DECODE

ASHER I am pacing back and forth inside the old abandoned classroom, which I made for myself as my own clubroom. The room's just fine for myself. Old chairs were put to the school's storage room, the old teacher's desk is still here as I used it as my own desk and only few monobloc chairs were left here for the clients to sit on. I have my own swivel chair to use. Back to the present, I was pacing back and forth inside our clubroom, squeezing data and ideas from my head. Why? Well, because I'm solving a case that happened in our campus. A man was killed, strangled to death by a short garter. The garter seems new. It's a circular garter. Also, it's loose already. Seemed the killer who used the garter exerted a great force while strangling the victim. The victim is James Luz. He's a grade eleven student from the top section. He's the top student also. He has a black hair, as tall as I am, and use reading glasses. He was killed in the library, behind the third bookshelf. Hayst, this is just the start of the school year, yet there's already a crime happened in our campus. I looked at my desk and scanned the whole lot of evidences brought to my attention. There's the garter here and a broken reading glasses. It has black frame. The left side of the reading glass was broken. I lifted the reading glass and tried to look through it. Goodness! My eyes got blurry upon wearing the broken glasses. A sudden knock echoed inside the room. I watched the door as it flew open. A police constable entered the room. "What is it Mr. Constable?" I asked. "Inspector Mar wants to see you. He already called all the friends of the victim." the constable said. I nodded and follow him outside. We walked towards the crime scene. The whole library was cordoned and students and other faculty members were prohibited to enter the library. The head of the school was there, too. Mr. Orson Demeter, the head of the school is here, talking with Inspector Marcus Marion, Inspector Mar for short. Inspector Mar is the lead police officer in our district. I knew him already since I always see him whenever there's something strange happening in our district. It seems they're discussing on how to prevent ruckus and how to prevent this happening to damage the reputation of the school. "Inspector, we all know that Demeter High is one of the top high schools in the district. I can't let this happening leak on the media." Mr. Orson said to Inspector Mar. "We are all aware of that. We won't let media know it. We will solve the case as soon as possible. But the thing is, we need to settle this happening to the victim's family. They're on their way here." the inspector said. "I will talk to the family of the deceased while you do everything to solve this case." the head of the school said and left. "Inspector, he is here." the constable who called me told Inspector Mar. The inspector looked at me and eyed me from head to toe. "You're the boy earlier right? The boy who asked for the evidences?" he asked. I nodded. I asked them to let me have the evidences for a while. They won't let me have my hands on the evidences until the head of the school assured them that I am a trustworthy person knew my way around. "You found anything in the evidences that can be helpful to resolve this case?" Inspector Mar asked. "Well, sort of things, Inspector. I found out that the victim was killed by a circular garter that gone loose because of the strength the killer exerted when he killed the victim. Also, about the broken reading glasses, when I try it on me, my eyes got blurry. Knowing the fact that I have a normal eyesight, that means only one thing." I told the inspector. "If that is the case, the eyeglasses have high optic grade." the inspector said. "Yes, inspector. If that's the case, that means our killer have a very poor eyesight." I told the inspector. The inspector nodded at my findings. "Hmm, I see, you have keen eyes for such details." the inspector commented. I just gave him a smile and a nod. "Yes. Inspector, can I see your witnesses and the crime scene? I really want to be part of this case." I told Inspector Mar. He eyed me. I'm sure he's assessing me. "Of course you can. I can make use of your help especially in making inferences and spotting some things. You can see the witnesses. Also, you can look around the crime scene. I'm sure you can see something there also." the inspector said. I smiled as I already got their permission to be a part of this case. That also means I have privileges to conduct my own investigation. I pass through the cordon tape and went inside the library. I didn't have time to do it earlier since the police already came before I hear the news about the crime, prohibiting the students to come near the crime scene, fearing that we will destroy some evidences. Well, I've been dreaming about this, me being a part of a crime scene investigation. I already solved some minor problems here in our campus but never have I ever had a chance to be a part of a major crime investigation. And this will be the first. I eyed the whole crime scene. I can see the outline of the body of the victim, chalked on the wooden floor. He was killed behind the third bookshelf as I knew it when I heard the constables talking about it earlier. There were no books scattered on the floor although other books weren't in proper position on the shelf. That's strange. "Strange, isn't it?" I looked upon my side and saw Inspector Mar standing there. I did not answer. "It is so unusual for a strangulation case to have only little amount of disturbances in the crime scene. It seems this crime scene isn't the real crime scene." Inspector Mar remarked. I fell silent. What Inspector Mar told me is sensible. This crime scene isn't the crime scene expected from a strangulation case. Aside from a few books on the scattered upon the floor, everything were in order. What does that mean? Does that mean it is not the real crime scene? Does that mean the victim is not killed here in this very place? Does that mean he was killed somewhere else? I scanned the whole place to see more of whatever the place can give me. There were no scratches on the floor, or anything that can suggest violence in this place. I found just none. "What can you say?" Inspector Mar asked. I looked up at him. "Well, this crime scene is strange. It alters all the expectation of a strangulation crime scene. No identification of violence can be found here. What does that mean?" "Yes. But I'll assure you that we're certain that this is a strangulation case. We found identifications and traces of ropes or something of a kind on the victim's neck that proves our first assumption. But this crime scene suggest the other way. It suggest other things, but not strangulation." "Did the officials already did an autopsy report?" I asked Inspector Mar. He nodded. "Well, I'm pretty sure the body's undergoing autopsy report as of now. Pero wala pang report sa result ng autopsy." the Inspector said. I nodded. "I think, we need first the result of the autopsy before we can advance forward in this case. Anyways, can I see your witnesses?" I asked. Inspector Mar nodded. "I'll conduct the questioning. Let me know if you have questions you want to ask to these people." Inspector Mar whispered to me as he showed me five people. There were three ladies and two men here. The first man is a bit shorter than me, has a black curly hair and has black skin color. He wears the blue patch upon his breast pocket meaning he's a senior highschool student here. I read his name tag. Christian Del Mundo. I eyed the next man. He's as tall as me, with a straight hair and a bangs that cover most of his left eye. His looks were stern and cold. His built is average. Like Christian, he's also a senior highschool student base from the patch that was placed on his breast pocket. I read his name tag, Jericho Robles. I eyed the next two ladies beside them. The first lady is fine woman, with fair color. She has a straight hair that reaches her shoulder. She also has the blue patch in the middle of her ribbon. I read her name tag, Monique Santa Clara. The next lady is a short lady, probably reach my shoulder only. She wears glasses with big lenses. Her hair is braided and she has braces too. She look like a nerd. I read her name tag, Maria Belle Lopes. I know the fifth person here. She's the terror librarian in our campus. She's Mrs. Nora Felicidad. I can see she's not in good mood in the situation. She kept fanning her fan to herself furiously as she mumble something under her breath and glare at every constable passing in front of her. "Good day. I believe all of you are connected in this case. Not in the crime, but to the victim and this place." Inspector Mar said as he eyed the five people in front of us. "I am Inspector Marcus Marion, head officer of the district police. I want to know what you know about the case. I am aware that you students are the friends of the deceased and you, Madame, is the librarian. I want to know when and where did you last saw the victim." Inspector Mar said. Monique answered first. "I-I am Monique Santa Clara, a friend of James Luz, the victim. Last time I saw him was earlier this day until the first break. We're from the same class so we are always together. But earlier, I saw him left and did not come back." "I-I'm Belle Lopes. Just like her, I'm a friend and a classmate of the victim. And I never saw her again since the first break. I-I'm really surprised to see him dead all of a sudden." "I am Christian Del Mundo. I'm his bestfriend. He doesn't have any enemy. He's a good guy and a good friend. I never thought someone would try to kill him. Catch the rascal who did this to him!" Christian said through gritted teeth. His fists were clenched and I can see anger in his face. "Rest assured we'll do everything we can to give justice to your friends." Inspector Mar said. "I am Jericho Robles, they call me Jerry. I'll be honest, I have a small issue with him for Monique like him and not me. But that doesn't mean I will kill him. We already talked about it and it was settled already." Jericho narrated. Hmm, a love triangle, huh? "You like the same girl?" Inspector Mar asked. The four of them fell silent. Belle broke it. "Yes. They liked Monique. Well, the three of them like her. She's beautiful. And that is unquestionable." Belle said it in a matter-of-fact tone. I saw Monique elbowed her to keep quiet. I saw Inspector Mar nodded. Hmm... "What about you Mrs. Felicidad?" Inspector Mar asked to the librarian. "I am at my desk, arranging documents and paper concerning the library. I heard the doorchime chimed twice consecutively. But I only saw that guy entered. I don't know if someone came before him. I thought, he just opened the door twice. Then I continued my work." Mrs. Felicidad answered. The doorchime chimed twice? I look at the door of the library. The library door is a wooden door, painted in blue. There's a signage behind the door, 'Keep the door close'. There's also a chime above it. "Around the time of the murder, do you happen to notice anything?" Inspector Mar asked. The librarian snorted and then shook her head. "I saw nothing, okay? I am busy doing my paperworks. How hard is that to understand? You're asking the same things over and over again. Why don't you start analysing the case and solve it already. Goodness!" she said furiously. I saw Inspector Mar's jaw tightened. Well, that's the famous terror librarian of Demeter High for you, inspector. "Okay then. Thank you." Inspector Mar look at me. "Nothing helpful from them. Do you have any question for them?" asked the inspector. I flinched but collect myself immediately as I squeezed my brain for sensible questions that I can ask. "Do you know any problem James had lately?" I asked the four friends of James. They look at each other before they all shook their head. I eye them each, from head to toe, assessing if they're lying. I'm sure, there's something more from it than what they have told us. My instinct told me that something connected to the likeness of three men being fond of Monique might be useful in this case. If that's so, I shall see loose ends here. "Okay. Thank you for your cooperation. You may now leave. I'm sorry for your loss. My constable will guide you out. But we can't let you go back to your classes for now. We might need you when we have question regarding the victim." Inspector Mar told the four students. They all nodded and follow the constable Inspector Mar asked to guide them. The librarian also left the library. I'm sure, she's going to the faculty office and tell other faculty members her rants and says about this happenings. Inspector Mar and I were left there. "So, what now?" Inspector Mar said. I glanced at the window to see the four friends of the victim. They all look down after this terrible shock about their friend's death. "I don't know, inspector. But something caught my attention. It was in the testimony of Mrs. Felicidad." I told Inspector Mar. "What is it?" "It's the thing she told us. She told us that she heard the doorchime chimed twice consecutively. That means the door opened twice and she only saw James coming in. Meaning, there's a possibility that James came with someone here in the library." I told the inspector. He fell silent as he thinks about what I told him. "That's possibility. That line of thinking will suggest that he came with someone he know." "And also, the librarian never mentioned she heard a third chime! That means no one left this library after that!" I said as I slowly fit the puzzles of this mystery in front of us. Inspector Mar nodded. "You're right again. She did mentioned she heard the chime twice consecutively but never heard the third chime." "And if that's the case, the killer is here the whole time." I told him. But, he shook his head that surprised me. "I think not. We found out there's a door that lead to the garden from this library. It's there, you can see it from here. There was a portion of it that is dry and a portion that is wet. We believe the culprit went that way, walking on the dry ground to prevent any impressions from him." he told me. I look at the far end of the library. And yes, there's a door, same as the one in the front, with the saying, 'Keep the door close'. "And if the culprit went that way, we will never hear a third chime since that door has no doorchime above it." Inspector Mar added. I walk towards the door on the far end of the library. I was surprise to see that it's the same from the front door. Even the doormat is the same. Hmmm... "You already check for finger prints here, inspector?" I asked. "We found no traces or any fingerprints there. It seems whoever did this knows the basics of criminology." Inspector Mar answered. Knowing that I will not destroy any potential evidence in this crime, I opened the door and I found myself in the garden. Well, this building is adjacent to the garden, that's why it's not strange finding myself here. I looked upon the ground. There's a walkway here that is dry. I'm sure, this is where the killer walked when he's escaping his crime. I walked upon the dry ground until I found something that surprised me. As I thought, I can find it here. "Inspector! I think, this area tells more about the killer. The case is close! Anyways, let's go back inside. It's so hot here!" I said as I enter the library again. "Did you found anything more that can be use for this case?" I asked. He eyed me with confuse expression. "Well, we found the victim's phone earlier in his pocket. The tech group is already doing their job finding something in there." he answered. "A cellphone...aha! Thank you inspector! This case is solved! I know already who's the killer!" "Don't fool around, young man. I can't see how come you solved the case in such a situation like this. We only have loose ends." "Well, inspector, I already saw what happened. I already saw the killer. I already put every puzzle pieces into their places. And they all fit together. And we shall now call for the four friends of the victim. They shall know all who the killer is." "Stop playing detective, child. Murder investigation–" "Inspector, the killer has poor eyesight, put the victim into sleep with the books and killed the victim using a ribbon lace. The killer escaped, but ended the other way and found himself in the garden. The killer has mud smudge on his left shoe. Is that enough?" I told the inspector. He just looked at me, I can see he's taken aback by my sudden remarks. He did not say anything. "Constable! Call the friends of the victim, ASAP!" ★★★ The friends of the victim were in front of me, inside the place of the crime, the library. They all look at me with confusion as I pace back and forth in front of them. I can see the face of Inspector Mar as he watch me too. He's expression is dark as he eyed me. "What's your plan, really? Stop wasting our time." Inspector Mar said. "Okay, let's start. I'm still waiting for something, but I think, it will come during or after my deduction show. Anyways, I'm here to tell you who is the culprit in James' case." I said and looked at all of them. I heard the friends of the victim gasped at what I had told them. "R-Really?! Who is it?! Who killed James?! Tell us who!" Christian said. I smirked. "Well, the person who killed your best friend, is none other than you..." I pointed my index finger to a person inside the library with us. "It's you, Maria Belle Lopes." she gasped at my remark. All four of them looked at me in disbelief. Inspector Mar didn't say anything. "Y-You?" Christian muttered in disbelief. All three of them look at their friend, Belle, which was frozen shocked upon my remarks. "N-No! I-It wasn't me! I did nothing to James! I did not kill him! What are you saying?! It is not a good joke!" I walk near her. She just look up on me, shivering as tears started to fall from her eyes. "Can you read my name tag?" I asked. She look down my name tag. She tried to read it, but she can't. A smirk formed on my lips. "I see, you can't read my name tag. Well, it's because, even you wear that glasses of yours, it didn't match your eyesight. You have optic grade that is so high, that was not match on the optic grade your eyeglass can give now. That is also why you found yourself in the garden after you committed the crime. Because of your poor eyesight, you mistakenly exited the wrong door." I told her. She fell silent. She sobbed as I talk to her. Her friends just listened to me. Inspector Mar didn't say a thing. "Let me clear things up. And also, let me tell the story in their corresponding order. First, on how you killed James. You killed him through strangulation. But, how? The crime scene is so clean, and the librarian didn't noticed anything strange that time. So how did you commit the crime? Well, that's an easy question. You first made the victim sleep, through hitting him with those pile of hard-binded books. "You caught him before he fell cold on the wooden floor, that costs your glasses. Your eyeglasses were hit and fell, breaking it in the process. Since you have poor eyesight, you failed to arrange the books you used correctly. That is why we found the books upside down. And then you strangled him with the garter of your ribbon. Well, yes, you remove first your ribbon from the garter before using it. That's very clever of you. That's why, you don't have your ribbon right now." Belle didn't say anything, just cried while looking down the floor. "And then, you planned to escape. But since your eyes were now blurry since you lost your glasses, you had a hard time finding the exit, and mistook the backdoor as the front door. They are very similar and you mistook it as the same door you used when you entered the library. Until you found yourself in the garden. "You have no choice, but use the garden as your escape route where on the process, you slipped and have smudges of mud on your left shoe. I found the left side soil slightly disturbed earlier. And when I eyed you earlier when we're questioning you, I found smudges of mud on your left shoe. That made me think you're the killer. And then after that, you pretend like nothing happened. You act like you're in grieve upon the news of James' death." I said. Belle didn't say anything. I can hear her sobs. "N-Now I know why you're late earlier. You said you did something in the locker but the truth is, you killed him!" Monique mumbled as tears fall from her eyes. I smirked. Now, it's game over. "I-Is it true? Answer! Is t true?!!" Christian yelled. Belle raised her head. Her teary eyes met mine. "Don't believe in him! What can I get in killing him, huh?! You stop this nonsense now!" she shouted at me. I shook my head. "Tsk, tsk. Well, I have your motive in killing James. And that's here..." I said as a constable came hurrying toward Inspector Mar. "What is this?" the inspector asked. "That is the report about the content of the victim's phone. There were text messages from someone named Belle. There is also a video found in the phone. s*x video, inspector." the constable reported. I smirked. I saw how Belle reacted at what she had heard. She's so shocked about this revelation. "So, will you confess it now?" I asked. And then, she broke down. She fell on her knees and began crying so hard. "It's his fault! He played me! Made me look like a fool! He told me he loved me! I even give him everything I have, even my purity! But all along, he just toyed me! He deserve punishment! And I gave him his punishment! He deserve to die!" she shouted. I just looked at her. I feel sorry for her. She's a victim of the tricky love. "Good job kid. You surprised me." I looked beside me and saw Inspector Mar smiling at me. I nodded and smiled back. "That's nothing, inspector." "What's your name again?" "Ash. Asher Dray Monteverde." I answered. "Well, thank you, Detective Ash." ★★★ The case was solved and the culprit was now in jail. Mr. Orson was so happy about it. "Thanks for your help Mr. Montverde! I'm so glad you already solved the case! I want to give you reward for this wonderful thing you have done for our school! I want to give you one thing, anything you wish as long as I can give it to you." Mr. Orson said as he talk with me in his office. "Anything Mr. Orson?" I asked again. "Anything, Asher." he said. I smiled at him. "Well then, approve my request building my own club." I said. His brows knitted. "Your own club? What club?" "The Decode club..."