V. DAINTEA

Chapter 5

@Daintea | Monday, February 13, 2017 | 9 AM.

IT HAS been 1, going 2 weeks since Lucy died. And after I gave them my calling card, they didn’t even bother to call me. Well, old man mentioned that they are still hiring for another comrade who loves solving cases so I took that chance to show them what I’ve got.

My forehead creased upon hearing Tyron’s statement on the phone. “What?! You asshole! You should’ve said you can’t come so I could sleep and not waste my time here!” I yelled at him and stop in a tea shop named daintea. Witty name, huh.

“Am gonna escort you in there if old man didn’t asked for a favor,” he replied on the phone. “Then I’m going,” I responded. I heard a sound that I think he stood up. “No!” he yelled making my eyebrow raise.

“And why is that?” I queried. He became oa all of the sudden. “Since you are in a tea shop, you better buy me an Oolong Tea,” Tyron continued so I frowned in annoyance. “You asshole! You gotta pay for this, big time,” I retorted. “Whatever, hag. Bye!” before he could end the call, I ahead at him first. I rolled my eyes. I was about to walk when my phone rang.

Tyron (@sunny):

one unread message

I ignored it and blocked his messages. Even him—Tyron himself, I blocked him from sending me messages. Can he just leave me alone? Tss.

I sighed. Finally, peacefulness. This app that Tyron was using was produced by our tech team and tech team head is Tyron. This app was exclusively for ours. They published this app because oftentimes, we are having colloquies here and besides, if we used other apps, it can locate and see our whereabouts. And how about the process? There is this app store they made by themselves wherein those apps they are planning to launch in was in there. Just hit the search bar and search what you need then download it. Easy-peasy. Told yah, they are way too far in spreading evilness. They had tons of inventions and this app they produced last last year doesn’t surprise me. I expected this—technical, mechanical or electronic inventions.

I was now facing the shop’s door when my eyes caught something. It was a paper in the door.

daintea

dain·tea | \ ˈdān-tē \

dainty (n.) - something tasty to savor.

tea (n.) - a scented beverage prepared from tea leaves by sousing them in a boiling water.

welcome to daintea! there’s no doubt about it: people love tea. come and taste our teas!

Witty format, huh.

Under it, there is this word push na naka-capital lahat. I shrugged my shoulders and opened the door.

Roaming my eyes to find a seat, my phone rang. I brushed my both palm to my face in annoyance.

I gritted my teeth before answering it. “What drugs did you ate and you are keep pestering and pissing me off, huh?!” the other customers gaze me at me but the hell I care.

“Hello~” his playful voice, the one and only, Tyron.

“You know what. I’m gonna leave this tea shop if you will keep annoying me,” I warned him. “Okay! Okay! Just unblock me and I promise, no more pissing you off. And, oh! Don’t forget my tea. Bye~”

I ended the call without answering him. I moved my feet towards the counter.

“One Rooibos Tea and Oolong Tea.” I ordered before pointing the table where I want to wait and sit. “Kindly serve it there. Thanks!” I did not wait further for his reply and sat at the back. It’s risky to sit in the middle or in the front. First and foremost, sitting at the back prevents you in enemies such as holdup, being a bait and hitting you on the back.

I sat there without producing any sounds. I put a headset as I wait for my order. I lowered the volume of the track as I felt presences at my back.

“Erp, wake up,” my forehead creased. Why does erp and that voice sounds so familiar? I snapped my index and thumb finger together at the same time mentally. She’s the girl who bumped me on Purple’s wedding party. What in hell are they doing here?

“He’s not sleeping at all, Aoi. Ryo is just sleepy,” in my conclusion and if I was right, this is the boy who locked the door. “Coffee... I want coffee,” again, if my deduction was right, the last voice is from someone named Ryo. The girl name was Aoi and the last one, I still don’t know.

“We are in our tea shop and not coffee shop, orb,” Aoi replied. Our? This shop is their property? And what in hell is orb?

“You should have done a coffee shop instead of a tea shop, tsh,” the other male hissed.

Why am I even listening to their conversation?

“Red, mommy erp, it is two over one so it is a tea and not a coffee shop,” said Aoi. She really has a weird language, doesn’t she?

“Let’s make a deal. After our last junior, I’ll treat you two cups of iced latte,” Aoi deals with Ryo. I heard an aggressive sound that looks like Ryo already stand up.

“Should we call her already?” Ryo said. Is this someone named Ryo has this wide love for coffee and he immediately lifted his face from sticking at the table? Last time, on Purple’s party, I saw him sipping a coffee in a middle of an active case.

“Tsh,” the other one hissed. In my conlusion, I can conclude that the one who hissed was named Red. I’ve been lost about what are they talking about when a waiter stood in front of me.

“Here’s your order, ma’am! Have a nice day!” the waiter served my drinks. I paid the bill before standing. I sighed heavily because I am going to walk around them. I lifted the tea that was now packed in plastic using my left arm.

They sat next to my table for pete’s sake! Walking around their table, someone called and held my hand. “Miss ma’am, wait up...” I stopped because someone called me. Surely, it was me. He even held my hand. Tss.

I faced them fiercely and heightened my eyebrows.

“Uh... uhm...” my heightened eyebrow increases its intensity in the girl’s reply. The girl named Aoi nudged Ryo. “Well... we just wanna ask you something,” I nodded with a hoisted eyebrow.

“Are you the girl last month?” finally, someone whose name is Red said it. “Pardon?” I fired. What girl last month? If it is about other shits, I’m not.

I alternated between looking at him and at his hand that was still holding mine. Aoi seemed to notice that so she scoffed his friend, then, finally, he let go of it. I patted it as if there was a dirt stuck on it.

“The girl who solved the case at Thomas and Purple’s wedding party,” I looked at Ryo who was now seriously looking at me. “Why?” instead of answering, I questioned back.

“Isn’t it rude... asking a question and answering it with a question too?” I grinned mentally in Ryo’s statement. “Isn’t it rude... grabbing someone’s hand without its prior permission?” after mimicking him, I hissed.

“Chill, guys. I’ll order and you, erp, sit down first. Don’t be so rude,” I frowned but she stood up. I rolled my eyes before sitting next to Red. What choices do I have besides sitting next to him?

Ryo was about to spoke when I ahead at him. “I will ask you a question, answer it and I’m going to answer your question too, g?”

“Alright,” he replied. “Do the three of you own this shop?” I inquired before he counted one to three.

After 3 seconds, we both spilled the same answer—yes. “I’m gonna explain why we called you so stay still,” I mouthed whatever and put my tea at the table, I reached it using my right palm and I sipped it.

“We are still hiring for another comrade and our last junior was luckily, you. We were about to call you because you’re familiar yet you stood up so we asked Red to stop you by holding your hand. Red was sorry for that, by the way. So we are asking you if you are interested?” Ryo explained.

“About what?” I asked. Act fool, Lacey.

Aoi, on the other hand came here with five teas. We were only 4, whose is the other one? “You just said your friend was sorry about what occurred, hiring for a hand and asking if I am interested. So what about?” I continued.

“Well... joining us in giving justices in human being who needed our help. You understood me, do you?” after saying those, Ryo smirked. Red, who’s my seatmate supped his tea. Same goes with Aoi. These two were just listening to us.

“Shall we go to our home for your examination?” Ryo went on. I smiled sweetly before answering him a yes. “Shall we?” Red butted in. I grinned before replying to him. “We shall.”

We went into a house. It’s somehow big. White. It is not obvious that white is their favorite color.

“Is this your house?” I queried. Well, it’s too big for three people. I think there are maximum of five rooms here. “Apparently, our home,” said Ryo. Among the three of them, Ryo was somehow bubbly. Red was quite quiet. And Aoi, combination of Ryo and Red.

I nodded while looking down. We are walking in a grass, it seems like a fence because it is wide then at the end, the big white house. There are these two pots at the house edges.

“Where do you live?” Ryo questioned me. “Well... I don’t have a home but I do have a house to live,” he frowned at me but I just looked at him. “I am living in a hotel, tss,” I continued.

"You’re what?" Aoi interfered. I just nodded at her before looking down again. I am not shy, I just like to see the tiny grasses they have.

“Erp, what’s your name?” I looked up at Aoi before answering. “Lacey,”

“You have a weird name,” she commented. “So are you,” I returned, making her pout. “Even her words are so damn weird,” Ryo interjected causing Aoi to frown.

“Erp means pre and orb means bro. Both are brothers in English,” Red butted in before walking quickly. “Mommy Red is still good, she knows. There you are!” my eyebrow furrowed because just like Red, Aoi walked out too. And here goes that mommy thing again.

“She’s really childish and the other, well, grumpy,” Ryo explained before shrugging his shoulders. I bit my lower lip. I can’t believe I’ve met and would live together with these people who have different attitude, mindset and perspective. Weirdos.

I shrugged my right shoulder as we enter the house. I must say... white is their favorite color, aren’t they?

“It started already. Meet me at my room after observing everything. Good luck, Cey!” I was about to ask him what started when he ran. I squinted my eyes when I noticed a foot beside the table. I was in a kitchen right now and they all left me so whose foot is that?

I shrugged my shoulders before walking closely. My curiosity will surely be the death of me.

I tilted my head a bit when I saw a familiar clothe. It was from Aoi—the exact shirt and pants she was wearing today. What the hell?

I immediately run towards her and checked her pulse and it shocked me... there’s no sign of pulsation and it was indeed a very cold corpse. I lifted her face because her face is hugging the floor and I almost punched her in annoyance. It was a clone!

I thought one of the boys killed her already. I gritted my teeth before standing from kneeling and afterwards, I stepped backward.

Then, I noticed a cup. I went to and it and the smell giggled my soul. Yuck! I then went backward.

It’s smelled cyanide! I almost got a headache because of that! Gladly, I didn’t smell an amount wherein it would cost my life.

Those three are pretty dangerous.

Suddenly, I remembered Ryo’s statement a while ago. After observing everything, go to his room but where in hell it is located?

They are giving me a headache. I massaged my temple then decided to proceed upstairs.

Nice. They’ve their names hanging in every door. I saw Aoi’s and I passed by a room and the next one was the room I was finding at. I knocked and opened the doorknob using my left palm. Somehow a respect and a sign that I will enter.

“That fast?” Ryo welcomed, making my eyebrow furrow. Who is he speaking with? I roamed my eyes and there I saw him and nothing else. I just flourished my shoulders before letting go the door. He even looked at my left hand.

“Well, you better hear this then.” He stated and tapped his bed. I sat near to him without telling anything.

“The victim’s name is Carla, she loves to organize her schedule and loves red wine. A BS Chem fresh graduate, she celebrated her graduation with her friends, they are: Marky, BS psychology, Joshua, a BSMT student and Hannah, a BS Chem fresh graduates. Sadly, one of them is Carla’s killer. Here’s the connection between the suspects and the victim: Marky likes Carla and Carla likes Joshua and Joshua likes Hannah, and Hannah? She likes Marky. Messy, isn’t it? Going back, she goes to the kitchen with her cup, put the wine and she drank it and got lying in the cold floor,” he verbalized.

“Now, Carla’s nowhere to be found in the corner of the kitchen, what happened to her, what form of cyanide was used and who killed her?” he asked.

If that’s the background story... then, she mayhap wrote who her killer was! But how? If there’s an enough amount of cyanide in the wine... no... a metal cup and a red wine... it is mayhap possible.

“Basing on your bright face, I guessed you got it already. Good luck, then. Meet Aoi in her room.” Ryo then winked at me.

Her killed is indeed that fresh graduate. No wonder why the killer knows cyanide—potassium cyanide. Now, it’s confirmation time.

Without looking back, I stood and walk through the door. I just swayed my left palm in the air as a sign of respect.

I went on the first room I saw when I go up. Up there, it was labeled as Aoi’s because her name was written in the door. Just like what I did to Ryo’s room before entering, I did it too with Aoi.

Widening the entrance of the door, Aoi’s in her bed smiling from ear to ear.

“I guess you’re the one we’ve been waiting for a long time, Lace,” she talked so I winced slightly at the name she mentioned. Men.

“Anyway, Carla was found in her room.” She then stood up and passed by the study table. “Found dead in a nap style in her study table. With a paper.” Aoi stated as she hand me a paper.

My forehead knitted. Is this some kind of joke? I meant, code?

There are two papers; at the back paper, it’s the calendar and at the front paper, there is a capital Twelve days of Christmas and under it, 3-5, 2-6, 1-3’s9-1, 8-5, 2-5, 4-4 and a little commotion dahil mukhang nagmamadali ito. A blurry 8? 6? or 0 ang una at tila 8 din sa pangalawa. Ain’t sure, seems like it wasn’t finish yet. It also had scattered ink after the blurry numbers.

“Yes. Carla left a code before she died,” she explained, gaining my forehead creased further. What? Carla died? I thought the cyanide has been detoxified?

“Anyway erp, your exam won’t get finish unless you hear her autopsy and the suspects statements. Go to Red. Lots of good luck, Lace,” she then smiled sweetly at me before pushing me away.

“Paamuhin mo,” then she laughed so hard so I raised my eyebrow at her yet she just shook her head to me as an answer.

Shrugging my shoulders, I passed by a room whereas the label is the prince is asleep, so I winced, I am hearing tiny noises that looks like someone is typing on a keyboard.

I was staring at the farthest room, if you just stepped on the stairs, Aoi’s room will welcome you, next, I think a vacant room and Ryo’s room, the door I am facing right now and the last one on the last... labeled as Red.

What am I feeling so anxious?

I erased that thought before leaving the door whose labeled is the prince is asleep.

Unlike what I did to Ryo and Aoi’s room, I knocked first and waited for any replies yet I didn’t receive one so I decided to go through.

He was lying down looking at the ceiling of his room. When he felt that I opened and crashed his door, his sight focused on mine.

He stared at me lazily and coughed. “Let’s start,” I just nodded at him and smiled a little. I sat to the side of his bed while he spoke.

“The autopsy said she died because of multiple stabs in her back and is suspicious that she ingested cyanide when she positive high blood lactate and when the forensics inhaled bitter almond smell. And got confirmed as they examined the house and found a cup of cyanide,” a cup of cyanide? Some information were missing.

“Marky said that he was taking a shower, Joshua’s alibi that he was talking to the manager of the shop he applied at and Hannah was having her beauty rest since it’s midnight already. The crime happened at around 10–11 PM,” he continued.

“Now, tell me...” he stood up before leaning closely to me. “Who are you?” he seriously asked. His midnight eyes stared the depth of me. He was still moving inch by inch and because I sat at the foot of his bed and he was in front of me, I made my elbows a support so that I wouldn’t lie on his bed.

Is this how he interviews those who want to join them? Even a boy?

“I’m asking you,” he said seriously. He’s indeed serious about asking who in hell is me.

My mouth opened yet I closed it immediately as I saw his face 4 inches away from mine. He looked at my lips opening and closing again so his eyebrows rose. Gosh, he’s so intimidating!

“What?” he inquired, authority is visible in his tone.

I heard the door open while me and Red were staring at each other’s soul. It was as if he was grilling me with his eyes. If he doesn’t like me, so I am! I hate rude people, and myself is an exception in my I-hate-rude-people case.

“OHEMJI! I DIDN’T SAW ANYTHING!” I pushed Red who just tssed and fixed his hair while Aoi and I looked at each other.

She’s smiling widely at me that I looked away. Obviously, she’s teasing me.

“You, Red, you didn’t say that Lace is your type. After all, she reminisces someone, doesn’t she?” she went on and growing eyes look at me, as if she’s saying don’t mind what I said. She looked at me with wide eyes as if she had said something wrong and proceeded to zip his mouth.

I didn’t get what she was saying because I noticed something. In Red’s study table, there is a clock there and it has 12 numbers and the year’s month has 12 counts too.

I looked at the paper in my hand. It is! I immediately walked over to Red’s study table and took a pencil from its pencil holder.

3-5, 2-6, 1-3’s9-1, 8-5, 2-5, 4-4

3-5? If she loves to organize her schedule, that means she has knowledge to the calendar or numbers. Which lead to, 3 is March, 5 is H, the fifth and last number of the month March.

2 is equal to February and 6 corresponding letter is A. I smiled sweetly as I decrypting it all.

Han... what? An apostrophe? Han’s... Han’s? Han’ssui?

I tried the blurry ones. 8-6, the first one is equal to August and August has 6 letters only which left to the last letter, T. Han’ssuit? What?

I was about to try 3 and 6 because 8 and 6 might not be the exact numbers when I caught something. It’s not han’ssuit! It means Han’s suitor! Hannah’s suitor!

“Let’s start the deduction show?” I asked the two who were talking so they looked at me.

“I’ll call Ryo,” Aoi offered so I nodded at her. I immediately sat on the swivel chair that was there. After a minute, Ryo together with Aoi entered. He’s grinning so I’m sure Aoi tell Ryo about what happened between me and Red. Well, whatever.

“Here it is. Carla suspected Hannah as the one who poisoned her. So Carla was about to write Hannah as her killer when she got up from poisoning when the real killer, Joshua, entered in Carla’s room and stabbed her. So instead of Hannah, she wrote Han’ssui when she saw Joshua entering her room. The reason why the paper is somehow messy and got scattered inks. Aside from that, Joshua’s alibi is err something like a lie? At 10 to 11 PM, almost midnight, he was talking to the manager of the shop he applied? They just graduated and he has papers to present as well physically. Through internet, they will communicate with each other? Late at night? And, BSMT grad to shop? Weird indeed. But the baffling question is, why didn’t she died from poisoning?” I introduced the case whilst still them facing my back. That news was familiar indeed with this scheme. Surely, they inspired this theme to that news.

I faced the chair so they can see my whole being already.

“The theory, sugar detoxify the cyanide in a way it permits its exudation before it could be immersed into the body. Anecdotally, when trial were made to poison Grigori Rasputin, his killers put the poison in sweet pastries and madeira wine, both of which are rich in sugar; thus, one speculation discover a reduction in cyanide toxicity in mice when the cyanide was first mixed with glucose. One potentiality is that the effective quantity of cyanide ingested was reduced due to its reaction with the sugars in the wine to form the less toxic amygdalin,” I expanded my answers.

“Nevertheless, it has also been anecdotally suggested that glucose itself is an efficient counterpoise to cyanide—responding with it to establish less toxic compounds that can be evicted by the body,” Red butted it. Aoi whistled while Ryo grinned. I continued talking. Deduction show between Red and I? Game!

“The same thing happened to Carla. The poison was in the whole cup and when the wine entered, the phenomenon occurred. Why does the poison was in the cup? Simple, Joshua took the advantage of Carla liking him to get close to Carla’s things. He knew a lot about Carla for Carla likes him and they are friends. I do not know the exact words but I read this somewhere. When you like someone, you tend to do and like what they like to do. And that’s why Joshua have some knowledge about chemicals which led him to poisoning but don’t have knowledge about sugar detoxifying cyanide. Joshua likes Hannah, right?” I winced because their friendship is messy and absolutely fake.

“Carla and Hannah are best friends, am I right? They have this little competition which didn’t affect their friendship but Joshua, who likes Hannah, which is Hannah’s friend—Carla likes too. The reason why he has done that is to revenge Hannah which the lady he is courting didn’t never bother to think of. In expansion, Carla thought that Hannah was the one who did it for they are from the same course and it’s either Hannah or her is being showered in achievements. Jealousy, insecurities, you know? But no, she’s pointing out the innocent doll where in fact, the killer show himself after seeing if the murder he attempted to do was smooth but no again, it wasn’t so he came and show himself—Joshua and stabber her.” I then winked at them after finishing my explanation.

I heard a clap so I stand and bowed my head. Aoi and Ryo chuckled while Red just smiled faintly.

“Bravo! Do you know, those other applicants— wow, applicant? Anyway, the other person who tried called the police, so we were stressed,” Aoi said, making me laugh. They are fools.

“Welcome to the family omeaniscient, orb!” Aoi exclaimed and clung to my arm. I said thank you at her not minding the om—whatever it is.

“Somebody wants to welcome you too, Lacey,” Ryo uttered kaya napatingin ako sa kaniya. I knew it! Someone’s in here also. They’re not just three, they’re four.

The door swung open as one of the people I knew very well entered the room. I never expect to see him.

“Welcome to the family, my dearest Lacey.” He blurted while walking and holding his laptop.

Tyron...

**