DETECTIVE FILES. File 1 (Published under PSICOM)

CHAPTER 15: THE PERILOUS MASQUERADE (Jeopardy)

Chapter 15: The Perilous Masquerade (Jeopardy Chapter)*

Matapos kaming magsukat ng mga damit ay dinala kami ni Khael sa isang restaurant upang mag-lunch. It was already 2 pm. Who would have thought na magtatagal pala kami kina Mama Ara ng almost 4 hours? Paano ba naman kasi, ang arte ng dalawang lalaki! They had a hard time deciding for their suit! I thought mas mahirap hanapan ng damit ang babae, well not on their case. Napakapihikan nila sa pamimili though Mama Ara's designs were really glamorous. Gray ended up taking a black suit samantalang kulay gray naman ang napili ni Khael.

"The party will start at 7pm tonight kaya kailangang by 6 ay handa na tayo," Khael said habang naghihintay kami sa order namin.

We were in a restaurant at kanina pa talaga ako gutom mabuti na lang at naisipan ni Khael na kumain. He's not planning to let us die in hunger right? Hindi pa naman kami kumain ng magbreak kanina. Speaking of break kanina, I wonder why Marion wanted to go to that party. Type ba talaga nito si Gray?

"Hindi ba nila malalaman na mga highschool students tayo?" tanong ni Gray.

Umiling si Khael. "No, we're formally dressed and beside, we don't have to worry dahil may invitation naman tayo," wika niya.

Gray drank water from his glass. "Yeah, but remember we have an excess baggage." Excess baggage. Yeah, si Marion. Pinoproblema talaga nila ito.

"Khael, let's say na totoo nga na may mangyayaring illegal transaction mamaya, do you have any plans?," tanong ko. Mahirap na baka mapahamak kami.

He shrugged his shoulders. "I don't have any formal plan but in case that will happen, all we have to do is to alert the police."

Tama siya. It's the best thing to do. We should not let ourselves be caught in such danger. The food that we order arrived at nagsimula na kaming kumain. Pagkatapos kumain ay pumunta na kami sa hotel na tinutuluyan ni Khael. Doon muna kami habang hindi pa kami naghahanda para sa party. I was in the couch while watching TV samantalang nag-uusap naman sina Gray at Khael about Athena High School where Gray was previously attending. Kahit nakaharap ako sa TV ay nakikinig ako sa kanila.

"Hey do you remember the vandalism at the gym noong second year pa tayo? It was really Harrod. He did it dahil nagalit siya sa akin dahil hindi ko siya pinasahan ng bola during the championship basketball match with St. Catherine Academy," wika ni Khael. Basketball match? Ibig sabihin ay magaling siya sa basketball? As of Gray, I haven't seen him played basketball. I remembered what Detective Tross said at Summer Island. Ayon sa kanya ay magaling sa soccer si Gray.

"Dummy, I knew all along na siya ang gumawa nun," Gray said lazily.

"What?! Eh bakit hindi mo sinabi dati?," wika ni Khael. He sounded annoyed.

"You're a detective right? That case belongs to you since ikaw naman ang bahagi ng basketball varsity," paliwanag ni Gray. So, Khael is really a basketball player.

Khael crossed his arms. "Tsk, I know back then na siya ang gumawa niyon. I just can't find evidence during those time at natapos na rin ang klase, I have forgotten about it and not until recently ko lang na-confirm iyon. Why do you sound like you want to say na mas magaling kang detective kaysa sa akin? You weren't able to deduce whoever destroyed the soccer balls and the net doon sa soccer varsity quarter. Ako naman ang nakasolve nun kahit ikaw ang bahagi ng soccer varsity."

Uh, seriously they're quarreling over past things? Why would I'll be surprised, pareho silang mayabang kaya normal lang na nagpapayabangan sila kung sino ang mas magaling sa kanila.

"I was about to solve whoever did it kaya lang naunahan mo ako," inis na wika ni Gray. Khael is part of the basketball team samantalang sa soccer naman si Gray. Not bad at all.