His Conundrums

Chapter 32

The Short Trip Case with Bagel

“We had a family outing. It was my sister’s birthday, and she said she wanted to go camping near a certain cave she found on google map.”

Sirius decided to drive until they get to Rook City, and Joe will drive back to Hallray.

“I’m sorry, but are you hungry? We have some bagel if you want to eat,” Joe offered their bag of bagel.

“No, I’m okay. I’m allergic to foods with yeast,” she said. She seems calmer than before.

“So what happened next?” Joe asked him.

“Mom and Dad decided to plan our family camping and set the date. They both took a vacation leave so we could celebrate it all together, all four of us. Dad excitedly brought with him his newly bought tent while Mom was preparing her homemade pickled salad.”

Sirius was listening to her while driving. He can't help but felt pity for her with the thought of saving someone from an unimaginable death.

“Do you know someone who might do this? Like someone who’s been threatening you or a stranger weirdly walking in front of your house at night?” Joe asked her.

“No, nothing comes in my mind, actually. We were a happy family, no issues with our neighbor, no strange fights with someone, nothing.”

Joe sighed.

“You want to help?” Joe asked Sirius, who’s been quiet.

“Help? We’re helping her,” he said.

“You’re so cold as usual,” Joe remarked.

“Luckily, you escaped,” Joe told her.

“Yes,” she cried.

“I wish I didn’t. How am I supposed to live now?” she added.

“She chased me out, but I manage to lose her in the woods,” she said between her tears.

“She? You mean it’s a girl?” Joe couldn’t believe it.

She nodded her head.

“What does she look like?” Joe asked her.

“She’s wearing jeans and a three-fourth sleeved blouse. She has her face mask on, so I couldn’t really see her face. It happened around four-thirty in the morning, and it’s still dark, so that’s all I think I could remember about her.”

“How long you’ve been camping?” Sirius finally spoke and asked her a question.

“Three days now,” she answered.

“I think it was a killer roaming around killing someone. You know, as we’ve seen in movies,” Joe told Sirius.

Sirius shrugged his shoulder.

“We still have almost an hour left before we arrived at the city. You can take a rest, and before you knew it, I’ll promise you’ll get treated at the hospital,” Joe told her.

“Thank you.” She smiled weakly.

Joe smiled back, and she rested herself at the backseat.

“Can you give me some bagel?” Sirius asked Joe.

-0-0-0-

The field of flowers vanished in their sight as they saw the sign that welcomes every traveler to Rook City. Finally, they have reached their destination.

Penelope was still sound asleep while Joe was enjoying another bite of bagel. He sighed.

“I think I would end up looking like a bagel before I go back to Hallray tomorrow,” he said.

“Think about it, and then you end up dreaming it,” Sirius told him.

Joe made a face without looking at Sirius.

“Could you search for a police station nearby?” he asked Joe.

“I thought we’d treat her first?” Joe asked him.

“We’re going to report a serious crime here, and they’ll need her for questioning. Do you want the police to ignore us, thinking we were some dumb travelers doing pranks? I’m sure she’ll get a first aid treatment at the station before moving her to a hospital,” he told him.

“Oh, okay,” Joe said.

They stopped the car at the nearest police station they found just when Penelope woke up.

“We’re going to report first what happened so they could do an investigation while you’re getting treated. Can you walk? Do you need a hand?” Joe asked her.

“Joe, remember she’s just 18, and we’re in front of a police station,” Sirius warned him.

“I know, okay? I was trying to be polite.”

“Walk behind her so you could catch her if she falls on her knees,” Sirius said.

They went inside the station, and Sirius gestured them to sit on the bench in front of the complaint’s desk.

“Excuse me. We’re reporting a murder case at Middletown…”

Sirius talked with a police officer. He showed his ID, and the officer showed him to their office. Joe patiently waited for them to come back. Penelope was sitting there quietly.

“Do you want some water?” Joe asked her when he saw a water dispenser at the corner.

“No, I’m fine,” she said. Her tone changed a bit, or maybe he just ate too much bagel. Well, that didn’t make any sense.

Sirius came back with another police officer. They went straight to where Joe was sitting with Penelope. They held her hands and put handcuffs around it.

“Wait, why are you arresting her? She’s a victim. Sirius, tell them—“

“She did it,” he said.

“What?” Joe can’t believe it.

“She said the killer was wearing jeans and a three-fourth sleeved blouse. It’s not just a plain sleeve. It has a garter. That explains the red marks around her arms right where the sleeves were. She also has the jeans marks on her legs.” Sirius pointed it out. The marks are still there, but they’re not that visible enough.

“You told us your family was murdered, but why you only have small scratches. You have blood all over your dress, but you didn’t even complain about some big cuts you have. When they struggled for their lives, one of them hit you with a rock. That’s where you got that cut on your forehead.”

“You made a mistake by stealing the daughter’s dress and played victim asking for help to get out from the scene. You said you were allergic to yeast, but pickles and vinegar usually contain yeast. Why didn’t you suffer any allergic reaction? You told us you were camping for three days but told none about your adventure inside this cave you were talking about. The victims just arrived at the camping site and spent only a night before they were killed, but you were there before them, two nights ahead.”

Joe sighed once again.

“The family you murdered is the Lu Family, a family of three living here at Rook City. They’re not four. And you are Penne De Castro,” Sirius showed them a wanted banner with her face on it.

“You’re on the wanted list for murdering another family two years ago,” he said.