["PLAY THE KING" IS ACT TWO OF THE "PLAY" SERIES. PLEASE READ "PLAY THE QUEEN" FIRST.]
It's been four months since Priam Torres, the once unpopular president of the Elysian University Student Council, assumed office. Thanks to his chief-of-staff Cas...
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REYNARD
SALAMAT SA nangtangkang mag-access sa computer ko, mas ginanahan akong ituloy ang imbestigasyon sa pananaksak kay Priam Torres. If they thought I would be deterred, they were entirely wrong. I actually wanted to thank them because they inadvertently gave me a hint: I was onto something. Hindi ko alam kung malapit na ako o malayo pa sa katotohanan, pero ramdam kong tama ang landas na tinatahak ko.
Immediately after the incident, I reported the attempt to my editor. May security cameras sa editorial office kaya posibleng nahagip do'n ang intruder. Three years ago, wala raw naka-install na dalawang camera dito, pero dahil sa mga insidente ng nakawan ng office supplies, napagdesisyonan ng editorial board no'n na magpalagay na. Since then, instances of missing or stolen supplies had almost dropped to zero. And now, their decision was about to benefit me.
Click! Click!
"Hmmm..." Napahimas ng baba ang office manager namin habang paulit-ulit na pinanonood ang video no'ng gabing 'yon. "Walang naka-save na recording do'n sa date at time na nabanggit mo."
What?! How could that be possible? "Are you sure? Siguradong may pumasok sa office natin bandang nine o'clock! 'Yon ang nakalagay sa security log ng computer ko." Inilapag ko sa desk niya ang printed copy ng log. I prepared this document just in case they doubted me.
"Nine o'clock?" He dragged the mouse pointer at the time of the alleged crime. We saw nothing but darkness on the screen. "Wala talaga, eh. Bandang eight-thirty lumabas ng office ang huling editor dito. Siya ang nagpatay ng ilaw at nagsara ng pinto. Wala nang iba."
Maybe they tampered with my security log to mislead me about the time? "Can we check kung may ibang lumapit sa desk ko from the moment I left until the next day?"
He fast-forwarded the video. I leaned close to the monitor to keep a close eye on my desk. Pinanood ko ang sarili kong mag-type, mag-unat ng mga braso, at ilang beses na tumayo bago ko pinatay ang computer at umalis ng office. After that, none of my fellow staffers went anywhere near my desk. Strange.
"Wala talaga," ulit ng office manager. "Baka nagka-glitch sa computer mo kaya may ipinapakitang nag-access do'n ng gano'ng oras?"
I shook my head as I bit my fingernails. "Impossible. Tama ang lahat ng mga detalyeng nakalagay sa log maliban sa tatlong failed attempt."
"Bakit ba may mag-a-attempt na i-access 'yon? Meron bang importanteng file diyan sa computer mo?"
Umiling ulit ako. "I don't keep important files in a computer that can be taken away by anyone."
"Gano'n ba? Pasensiya na. I wish I could help you more."
I clicked my tongue thrice as I walked out of the office manager's cubicle. There's no way those log-in attempts were caused by a glitch in my computer. Even if that was the case, how could someone explain the grease on my mouse and keyboard? Aside from me, no one else went to my workstation.
