/32/
Sneaky Stake-Out

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LIPS TINTED in the bright shade of Ruby Woo matte lipstick. A Dolce and Gabbana black pencil skirt. A Louis Vuitton sheer white blouse. And of course, shiny Gucci heels, a large, fancy brimmed hat, and a Hermes handbag to finish the outfit with a flair - a classic Sera trademark that she had learned from her mother herself.

"So, how do I look?" Sera asked as she showed the outfit to the other five, with all of them gathered outside Castillo High, in the darkest spot with no street lamp above them. It was only five in the morning, but the six were determined to start their sleuthing early - especially since they didn't know the routine of Mr. Lucas Ignatio.

"There's one thing missing." Ann remarked before whipping up her own brown Tom Ford Fausto sunglasses that costed much more than what people would pay for a pair of shades.

"Perfect," Sera grinned mischievously as she wore the glasses - the last piece of the outfit that would conceal her identity.

Queenie on the other hand, slipped her hands into dark gloves, the sound of cloth slapping onto her skin made the young girl feel as if she was a spy. In some kind of way though, she was, with her dressed in all black.

Ann surveyed Queenie's black shirt, black gloves, black leggings and black boots from head to toe as the curly-haired girl rose her black mask up until her nose until only her eyes could be seen.

"You know, you look like Inej Ghafa." The Lobris heir beamed proudly at her friend, with the three boys also scrutinizing both Sera and Quinn's outfits.

"Inej?" Queenie frowned, not understanding Ann's reference to Six of Crows, a fantasy duology book series that Ann had read over the summer.

"Oh, never mind." Ann sighed as she stepped back with the boys.

"Alam niyo pwede ko namang samahan si Se-"

"I'll be fine," Sera snapped at Jarrell who let out another exhale, not really keen with the idea that Sera would be out alone again, especially after the incident.

"It's fine Jarrell. We'll be tracking them with Queenie's phone." Ann reassured him, waving Queenie's phone in her hand.

"I mean, if you girls want to back out..." Rein started, checking his watch. It was now 6 minutes past 5:00 a.m.

"Do we look like quitters to you?" Queenie snorted as she handed over the boys' own trackers that she had promised to give last time. 

Deep inside, Queenie knew that she was going to push through with her own agenda, not only because she was determined to help put the case to an end, but also to prove everyone wrong for underestimating her lead.

Nang walang sumagot kay Queenie at napatahimik ang lahat ay napatingin ang anim sa isa't-isa. There was a pause in the air as they glanced at each other, savoring the silence - each with a thought running in their mind.

"This is it." Rein nodded quietly. "Whatever we find out today, will answer whether or not we'll continue the case. If it gets too dangerous, too political-"

"We won't stop." Quinn said firmly, placing a hand on Rein's shoulder as he pushed back his eyeglasses. Queenie nodded in agreement to her twin brother.

"Six-siritsit Spies?" Jarrell offered, extending out a hand into the air as he looked questioningly at the others.

Sera rolled her eyes before placing it atop Jarrell's with a small smile on her lips. The twins then stacked their hands on top of the two, and Rein let out a chuckle before placing a hand on top of Quinn's.

There was another pause as they looked back at Ann who was staring at the stack of hands. She then raised her head to meet Rein's gaze - one that seemed like it was a confusing mix of holding back, but also inviting her expectantly.

It was an ambivalent look, another addition to the mystery that Rein Maccio was to Ann. He was a complicated cipher that irritated and fascinated her at the same time -- the same way whenever she was reading a difficult whodunit mystery.

"On one condition," She cleared her throat, pushing back a strand of her dark, shoulder-length hair behind her ear.

"Papalitan natin yung Six-siritsit Spies na pangalan." Ann grinned, causing the others to laugh as she gently placed a hand on top of Rein's.

She tried to ignore the weird feeling of touching her rival's hand as she smiled at them all - Sera in her interpretation of a businesswoman, Queenie in her concealing outfit, and the three boys who were still dressed in their Castillian uniforms such as she was.

They were all a band of misfits under their disguises and facades, the thrill of the investigation rushing through them despite having at least zero to few hours of sleep.

"Come on. We have some sleuthing to do."

---

The streets were still dark and misty as Sera parked Jarrell's car a few blocks away from what Quinn had instructed to be Mr. Ignatio's house.

Napakunot ang noo ng dalaga as she peered out from the windshield, scrutinizing the house from afar. It was a simple bungalow house with an architecture reminiscent of the country design - a typical house in the Filipino suburbs.

Hindi rin gaano kalaki ang lote, pero napataas ang kilay ng dalaga ng mapansing dalawang kotse ang nakapark sa harapan ng bahay: a black Toyota Trueno 86, and a sparkling white Porsche 911 shining under the street lamp.

She let out a low whistle.

"Two cars?" Sera murmured to herself. For her, it didn't add up.

"Quinn had researched that Mr. Ignatio was a widower with no kids. It would have been too luxurious for him to have two cars - and one that looks brand new at that." She thought wistfully to herself. "Where on earth would he get the money to buy two cars?"

As far as Sera knew, being an Information Technologist from a small, unknown company didn't earn as much to buy a million-dollar Porsche car.

Napatingin ang dalaga sa kaniyang orasan. It was already 5:30 a.m., but the house show no signs of its owner. Every window was dark so there was no use peeking inside.

As she further surveyed the residence, she took a mental note to remember that the house number 47 was plated with gold and attached to the post of the white gate in case she'd have to return again.

Habang naghinintay ay nagsaksak muna ng earphones ang dalaga, snuggling in the driver's seat and hoping that Mr. Ignatio would wake up anytime soon.

---

While Sera was waiting for any sign of life or movement in the Ignatio residence, Queenie on the other hand, was trudging down the hill that overlook Atramento bay.

She was completely camouflaged to her dark surroundings due to her outfit, which Quinn had teasingly pointed out that it made her look like a ninja.

Nevertheless, the young girl trudged on.

The words of the boys with them saying that the cephalopod lead wasn't a priority, combined with their unsure glances, was ingrained in Queenie's head as fuel for motivation. 

"I'll show them." She murmured, dragging her boots slowly through the soil. "I'll show them and then they'll realize how much they've underestimated me and this clue.

As Queenie finally settled down beneath a Narra tree, she let out a breath and surveyed the place. Tahimik ang baybay ng Atramento at kahit sa malayo, makikitang kalma ang katubigan.

Napatingin sa kaniyang orasan si Queenie. It was 5:30 in the morning, but the sun was barely rising.

Akmang uupo sana ang dalaga sa ilalim ng puno para magpahinga nang bigla itong nakarinig ng mga boses.

Queenie immediately flattened herself on the bark of the tree before peering down to see that three fishermen had arrived by the bay.

"Sana may mahanap tayo ngayon." Sambit ng isa sa kanila, his voice echoing throughout the place which made Queenie's job easier.

She then watched as the three boarded a small rowboat, pushing it to the water until they were able to paddle. It was no suspicious activity of course - Queenie knew that fishermen woke up in the early wee hours of the morning to fish because their grandfather was a fisherman; always bringing them to fishing trips whenever they would visit Ilocos, their hometown.

Dahil dito ay napaupo na ang dalaga sa sahig, resting her back on the tree.

She didn't exactly know what she was looking out for in this stake out of hers. Basta ang alam lang niya ay may iba siyang pakiramdam sa sinabi ng mga mangingisda sa kanila ni Quinn at Jarrell noong Huwebes.

"There's something fishy with the clue, I just know it." She muttered to herself. Queenie knew that the others didn't really prioritize her lead with the cephalopods, lalo na ngayon na alam nilang involved talaga sa kaso si Tyra one way or another.

But she just couldn't help it, especially when she learned that the squids, octopi and cuttlefishes - sea creatures that were supposedly the pride of Ylando City's very own Atramento Sea, were suddenly becoming endangered.

"It just doesn't make sense." She murmured with a yawn, suddenly realizing how sleepy she was.

Before she knew it, the young girl had fallen asleep.

---

Kling! Kling!

Agad na napaupo ng maayos si Sera nang may dumaan na newspaper boy na nakabisikleta, throwing a newspaper over to Mr. Ignatio's house.

Napakurap ng ilang beses ang dalaga. It had only been a few minutes since she had been surveying the house, but she was already getting impatient.

"Gisingin ko na kaya 'tong Ignatio na 'to." She grumbled, adjusting her seat when to her surprise, the dark windows of the house suddenly lit up.

Muntikan nang mapindot ng dalaga ang preno ng sasakyan as she leaned forward in excitement, anticipating any sign of movement.

And there it was: a chubby, stout man with a long beard and dark rectangular glasses, stepped out of the house to throw out his trash.

"Mr. Lucas Ignatio." She whispered.

Agad ring pumasok ang lalaki, shutting the door once again.

Sera didn't have to wait long for further movement as she can see his shadows move around the place. From what she's observed, it looked as if the man was preparing to go to work.

After what seemed like forever, Lucas Ignatio then went out again, this time locking the door behind him. He had a very strange walk that Sera reminded of a penguin.

Nang isinara na rin ng lalaki ang gate ay agad itong pumunta sa kaniyang Porsche, caressing it with a proud expression before clicking on the car key and slinking himself into the driver's seat.

"Here we go," Sera breathed in excitement as she buckled her seatbelt.

Hinayaan niya munang makaandar ang sasakyan ng ilang kilometro bago sinundan ito.

---

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Queenie had woken up with a start as soon as she had heard the faint beeping sound that seemed to be coming from below.

"Shit!" Sambit nito, slapping her forehead with her hand when she realized she had slept in.

Blinking her eyes rapidly, agad na ginising nito ang kaniyang sarili as she stood up in a daze. Kunot-noong napatingin ito sa may baybay kung saan nanggagaling ang tunog.

There below by the bay, she could see a truck backing up, flashes of its red backlight glowing in the sand.

"Tigil!" A man, who was guiding the driver, shouted, hitting the truck's rear end just as the vehicle had come to a stop.

"Asan na sina kuya?" Queenie mumbled, trying to see where the fishermen she had seen earlier had gone off. Ngunit hindi na niya masilayan ang barko ng mga mangingisida sa dagat.

It was either they had fished too far away, or they had already gotten home.

"Tara na tol. Baka maabutan pa tayo ng araw." The man guiding the truck said to the truck driver who has stepped down from the vehicle. Both the men's faces were undistinguishable from where Queenie stood, but she was sure not to let them out of her sight.

"Sana kamo may makuwha pa tayo. Yung huling kuwha natin pang isang buwan nalang 'yon eh." Responde nung truck driver. By now, Queenie could see that the two were wearing diving suits, snorkels, and swimming fins.

"What in th-??"

Nagulat ang dalaga nang biglang sumisid sa tubig ang dalawang lalaki, visibly confused as to what was happening.

Quickly, Queenie crouched down by the edge of the hill. She brought out her phone, waiting for any of the men to emerge and document what they were doing. Hindi man alam ng dalaga kung anong ginagawa nila, ay sigurado ito na hindi akma ang ganitong oras para sa swimming.

They were clearly up to something.

After a few minutes of waiting, one of the men had rose from the water bringing... something.

Queenie watched the man curiously as he opened the truck's doors, swinging the loot in his hands into the container before going back to the water.

As soon as he was back in the sea, Queenie's heart was pounding fast. If she wanted to see what they were harvesting from the sea, she needed to act soon.

With a headstart, the curly-haired girl took the risk and ran down the beach towards the truck.

Hingal itong tumakbo papunta sa likuran ng sasakyan, where its doors were left wide open for everyone to see.

With her heart in her throat, Queenie let out a gasp when she saw what the man had placed inside.

"Squids." She whispered, thrilled that her lead was going somewhere, before suddenly realizing the illicit affair that was currently happening.

"These two men are illegally fishing cephalopods." Bulong nito.

She then stared at the truck agape, when suddenly, she could hear a crash from the sea's waves. Mayroong aahon.

As quick as a fox, Queenie immediately took a photo of the squids before glancing around nervously, trying to look for a place to hide.

"Fuck," she whispered anxiously, not knowing where to conceal herself.

There was another splashing sound, and Queenie let out a helpless squeak before crouching down and hiding underneath the truck - letting the shadows conceal her as one of the men rose from the waters, heading right towards the vehicle.

---

NOTE: Hi sleuths! This chapter was chock-full of Leigh Bardugo's "Six of Crows" references, sorry not sorry! The Campus Sleuths are heavily inspired from the Crows anyway, wink wink.

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