"Uhmm — guys we don't have any more food stocks." Andy glared at their refrigerator, "I'm hungry again because of that box. Ugh, it makes me want to throw up just by thinking of it." She blurted as if to disgorge anything from her mouth.
"I'm sorry, I didn't stock up because Grandma's out of town, on vacation with Ken's Grandma." Li replied, still eyes on her laptop, "But anyways, I'm glad with the box maybe we can find some more info about our parent's pasts." She refers to the three of them; Jim and Aris.
"Can we talk about that later? Food should be prioritize at this moment." Andy sighed. Starved.
"Let's go to the grocery store, then." Jim asked, "Who's coming with me?"
"Me!" Aris immediately raised her hand.
"I'll just list what you need to buy." Ani Andy.
Li suddenly stood up, "Before I forget, I'm going to Kelly's house." At the same time she looks at Jim shrugging her shoulders.
"Let's go, Aris!"
"Wait, guys.." Li exclaimed and the two turned to face her, ". .You need this tear gas." As she handed the two a small shaped hotdog, "I'm not sure if that's effective. I just did it last night but if something happens, it may help you. I have this bad feeling."
Jim nodded and put it in her purse, "Let's bring gadgets, Aris, don't forget. Camera?"
"Check. Ear speaker, Jim?"
"Check. Video recorder." At once she put the heart -shaped pink object, "Check."
"I'll drive." Volunteered Aris.
"Ok sure, partner-in-crime." Jim winked.
They are aware that every time an errand is in favor, they understand each other better, so they are called partners-in-crime among their clique. Jim's athletic instincts is a great advantage to their sleuth works.
"Don't forget the last list." Andy reached for the shopping list.
As the two were about to enter the nearby convenient store --- coffee shop as well, they were greeted with judgmental looks as they looked at the newspaper over and over again, talking indiscreetly. They were watched as if they were criminals who had just got of of behind the bars. All eyes are asking about their secrets.
When she couldn't stand it anymore, Aris confronted them, "So what if we're the ones in the headline?" She looked at them with raised eyebrows and akimbo.
"Did you really solve a murder case at the Ferrers' mansion?" Asked a man at the counter.
"Why are you still asking?" Aris asked coldly, "What's in the newspaper, that's the truth."
"It's unbelievable that teenagers like you can solve a case."
"So, Shinichi was able to do that?" Aris replied.
"That's enough, Aris." Jim scolded her friend, she faced the middle-aged people, "Yes, we did that because we can do that. And we're proud of that. So, if you need help we are willing to do so." She grinned.
"Jim ?!" Aris whispered, "What are you saying, maybe they are enemies?"
"They are not S. We need to solve some more to create an explosion for the information we're huntin ----"
"Locsin? Evangelista?" In sync they turned to the one calling out their name, "It is you!" The woman enthused. Her auburn hair was tied into a ponytail that satisfies her slenderness.
It was their teacher in elementary that it happened to be their CIA trainer and undercover cop. It is noticeable for her Russian accent. They were under her advisory. And the only one who knows their little secrets. She greeted them, excitedly.
"Teacher Magiee." Both greeted at the same time.
"What are you doing here in this situation?" Her voice shifted in a very calm tone as they approached a stool.
"We're on a grocery time." Aris replied, "I won't be surprised how you found out about us."
"Well, you know. Technologies can do everything." She flipped her hair.
"Yeah. But, Teacher Magiee." Jim came a little closer to say, "Do you have a lead on Daylan Iskilovishka?"
Jim refers to the most wanted criminal in the world. He allegedly escaped a year ago. They solved this case year ago three days after the massacre that took place in a small village and found out that Daylan Iskilovishka was the mastermind and found out that he was a member of the Amaphe Organization. He confessed a lot of names about who its members are and what their plans are. He is only ordered to kill the people on the list given to him four years ago of what he does. And that case files were robbed after one month of investigating. No one knows who stole those documents. Now, Amaphe's name became clean at that time because Daylan did not speak until the time he escaped and never heard anything about his case. Teacher Magiee was assigned to this case with her partner Mr. Arregalo (45 years old).
"Nothing yet. But the document about Amaphe's secret works was reportedly held by a member of the A organization who lives here. That's my job now. To find out who is the man."
"That's why you're here."
"Ahuh."
"That's good. But what are you doing here in the store?" Aris asked confused to change the topic and avoid any suspicious matter.
She shrugged, "I heard that a house was robbed near here, and the thing is the former hideout of some local Amaphe members. So we're speculating that the documents might have been stolen. And I'm hungry so I bought a snack first and there I met you two. Where are the others by the way? " Then she chewed her food.
No one knows Teacher Magiee is a member of the CIA even the Police Departments. They have a secret lair for investigation. She's been doing undercover missions.
"Some works." Jim's only response was, "All right, Teacher Magiee, we'll get the items first."
"Sure-sure. We're leaving too ---"
"AAAAAAAHHHH!"
"What's that ?" Instant reaction of the two friends.
Aris searched for a woman's cry and there they found her outside the bathroom. It was pale with sweat and its face was terrified. They knew it was one of the saleslady because of the uniform she was wearing. They followed her gaze and opened the door wider. They were greeted by a woman bent over the closed toilet bowl as if sleeping on the table. Her wrist was bloody while holding a pair of scissors near her head.
Aris touched her neck to check her pulse, "It's too late. Based on the change in her hands and color she's been dead for about three minutes due to loss of blood in her wrist."
"Was the door open when you opened it?" Teacher Magiee asked while the two were busy investigating taking her some pictures in a every angle.
The woman nodded, "Someone was complaining that the door was locked so I opened it with master key but I had a hard time when I first pushed the door."
"Who is the customer complaining?" Mr. Arregalo's second question.
"Ahh, he is." The saleslady once pointed out to a man that they were looking at it.
"Chace?" The two friends said together.
"Mr.Sarmiento." Mr.Arregalo breathed Chace's namae.
"Oh, what a coincidence ladies? Mr.Arregalo?" He pretended he was surprised.
"What are you doing in this place?" Jim asked hands on her waist. "Been seeing you a lot everywhere. Everytime there's a crime scene. Are you following me? I'm sick of seeing your sh*t fac--"
"I have an appointment here." Chace interrupted with disappointment in his face, he pointed the direction to the two businessmen in front of him, "And I need to pee but this ---" He shrugged indicating the incident. He addressed his companions, "Mr. Hakuichi, can we talk this project tomorrow? As you can see there's something a little bit inconvenient here."
Jim stayed quite as she realized she cursed out at Chace and disrespected his meeting. How stupid she was believing Chace is still into her. "No, it's not about that." She told herself. She just doesn't want Chace get involved and put him in danger.
"Sure, sure, Mr.Sarmiento, we truly understand. As for these detectives in the headline are going to investigate, I assume." Mr. Hakuichi, a Japanese entrepreneur of the Hoyokashi Holdings, said Jim and Aris, "I'm looking forward to your service in our community. I'll be glad if you accept our offer." He presented a calling card.
"Nice meeting you, Mr.Hakuichi. Oboe yasui yo ni, watashitachiha Haido de mae ni atta to omoimasu." Jim replied. [I remember we met before in Haido.]
"A, Anata wa ryucho ni nihongo o hanasu koto ga dekimasu. Hai, watashi wa misuta itukashi to oboete imasu." [You're good at speaking Japanese. Yes, I remember you.] "Anata wa watashinotomodachi no Leila to Jack no musumedesu yo ne?" [You are the daughter of my friends, Leila and Jack, right?]
"Hai." She smiled, "Saki ni batō shite sumimasen, sore wa watashi ni totte shitsureideshita, Hakuichi-san. Cheisu to watashiniha rekishi ga arimasu." She giggled and Mr. Hakuichi chortled, "I'm looking forward to meet you again." [I'm sorry to curse you earlier, it was rude of me, Mr. Hakuichi. Chase and I have a history.]
"It's alright. Just always be careful on every journey you are going."
The two businessmen left after they shook hands. Chace turned to Jim and stared at her.
"What were you two talking about huh? Where did you learn Japanese? How fluent of you. You never cease to amaze me, babe."
She rolled her eyes and walked away from the man.
"Couldn't that woman have committed suicide?"
They glanced at the saleslady as she stared into the bathroom. Aris closed the door so that there would be no commotion.
"Jim."
"What's going on here? I need to pee, Miss. What are you shouting about?" Asked the middle-aged woman, irritatingly.
"I'm sorry for the trouble, something bad just happened." Jim replied, patiently.
"Bea, call the police." The manager orders when the saleslady tells what happened.
"Huh? Police? Why? What's going on here, Miss?" The woman asked curiously again.
"Can everyone come out?" Announced the manager, "Sorry for today."
"Jim, don't you think it's strange? Why do I feel it's not a suicide?" Aris asked after she got out from the cubicle.
"I have to call the others." Said Jim dialing on her phone.
Meanwhile. . .
"Yes?"
[Greg. Looks like we'll have some delays, something happened here in the store. A woman committed suicide.]
"What ?!"
[Yeah. How's Li's investigation?]
"Not back yet. Can you call her?"
[Can't call her. Your investigation?]
"Nothing new. There's also no news of a resident missing or dying so we can't find out whose finger was that."
[Did you block our video? Do you know who owns the memory card?]
"Not yet. But I have other news, it's about Kevin Jackies. His ID was found near a corner."
[Any dry blood?]
"No further trace."
[And his novels?]
"We don't have info. We can't access databases."
[* background* Jim, the deceased woman's name is Linda Polaris, a consultant. Only her ID is here and the receipt she bought here.]
"Looks like you need to investigate first. Call you later *call ended *. Andrea, something came up at the store. What's up? Did you see any information?"
"I saw a video as I dug deeper. It looks like his last video because of the date." She clicked the play button, "I think it's something important because of the position of the angle of his video cam."
"Thank you for finding this video. I have no time so listen carefully. Someone's shadowing me for the past seven days. It was started when I saw something I shouldn't have seen. They threatened me. It's about them, it's about their evil plans, their darkest secrets so whoever you are please find this book I wrote within six days, if error occurred please bear with it. Time is running, you have to hurry or else --- "
It was cut off. The two friends leaned forward at the same time. They realized they have been holding their breaths as they watched the video.
"Guys! Guys! There's a result in the shoe." Ken called Greg and Andy who immediately approached, "The shoe belongs to Brooke Esqueza but the fingerprint didn't match the identity."
"What?" Simultaneous question of the two.
"Yes, Brooke Esqueza is an American highly paid model here in the Philippines today."
"What is the connection of the finger and the owner of this shoes?" Greg asked.
"Maybe it's a clue of S." Andy's comment.
"Possible."
"We need to dig more."
Then. . .
"Aris, look!" Jim said, "The scissors."
"It's not like that if someone commits suicide, is it?"
"So, you mean this is a murder?" Chace asked.
They looked away when they heard the voice of the police. It's a good thing it's not Inspector Eletera. He's new and a hunk one. But it doesn't matter how he looks like. He was too handsome to be a policeman and looked like a model. His eyes are seductive. Its too mesmerizing when gaze at it.
"Miss Locsin and Miss Evangelista." His voice sounds commanding when he saw them.
It's no surprised to them anymore if he knows them. Where could Inspector Eletera be? Why is this young man here instead of the old man?
"Are you new?" Jim asked.
"Yes. I'm Detective Gomez." At the same time he showed his ID, "I am the new team member of Inspector Eletera."
"Nice to meet you, then." She approached her hand for a shake-hands. She smiled, prettily that Chace pulled their hands away at each other.
"What is the name of the victim?" Detective Gomez asked and sat on the crime scene to look closely.
"Linda Polaris. The victim was 30 minutes dead when saleslady Bea Amerson saw her." Aris replied, "We find it a murder case."
"Wait!" He's trying to sink in the words, "What? Murder? And how can you be so sure, Miss Locsin?"
"The position of the scissors, her hands and the blood stain." Aris simply replied, "Usually when you scan something or shave or even use it for suicide, the scissors must be split."
"He's right, Detective Gomez." His fellow detective agreed, "That's what we do when I want to separate something, like scotch tape in a box, the sharp part of the scissors we use like the position of the knife."
Detective Gomez looked at the scissors and the victim's grip, it's closed and the way it was being held is strange.
"In terms of the blood stain, there is no trace in her hand holding the scissors." Jim added, "It only means one thing, someone committed the crime."
"Now, you're thinking it's a murder case just because of what you're saying?"
"Yeah."
"You only see it in the manga or you just read in the book. This is reality, Miss Locsin."
"Are you saying we have a brain problem huh? That we are losing our consciousness between reality and fantasy?"
"Whoah, whoah, chill, Aris." Chace groaned. He addressed the detective, "I think you still don't trust them."
"I need to know who came in here 37 minutes ago, Miss Bea Amerson." Jim ordered the saleslady, "My friend is right, this is a murder case. "
"If so, what's the motive? Any speculation?" Detective Gomez challenged the young ladies.
"This is the one who went to the bathroom 37 minutes ago." The saleslady said, "I asked who used the toilet at the time."
"May I ask what you're doing in CR between 8: 22-8: 52 and a few minutes you're inside." Interrogated the detective.
Name: Gina Arevalo
Age: 46
Occupation: Social Worker
"I felt dizzy so I entered the CR at those times that I thought I would throw up what I ate." It looked at the back of the detective, "D-did someone die?"
"We will investigate further."
"Should the killer be caught already?"
Synchronously, the two friends looked at what the woman by what she just said. The key of proving it is a murder.
"It's her." Jim said in her mind, "I'm sure she killed the victim, how come she know there was a murder going on, she could've said it was suicide but I don't know how she did it without being seen. She had an alibi, she's been smoking before we entered, and she just finished based on her lips. But she's been talking on the phone before. And what's her connection to the victim, though?"
Jim remembers when they went inside, she saw her shopping for items with her hands shaking. They listened to the explanation of the other two suspects. The second entry identified as Olive Kagatan, 28 years old and a pre-school teacher, said she was urinating for PT which her fiancé was looking forward to outside the CR. The last person to enter, known as Andrew Sulis, 35 years of age, just urinated inside.
"How many minutes have you been inside?"
"Maybe I was in about five minutes, because someone called me about a party." Andrew Sulis replied.
"Me? Maybe I'm only inside for three minutes." Olive's story.
"I was also inside for about three minutes." Gina replied.
"Say, Mr.Sulis, are you a sculptor?" Aris commented, rubbing the calluses on the man's hands, "I know you're doing heavy sculpturing because your calluses are so thick. There's no denying that you can also carve on someone's wrist."
The man immediately withdrew his hands. He was surprised when Aris said that Detective Gomez stopped talking to his fellow detective.
"Are you saying I killed that woman? I don't even know her. And should only a sculptor have a callus on his hand?"
"Because your scars are from the strip of wood you've carved and the callus in the middle of your thumb and pointer is thick because of the position you hold the chisel in. It was just my assumption." She showed her cute smile, "Anyway, does anyone know who the victim is?"
The three shook their heads at Aris' question. Jim approached the victim again while Aris looked at the photos they took. Detective Gomez is still questioning the suspects.
"Guys, are you sure about this?" Chace asked in a whisper from the doorway while Jim is inside looking for something.
"There's no doubt it's murder but I have no evidence to prove she's the one who did the crime. I need to find that thing."
"What thing?"
"I can't explain." After she wore gloves Jim carefully examined the victim's hand, "Strange, where's her wedding ring?"
"Wedding ring?" Chace asked crookedly.
"There's a ring mark left on her ring finger." She showed Chace the finger, "And the line in her pulse. It's just one line but it has a big impact on the blood vessel of her wrist pulse." She looked at the victim's receipt, "If the offender's motive was a ring why didn't he also include the victim's other jewelries which were also gold? Moreover, why did he only have ID and a receipt? And the last one, I'm sure she knew who did it because there's no sign that she's struggling in the hands of the murderer. "
Aris took it and read, "Thermometer? And a dropper? Is there such a thing here?"
"We don't sell anything like that here." Bea replied, "I also didn't notice the victim coming in and choosing what to buy. Maybe when she entered she went straight to CR while I was talking to a customer earlier."
"Did you notice this woman too?" Chace asked the other saleslady.
"I didn't notice that woman but I noticed someone running to the CR like she was in a hurry but she wasn't wearing that." Saleslady 2.
"Wearing something else?" Aris asked again.
"Yes. But I'm not saying she's the one running. Maybe I just saw other people. There are a lot of customers who come in and hurry. But her shoes are the same."
"How did she happen to be wearing something different?" Aris asked herself.
"Hara, let's get out of there."
"It's true what I saw, she's the woman running I bumped into."
"You didn't mean that ---"
Aris approached them stopping what the woman was supposed to say, she sat to match a five-year-old girl, "What did you say baby girl?"
"She's the woman I bumped into when she ran in, I was playing paper airplane. She even said 'I'm sorry kid, I'm in a hurry, do you know where the CR is?' Then I pointed the direction, she left and my toy is gone. "
"Did you see the face, kid?"
Jim rummaged in the woman's pocket, "If Aris and I are right, the paper should be here. Huh? It's not here?" She looked at the receipt that Chace was now holding, "Didn't the victim and the killer change clothes? To Gina?" She turned her gaze to Gina Revelo, "Then? Where's the victim's clothes?"
The girl shook her head, "She has a face mask."
"Uhmm ---" Aris approached the child's ear and seemed to whisper something.
"Yes. You're right. How did you know?"
"Thanks, kid but I'll tell you later, everyone will know too."
Jim and Aris immediately ran out of the store and seemed to be looking for something on the ground where there were many cigarette butts.
"Sir, we found this piece out of the trash can." Detective Gomez's companion reached for the zip-lock bag with only a small glass, "It looks like a piece of a broken thermometer based on the red mark."
Detective Gomez glared at it, "It's a thermometer. Find another crystal and the dropper."
"No need." Aris and Jim said together when they entered.
Asking that they were looked at by homicide teams and others there. As well as three suspects.
"Can we leave now? I'm going to a party." The man asked and looked at his watch.
"'Don't tell me you've solved this case?' Detective Gomez asked with an unbelievable face.
"That's right, Detective Gomez." Both at once, the two young detectives replied with a grin in their faces.
The handsome Detective gulped showing the movement of his Adam's apple. Aris and Jim were slipping away for awhile if it wasn't Chace that blocked the view. They brought themselves back to their purpose.
"Well, Detective if you allow us to elaborate everything." Aris.