Trace of Innocence

Chapter 15

CHAPTER 15

DREAD twisted in my gut and my stomach clenched as I thought of the conversation I had with that mysterious man. Was this what he meant by that threat? Most of all, who was he? Was it Damien? He could have seen me in his café and noticed that I had been observing him!

Hindi ko pa alam kung konektado ba ang poisoning incident ni Lew sa imbestigasyon pero pakiramdam ko'y kasalanan ko na naman ang nangyari kay Lew. Sinabihan na ako ng lalaki kanina sa telepono na itigil na ang imbestigasyon dahil kung hindi ay pagsisisihan ko ito.

"Don't you ever dare to continue investigating or else something will happen that will make you regret it. I am watching you."

He warned me. That was indeed a threat. I didn't get the chance to ask a question because the man immediately hung up. And when I called Lew to tell him about it, a nurse picked up the call. She told me that Lew was poisoned.

If that poisoning incident was related to the case we're investigating, then I felt like it was my fault again. This felt like the day when I lose Selyn—blaming myself as if I was the reason why she met her demise.

Now on my way to the hospital, I couldn't help but think about all of these things. I tried my hardest to focus on the road and not to get distracted as I drive along Carig road. I felt relieved when I finally caught a glimpse of the green building from a distance.

When I was able to park my car, I immediately went inside the hospital. I was feeling agitated as I approached the front desk. I probably look disheveled now but I didn't care. The loud beating of my heart silenced my coherent thoughts.

"E-Excuse me, miss. Where is Lew Renko's room?" I stuttered.

The lady, upon noticing my bedraggled look, searched through her computer immediately. "Nasa emergency room pa po siya, Ma'am."

I said my thanks before striding to where the ER was. I felt like my heart would leap out to my throat due to the nervousness I was experiencing. When I reached the ER, I noticed that the people outside seemed to be panicking. I walked near them and glanced at the glass window of the ER.

I saw Lew inside, lying on the bed with doctors and nurses around him, trying to revive his life.

Hindi pwede. This couldn't be happening. Hindi pwedeng mawala rin siya. Hindi pwedeng mawalan na naman ako ng kaibigan. Not this time. Hindi ko hahayaang mangyari ulit iyon.

"No..." I shook my head as I repeated saying this. "It can't be."

And then the thing that I have feared most happened. Lew's heartbeat was on flat line.

My breathing quickened and tears started forming on the brim of my eyes. Was this really happening?

"Miss, calm down," I heard someone say and felt his soothing hands on my back. "Here, take a drink."

I saw a bottle of water being handed to me by this unknown man beside me. I didn't hesitate to accept it and gulped down its contents. My mind was in haywire. Lew... Lew was gone too.

"You know, we tend to lose something that is not important at first but upon realizing that it's gone, it's too late to know that it's more valuable than anything in this world," narinig kong nagsalita ang lalaki ulit. Hindi ko pa ito tinapunan ng tingin dahil pagod na ako sa lahat ng nangyayari ngayong araw.

"We lose it in trade or barter of something we thought that is more important," pagpapatuloy niya. "For instance, you lose your friend because of your stubbornness to investigate a cold case that should have stayed cold forever."

Nanlaki ang aking mga mata nang sinabi niya iyon. Unti-unting naging pamilyar sa aking pandinig ang kanyang boses. Pinilit ko ang sariling lumingon sa kanya at doon nagtama ang aming paningin. Nakatitig na ako ngayon sa lalaking pumatay sa matalik kong kaibigan. Ngunit siya nga ba ang salarin?