Little Detectives

VII: Cheating With Time°Mastermind°

24-VLR'OB JXHLKD D JFPQDHB

Celeste Clementine
3:35 p.m.
Nov 24
Otw na kami sa lugar ni Janice.

"Why am I with you again?" Tanong ko kay Sky na nakatanaw sa labas. Sky is looking at Sky. Sky is staring at the Sky. Sky- know what? I'm just confusing myself. Pinaglalaruan ko lang yung mga words ko. "Cel, did you solved the code?" Tanong nya at umiling parin ako. It's not like maso-solve ko agad yun ng isang iglap. I tried using Atbash and Vigenere pero wala talaga. Kapag nai-ayos ko naman sa Ceasar's box. Nganga. Wala.

Nakita kong nilabas nya ang phone nya at tinawagan si Niño. Syempre, daig pa nila ang mag-girl friend sa sobrang closeness. Di ako magtataka kapag, nagladlad na si Sky at niligawan si Niño. Tapos, kami na lang ni Aly ang magkakatuluyan at mag-aadopt kami ng babies na kambal. Uuwi na ako. Wala na. Ginalingan na nya. Sinuot ko ang inabot sakin ni Sky na gloves na may butas sa mga daliri. Wow, this looks cool. He's still talking to Niño kaya nilingon ko na lang ang himpapawid.

"Cel!" Napatalon ako gulat nang bigla syang magsalita. Nilingon ko sya and on reflex hinampas ko sya. "Ano ba? Nagco-concentrate ako! Wag mo nga akong bwisitin." Umiling-iling naman sya at naglabas ng maliit na notebook. "Na-itry mo na ba ang Ceasar's Cipher?" Tanong nya at napaisip ako. Hindi pa, ah? Pati, it's already on Ceasar's code. Unless, I need to reverse it. But, I don't think that it will be useful. Because, Teddy only sends warnings and not clues. Hinablot ko ang notebook at papel galing sakanya at inilabas ang letter galing kay Teddy.

VLR'OB JXHLKD D JFPQDHB

I tried to write the corresponding letters in the notebook as I made a wheel. The wheel of Ceasar and wrote the letters.

Y-O-U'-R-E M-A-K-I-N-G D M-I-S-T-A-K-E

What? What?! We're making a mistake? Walang mali. Maybe, Teddy got it wrong. Yes, Teddy got it all wrong. And what's with the letter D? Did he made a mistake? Hindi ko napansin na nag-touchdown na kami sa helipad ng Ospital kung saan naka-confine si Janice. We analyzed the last victim which turned out to be Jana San Juan. Boy, her face didn't turned out to be pretty especially, with the cuts around her face.

We were about to enter nang may humarang na mga guards. Hindi ko sila pinansin. "Excuse me po, we're here to see Janice dela Rosa for an exclusive interview regarding her kidnapping case which happened weeks ago." Hindi sila natinag kaya nagbuntonghininga ako. It's not my fault. "Excuse me-" "Go home or do you want to stay here?" The man rudely asked and made a move to grab my arms. Oh no, boy. You didn't just-

Oh, he did. Sinuntok ko sya ng malakas pero, alam kong hindi yun gagana kasi napakalaki nyang tao. But imagine my shock when he held his bleeding nose! I pretend to be nonchalant and stood beside Sky who grinned. "You didn't move." Sabi ko that doesn't make an excuse. Dire-diretso kami ni Sky while wearing our school uniform. Hindi na kami nagpalit. Sayang naman. Madaming lalabhan sa manor.

Chi-neck namin ang bawat kwarto at nang nasa huli na kami ay pinigilan kami ni Tito Tupak. "Kids, hindi ba pwedeng intayin na lang natin na lumabas si Janine? Kasi, nakakaistorbo tayo sakanya." Sky shot him a look which can probably make a criminal confess a vital information about a murder case. "Mr. Martinez, as far as I remember you asked for our assistance in capturing the mastermind of this massacre. And what you're doing is just a hindrance to your success. Besides, I'm only gonna ask her a couple of questions. What's the harm in that?" Tanong ni Sky at natawa ako. Okay, I admit. Bad move. But, help is on the way.