Kujo’s POV
“I know who killed Sophia.” She gave me that smile again. Her smile of victory.
“What? – Who?” I was so eager to know myself.
I was shocked. Victorique, the famous detective. Ganun kadali? But I shouldn’t ever underestimate her. After all, she’s a genius. And there she is, smiling for another victorious case. She wrote something in a paper and hid it inside the folder of Sophia.
“Let’s go.” Sabi niya. “I’m excited.”
And so we did. Pero hindi niya sinabi sa akin kung sino. Hindi ko rin alam san kami papunta. But then, pano niya nalaman san kami pupunta? Did she happen to know this person? Kilala ba niya dati pa? Nakakalito. But even so, I did not say anything. I just waited for us to stop while Grevil was on the wheels.
Minutes passed and we were already entering a subdivision. Subdivision 4? 5? I don’t know. It wasn’t familiar to me at all.
“Malapit na tayo.” Biglang sabi ni Grevil. Victorique looked at him as if she was expecting him to say so.
Lumingon ako sa paligid. “Teka…”
Once again, napangiti si Victorique habang nakaharap sa bintana ng kotse. Familiar na sa akin ang lugar. We were at Subdivision 7. At hindi ito ang first time na nagpunta kami dito. Ilang segundo pa ay hininto na ni Grevil ang sasakyan. We stopped by the house of no stranger.
Bumaba na kami.
“Vic—“ napahinto ako. Hanggang ngayon ay naguguluhan pa rin. Akala ko ba pupuntahan namin ang criminal?
“Ano ba ginagawa natin dito?” tanong ko.
“May kakamustahin lang tayo.” Mahinang sagot ni Victorique. Unti unti nanamang puminta ang ngiti sa kanyang mukha. Kahit hindi ko maintindihan, sumunod pa rin ako. Kumatok si Grevil at lumantad ang mukha ng papa ni Sophia.
Yap. Di nga ako nagkakamali, bahay nga nila to.
“Ah—detective! Pasok kayo.” Nilakihan niya ang pagkakabukas ng pinto at pumasok na kami. Ang tahimik sa loob at tila walang tao kundi siya lamang. Inasistahan niya kami papuntang kusina at doon pina-upo. Inalis niya ang mga nakalapat na dyaryo sa lamesa at umupo rin.
“Anong maipaglilingkod ko sainyo?” tanong niya. “Ay. Ano pala gusto niyo? Juice? O ano?”
“Gusto ka lang namin kamustahin, Mr. Takeda.” Sagot ni Victorique.
Mr. Takeda?
Nikki Takeda?
Victorique’s POV
“Nikki Takeda…”. Nabaling ang aking attention sa isang article. “Age of fourteen was found dead in Subdivision 7. Her body was found naked with 47 stabs and was hardly taped on a post near their house. There were no witnesses and as the locals say, they didn’t hear screams that night. When they woke up in the morning that was when they saw the body….”
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“Gusto lang kita kamustahin, Mr. Takeda.” Sabi ko.
“Anong ibig sabihin mo?” tumayo siya at binuksan ang isang drawer. “Juice?”
“Ikaw? – Ikaw ang pumatay kay Sophia?!” biglang sigaw ni Kujo.
“Kujo!”
Tumawa lang naman si Mr. Takeda. “Ano?! Nakakatawa naman kayo.”
He still kept his eyes on us. And his ways of acting weird made me conclude that he was up to something. I guess this was my wrong move. I should have got some police. But either way, I didn’t trust them. So why should I? If Mr. Takeda’s case was neglected, then I’m sure he has something inside.
“Ikaw?” biglang tumayo si Kujo at umaksyong lapitan siya.
“Kujo!” sigaw ko. “Don’t.”
. Lumingon siya sakin ngunit nagtangka pa ring lapitan siya.
“Kujo! – I said don’t!”
For that moment, I felt my temperature rose up. Galit ako kase alam kong may masamang balak sa amin si Mr. Takeda. I knew that even before we went inside their house. We were dealing with a killer anyway. And I wouldn’t want my partner be killed because of my stupidity. He had been there for me all the time.
“Don’t.” ulit kong utos.
Biglang natahimik ang paligid. Umupo na din ulit si Kujo. Pero nakatayo pa rin si Mr. Takeda.
“So tell me Mr Takeda, why?”
“Pinagbibintangan niyo ba talaga ako?” sagot niya. “Satingin niyo ba mapapatay ko aking mga anak?”
“Yes.” Kalma lang ako. Halata namang kinakabahan na siya. In which, he should be. We got him cornered. I guess he didn’t expect that. I tapped Grevil’s knees. He responded as if he knew what to do.
I wanted him to contact the police.
“Talaga?”
“Yes, Mr. Takeda.” Sagot ko. “You killed Sophia. You killed Nikka. – Your own two daughters.”
“You were convicted years before. Someone told the police that it was you. “ I continued. “But then your case got neglected. They lacked evidence to say that you were the killer. That’s why you killed Sophia, diba? You took the chance that someone was after you daughter. You wanted your name clean. Of course they wouldn’t think it’s you.”
“Mga tanga sila.” Sabi niya. “Tanga!”
Biglang siyang lumapit at ibinandera ang kutsilyo nyang dala. “Pati kayo. Mga tanga kayo sa pagpunta dito!”
I knew he was up to something. Umaksyon siyang saktan kami.
Wrong move.
Biglang tumayo si Grevil at hinatak ang kamay niya. His knife landed on the table. Now he was a captive of my brother.
“Wrong move.” Sabi ni Grevil. “You don’t mess with the de Bloise, mister.”
“You were weak, Mr. Takeda.” Wika ko. “Weak. -- you way of killing tells so.”
Nagpumiglas siyang makawala. “I…I….”
“So I’ll ask you again, why? Why did you kill Nikka?”
Hindi siya sumagot. Ilang segundo pa ay narinig ko ang mga sasakyan sa labas.
“I guess this is the end for you, Mr. Takeda.”
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Plan ko po gumawa ng one shots. Ganito pa rin. "Detective Victorique" ang title. Okay ba? Asking for your opinions. ^-^
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