WHOSE DEDUCTION SHOW?

EPILOGUE

Posted by Lorelei Rios
July 31, 2019 | 08:08 p.m.

THERE MUST BE A LINGERING QUESTION IN YOUR MIND: WHO WON THE DEDUCTION SHOW? THE DETECTIVE TRIUMVIRATE PLUS ONE OR THE QED CLUB?

After the police cleared the landslide on the road and arrived at the ‘Deduction Mansion,’ they arrested the murderer Arturo Cruz and brought him into custody. We, the QED Club, and the Detective Trium—ugh, bakit kasi ang haba ng team name nila?—Quadrumvirate, as well as the executive producer Michael B, were asked to come to the station. Doon kami kinunan ng statement at nag-present ng ebidensya na susuporta sa aming deductions.

Once our business with the police concluded, doon na uli nagpayabangan ang dalawang teams. I thought we were past that stage matapos naming makipag-cooperate sa isa’t isa. Sa amin, si Loki lang naman ang competitive, na lagi namang ginagatungan ni Jamie. Alistair and I were so done with the deduction show na gusto naming matulog no’ng time na ‘yon.

“We unraveled the mystery of the fake locked room and the identity of the killer.”

I remember Loki boasting our achievement as soon as we stepped out of the police station. During the investigation, he found the buried key in the dirt which led to us confirming that the writer Arturo is the culprit. And to be fair, he had every right to brag about it. Mali ang theory ni Gray na gumamit ng complicated trick ang salarin upang makapagstage ng locked room mystery.

“You only got half of the answer correct.”

Siyempre, hindi magpapatalo si Gray sa pagbubuhat ng bangko. He had a point. While we debunked the locked room mystery and got the culprit’s identity, Gray and his team figured out how Sir Arturo killed the host and made the murder weapon vanish (by letting the heater melt the frozen water in a one liter plastic bottle).

Gumatong pa ang teammate niyang si Math (na Mayabang daw, sabi ni Jeremy) at ikinumpara ang kasong ito sa isang Math problem. She said that we may have gotten the right answer, but our solution was wrong.

If we kept the debate among ourselves, there would be no clear winner. Each side would insist that we did better than the other. Without an impartial judge, the argument would go on.

Fortunately, a third party was present. Someone who witnessed our real deduction show. Someone who could give us an expert’s opinion.

The executive producer Michael B. stepped into the debate. To settle the issue once and for all. Isa naman siya dapat sa magdya-judge sa amin, kung hindi lang sana nacancel ang show. He decided to weigh in on the matter para matigil na ang bangayan ng dalawang team.

“It’s a draw”, he declared, much to everyone’s disappointment, except me, Al, and Amber who no longer cared about who won.

Nang magawi kay Amber ang tingin ko, napakibitbalikat na lang siya at napailing. I bet she also wanted the half a million peso question to be answered para matapos na ang usapan.

The reasoning behind the ‘draw’ result was simple: No one got the whole answer correct. Whole, not by part. Let’s say the solution was split into two pieces. Our team got one piece while the other got the other piece. Since no one got both pieces, there was no clear winner, hence the ‘draw.’

Or maybe, he said that para walang makaramdam ng hard feelings sa amin. Kapag sinabi niyang panalo kami, magtatampo ang kabilang team. Kapag ang kabilang team naman ang idineklarang panalo, kami naman ang magtatampo.

What happened that night was already too much for all of us. And maybe, he didn’t want to add to our burden.
Since the case was already solved and closed, there was nothing for us to discuss anymore. We were driven back to the mansion para doon na magpalipas ng gabi. I personally found it hard to sleep dahil may pinatay sa kwarto na ilang pinto ang layo mula sa tinutulugan namin. My roommates also felt the same kaya imbes na matulog, nagkuwentuhan na lang kaming apat. We talked about the cases that we solved in our respective schools. That’s an unusual topic for a girl talk, right?
Our discussion then shifted to the male members of our teams.

“Is something going on between you and Alistair?”
Nagulantang ako sa tanong ni Math at nagising ang inaantok kong kamalayan. I understood the confusion dahil nakita raw niya kaming laging magkasama, mas close ang physical proximity ko kay Al kumpara kay Loki. Wala naman akong itinatago kaya I confidently answered her question.

I explained to her that Alistair and I are childhood friends. Mas malalim ang samahan namin kaya mas close kami kung tingnan. And there’s nothing going on between us.
I sort of expected the next question that was addressed to Jamie. Math did not ask kung may namamagitan ba sa kanya at kay Loki, pero kung may gusto siya kay Loki. Dikit man nang dikit si Jamie sa aming team leader, observant people noticed that they aren’t a couple. And do you know what she answered?

“Nililigawan ko pa kasi siya, medyo nagpapakipot pa, eh.”

And they all laughed while I chuckled at the joke. Kahit yata ang babae ang manligaw kay Loki, hindi basta-basta makukuha ang malamig niyang ‘oo.’

Jamie’s turn to ask questions came dahil nakadalawa na si Math. At ang unang niyang inintriga? Si Amber kay Gray. Nothing could escape her sharp memory kaya napansin niya ang ‘chemistry’ sa dalawang member ng Triumvirate. Amber denied being in a relationship kay Gray at kahit anumang romantic involvement sa pagitan nila.

“He’s a good man, but he’s just my friend.”

Should I feel sad for Gray dahil na-friend zone siya? Well, I have no idea what his feelings are toward kay Amber.
Ang huling isinalang sa spotlight ay si Math. At ang nai-partner sa kanya ay walang iba kundi si Jeremy. Parang aso’t pusa kasi ang dalawa. And you know what they say, ‘The more you hate, the more you love.’ In response, she rolled her eyes and made a puking expression.

“Over my dead body!”

We burst into laughter. I hope na hindi narinig sa kabilang kwarto ang tawa namin. Baka natutulog na si Loki ‘tapos, biglang maalimpungatan sa ingay. He would be raising hell if someone disturbed his sleep.

Mag-a-alas-dos na ng hatinggabi nang makaramdam kami ng antok. The uneasiness that we felt when we returned to this forsaken mansion was gone already kaya makatutulog na kami nang mahimbing. We bade each other ‘good night’ at ipinikit na ang mga mata namin.

The next day, after preparing for our departure and fixing our stuff, we were driven back to the television station. The executive producer apologized many times for the inconvenience that our short trip had brought to us. Nangako siya sa amin na bibigyan niya kami ng tickets sa kanilang noontime show to make up for everything.
For the last time, the members of the QED Club and the Detective Triumvirate Plus One faced each other in front of the TV station’s gate. Nakipagkamayan kami (kahit na ayaw ni Loki no’ng una) habang kaming mga babae’y nagyakapan at nagbeso-beso pa. Nagpalitan pa nga kami ng contact number.

Of course, a farewell between two rival teams wouldn’t be complete without some parting shots.

“The next time we meet, I hope you have already changed your team’s name into something more appropriate,” Loki said. “Detective Triumvirate Plus One doesn’t roll off the tongue.”

“Remember our name, because the next time we meet . . .” Gray took a dramatic pause. “. . . the result won’t be a draw anymore.”

“You are right. We will win that match, if there’s a next one.”

“Did you know that the letter ‘L’ in QED Club means
‘loser?’”

“Did you know why there’s not a single letter ‘W’ in ‘Detective Triumvirate Plus One?’ Because you will never have a win—”

Amber and I had to drag the two away from each other. They never miss an opportunity to trade barbs.

Goodbyes were uttered, smiles were exchanged. I hope that our shortened time sow the seed of friendship that we can nurture. Who knows? Baka magkrus uli ang landas namin sa hinaharap.

Okay, I’m gonna stop writing now. Loki’s food delivery has arrived and he’s too lazy to get off the couch. I have to get it for him.

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