The Cold Case

Chapter 3

"Welcome back" bungad ni Megan  nang makita niya si Yohan na tinuak ang pintuan ng Extraordinary Crimes department's office. As usual, napakalinis , maingay at napakaraming tao ng office at kabaliktaran naman ito kung saan siya galing. "How did it go?" tanong ni Megan sa kanya.

"A lot like how you told me it would, Ma'am" Yohan winces, rubbing lightly at the top of his head. "He was an asshole. The other woman named Mackenzie, seemed to be calm but yelled at me a bit. Sir Hunter was...scarily friendly. Hindi ko alam kung dapat ba akong matakot o matuwa sa kanya."

Megan lets out a surprised chuckle. "Teka lang, Mackenzie yelled? "

"Bakit ka nagulat? 'Di ba normal 'yun?" Yohan mumbles. Kinuha niya ang wooden chair at umupo siya sa harap ng kanyang table, kaharap ng lumang computer. "Lahat naman sila sinisigawan ako." reklamo niya.

"That's because you're our rookie," Megan laughs. "Nakuha mo na pala ang file."

"Sabi niya basahin ko at humanap ng lead at doon lang ako pwedeng bumalik doon"

"I see."

Binuksan ni Yohan ang file at nakita ang mga records, bank statements, telephone transcripts, litrato ng crime scene, at halos 'di na mabasang handwritten notes. Hindi tinignan ni Yohan ang mga litrato ng crime scene. He already knows how it happened. The distress call Teagan sent Sage; the hostage situation; the blood. No clue as for the perpetrator, or what information he was trying to find.

"Sir Sage seemed to really be taking it rough," Sambit ni Yohan at tinignan ang litrato ng isang tulay. "I mean. This case reopening and all."

"Di na nakakagulat 'yan" Tugon ni Megan. "It's his case. Hindi man lang nga siya natakot nang sabihin sa kanyang madedemote siya kung pagpapatuloy niya ang pag-iimbistiga sa kasong ito. He just wanted to keep working on it. Sage thought he'd failed Teagan if he gave up this case and because of that, it became his responsibility to close this case. It ate him up."

Yohan bites his lip while picking up the photo that falls out of the front of the file. "Kilala mo ba siya Ma'am Megan?" Tanong niya. "Yung informant?"

Megan's smile turns dull. "Oh. Lahat kilala si Teagan" sambit niya at tumayo dala ang evidence gathering kit na kanina niya pa inaasikako. " Kailangan ko ng umalis. I'll see you later, Yohan."

Ngumiti lang si Yohan kay Megan at bumalik ulit ang tingin sa litratong hawak niya. He doesn't know the boy in the picture, not beyond the context of this case, but he can tell that the picture was clicked at one of his happiest moments. There's a sparkle in his eyes, a gentle curve to his smiling mouth, laugh lines clearly visible on his face. His nose is bridged high and there is a slight asymmetry to his eyelids-one mono and one double and his lips look naturally pouty.

Yohan finds himself studying the boy.  He was very beautiful, Yohan thinks. Paano ba naging police informant 'to? He looked innocent. Tinignan ni Yohan ang files ni Teagan at nakita ang mga salitang katulad ng  double agent at no loyalty kung saan-saan.

Taegan seemed to tell information to the police about the drug cartels run byExtraordinaries.He also seemed to have had known ties with Albert from the Monteverde family and Madame Yuri of the Extraordinary trafficking fame. And all this, at an age where Yohan was still struggling through the police academy and working at the gas station to pay his tuition fee. The kid was even actually younger to him by a few months.

Not so innocent after all.

"Si Taegan ba yan" Tanong ni Dave sa kanya. "Fuck. Naaalala ko siya"

Yohan looks up cautiously. "Kilala mo siya Sir Dave?"

"Lahat kilala ang batang yan. That kid was an open double agent. Napakatalino niya at maaasahan talaga. Pero may bali-balitang naging prostitute daw 'yan. May nakakita daw sa kanya sa isang toll booth sa Wingston,you know, yung tulay malapit sa Extraordinary sector. "Di ko alam kung papaniwalaan ko 'yun pero may itsura siya kaya niyang kumita ng pera sa ganoong paraan."