Chapter 4: A Deduction Farce?

LORELEI

 
BEFORE anything else, let me give you an FYI already.
Loki and I are living under one roof. Nope, don’t get the wrong idea. We are not live-in partners or a married couple.

Noong nag-transfer kasi ako rito sa Pampanga at nangailangan ako ng matutuluyan, my aunt Martha, who happened to own an apartment complex, offered me a room in Loki’s unit. Occupied na kasi halos lahat kaya hindi na niya ako ma-accommodate. Hindi rin puwede sa kanyang sariling kwarto dahil maliit lang daw ito.
At first, I was reluctant to the idea to share the unit with a man. Walang problema sa akin kung babae ang makakasama ko. Pero kung lalaki, medyo ilag ako. But Tita Martha assured me that Loki was harmless. He wouldn’t take advantage of me kahit na nasa iisang unit lang kami.

What she said was proven right. On my first day with Loki, he seemed to be extremely busy with reading cryptic messages written on sticky notes. May ilan pa ngang idinikit niya sa screen ng TV kaya hindi ako makapanood ng evening newscast o isang cliché telenobela. He was too absorbed with the codes that he barely noticed my presence.

Fast forward to today, Loki and I are still good flatmates. However, I wish that he would do the household chores sometimes. Lagi kasing ako ang nagliligpit at naghuhugas ng mga pinagkainan namin.

He might forget sometimes that I’m his flatmate, not his housekeeper.

At six in the morning, gising na kaming dalawa ni Loki. I prepared my oatmeal while he only drank two glasses of water. When I asked kung gusto niyang gawan ko rin siya ng oatmeal, he refused, saying that his brain works better in an empty stomach. Of course, he was quoting Sherlock Holmes on that line.

“Do we have a case today?” I asked as I took a spoonful of oats. I could tell that he’s working on something when he’s up this early. Usually kasi, nagigising siya ng bandang 6:30 or 7 AM.

“Someone sent our Facebook page a code,” he replied. He was still in his pajamas. “I’m trying to crack it. Do you wanna give it a try? To test your cryptography skills?”

“Pass,” I said. Cracking codes this early was not one of my morning routines. “Okay na ako sa oatmeal. Hindi ko na kailangang gawing almusal ang code na ‘yan.”

If there’s a cryptography subject in Clark High, I’m a hundred percent sure that Loki will ace that. Sa dami ba naman ng pinag-aaralan niyang code araw-araw, not to mention the months before, he is supposed to be an expert by now. He once told me that his enthusiasm for codes led him to dream of becoming a detective.

Nakarinig kami ng tatlong katok sa pinto bago ‘yon bumukas. From the doorway emerged a middle-aged woman wearing duster dress. Her eyes had that glint of shock and gladness at the same time.

When I was trying to escape from my dark past, Tita Martha took me in and let me start a new life here. My mother died early. My father was too busy with his work that he probably forgot that he has a daughter. No one else was there to comfort me except for her.

Thanks to her, I crossed paths with the eccentric Loki. Maybe I would have also met him in Clark High, but our level of interaction might have been entirely different.

“Lorie, Loki!” she called us with brimming enthusiasm. Iwinawagayway niya ang dyaryo sa harap namin. “Nakita n’yo na ba ang balita sa local newspaper natin?”

“I’m too busy with the code and too ignorant to listen to gossip,” Loki said without shooting a glance at my aunt. Pero kapag may kasong nakakuha naman ng atensyon niya, he tends to pay less attention to everyone around him. “What scandalous headline do they have on the front page today?”

“Nasa front page kayo!”

Halos maibuga ko ang kinakaing oatmeal. I had to wipe my mouth and put down my bowl of oatmeal. Nagawi naman ang tingin ni Loki sa direksyon ni Tita, may halong pagtataka.

Loki stood from his throne and grabbed the newspaper from my aunt. Lumapit ako sa kanya upang makita kung totoo ang mga sinabi niya. Napanganga na lang ako nang makita ito.

HIGH SCHOOL STUDES FIND MISSING KID

And there was a candid shot of us discussing the case as the banner photo.

“‘Di ko alam na mga celebrity na pala kayo!” Todo ang ngiti ni Tita Martha at napapapalakpak pa na parang tumama sa lotto. “Kailangan ko na bang mag-expect na may mga reporter na pupunta rito sa apartment para interview-hin kayo? Naku, kailangan maging malinis ang paligid!”

“This is just a five minutes of fame.” Unimpressed, Loki gave back the newspaper to my aunt. “I knew that Mr. Romualdez is a filthy rich man, that’s why his own brother thought of kidnapping his child. But I never thought he would have contacts in the local press.”

“Maybe this is his other way of saying ‘thank you,’ aside from that commission fee,” I said. We are a detective club, but we do not generally accept money in exchange for solving a case. A simple token of gratitude is enough already. If the client insists of giving something, then we accept it.

“Mag-aayos na ako para kapag may dumating na reporter ay maganda akong tingnan!” Lumabas na si Tita Martha mula sa aming unit habang nagha-hum ng isang tune na pang-80’s pa siguro.

Was she joking about the preparation or was she really expecting na may pupunta rito?

Pero mukhang malabo namang mangyari ang nabanggit ni Tita. I better prepare na for school. Nagsimula na akong humakbang patungo sa kitchen sink nang mapahinto ako.

A thought popped into my head. “Oh!”

“You had an epiphany?” Loki asked. I could feel his gaze.

“Na-realize ko lang,” I began as I turned around. “Dahil na-publish sa local newspaper ang mga mukha natin, students who saw the front page would be dying to meet us.”

Nagkatitigan kami ni Loki at agad na tila nagkaintindihan.

“Oh, crap,” he muttered, staring blankly at the wall. Then he slapped the lid of his laptop down. “The last thing I want today is unwanted attention.”

“We should brace for it,” I advised him before pulling a towel from the rack.

And what I feared has turned into reality. Sabay kaming pumasok sa Clark High nitong umaga. Habang naglalakad kami patungo sa high school building, may mga estudyanteng napapatingin sa amin at napapabulong. We saw one student holding a copy of our local newspaper and pointing at us.

“Here we go,” Loki whispered, clicking his tongue. He tried to pretend to not notice these curious students by averting his gaze.

This is one of the moments where I wish I could disguise into another person and walk freely without pairs of eyes staring at me. We already caught the attention of our fellow schoolmates by solving on-campus cases. But this one is on a different level. To be put on the front page of a newspaper was a big thing, kahit na local lang.

We had to pretend that we are not seeing anyone, that we are not hearing them whisper, “Sila ‘yon, ‘di ba?” And believe me, it’s a constant struggle!

Dahil maaga kaming pumasok, Loki and I decided to drop by the QED clubroom. For the two of us who aren’t accustomed to the limelight, isang malaking challenge ang iwasan ang ibinabatong mga tingin na may pagtataka hanggang sa makarating kami sa aming ‘safe haven.’

Teka, hanggang sa labas ba naman ng office, may mga nakaabang na estudyante?

“Kuya, pa-selfie!”

“Ate, pa-picture!” narinig kong sigaw nila.

“I’m gonna grab their phones and throw them away,” Loki said in a low voice. He’s never been this annoyed by too much attention.

“You wanna be on the front page again tomorrow?” I whispered. He could also go viral kapag ginawa niya ‘yon. Puwedeng may kumuha ng video sa kanya at i-upload ‘yon sa social media sites. That could reach far and wide compared to the reach of local newspaper.

“So what should we do? Entertain their requests?” he asked. “Be a subject of this public embarrassment and devaluation of our worth as detectives?”

Hey, that’s too much! Having our photos taken isn’t close to devaluation. But knowing Loki, he has a messed up way of looking into things.

“Just try not to cause a scene, okay?” I reminded him.

“Mahirap na kapag may nakapag-picture o nakapagvideo na inaaway mo ang mga estudyanteng gusto lang magpakuha ng litrato sa ‘yo. They may be admiring you today, but they might be hating you tomorrow if you do that.”Loki clicked his tongue.

We almost got mobbed by the crowd outside our own office. May mga lumapit na sa amin at ini-stretch ang mga kamay nila para sa isang selfie. Sa dami ng phone na nakalabas, hindi ko alam kung saan titingin.

I quickly put on my broadest smile kahit hindi gano’n ka-sincere. And I could see Loki showing off his blank face and his refusal to submit himself to what he called public embarrassment.

Once the photo op was over, nagpasalamat ang mga estudyante at nagsialisan na rin. May iilan pa kaming nakitang papunta sa amin ngunit nagmadali na kami sa pagpasok sa clubroom.

“My God! Did you see the crowd gathered outside?” Jamie was surprisingly early today in the clubroom. She’s usually late even in the most urgent meetings. Her reason? Kailangan niyang ayusin ang makeup niya. Was she going on a date with the cases? No. Only with our lead crime solver. Malakas yata talaga ang tama niya kay Loki.

“A bunch of fools who want to inflate their ego by taking a photo of personalities and standing beside them,” Loki scoffed. He settled down on his favorite swivel chair.

The QED clubroom wasn’t that big. Parang kalahati ang size nito kumpara sa regular classroom. We only have a long table, a dusty bookshelf, and a corkboard with photos of men connected by a red thread. Students who have problems come to us every now and then.

Mayamaya, lumapit si Jamie kay Loki at hinawakan ang mukha nito gamit ang dalawa niyang kamay. “Are you okay, Loki dear? Hindi ka ba na-harass ng mga ‘yon? May kumurot ba sa ‘yo o kumalmot? Because I swear, kakalbuhin ko kapag meron.”

Wala namang reaksyon si Loki at marahang itinaboy ang mga kamay ni Jamie. “Don’t worry about me. My body is still intact. They failed to tear me limb from limb.”

“Mabuti naman!” Napahawak sa kanyang dibdib si Jamie. She’s genuinely concerned about Loki, but not once did she ask about how I was doing. Pero, hindi naman ako nagtatampo dahil nasanay na ako sa ugali niya. “Mahirap na, baka may mga oportunistang binalak kang hipuan o ano.”

I chuckled. Pagkatapos ay ibinaling ko agad sa ibang direksyon ang tingin ko kasabay ng pagtakip ng bibig.

“Hmm? Is something funny, Lorie?” Jamie knitted her eyebrows.

I bit my lower lip and shook my head. “Wala naman. Naalala ko lang ‘yong napanood kong funny video sa YouTube kagabi.”

Wasn’t she referring to herself when she was talking about opportunists? I could see the irony in her words. For the record, I don’t hate Jamie or anything. Minsan kasi, hindi ko lang maiwasan na hindi mapansin ang ginagawa niyang moves kay Loki.

Jamie rolled her eyes. “Mahilig din bang mag-buffer ang utak mo kaya delayed ang reaksyon mo sa isang funny video? You should upgrade your memory, Lorie.”

Hindi ko na siya pinatulan, baka kasi kung saan pa mapunta ang usapan. I would let her have the last word.
The awkward silence that filled the room was interrupted when we heard three knocks on the door. My friend Alistair emerged from the doorway and quickly pressed the lock. I could see a red mark on his cheek.

“I wasn’t expecting to get mobbed by a crowd of girls on my way here,” sabi ni Al na tila nakahinga na nang maluwag. Despite the ‘challenge,’ he still managed to smile.

“You have something here.” I pointed at the part where I saw the red mark.

Al took out his handkerchief and wiped it off. “I do remember someone kissing me earlier. I appreciate na namangha sila sa success natin sa pag-solve sa kidnapping case, but sometimes people go overboard.”

“I’m not surprised that girls swooned over Alistair. He’s good-looking and charming. Pretty sure their ovaries exploded upon seeing him.” Loki reclined in his seat, turning the chair from left to right. “Get used to it. We still have eight hours to endure the stares as if they want to murder us all.

“As long as they don’t touch my Loki dear, they are safe from me,” Jamie said in a sing-song tone. I could see her smiling, but behind that curve on her lips was a legit threat. “Dapat sanay na tayong nasa spotlight. We’ve been solving cases left and right at malaki talaga ang chance na may maka-discover sa atin. Malay n’yo ma-hire tayo sa isang TV project tungkol sa mga detective, ‘di ba? Don’t you like that, Loki?”

Of course, it’s easy for her to handle the limelight because she’s been there already. Prior to joining the QED Club, Jamie was an actress of the repertory theater. I haven’t watched any of the plays she’s part of since I have only transferred here this academic year. But based on the reviews, mukhang magaling na aktres naman itong si Jamie.

“I did not form the QED Club to gain fame or money.” Loki put his fingertips together.

Wala talaga sa hitsura niya ang maghabol ng kasikatan. If this detective club had a leader with ulterior motives, he might have opted to make ourselves famous.

“Solved cases are its own reward,” dagdag niya.

“Fame is a consequence of talent, isn’t it?” I asked. Hindi naman sisikat ang isang bagay kung wala itong maipagmamalaki. Students in Clark High wouldn’t have heard about us if we failed to solve cases referred to us by other students.

“But nowadays, fame is all about appearances,” Loki retorted. “Doesn’t matter if you are not that good in acting, singing or dancing, as long as you have a beautiful and marketable face, any artist agency would try to sell you.”

“Loki has a point,” Al nodded, leaning his back against the wall. “Nasasapawan ng mga—sorry for the term—less talented ang mga totoong may talent. But that’s the reality of life, I guess? After all, show business is still a business.”

Our conversation was interrupted when we heard knocks on the door. Nagkatinginan kaming apat, mentally na nagtatanong kung dapat ba naming pagbuksan ng pinto. That might be one of those students who only wanted to take a photo with us . . . or a legit client.

Ako na sana ang magbubukas pero inunahan na ako ni Al. The door swung open and a man around his early twenties entered the room. He was wearing the traditional light blue barong attire of the instructors here. His rectangular spectacles reflected the light outside the room.

Meet Professor Jim Morayta, my Math instructor. This wasn’t the first time he visited our clubroom. The first time he did, he referred to us the case of his missing student—a Math prodigy who represents our school in regional and national competitions. To cut the long case short, we found the student in an abandoned building of the campus.

“Good morning, esteemed QED Club members!” he greeted us with a hand wave. “And congratulations to your new found fame.”

“Fame is temporary, but the glory of the QED Club is forever,” Loki said with conviction. “What can we do for you, Sir? Is one of your Math students missing again?”

“They’re all present in my classes so you have nothing to worry about.” Professor Morayta smiled. I offered him a seat, but he refused. “Also, I’m not here to refer a case. I’m here to introduce someone to you.”

May pumasok na isang lalaking mataba ang pangangatawan. We could hear his deep breaths na parang tumakbo siya ng ilang kilometro. But he wasn’t sweating too much nor did he look extremely tired. His health, which I believe was not in good condition, must be affecting how he breathes.

What I noticed about his outfit was his jacket bearing the name ‘BNC-12.’ That’s one of the four biggest television stations in the country. Hindi ako madalas nakababad sa TV—thanks to Loki’s sticky notes all over the screen—pero mahilig kasing manood ng teleserye si Tita Martha sa channel na ‘yon.

At mukhang alam ko na kung ano ang sadya niya rito. I don’t have to be a deductionist to know that much.

“Tungkol ho ba ito sa kaso ng pag-kidnap sa anak ni Mr. Romualdez?” tanong ko kahit hindi pa pormal na nagpapakilala ang lalaki. Sandali siyang nahinto at napatitig sa akin.

“Ah, medyo related doon pero hindi talaga about doon,” sagot niya. “By the way, I’m Michael Batongbacal, executive producer from the number one network. You can call me Michael B.—not the comedian.” Isa-isa niya kaming kinamayan na parang politiko na kumakandidato sa eleksyon.

At first, Loki refused to shake hands with him; but I nudged him on the elbow kaya napilitan ding makipagkamay.

“I have a class to teach kaya kailangan ko nang umalis,” Professor Morayta said, glancing at his silver watch. “Kayo na muna ang bahala kay Mr. Batongbacal. You might be interested in what he has to say.” After bidding us farewell, my Math instructor left the room.

“How can we help a TV producer?” Loki asked as soon as the door closed.

“Are you familiar with the ‘Whose Deduction Show?’” tanong ni Sir Michael B. “Alam kong narinig n’yo na ang tungkol doon. Sino ba’ng detective club ang hindi pa nakaaalam tungkol sa show?”

“That popular hit series in the US?!” Jamie’s eyes sparkled with joy. “I heard about it mula sa mga classmate ko. They asked me kung napanood ko na, but I said I haven’t. I checked it out and it looked okay naman. Detectives versus detectives! That’s exciting!”

“I watched one or two episodes, but decided to drop it. I haven’t picked it up since then,” sabi ko. We’ve been solving cases in real life, so watching other people throw deductions at one another about fictional crime scenes no longer excites me.

“So it’s a show that aims to milk money for a TV station by pitting detective wannabes against each other, huh?”
Napatingin ako kay Loki. Kahit kailan talaga, walang preno ang bibig nito. He could have been more subtle in stating his opinion, but he got no chill sometimes. Or most of the time.

“Our network bought the rights to the show kaya puwede na kaming gumawa ng Filipino version ng naturang game show,” nakangiting paliwanag ng producer. Loki’s words must have stung and he was forcing a smile. “At dahil may go signal na kami mula sa management, sinimulan na naming maghanap ng mga magiging participant at mag-shoot para sa pilot episode.”

Mukhang alam ko na kung saan mapupunta ang usapan. . . .

“Are you here to recruit us? To participate in your little show?” tanong ko.

“Spot-on deduction, Lorelei,” Loki said, looking unimpressed. There’s no other reason why a producer like Sir Michael B. would go all the way to Clark High just to give us a heads up that a detective show is about to air on national TV.

“O-order lang sana ako sa isang fast-food chain nang makita ko ‘to.” Naglabas ng dyaryo si Sir Michael B. at inilapag sa aming mesa. “At first, I thought imposible na ma-solve ng mga katulad n’yong high school students ang isang kidnapping case. But I did my research and looked up on you online. Hanggang sa may nabasa akong isang blog.” Nagawi sa akin ang mga mata ng producer.

Napaiwas naman ako ng tingin. But I wasn’t ashamed of what I wrote online. I’m proud of our adventures as the QED Club. Hindi lang talaga ako sanay na may nakakapansin, lalo na ng tulad niyang producer.

“I thought, fiction lang ang nakalagay sa blog na puwedeng ilagay sa Wattpad para mabasa ng ilang teen readers,” the producer went on. “But I was wrong. Totoo palang nangyari ang mga nakasulat doon. I also asked around your school and they corroborated. Celebrity nga kayo rito sa campus.”

“Hindi naman kami mga celebrity, Sir,” sagot ni Jamie na may kasama pang pagpapa-cute. “We are just good Samaritans who want to solve the problems of others.”

“At doon ko naisip . . .” Medyo lumakas ang boses si Sir Michael B. “. . . mukhang nakita ko na ang hinahanap ko. Namomroblema lang ako kaninang paggising ko kung saan ako makahahanap ng participants, ‘tapos, dahil sa pagbili ko ng coffee ay parang nasagot na ang problema ko. Parang sinadya na—”

“Let me stop you right there.” Loki showed him his hand, cutting the producer’s words short. “We are not interested in showing up in your deduction farce. We prefer real cases, not made up ones.”

Kumunot ang noo ng producer habang kaming tatlo ay napatingin kay Loki. I can’t say na hindi ko in-expect na magiging gano’n ang sagot niya. He doesn’t like too much spotlight. He wanted to work in silence. What matters to him is closing the case. If he had his way, he wouldn’t have allowed the publication of the article on the kidnapping case.

“Loki dear, ayaw mo bang makita tayo sa national TV?” tanong ni Jamie sabay hawak sa kamay nito. “Ayaw mo bang maging sikat tayo at may mag-root para sa love team natin? Can’t you imagine the crowd chanting, ‘LoMie! LoMie!’? That’s what happens in reality shows, right? Malay mo, kunin pa tayong artista. From real to reel!”

My eyebrows furrowed. As far as I know, Jamie and Loki are not in any relationship. Jamie may like Loki, but the latter doesn’t seem to reciprocate the former’s feelings. How do I put it? Parang bato kasi ang puso nitong si Loki. He doesn’t feel emotions like most people do. One could say that he’s a robot. But he really isn’t. In rare occasions, he displays his feelings.

“Instead of wasting our time looking good on cameras and playing friends—or enemies—with the participants, we can allot that time to helping more people about their problems,” Loki explained. “Ano ba’ng mapapala natin sa pagsali d’yan?”

“National recognition and a prize of half a million pesos,” Sir Michael B. said in a nonchalant way. “Ine-expect naman namin na marami ang gustong mag-audition para sa game show na ‘to, but most of them may not be as good as you are. Gusto namin na sa pilot episode, we have the best contenders. And I believe na you would put on a good show.”

“And then you’re going to rig the game so the most popular pair or team wins, right?” Loki fired back. “Oh, don’t act like this is the first time you’ve heard of that. You people in the showbiz industry tend to favor the people’s choice, because if you don’t, the viewers would boycott your show.”

The producer chuckled. “I admit na nangyayari ang ganyan sa ibang reality shows, pero dito sa Whose Deduction Show, gusto naming mangibabaw ang authentic talent pagdating sa pagde-deduce. Ayaw naming magustuhan kayo ng viewers dahil sa hitsura n’yo o kung paano kayo makipag-interact sa mga kasama n’yo.”

“It’s still a ‘no,’” Loki said slowly. “We don’t want to be part of your charade.”

“Wait lang po! Hindi pa ‘yan ang final answer namin. Our leader just needs some convincing. Minsan talaga nagpapakipot ang mga lalaki.” Jamie held up her hand and let out a forced laugh. She then turned to me and whispered, “Lorie! Help me convince Loki dear para pumayag! Ayaw mo bang makita sa TV, huh?”

Unlike her, I wasn’t that too enthusiastic to join the deduction show. Kung anuman ang mapagdesisyon ng team, susunod naman ako. Kung gusto nilang sumali, game ako. Kung ayaw, okay lang din.

Napatingin ako kay Al na tahimik lang na nakamasid
sa amin. “Basta hindi makaka-affect sa school schedule natin ang shoot, walang problema sa akin,” sabi ko na lang.

“This might also be an opportunity para mai-promote natin ang QED Club!” Jamie insisted. “Who knows? Baka hindi na puro taga-Clark High ang maging clients natin pagkatapos ng show.”

“We do not need to beg for attention.” Loki did not budge. “We do not need any sort of promotion to attract cases. Cases usually find us anyway. With or without our participation in that farce, we would still be solving problems.”

“Uhm, excuse me?” Al broke his silence as he raised his right hand to get the attention of the producer. “You said that for the pilot episode, you want the best contenders, right? People who are good at the science of deduction?”

Sir Michael B. nodded. “Ayaw namin ng mga weak contestant. Gusto namin ‘yong kayang makipagsabayan sa mga gaya n’yo. Doon kasi magmumula ang thrill sa bawat episode. Sino ba ang mas magaling? Kaninong deduction ang mas tama?”

I darted a sidelong glance at Al. What was he trying to accomplish by asking that question? I’m pretty sure he heard the producer quite clear earlier.

Nabaling ang tingin ni Al sa nakaupong si Loki. “Do you really think that this clash of detectives is a complete waste of time?” Tila may paghahamon ang boses niya. “Or are you afraid that the other detectives might beat you in this game?”

Marahan namang napalingon sa kanya si Loki. Kung kanina’y blangko ang ekspresyon ng kanyang mukha, ngayon ay bahagyang nakakunot na ang kanyang noo.
Alistair hit Loki where it hurts the most: His pride as a detective.

“Are you saying that I’m a coward?” Loki asked.

Al shook his head. “I don’t think that you are a coward. Ayaw mo lang madungisan ang reputasyon mo kung sakaling may mas magaling na detective na makatalo sa ‘yo sa show. And that’s totally understandable. We do not want any loss in our winning streak record, do we?”

“I am a disciple of Sherlock Holmes,” Loki said firmly. “And I can beat any pretentious detective out there, if only I want to.”

“Then prove it,” Al challenged him. “Prove that a Holmes disciple can outwit the other players in the arena.”

“Al, alam mo naman ang kakayahan ni Loki bilang isang detective, ‘di ba? He has nothing to prove to anyone.” Jamie came to our club president’s defense, as expected.

Akala ko ba gusto niyang sumali kami sa deduction show? Al’s trying to bait Loki to accept the challenge. Can’t she sense that?

Natahimik si Loki nang ilang sandali. His hands gripped on the armrests of his swivel chair. If there’s one thing that Loki can’t resist, it’s a challenge to his reputation as a detective. Hindi niya hahayaang may yumurak doon. He’s too proud for that.

“Fine, we will join this detective farce.”

“Yehey!” Halos magtatalon si Jamie sa tuwa. She grabbed my hands and raised them as she cheered. Al smiled as his plan worked.

“Jamie is right.” Loki stood. “I have nothing to prove to anyone. Scratch that. We, the QED Club, have nothing to prove to anyone. But let’s show those detective wannabes who the kings and queens are in the deduction arena.”

Napapalakpak si Sir Michael B. sa kanyang narinig. “Mabuti naman at pumayag na kayo. That’s one team down already. Here’s calling my card. Sino ang puwede kong contact-in sa inyong apat?”

Ako na ang nag-volunteer. Ibinigay ko sa kanya ang aking phone number pati na ang aking email address.

“I will keep in touch.” Tumayo na si Sir Michael B. at isa-isa kaming kinamayan. We bade him farewell before he left our clubroom.

All along we thought that we were going to have fun in that deduction show. But little did we know that there’s a grander game afoot. 

#