Nang makita kong nagsimula na ang timer ay agad akong lumapit sa tinted mirror upang pagmasdan ang nasa loob ng kabilang silid. Mahigpit akong kumapit sa sulok ng lamesa nung mag-patay sindi ang ilaw sa stock room kung nasaan ang bangkay ni Leila. This is bullshit!

"Without a doubt, the killer is Master Ripper," ani Samuel. "Look at his comrades; they appear to be powerless without their leader's approval."

While glancing at our opponents who were blindfolded, I shook my head. "I don't believe Master Ripper is the killer, based on the injuries on his arms. He can't have that much strength to kill someone."

Nang magsalita si Martin ay bumaling sa kanya ang aking atensyon. "If the Ripper didn't have the strength to kill the nurse on his own, he must have enlisted the support of his teammates. Don't you think so?"

"B-but why did they k-kill the nurse?" utal na tanong ni Chris, kagat ang kanyang daliri.

"Rape," bulong ko sa aking sarili matapos pumikit nang mariin upang alalahanin ang kaganapan kagabi.

After placing the gooseneck microphone close to my mouth, I cleared my throat. "Can you hear me, Robert?"

Pinasadahan niya ng tingin ang buong paligid at nanginginig ang kanyang mga kamay habang hawak ang baril. I don't want to laugh in this scenario, but after watching his eyes practically cry, I can't help myself.

"C-Callum? Yes, I hear you! W-what should I do? Killing people isn't my thing. I don't care if they're our enemies; I vow I won't kill anyone," he muttered, nervously.

Kaagad nagsigawan ang grupo ni Master Ripper kaya mas lalo akong naguluhan.

"Listen to me, Robert," madiin kong utos. "We won't kill anyone who isn't guilty; we'll only kill the man who killed the nurse in order to bring justice to her death, and in order to find out who the true culprit is, you must do what I'll ask you to do, you understand?"

Tumango siya nang pilit. Bawat pagpatay sindi ng ilaw ay siya ring pagkurap ng aking mga mata upang tingnan ang nasa loob ng stock room. Ang grupo ni Master Ripper ay pawang nakasuot ng pulang jumpsuit. Kagaya ng kanilang leader ay may mga sugat rin na natamo ang kabilang grupo dahilan upang mas mahirapan akong alamin ang tunay na salarin.

"Robert, could you quickly pull up their sleeves and inspect their arms for scratches caused by fingernails?" I asked, my gaze falling on Leila's injured hands.

Nagpupumiglas si Master Ripper nung unahin siyang inspeksyunin ni Robert. Nang kinumpirma na mayroon siyang natamong ilang kalmot ay sinunod naman niya ang ilan pa nitong mga kagrupo. Kagaya namin ay lima nalang sila. Apart from their leader, the two men on both sides of Master Ripper are skeptical. Luther Beckham and Justin Cavill have both been sentenced to five years in prison for murder, while Brian Roshan and Noah Borkan have both been convicted of theft.

According to Robert, Master Ripper, Justin Cavill, and Brian Roshan all suffered from bruises caused by fingernails.

"Callum," hinawakan ni Samuel ang balikat ko upang iharap ako sa kanya. "We only have three minutes before the timer runs out, and if Robert doesn't kill the suspect before then, we'll be imprisoned here; the only thing we can do is advise him to kill the entire Master Ripper's Team so we can escape."

"I agree," Martin said, "I believe they all killed the nurse as a group, and they've all been nasty guys, so it's probable that our guess is right."

"However, what if only one of them is the murderer and the other four are innocent of the crime? I don't believe they should all be murdered just because they are evil guys," Chris stated in Chinese.

"Listen to me, you all. I know we're all worried about the time, but every life is a gift, and we can't just terminate someone's life based on a wild estimate. I'll pay the price if we don't win this game, so trust me, okay?" I replied, sternly.

Bumuntong hininga si Samuel at pinagkrus ang kanyang braso. Martin simply nodded in agreement, while Chris smiled. They remained silent, waiting for me to continue my thing. I leaned in close to the table and placed the microphone against my lips.

"Robert, I'd like you to... question the three potential murderers what they did last night?" I glanced at my reflection in the tampered glass, my attention drawn to my comrades in the rear.

"What?!" bulyaw ni Robert. "Callum, are you kidding? Do you believe if I ask that question, the true suspect will admit his crime?"

"JUST. FUCKING. ASK!" I exclaimed, breaking Robert's stillness.

Robert composed himself after shaking his head in bewilderment. I don't mind if they don't tell the truth because I can tell just by listening to their voices. I'm also curious as to what their alibis might be. Working with Dark Room Agency for a long time, I've dealt with a lot of cases, but this one is by far the most difficult owing to the time constraints.

"I walked outside to use the bathroom before I went to sleep last night, and our master actually saw me return to my room after I took a dump. You can ask him," pagpapaliwanag ni Brian Roshan.

"Yes, I'm also outside because I was hunting for room service and saw him return," Master Ripper murmured. "B-but I spotted someone s-sneaking out in this storage section; I couldn't see his face because it was dark, but I'm sure I saw him."

"How could you be so convinced it's a guy if you haven't seen this person's face?" sabat ko at itinanong naman iyon ni Robert kay Master Ripper.

"Come on, aside from the nurses, all of us here are guys, and I'm telling you the truth! I'm not the killer!" huling sambit ni Master Ripper bago siya magpumiglas.

"And, finally, where were you last ni–"

Hindi natapos ni Robert ang tanong sa huling posibleng suspek na si Justin Cavill nung tumikhim ako. I don't want to make any assumptions, but it appears like the suspect is withholding information until the timer runs out.

"Leila Sienette Diallo, a 24-year-old pure African-American who was born in the United States, is a skilled nurse who studied medicine in Italy but relocated to Barcelona due to the call of work. She suffers from a heart condition that necessitates daily medication compliance without fail," I stated boldly.

Marahil ay nagulat sila sa aking sinabi kaya't natahimik ang lahat. Pinagmasdan ko ang kaawa-awang mukha ni Leila habang nakahandusay sa sahig. May ilan siyang pasa sa kanyang braso at binti at may bahid ng dugo ang maselang parte ng kanyang katawan. Puti ang suot niyang uniporme kaya't kitang-kita iyon kahit sa malayo. Nakadilat pa ang kanyang mga mata na saksi sa karumal-dumal niyang sinapit.

Tumulo ang luha sa aking mata nang magpatuloy ako sa pagsasalita. "Based on the bruises on her skin, the crime probably occurred between 12 and 3 a.m. She went inside the stock room to drink her medicine, but someone replaced it with a drug called GHB, which made it easier for the suspect to complete his crime. Leila fought until her last breath and was killed after she was raped by choking her throat."

"W-what?!" Robert shouted, clutching his hair.

Nakanganga na ngayon si Chris dahil sa narinig. Si Samuel ay kumamot sa kanyang ulo, pinoproseso ang mga salitang sinabi ko. Kagaya ng nakagawian ay walang naging reaksyon si Martin.

"Wanna hear the exciting part?" I smirked. "The culprit that we're looking for... is not someone sitting in front of you, Robert."

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-Terrolicious

PS. Sino ang suspek ngayong gabi? Maari kang manalo sa ten tawsan sa Text Mo, Title Mo Promo (char!)

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