Cosmic Purple: Blackthorn Academy: C-Boyz, #1

By Arielle Alia

The C-Boyz Agency frequently solves mysteries.

 

It is owned by four men who had formed a bond of friendship ever since their Blackthorn Academy days.

 

Their newest case involves a bemedaled athlete who suddenly went berserk and started killing people without any reason.

 

While trying to unravel the mystery of their case, a young woman named Autumn, who they saved several years ago, came back into their lives.

 

To their shock, Autumn informs them that she has decided to marry one of them.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Arielle Alia
• Release date: Feb 6, 2021
• ISBN: 9781393351504

Book preview

PROLOGUE

Adam didn’t have to teach today at the Blackthorn Academy so he decided to visit his older brother, Wayne, at the hospital. Wayne had a minor operation due to hernia. The operation was successful and he was on his way to recovery.

As Adam was positioning his car on the hospital’s parking lot, he noticed a woman being taken out of an ambulance car. The woman was bleeding and was immediately rushed to the emergency room. An anxious boy got out of the ambulance and followed the woman. The boy had blood on his shirt, but it was clear he wasn’t hurt. The blood must have come from the woman. Adam suspected the woman was the boy’s mother.

Adam proceeded to his brother’s room. He found Wayne munching on an apple while watching TV. He placed the sweet rice cakes he brought on a counter table near his brother’s bed. Rice cakes were his brother’s favorite food.

You should have called me first before going to the hospital, he admonished Wayne.

I only had a minor surgery. It’s not even life threatening so no need to bother anyone, he explained.

You should stop trying to lift heavy things.

Wayne chuckled.

I promise that next time I have a delivery, I won’t carry the whole box of comics. I would only carry ten pieces of comics at a time.

Wayne was a comic book shop owner, and Adam usually brought his students to his brother’s shop. All Blackthorn students received discounts from all their purchases at his brother’s shop.

Adam chatted with his brother for a while before saying goodbye. As he was walking down the corridor, he again spotted the boy with the bloody T-shirt. He was talking to one of the doctors of the hospital.

My blood is a match. Why can’t you use it for my mother? inquired the boy.

You are only fourteen years old. The required age before a person can donate his blood is at least eighteen, explained the doctor.

But my mother needs a blood transfusion immediately! cried the boy.

And we are doing our best to get the blood your mother needs. If you want to help out, bring your relatives here. One of them must have blood that is a match to your mother’s.

A look of anguish appeared on the boy’s face.

I don’t know where to find our relatives. Could I bring some of our neighbors? Maybe you could test if their blood matches my mother’s?

Okay, bring them here as soon as possible so we could determine if they are the right blood donor.

Adam watched the boy with interest. After the doctor left, Adam thought the boy would leave the hospital but he headed instead into another corridor. Out of curiosity, he followed the boy.

He found the boy surreptitiously getting inside a storage room. When he looked into the room, he saw the boy taking some empty plastic bags that served as blood containers and several syringes.

He watched the boy leave the hospital before secretly following him. The boy proceeded to the back of the hospital. Adam decided to show himself and confront the boy.

"If you plan to put your own blood on those plastic containers and bring it to the doctors, that blood will be instantly rejected. They will know what you did. Blood is usually separated into red cells, platelets and plasma before those are put in separate bags. And there is a valid reason why there is a law against children donating their blood before they turn eighteen. A child’s health could be affected if he donates blood at a young age.

But I can’t just let my mother die! cried the boy.

What is your mother’s blood type?

AB negative.

Adam took out his cell phone and started calling several of his contacts. After his last call, he flashed the boy a confident smile.

The blood type your mother needs is already on its way to the hospital. You don’t have to worry anymore.

The boy breathed a sigh of relief.

Thank you, mister! But I don’t have any money to pay you.

You’re welcome, and you don’t need to pay me anything. Now, go home and change your clothes. Then come back to the hospital and be with your mother.

A worried look flashed on the boy’s eyes.

I can’t go back to our house, he murmured.

Is there a problem?

The boy took a deep breath and shook his head.

You have already helped me a lot, mister. And I can fix this problem myself.

Adam held out his hand to shake the boy’s hand.

I am Adam Garson, what’s your name?

Wallace. But everyone calls me Ace, said the boy as he took Adam’s hand. Adam noticed he had a firm and steady grip.

Nice to know you, Ace. It is rare to find someone, specially as young as you willing to put his life in danger just to save his mother.

It’s my fault my mother was run over by that car. If I had noticed the speed of its approach... If only I had moved a bit faster... He stifled a sob. He stopped talking. A pensive look appeared on his young face.

If your mother was hit by a car, the driver must pay for all the expenses. Did the driver run away?

I will fix this, mister. Thank you again for all your help, he said before running back into the hospital.

Two weeks later, Adam discovered the rest of Ace’s story when it became the headline of several newspapers.

According to the news articles, the police had arrested a woman named Mrs. Anita Herrera. The woman was allegedly the driver of the car who hit Lucinda Perez. The key to the arrest of Mrs. Herrera was Lucinda’s son, Wallace Perez, who witnessed what had happened.

The reporter who wrote the story also provided background information for the suspect and victim. It appeared that Lucinda Perez was once a former lover of Mrs. Herrera’s husband, Raul. Lucinda’s son, Wallace, was also the love child of Raul.

Anita began planning on killing Lucinda after discovering that her husband had a child with the latter and that Raul had also acknowledged Wallace as his biological son.

Adam smiled. It seemed he had found his next candidate to become one of Blackthorn Academy’s students in the person of Wallace Perez.

CHAPTER 1

With his height of 5’7", Cast never once experienced feeling too short. But when he opened the front door of their agency, he found himself craning his neck to properly look at their visitor in the face. He guessed their visitor’s height to be about six feet and four inches or maybe more. Their client was also plus sized but not due to fat. But he also couldn’t say their visitor was well muscled. It could just be big bones. Despite the giant stature, the client was exceptionally beautiful. She could join any beauty contest if such contest was held for amazon-like women. Cast also suspected that the woman could easily win in any wrestling match.

Are you just going to stand there and gawk, Cast? asked a familiar voice.

Cast finally noticed Chief Inspector Xander Acasio behind the big amazon. He also saw a much smaller man with the chief. The man looked to be five feet in height. He was also wearing glasses and looked quite timid.

Sorry, Sir, chuckled Cast as he opened the door wider to let their three guests inside the newly renovated office of the C-Boyz Agency. Cast and the other carrot boys bought the old building and the lot where it stood using the money they earned for solving the mystery of the monster in the town of Lagaba. Instead of destroying the building and erecting a new one, the carrot boys had decided to repair and renovate the building themselves. After their renovations, the building looked brand new.

Cast brought their three guests to the conference room. He also signaled their secretary, Evangeline, to prepare some snacks for their guests.

Trash, Test and Bery were already waiting in the conference room. Chief Inspector Acasio had scheduled an appointment last night so everyone was already in the office.

Even before the boys had created their C-Boyz Agency, Chief Acasio had often used the services of Trash. The carrot boys’ leader was good with computers, and he would often fix the computers in the police station whenever those got infected with computer viruses.

Chief Acasio began introducing the four boys to the amazon woman and the petite man.

These are the carrot boys. Chief Acasio started pointing at each of the boys as he called out their names. Trash, Bery, Cast, and Test. They are the owners of C-Boyz Agency.

When Chief Acasio introduced the amazon and the man, Cast and the other carrot boys were shocked to learn that the two were a married couple!

This is Mr. Castelo and his wife, Captain Castelo.

Captain? Test wanted to be sure he heard right.

Captain Castelo smiled.

I am an officer of the Philippine Navy, explained the amazon woman.

Of the four members of the carrot boys, Cast was the smallest and Bery was the tallest with his 6’1" height. Captain Castelo was much larger and taller than Bery was. Cast thought that calling the woman Captain Castelo was more appropriate given her stature and personality rather than simply calling her Mrs. Castelo. As he was studying the couple, Cast noticed Bery giving him a wink. His friend seemed to be implying that Cast also had a chance of getting himself a big and large wife like Captain Castelo.

I brought them here because forty-eight hours had already passed and the police had yet to find their missing daughter, Autumn, explained Chief Acasio. I can’t help but sympathize with their situation since I have experienced worrying about my sister, Aisles, who was often gone for days. Since the police investigation is at a dead end, I offered them an alternative, your agency.

Is this a private detective agency? inquired Captain Castelo.

Not exactly, explained Trash. We simply solve problems.

Whenever the police or courts cannot solve a particular problem, these boys are the ones that look for the solution, said Chief Acasio. They can go to any place and get information that the police have no legal right to.

Do you break laws? Mr. Castelo finally spoke.

No, Sir, said Bery. But sometimes, we bend rules.

Our daughter, Autumn, had been missing for more than forty-eight hours, interjected Captain Castelo. And based on what I know, it becomes harder to find a missing person after that time limit. The possibility of them being dead... The woman couldn’t continue talking as her voice began to break.

Cast noticed Mr. Castelo grasped his wife’s hand to give her support. Despite Captain Castelo’s size, she looked so frail while her husband remained steadfast and strong beside her.

You have taught our daughter how to fight and to be strong, Amanda. We must believe that she’s still alive. She won’t just give up. She would fight to survive!

I’m sorry, Nick. But I can’t find the strength I need today. It’s our baby. I don’t think I would be able to accept it if something bad happens to our only child, Captain Amanda Castelo broke down crying.

Mr. Castelo hugged his wife to his chest. He turned and faced the four young men before him.

Chief Acasio believes in your abilities. And we will put our fate in your hands and hope that you will succeed in finding our daughter. Please do not fail us. We are ready to pay you whatever amount you ask, just find her! Mr. Castelo said with such grave authority.

Cast realized that the small man had balls! He finally understood how Mr. Castelo was able to make someone like Captain Castelo fell for him.

Sir Xander had already sent us copies of the police report regarding the disappearance of Autumn, said Trash. But it would be better if we could hear the story from you. We would also be asking some questions that you might think to be nonsense, but it would be a great help to us in finding her and discovering what happened to her.

Captain Castelo was still very emotional, so Mr. Castelo began to narrate the events that led to Autumn’s disappearance.

Three days ago, Autumn told us that she and her friend, Ruth, would be going to the mall to watch the show of their favorite singer, Paulo Benitez. The mall was only one ride away from our house, and she often went there on her own so we weren’t worried. Whenever the concert would go on far too long and it was already late at night, she would call us so we could pick her up.

But the text we received, interjected Captain Castelo, said that she and Ruth would be staying longer since they won a raffle. The prize was free dinner with Paulo Benitez that night. After that, we stopped receiving any text or calls from her. Even when we tried to call her, there was no answer.

Have you called Ruth? asked Bery.

The couple nodded.

According to Ruth’s text, she and Autumn parted ways after the concert. That she saw Autumn took a ride in a passenger jeep before she herself went home, said Captain Castelo.

Trash turned to Chief Acasio for further details.

We tried contacting Ruth in person. But when my men reached their house, the maids there said that the whole family went abroad for a vacation. They would be coming back next week. My men are still trying to contact Ruth and her family through phone.

Have you talked to Paulo Benitez? inquired Test.

According to Paulo’s manager, there was never a raffle for a dinner date with the singer. Even the promoter said that no raffle for a dinner date was held during the event. The only raffle held during the time was for the free CDs of Paulo’s latest album, narrated Chief Acasio.

So, this means someone had deceived Autumn. She was made to believe that she was having a dinner date with Paulo Benitez, concluded Cast.

How was this CD raffle done? asked Trash.

Very simple. Chief Acasio began explaining the details. Members of the audience would write their phone numbers on a piece of paper and put it in a box. After the concert, Paulo would pick ten winners from the box. Paulo would call the winners’ phone and would ask them to come to the stage to receive the prize.

Was Autumn among the winners of the CD raffle? Did she get up the stage? asked Bery.

The promoter remembered that Autumn was one of the winners who went on the stage to receive her free autographed CD of Paulo’s latest album. But it seems someone had told her that she also won a dinner with Paulo, Chief Acasio continued.

So, whoever told her she won a dinner date with Paulo was on the stage or behind the stage. It was clear Trash was starting to have an idea of what had happened. If we could get the footages of that concert, we might see this person who talked to Autumn. That would be easy to collect since such concerts are often posted by fans on social media.

But what if the instruction was sent to Autumn’s phone? inquired Captain Castelo.

Trash smiled.

If that’s the case, then it would be much easier to trace the culprit. All texts and calls are recorded.

But we couldn’t find Autumn’s phone, said Captain Castelo. And we still couldn’t get a court order that would force the phone company to release all the incoming and outgoing calls and text from Autumn’s phone.

Remember, Ma’am, when we said we sometimes bend rules? said Bery. That is what we will do in order to get the information from Autumn’s phone in the phone company’s database. All we need to do that is the cell number of Autumn.

The couple quickly gave Autumn’s cell phone. Trash didn’t waste time. He opened his laptop and began hacking the telephone