The Haunting Past

XIII

She parked her car infront of the station and headed straight to the front desk.

"Excuse me po!"

A balding officer raised his gaze to her.

"Yes ma'am?"

"Ahm, dito po ba si Anthony Valez naka detained?"

She was making sure.

The officer looked at his records and then said yes.

"Pwede po ba siyang dalawin?"

"Yes ma'am!" Then he called to other officer and told him to bring her along to the visiting area.

The officer nodded to her and guide her into a big room, it has tables and chairs most definitely for the visitors.

Few minutes past, Tonny barged in, wearing a gray body tight shirt and a faded denim pants. Looks like he missed few shavings already, his growing mustaches. He even look like he hadn't sleep yet. He slowly seated to the other side of the table, facing her.

"Bakit mo ginagawa sa akin to Regina!?" His voice was shaking, he couldn't look at her straight to her eyes. His rubbing both his fist to each other.

"I... I'm so sorry!"

"Hindi ko hinihingi ang sorry mo, ang gusto kong malaman ay kung bakit? Bakit mo ako dinidiin dito?" He was holding his tears back. He even bit his lip.

Regina's heart was like being squeezed. She started to cry a little while shaking her head slowly.

"No, babe! H-hindi ko rin alam ang mga nangyayari!" She was sobbing now.

"Yung bintana, diba ipinasarado mo sakin yun kaya napunta ang fingerprints ko don!"

Regina just put her hand on her lips covering it and was crying silently. She doesn't want to say no neither say yes. But she couldn't remember such event.

Tonny continued talking

"Bumili ako ng lunch diba? May mga resibo pa nga ako nun, naaalala ko pa, at itinago ko pa nga yun sa wallet ko incase nga na madawit ako, pero alam mo ba kung anong nangyari?" He said in a sarcastic voice.

Regina didn't reacted but still crying

"Nawala! Biglang nawala yung mga resibo babe! Hindi ko alam kung pano pero naglaho ang mga yun na parang bula." His voice was shaking.

Regina still couldn't say a word, she was afraid she might say something wrong and hurt Tonny.

"P-pati yung mga CCTV camera ng hospital at nung sa fastfood chain, wala ding nairecord nung araw na yun, nakakapagtakang bigla daw na sira nung mismong araw lang na yun at nakapag record na lang ulit kinabukasan, ni hindi nga nila namalayan na hindi pala gumana nung araw na yun!" He was crying on his palms.

And then raised his face from his palms and looked at her straight, full of hate.

"At y-yung taong tanging inaasahan ko na lang na magliligtas sakin.." He started panting. "Ang siya pa palang lalong magdidiin sa akin! Matibay ang ebidensiya nila laban sakin Regina, salamat sayo!" In his most sarcastic tune.

"Hindi ko lang talaga akalain! Tsk! Sobrang sakit! Kung karma man to, wag naman sanang ganito!" He shook his head. And then got up abruptly and started walking towards the door.

Regina finally uttered her words.

"I'm so sorry babe! I...I'll help you out! I promise!" She said crying.

Tonny stopped but didn't turned around. And then went out, back to his cell.

Regina doesn't even know what to do or where to start but she was determined to help Tonny out.

*****

(The Investigating Panel)

"Teka, paki rewind mo!" SPO2 Corpus said to his cooperating officer in charge. They were watching the CCTV record of the said incident at the hospital's canteen and the supposedly alibi of Tonny Valez.

"Ayun! Napansin mo ba yun Lopez? huminto sa pag re-record yung camera between 10:57 am to 11:13 am at nagsimula ulit mag record ng 11:14 am exactly!" His eyes bulging at the screen.

"Opo sir, pinanood ko na po yan kagabi, at nalaman ko pagkatapos ng paghinto niyan ay hindi na na ulit pa sir!"

SPO2 Corpus was nodding continuously

"Pinuntahan ko po kanina yung security systems ng hospital at maging nung fastfood chain sir at nalaman ko sir na may closed monitoring naman sila at laging may bantay ang system booth kaya't hindi daw mangyayaring hindi mapapansin kung huminto man sa pag record ang mga camera nila!" Officer Lopez said

"At ang sabi nga nila walang camera na tumigil sa pag re-record nung mga oras na yun, pero nakakapagtaka na dito sa mga binigay nilang kopya ay halos ilang oras tumigil sa pagrecord yung camera sa loob ng kwarto ni Miss Christina Humilde? Pero ayun sa kanila tumigil lang daw ito nung mag brown out saglit sa 6th floor! Nakakapagtaka naman?" PO2 Lopez continued

SPO2 Corpus didn't spoke and just stared at the monitor while the next playing video was at the fastfood chain. It stopped also between 10:13 am to 10:49 am and resumed recording at 10:50 am and for the rest of the day.

SPO2 Corpus looked at the written statement of Mr. Tonny Valez, it was indicated that he entered the fastfood chain around 10 am and leave before 11 am, same also at the hospital's canteen, he bought there around 11 am and leave in less than 15 minutes.

"Lopez ilang minuto bago makabalik ng hospital from the fastfood chain?" He asked him suspiciously.

Lopez stopped for awhile and was computing in mind.

"Mga more or less sir 8minutes!"

Lopez jerked when Corpus suddenly banged his fist on the table.

"Damn!" Corpus uttered gritting his teeth

"Opo sir napansin ko rin. Napaka accurate ng bawat paghinto ng recordings sa mga alibi ni Mr. Valez!" Lopez spoke between looking at the monitor and to his senior.

"So na set-up lang siya ganun? Imposible naman yun? Sino namang makakagawang e-alter itong mga copies na mismo galing sa hospital at sa kainan? Naka ilang hingi na tayo ng kopya, pare-pareho lang ang resulta!?" Corpus while giving his forehead a soft massage.

"At yung girlfriend niya sir, nag bago ng statement kaninang umaga lang!"

Corpus turned to him harshly

"Ano? Bakit daw?" Corpus feels like his headache worsen

"Hindi niya daw maalala yung una niyang ibinigay na statement, wala daw siyang natatandaang ganung nangyari!"

"Shit! Tumigil din sa pag record ang utak niya?" He joked

Lopez didn't say a word

"Let's consider this case closed. Matibay ang mga ebedinsyang nagdidiin kay Mr. Valez, Lopez! Siguradong mahahatulan siya ng guilty, siya o hindi man ang may gawa ng krimen!" Corpus said firmly.

Lopez nodded

********

At the Hospital

"Miss, wag niyo na lang banggitin sa kaibigan ko yung nangyari kahapon sa kwarto niya ha?" Regina was talking to the nurses outside my room.

The two of them agreed.

"Sige po ma'am, balik na po kami sa station!"

Regina nods and entered the door to my room. She bought me flowers and fruits and helped me out with two slices of a fresh apple.

"Kumain ka ng mabuti bhest oh! Gustong gusto ka ng kausapin ng may hawak ng kaso sa nangyari sayo eh!" She smiled at me, she's beautiful as ever.

As I've decided, I pretended still shocked and wasn't able to speak nor accept the truth about what happened to me, when in fact I already does and was making me almost crazy. And after what she said to me at that moment, I changed my mind to never eat the apple she prepared for me. What should I tell the police? That I was just being crazy?

That night my attending physician brought her a good news while me, a bad news.