AEDRIAN
I IMMEDIATELY handed the phone back to the man.
Without asking for his permission, I rushed inside.
I could hear him calling after me, trying to stop me, but I was already running.
I needed to make sure this wasn't a crime—although there was a very high chance that it was.
The noise from the students filled the hall. Many were whispering in confusion at the heroine's appearance. Others were praising her acting skills, but if my observation was correct, this wasn't acting anymore.
The curtain was about to close for the next scene when I stopped it.
Questions and murmurs instantly erupted around me.
"Somebody get that guy out of here! Who is he?"
"Hey! Get off the stage! You're ruining the play!"
"I think that guy's gone crazy! He's acting like he owns the stage!"
"Who are you? Why are you disrupting the performance?"
I ignored their questions and approached Lyca.
It was impossible for her to keep her eyes open like that for so long.
I checked for a pulse.
Nothing.
Just as I thought.
This was real.
This wasn't acting.
My eyes shifted to the object in her hand.
An apple.
Could it be that there was actually poison inside it and she had been poisoned after taking a bite?
I noticed a tiny puncture mark on its surface.
Suspicious.
I already knew how the poison could have been injected into it.
I stood up and took out my phone.
Then I called the police officer I knew best.
"What is the meaning of this? What's going on? Why did you call the police?" asked the woman who had played the Evil Queen.
"Because this lead actress isn't just acting anymore."
I turned toward the girl who had spoken.
She was sitting near the body and, just like I had done earlier, was examining it.
"She's actually dead."
The audience's whispers grew even louder.
It seemed they couldn't believe how the play had ended.
"What? I didn't do anything! I'm leaving! I wasn't the one who killed her!"
"You can't leave! Don't go anywhere! You're the primary suspect in this actress's death!"
"Me? W-Why me? I didn't do anything wrong!"
Fear and panic were written all over her face. She knew she was at the top of the suspect list.
"Because you were the last person with the victim before she died," I interrupted.
"B-But I'm innocent! I'm telling the truth! I had nothing to do with her death!"
"You did. And even if you aren't the culprit, it's possible the real killer used you."
"Are you seriously going to believe them, Lora?"
A guy stepped forward, drawing our attention.
Judging by his costume, he must have played Snow White's Prince Charming.
"Don't you remember? They're the ones from that famous video—the trying-hard detectives. Remember them?"
"What does that have to do with anything?" my seatmate shot back.
"Maybe the two of you planned Lyca's poisoning to get revenge for embarrassing you."
He smirked.
I simply grinned.
Right.
Liars always get caught by their own words.
At that moment, I knew exactly who the culprit was.
"We never claimed to be detectives," I said.
"We're only here because we're brave enough to uncover the truth behind this crime and discover why the culprit would kill that innocent girl. Just so you know, sir."
I was tired of being called a trying-hard detective.
This needed to end.
For our reputation.
For my peaceful life.
I would solve this case.
And I was certain someone with a grudge against the victim had committed the crime.
A few moments later, the police arrived.
The organizers began clearing the hall. Some students wanted to stay and watch the investigation, but the officers insisted they would only interfere.
Reluctantly, everyone left the crime scene.
The body and the apple were taken for examination.
Even though the cause of death seemed obvious, it still needed to be confirmed by forensic tests.
Only two primary suspects remained:
Lora Capistrano and Lemuel Nacion—the actors who had played the Evil Queen and Prince Charming.
"Do you have any other suspects in mind?" my seatmate asked.
"No need."
I smiled.
"I already know who did it. All I need now is evidence. Do you know anything about them?"
"From what I know, the Theater Club recruits students from different departments, especially those talented in acting. Lora is a first-year Broadcasting student, while Lemuel is from the College of Nursing and Allied Health."
"Bingo."
My smile widened instantly.
I had just realized the importance of what she said.
"Excuse me, but aren't you going to let us leave yet? Honestly, these costumes are getting really hot."
One of them complained to the police officers.
"Sure. We've already taken your statements. You may leave the crime scene now. That includes you too, Edoy."
My ears twitched in irritation at the nickname.
But I set my annoyance aside and spoke.
"What if the killer disposes of the evidence immediately? How are you going to catch them then, Dad?"
The other officers looked confused when they heard me call him that.
"Killer? So one of us is the killer?" Lemuel laughed.
"Lemuel, do you remember what you said earlier?"
His smile faded.
"'Maybe the two of you planned Lyca's poisoning to get revenge for embarrassing you.' That's what you said, right?"
He froze.
"How did you know she was poisoned when no cause of death had been announced yet?"
Silence.
"How did you know poison killed her when the victim hadn't even been properly examined?"
I watched his eyes widen.
"B-Because it was obvious! She was poisoned by that apple!"
"I don't know whether to laugh or feel sorry for you. Every word you say only exposes you further. It's as if you're determined to prove that you're the killer."
"W-What are you talking about?"