10:27 pm.
Same date.
Same place.
Ludwig Pagano
THE BEST WAY TO MAKE SOMEONE CONFESS IS TO STIR UP THEIR EMOTION OR SPITE THEM. SAME GOES FOR IRRITATING SOMEONE.
What am I doing to Misis Mary Ytrivo?
Am I making her confess? Not really.
Am I irritating her?
Definitely.
I'm bored. I'm weird. Bakit ba?
"Then you must be after the money. As far as I know, a soldier's retirement fee costs several millions of ruso," young master Laurist suggested and little Wagner and I nodded.
Looks like these two already knows my plan. What a great teammates!
Now we just need to pull this through and the culprit will reveal him/herself.
So am I saying that Misis Ytrivo is the culprit? Maybe yes, maybe no. I don't know hahaha!
"My mother will never kill dad just for the sake of money!" Wilson shouted at the top of his lungs. He then pointed his fingers to us. "Detectives ba talaga kayo? Kung, oo! Wala kayong kwenta! Kanina ni'yo pa pinagbibintangan si mommy pero wala naman kayong nilalabas na ebidensya!"
And how do you even expect us to provide evidence when there isn't any?
I found an evidence but it hasn't used yet. It can't be used as an evidence for murder. Not yet.
One more thing. They weren't very honest during the interrogation.
Alexander F. Ytrivo. 73. Retired NAVY soldier. A healthy old man. Just got discharged yesterday due to diarrhea.
Retired NAVY soldier: has a fat bank account.
Healthy: he wouldn't die because of sudden heart attack.
1. He was eating a cake and drinking a coffee.
2. They weren't into intense argument earlier. They weren't too loud either.
Mary G. Ytrivo. 56. Housewife. She was with him all the time.
1. Alexander trusts her.
2. She has every opportunity to pour the poison.
Wilson. 24. Still a college student. He met them here.
Still a college student: not a diligent student at all.
Lukas Ytrivo. 27. A college professor. He met them here too.
A college professor: sana all
Those are the only information I've got from them. They did not even tell me that she is a second wife. That's why I need to adjust the plot.
"Then when you claimed your mother's innocence, do you have any evidence?" retorted by young master Laurist. He sure knows how to twist words too, huh. Or he's just plainly sarcastic hahaha.
"I—"
"Don't forget that you're still a suspect," little Wagner added.
Do they even need me here? I know little Wagner already knows the cause of death. The poison used, to be specific but how about this young master?
"If it wasn't Misis Mary Ytrivo. Then based on the logic of money, could it be you, Mister Wilson?" I said redirecting the plot into another level.
Since he trusted his mother too much, let me make him feel how is it to be blamed.
"Wh–what? No! It wasn't me. Why would I even kill my father?" he obviously denied.
"Who knows? Maybe it was you who wanted the money," little Wagner commented.
"Impossible! Kung kailangan ko ng pera bakit ko papatayin si daddy kung pwede naman akong manghingi? Dad spoils me the most," he bragged and I saw how Lukas, the other son, snickered.
Looks like this family isn't harmonious at all. Well, obviously. Mister Alexander Ytrivo will not be a cold corpse right now if they all get along well.
"Maybe because you owed someone quite a few ruso," young master Laurist speculated.
"Your father won't give you that much. Since what you want was maybe a several hundred thousand rusos. That was really too much and you're not even as rich as this young master here." Of course, I supported my future teammate.
For all I know, isa rin siya sa nauto ng puting tela sa ilalim ng dilaw na buwan hahaha.
"Kapag patay na si Mister Ytrivo, according to the law, since your mother is legally married to him, you'll get your own share of his inheritance." Little Wagner sneered at them. He looked at them like they are all idiots who will just kill for money.
Little Wagner, we do the same. We kill to survive and our means of survival is by having money.
"Sa tagal niya sa NAVY, imposibleng barya barya lang ang laman ng bank account niya," Couver suddenly spoke his thoughts. His eyes
flickered a sense of joy. Just don't know if it is because of the thought of money or because he can now join the argument.
"Huh! Paano naman ako magkaka-utang ng ganoong kalaki?" he asked as if he was challenging us.
Just because it was a secret it doesn't mean no one knows.
"The tattoo at the back of your right ear. It's from Tresth Casino in Second Avenue, right?" I asked then grinned at him.
He unconsciously touched his ear. I saw it while I was asking him some details. It does not look suspicious at all but because I know what it means, then it suddenly became suspicious.
"Tresth Casino has this special identification among its patronage. The VIPs has red neckties which was custom made. On the otherhand, the debtors has this black tattoo. The shade depends on how much money you owed them," I carried on.
"H–how do you know about that?" He stared at me looking bewildered. I also caught the young master's interested glance.
The three of us, little Wagner, Couver and me—as professional crime enthusiast—were not oblivious to this fact. In fact, this is an illegal activity of a legal casino that is why this is kept as a secret. Even the Corps might not know about this.
"Guess."
It was me who designed that identification system for Silver when I was still there kaya wala nang nakakagulat na alam ko at ni little Wagner ang tungkol doon.
"Wi–wilson. . . did you really kill your father?" asked his mother, looking straight in his eyes.
I suppressed my laughter. Couver chuckled. Little Wagner sneered at her. While young master Laurist stared at them probably thinking of every adjective that can describe them and noun that can call them.
Wilson was so bent in defending her that he almost looked like the filial child but his mother asked this kind of question.
She doesn't trust his son. How sad.
"No! Even if I have that kind of debt, hindi ko maiisipang patayin si dad para lang doon. I know how much you love him, mom," Wilson defended himself but still showing us how filial he is.
Aww. What a great child.
"But according to the motives, ikaw ang may pinakamabigat na dahilan," Couver interrupted them.
"Hah!" He glanced at his left side then back to us. "Ako? Ako lang ba? Bakit hindi ninyo tanungin si Lukas!"
"Ngayong pinagbibintangan ka na, ipapasa mo sa'kin?" Lukas laughed. He lost all composure he has earlier as he stood and faced Wilson. "Sa ating tatlo, alam natin kung ano ang totoo. You were bragging that you were his favorite? You have the audacity to say it in front of his real son."
Lukas smirked at his stepbrother. Wilson on the otherhand, gritted his teeth. Probably hurt by the truth.
Truth hurts and reality sucks even more.
Uhm. That's why. The original son does not permit his father to remarry but the old man was so stubborn. When he remarried, a dispute arisen between the father and child.
See? They did not even mentioned this earlier. Since they did not complete the whole picture while I was interrogating so let them suffer from this endless suspicion.
"While you, second wife, didn't you married my father because of money too, did you?" He glanced at his stepmom mocking her. "Your son was in a life and death situation when my father offered you marriage in exchange of the hospital fees. If it isn't for money then what?"
"It's for my son!" Mary shouted.
"If it is for your son, you'll do everything?" I butted in.
"Yes!" she agreed without any hesitation.
"Then killing Mister Ytrivo for your son is also possible!" I grinned at them.
They all looked at me as if I'm a mad man spouting some nonsense and they aren't wrong. I'm a madman and I do spout nonsense more often because I'm a nuisance!
He crossed his arms. "Now, I badly wanted to laugh at my father. Look at these ingrates he raised! They caused his death," Lukas said giving them a spiteful shrugged.
"You said that but the last time you visited home you quarelled with dad. Kinampihan niya si mommy kaya nagalit ka. Galit ka kay daddy kasi hindi niya tinupad ang.pangako niya sa nanay mo. You almost pushed him at the stairs that day. You wished for him to die!" Wilson blew up.
"It was true. But—"
"It is possible. Since he is the one who ordered, it means he knew what coffee Alex wants. By the help of either Stavroux or Freigu, he completed his murder," I, again, speculated.
I'm enjoying this now. I want to thank that white cloth.
"Maybe he bribed either of them or maybe both to put the poison," young master Laurist added.
"Ludwig, how did it go this way?" Stavroux looked at me with a complicated look.
Sorry, Stavroux. I like how you serve me but. . . every person present in a crime scene is a possible murderer. Baka nga kami talaga 'yung pumatay, hindi lang namin alam hahaha.
"Right! He's the one who suggested this place!" Wilson agreed.
Human hypocrisy at its finest. I've lived myself watching all those hypocrisy but I don't know why it still entertains me.
The greediness. The excitement for other's destruction. The enviousness. The fakeness. The different masks. The struggles. The human nature.
The human nature that is vulnerable to all kinds of sin.
We are humans born to collect sins.
"And you sure has the guts to proclaim yourself as his favorite but you don't know this fact about him? He likes this place more than his house," Lukas leisurely said as he sat again and calmly crossed his arms.
"Mister Ytrivo owns this place before we bought it," Stavroux seconded.
"This where my father and mother met," Lukas continued.
"And you want your father to die in this memorable place?" young master Laurist babbled.
"No!" Lukas immediately denied.
"The murderer does not want to admit his crime. Paano ba 'yan? Hihintayin na lang ba natin ang mga pulis na dumating?" asked by me, Ludwig.
I'm tired of all their drama. Let's end this.
Little Wagner looked at me. I smiled. He raised a brow and I chuckled but he did not pay attention to me anymore. He searched for his phone and dialed someone.
He seemed to understand what I am trying to say.
"Hindi ba dapat kayo ang nagpapa-amin sa mga kriminal? Detective kayo!" Wilson pointed a finger to us.
Little Wagner raised his brow. Couver stared at him, amused. While I gave him my most complicated look.
Uhm. We're criminals. We, solving this case is the biggest irony right now.
"We were presenting theories but none of you want to admit for the crime."
"Dimwit. You should provide evidences too," young master Laurist scoffed at me.
"How can I? The poison has been dissolved already," I defended myself.
I feel so offended. It's not like I don't want to present evidences but rather, they are all gone.
"But the foods weren't even fully eaten yet."
"Did I say it was in this food?"
"What do you mean?"
"The meaning itself. Walang lason sa pagkain niya ngayon." I gave little Wagner a glance. "He was poisoned by a slow acting yet lethal poisoned called Polonium-210."
"Polonium-210 was discovered by scientist Marie Curie as a radioactive chemical. It is a known carcinogen. When inhaled, it causes lung cancer. When swallowed, it becomes concentrated in red blood cells, before spreading to the liver, kidneys, bone marrow, gastrointestinal tract, and the testicles or ovaries. Since only Mister Ytrivo died, it means, he swallowed it. The latter one would be the possible state of his body right now," little Wagner started explaining seriously.
If it is about poison, Wagner's knowledge would probably in the top of Silver (the mafia he belongs to).
Since I hate blood and he was my partner, he forced himself to learn how to kill people bloodlessly.
"But the effects of Polonium-210 depends on the dosage. If the right amount was taken, he can treat it slowly or he can die a year or a two after taking the poison but some diseases that directly affects internal organs is unavoidable. But if a lethal amount was taken, days is enough to take away his life without suffering from those diseases but minor symptoms like diarrhea."
"Since Polonium-210 is radioactive, one symptoms of exposure to radiation is hair loss." I pointed at Mister Ytrivo's hair.
Sa unang tingin, parang wala lang ang pagkapanot niya. Pero noong hawakan ito kanina ni little Wagner at may nasabi na buhok, I knew it was hair loss.
"His lips is unusually pale when I examined it."
"I also noticed that," young master Laurist said. Probably when they bumped into each other.
"Livor mortis hasn't activated yet so it wouldn't be because of that."
Wow! I'm so proud of my little Wagner. He totally sounded like a detective there. Sa pagkakaalala ko nabanggit niya gusto niyang maging detective noong bata siya kaya lang sa kabaligtara siya napunta. Silly.
"And you wouldn't be that pale just because of diarrhea."
"What if vomiting is also included?" I finished his introduction of Polonium-210.
"Then. . . who poisoned him?" young master Laurist asked curiously.
Natahimik na iyong tatlo sa gilid. Probably, hindi na sila makasunod.
"Ask the one who's living with him," paggaya ni little Wagner sa linya ko kanina.
Grinning, I shook my head. My little Wagner hasn't realized it yet. And so, I decided to give them a suprise.
I pulled a chair and sat facing them. "I'll tell you a surprise."
All of them stared at me intently. I giggled. Crossing my arms and legs, I gave them my prettiest smile.
"Surprise! He committed suicide!" I blurted out that gained several violent reactions.
"Punyeta."
"Eh?"
"What the shit?"
I only gave them a smile because not far from this place, I already heard the ear-piercing sound of the police sirene.
"And here comes the police. What a great timing!"
"Takbo!"