soles of his shoes up for us to see, we noticed a small shard of glass stuck there, identical to the one from Janine's unit upstairs.
"After killing Janine, you accidentally stepped on a shard of glass near the table." Loki snatched the culprit's right shoe and showed it to the inspector. "You were in a hurry, so you didn't notice. When the police asked you to come here, you weren't allowed to enter the room, so how did this shard get in here?"
"Wait, Loki!" Inspector Estrada interjected. "If he really killed Janine, there should be traces of blood on his clothes, right? Why didn't the guard notice anything unusual when he left the hostel? Surely the guard would have seen any unusual stains on his clothes."
"He changed his clothes." Loki pointed at what Richmond was wearing. "He said he went to the gym earlier, so he must have brought extra clothes with him. If the shard stuck in the sole of his right shoe isn't enough, I suggest you review the security footage in the lobby for the time he went in and out. You'll notice the change in his clothes. You can also run a luminol test on his shoes to check for any traces of blood."
Now that Richmond had been cornered by Loki's reasoning, he had no choice but to confess. He looked up, closed his eyes, and took several deep breaths. When he was ready, he admitted everything.
He confirmed that my guess about his motive for killing Janine was correct. He couldn't accept that she still didn't consider him a potential boyfriend. That's when he committed this horrific act. Later, when he realized what he had done, he felt guilty. He thought of turning himself in to the police, but he was worried his family would get caught up in a scandal. So he chose not to admit the crime.
With that, another case was solved and closed.