Project LOKI ②

Chapter 23: Curse of Avada Kedavra (The Investigation)

CONTENT AND TRIGGER WARNING: This chapter  contains content that might be troubling to some readers, including, but not limited to, depictions of and references to death, self-harm and suicide, graphic violence, sexual assault, strong language and more.

Please be mindful of these sensitive themes and other possible triggers. Remember to practice self-care before, during and after reading.

LORELEI

I PORED over the files on the deaths of the two founders, looking if something weird would jump out at me. Habang binabasa ko ang ilang page ng autopsy report, abala si Loki sa pagre-review ng mga security footage. Paulit-ulit niyang binalikan ang mga scene bago at pagkatapos bumulagta ang mga biktima sa sahig.

"Coffee?" Leona placed a mug of hot coffee on my workstation. She also offered one to my companion who did not even thank her. Once he became too absorbed in a case, he would forget about the people around him.

Mukhang oras na para hingin ang opinyon ng iba tungkol sa kasong ito. Nanghiram ako ng phone stand kay Leona at inilagay roon ang gadget ko. Siniguro kong mahahagip ng front cam ang aking mukha.

"Okay na ba ang connection? Nakikita at naririnig mo ba ako, Al?"

"Loud and clear, Lori."

Gaya ng sinabi kanina ng kababata ko, willing siyang magbigay ng insights bilang member ng QED Club. So I decided to video call him. He was driving his car when he answered. His phone was conveniently placed somewhere on the dashboard. Its camera caught a good angle of him.

"The victims wouldn't just collapse without any explanation. What does the autopsy say?"

I flipped through the pages of the medical examiner's report, looking for the phrase cause of death. Hiniwalay ko ang dalawang report at sabay na inilipat ang mga page nito. Nabasa ko ang word na curare sa autopsy report ni Godfrey Griffin, ang biktimang nakasuot ng scarf na may red and yellow stripes. It matched with the report on Sylvester Salazar, the one wearing green-and-white striped scarf.

"Curare. A type of poison that causes paralysis and leads to asphyxiation owing to the inability of the victim's respiratory muscles to contract."

"How was it introduced to the victims?"

I read further until I found the part that answered his question. "The medical examiner believes the poison entered the victim's system through the puncture mark on their nape."

That confirmed it. No abra kadabra was involved in the deaths of Godfrey and Sylvester. As Loki said, it was an ingenious trick. The questions were what and how.

"So someone pricked the victims' nape with a needle laced with curare. That's quite a clever trick."

"Pero paano nangyari 'yon? Bago nag-collapse ang mga biktima, wala namang lumapit na puwedeng nagtusok ng karayom sa kanilang batok."