Scene of the Crime Detectives

[RUSS] IT IS the very first day that I will be studying as a Senior High School student and this is also the first day that I will study at the prestigious Sherrinford High, the school I really wanted to study to. Excited na talaga ako, but at the same time may halong kaba, lungkot, sakit, ewan hindi ko talaga ma-explain. Lahat ata ng aspiring detective ay gustong makapasok dito because it is one of those special school that discusses ‘detective stuffs’ and also, of course, because 'tis the home of the greatest detective in the country. Who I am talking about is Mr. Codename AC87, the most famous detective in our country. Based on my research, this school is his alma mater noong high school siya. It was not Sherrinford High na pangalan ang pinasukan niya. The name might have been changed but the fact that he studied here and became the most renowned detective in the country made this school special. I wanted to meet him so bad but I can’t. He just shows up when there is something severe that happened in the country. Who I am and why am I blabbering things now? I am Mary Russel Corpuz. My name sounds familiar, I know. My dad gave me this name because of that one character that he read when my mom is pregnant with me. Why do I want to be a detective? My dad and I share the same ideology kasi. He wanted to be a detective as well, but he did not achieve it. In short, I wanted to do the things that my dad wanted to do. Aside from that fact, I really really wanted to do investigation as well. Like I said, I was named after one of the greatest detective and theologist but my mom doesn’t want me to become one or to follow her footstep. How ironic, right? She said she just wanna see me safe dahil ako daw ang unica hija nila. Dumiretso ako sa classroom ng XI-Andromeda, my section. My classmates are complete and were neatly sitting down on their chairs. Upon the entrance of the new girl, their gazes were fixed to my direction. Naglakad ako papasok ng room. Ramdam ko ang mga mata nilang mainit na nakatingin sa 'kin. I hate this feeling, I hate having their eyes fixed at me. I really hate getting attention but I cannot do anything about it. Isang slot nalang naman ang vacant na upuan eh, kaya doon ako dumiretso. I went there directly. When I went there successfully, I then asked the girl na nakaupo sa tabi ng bakanteng upuan. "Hi miss." I smiled to her. "Pwede ba akong umupo dito? May nakaupo na ba dito?" I said as I asked permission. The girl was grimacing as she looked at me. Ang dating nakabusangot na mukha niya ay nag-iba at umaliwalas. "Sure! I would be glad if ikaw ang makakatabi ko ngayong school year," aniya nang nakangiti. Agad akong umupo sa upuan at tinignan ang katabi kong nakikipagdaldalan sa kabilang upuan. Inilibot ko ang tingin ko sa buong classroom. Agad kong tinapik ng marahan ang likuran nitong katabi ko para ilipat ang atensyon niya sa akin."Hey, Mary Russell Corpuz nga pala." I lent my right hand to her na kaagad niya naming tinanggap. They are surprisingly welcoming in this school, though. Not bad. "Oh, hello Mary Russell. Glad to meet you." "Glad to meet you too..." Sabi ko. "What's your name nga pala?" "Angelica Mendoza. Angge for short if you want." "Glad to meet you, Angge." I completed my statement. "Angge, this is so random but can I ask some question?" "Of course. Anything. As long as I know the answer." "Ilan ang section sa Grade 11?" Tanong ko. "And anong unang subject natin ngayong araw?" "Ah, 'yon lang ba? I know the answer, don't worry." Aniya ng nakangiti. "Tatlo ang section sa Grade 11; Andromeda, Betelgeuse, and Centaurus, familiar right? Every section's name does come from stars. Ang unang subject naman ng lahat ng section sa Grade 11 in monday is Deductions, you know, detective thingy. Don't worry, I will lend you the schedule later and make sure to take a picture of it, okay?" Pagkatapos niyang magsalita ay agad na may pumasok na isang matabang babae. Agad na nagsitayuan ang lahat ng classmates ko at nag-bow. "Good morning, Ms. Fuentebella!" sabay-sabay nilang ani. "Good morning!" She said excitedly. "So, ngayon ang unang araw ng inyong Senior High School life. How was it?" Tanong nung teacher na pumasok. Nagtanong siya as if may nangyari nang importante? Weird. First subject kaya namin siya. "Yes, wala pa ngang nangyayaring importante but how was your first impression sa mga classmates mo... Ms. Corpuz?" Nanlaki ang mata ko sa sinabi ni... ni... Ano nga bang pangalan niya? At saka paano niya nalaman ang tanong na nasa isip ko? At saka, paano niya nalaman ang pangalan ko? "Call me Ms. Razon Fuentebella, Ms. Corpuz," aniya. "And the reason why is; it's just that I can play and communicate with minds." Mas lalo pang nanlaki ang mga mata ko dahil sa sinabi niya. Well, I guess there really are humans who can read mind well. If that’s the case, I should be careful with her. Tumayo nalang ako bago nilunok ang laway ko. "They are good to me naman po. There are no issues… yet." "Wala naman bang nambubully sa 'yo dito ngayon, hija?" I shook my head. "Wala pa naman po, fortunately." "Okay, so remain standing and introduce yourself." "Hello. I am Mary Russell Corpuz, I am 17 years old and I came from Hillington High, kung saan ako pumasok at gru-maduate as a junior high school student," I uttered. They surprisingly clapped their hands after I uttered those words. "Nice to meet you all. I wish we all could be friends." "Oh, you're from Hillington High. Meron namang senior high sa Hillington ah, what made you think na lumipat dito sa Sherrinford High?" Tanong nito. "Uhm, gusto ko lang po, Ms. Fuentebella. I mean, I just want to explore something new po. Bali-balita po kasing maganda ang sistema ng pagtuturo rito e,." ani ko and yeah, it's somehow true. But ang tunay na reason is that I want to be part of a prestigious school where the most popular detective of the country once studied. "You may now take your seat, Ms. Corpuz," sabi niya at binuksan ang libro niya, "Well, dahil first day ngayon, let's chill muna." Naghiyawan ang lahat sa sinabi niya. Well, ano pa bang aasahan ko sa first day of class? First day of class means telling their students the house rules, giving them the syllabus and such. Ganiyan naman talaga ang sitwasyon kapag first day, anong bago? "It's not what you think guys. What I mean to say is... huwag muna tayong sumabak sa bagyong discussion. Huwag muna sa bagyo, sa ulan muna dapat 'di ba?" aniya at ngumiti ng nakakaloko. "And this what we'll gonna do is to test what knowledge do you already have in terms of deductions." Deductions? "Everyone, go to the gym. We'll have our first-day activity in a form of deduction showdown." Ang kaninang masayang mga classmates ko ay biglang nawalan ng saya. Lahat naman ng mga estudyante ay walang nagawa kundi ang pumunta sa gym. Nakisabay na lamang ako kay Angge since I'm not yet familiar to this school. Minutes later, nakarating na nga kami sa gym. It's a wide place kung saan may dalawang basketball ring sa magkabilang dulo nito. Meron ring audience place sa paligid ng court. Mayroon akong nakitang tatlong taong pareho ang uniform. I don't know kung bakit iba ang uniform nila. It seems like they are part of the campus police of the school or what-so-ever. One thing I’m sure of is that they are any higher than us. "You're right, Ms. Corpuz," A woman's voice said from the back. Tinignan ko siya sa likuran, it's Ms. Fuentebella with her as usual mind-reading skills. Actually, kanina, I’m amazed but it did not last. "They are the CAT Officers; they are actually the so-called campus police." Tinignan ko agad ang tatlong lalaking tila hindi gumagalaw sa kanilang posisyon. "Andromeda, sit here," Ms. Fuentebella uttered. Lahat naman kami ay nagsiupuan sa sahig. I spent my time looking around the gym, observing everything that my eyes could see. The faint sound of the gym's door started to screech inside my ear. My classmates began to shout as another class went inside the gym. May ibang mga classmates din akong tumayo to greet their friends in other class. Sinaway naman sila ni Ms. Fuentebella at pinaupo. "Betelgeuse, sit here. Hindi talaga kayo pwedeng pagsamahing magkaka-batch. Naku, paano pa pag pumasok ang Centaurus?" Ms. Fuentebella said. So, they are the Betelgeuse section, better known as the Class B. Bumukas na naman ang pinto ng gym. I can say that this is actually the last and third section, Centaurus. Unlike Betelgeuse, they are quieter. "Centaurus, sit here," ani Ms. Fuentebella at itinuro ang side na hindi pa nauupuan. "I believe you're wondering about what we're gonna do here, so I'm here to spill the milk. As I said a while ago, magkakaroon tayo ng deduction showdown, and the case is all about the murder case that happened just last month. Who's excited?" To my surprise, no one screamed as well as no one raised their hand. I wanted to raise my hand, kaso baka mapahiya lang ako, kaya hinayaan ko na lang si Ms. Fuentebella magsalita. "No one? At least one?" tanong niya pa, but I don't have the confidence to raise my hand. "Wala talaga? Sige," she said and grimaced. After making face, she clapped her hands two times at saka bumukas na naman ang pinto at iniluwal nito ang dalawang nurse na may dalang stretcher. May nakapatong ditong – to my surprise – isang bangkay ng babae. Sa tingin ko, matagal na itong patay dahil masyado nang mabaho. Naglibot naman ang tatlong CAT officers at namimigay ng face mask para panakip ng ilong. "Thank you," sabi ko at ngumiti sa isang CAT officer. He didn't even give a damn at nanatili sa pagiging poker face. Nagpatuloy si Ms. Fuentebella sa pagsasalita. "This is the late Mrs. Josefina Montemayor. She was seen dead inside her house just a month ago. Isipin ninyong hanggang ngayon, hindi pa rin nahahanap ang culprit. Now, this is the activity, find who's the culprit behind this crime. There are actually four suspects depending on the happenings of our victim on the time she was killed, namely: Raul, her husband whose been sucked by his wife's nagging habit. Mary, her daughter, whose been mad at her mother because the latter didn't permit her to have a boyfriend. Nilda, their maid, na hindi pa sinasahuran ng amo niya sa loob ng tatlong buwan and Janus, their driver, na kapareho ni Nilda ng rason. Who's the culprit?" Josefina Montemayor? The name seems to be ring on my head, huh?