Queen Of Damn

CHAPTER 45 (Missing Link)

*Vincent*

It was a wild goose chase.

A race with no end.

Sighing, I put my laptop lid down and massaged the back of my neck. I sported another migraine again.

Then leaned my head to the backrest of my chair, staring at the ceiling for quite a while before diving into the pool of information inside my head that I collected for two days straight delving from the case of the late Richard Montalvo, to the incident seven years before he died, that somewhat similar to the incident three decades ago and Papa's murder case.

They are somewhat connected.

I just don't know why I got this feeling, but there is a connection to it. First, the proprietor of the medical facilities and the pharmaceutical company—Montalvo is the dominant name, Richard is the CEO of Aegis Group of Companies and Management who is the successor of the controversial Montalvo and San Jose Group of Companies, again Montalvo, their name was prominent to every periodical that had been published way back to 1987-1989.

And the incident of missing babies, dying mothers for unknown reasons, the death tolls in the hospital ward of St Augustine as if there had been an outbreak. Happened before Richard's plane crashed into the Indian Ocean seven years ago. And Papa's unsolved case.

His killer is still on the loose.

The police didn't find any lead, it was perplexedly resolved as an isolated case of robbery, but I doubt it, he got involved in huge cases, some of which he busted many prominent names in politics and wealthy people.

More importantly, he got involved in the investigation of a 1987 incident, in Pampanga, when he was just a freshly grad police officer with flying colors, he served as the record clerk and was assigned to Angeles City as his post.

But what is the link to them?

I know it looks unrealistic but I just have this crazy intuition.

A knock on the door snapped me from my deep thoughts. I turned my head towards that direction.

"Kuya, nakapaghanda na 'ko ng agahan,"

"Sige, lalabas na rin ako." tumayo na ako mula sa kinauupuan ko, iniligpit ang mga folders at itinago sa isang kahon bago ko siniksik sa ilalim ng bureau desk ko.

Pagkalabas ko, naabutan ko pa si Miles na tapat ng pinto ng kwarto ko.

"Bakit?"

Umiling lang siya tapos tumalikod na at nauna nang maglakad patungo sa kitchen table.

"Kinakamusta ka ni Reina,"

"Nag-usap na kami, kuya." inusog niya ang upuan at naupo.

"Balita ko, may tampuhan kayo,"

Hindi siya umimik, hindi ako sanay, madaldal siya at talagang masayahin. Minsan naiingit ako sa mga taong kayang mag-shift ng emosyon sa isang pitik lang.

"Bakit di ka makasagot?"

Drats! Paano ba makipag-usap nang hindi tunog demanding?

"Okay na kami kuya, kilala mo naman ang girlfriend ko, minsan may topak." nag-umpisa na siyang sumandok ng kanin.

Tinitigan ko muna siya nang matagal bago ako sumimsim ng kape. He was a natural cook, masarap din magtimpla ng kape.

Minsan napapaisip ako kung mabubuhay ba ako kung wala ang kapatid ko. Masyado kasi akong busy sa trabaho, di ko na nabibigyan ng pansin si bunso, kaya parang ang layo na ng loob niya sa akin.