Trace of Innocence

Chapter 22

Chapter 22

"WHY are you here?"

He looked up at me as if he'd been caught doing something illegal, but he quickly averted his gaze elsewhere and wore that neutral look again. My eyes turned to my swivel chair that was still spinning gently. Busted.

Miguel cleared his throat and then spoke. "Nothing. I just bumped into your chair when I was trying to see if it's going to rain this afternoon. Sorry."

I sensed the slight tremor in his voice though. I would have convicted him for snooping around if only I hadn't seen the slightly opened window on the side of my desk that was overlooking the whole city. Maybe he did see if it's going to rain, or maybe not.

I looked at my table, my computer's innocuous log-in screen, my keys with a Mickey mouse keychain, and my closed planner. What was he doing? Was he looking at my things to know if I am already investigating him? Was he suspecting me now?

I forced my breath out in a controlled hiss before smiling slightly at him. "Okay lang. Though I think uulan yata mamaya. I heard it from the morning forecast."

He nodded his head. "Sayang naman. I was supposed to go to the beach today to cover the newly opened resort, but looks like I had to postpone the trip."

I don't know why he was saying this to me. If he was trying to be friendly, then it wouldn't work. I have clearly established that I didn't want friends, especially when they have ill intentions. Not that I am suspecting him to have one, but there's nothing wrong with being cautious about it.

"I see. Sayang nga," was my dry reply.

Akmang tutungo na ako sa aking upuan nang magsalita na naman siya. Kinakabahan na talaga ako sa lalaking ito. Lalo pa't isa siya sa suspek namin kaya nakaka-overthink lang.

"By the way, have you finished writing the article I assigned to you?"

"Ah, yes, sir. I already passed it."

"Good. Good," he mumbled.

I thought he would leave, but then he spoke again, and this time, his question really made my heartbeat accelerate two times faster than before.

"One more thing, Ms. Yaneza," he began. "How's the case of my girlfriend?"

Girlfriend.

I'd like to rebut his claim as my friend's boyfriend because of what Damien told us about his relationship with Selyn before she died, but then I am not really sure who to believe anymore. He even talked as if he assigned to me the task of investigating the death of my friends.

Tumikhim muna ako bago siya sinagot. "Wala pa ring development eh."

He hummed while nodding slowly. "I heard about this Damien guy though."

If I was surprised, I managed to cover it up with my neutral face. How did he find out about that? Did Patsy tell him?

"You don't know Damien?" I asked instead. If he thought he was the only one taking advantage of this conversation then he's wrong. I might as well squeezed information from him while doing so.

"He was Selyn's ex-boyfriend," he answered with contempt.

Doon ko napansin ang pagkuyom ng kanyang mga kamao. Para bang may kinikimkim siyang galit.

"Ah so kilala mo pala siya. Sa tingin mo may posibilidad kayang siya ang pumatay kay Selyn?" tanong ko ulit. I had completely diverted the topic into another one that would benefit my curiosity, instead of discussing with him what happened to Damien. Kung sinabi nga ni Patsy ang tungkol sa nangyaring pagkamatay ni Felicity, hindi na niya dapat pang malaman ang ibang detalye.