Knife

xxxiv

"Hindi kami ang pumatay kay papa," kalmadong sagot ni Sylvia.

The look on Detective Archer's face held the tiniest flicker of amusement. He didn't believe us when we said we didn't kill Simon. He didn't believe us when we said we aren't involved.

I get where he's coming from. Sina Sylvia  at Luca ay kahina-hinalang nawala nang gabi ng pagkamatay ni Simon. Ako nama'y nasa loob mismo ng bahay nang mangyari iyon.

But I didn't kill him.

Nobody would believe me. Lahat sila, kung tatanungin ng prangkahan, ako ang ituturo. Baka nga pati si Russell at Bianca iyon ang pinaniniwalaan. Still, my truth prevails. Hindi ako ang pumatay sa aking ama.

"Let's not lie to ourselves, Miss de la Cerda. I may not know intimate details about your lives, but I know you were detached from your father, emotionally, I mean." Ngumisi si Archer.

Umiling ako dahilan kung bakit napatingin sa akin si Archer. He raised a brow. "What? Is it not true?"

"Totoo ngunit hindi ko kayang patayin si Simon." Tumingin ako kay Bianca. She understood my gaze. I need her help. This is precisely the reason she's here. I am not good with words. I am not good with proving something.

Bianca came to my defense. "My client will not speak further. He has denied the accusation and will not be doubted more."

Hindi ko napansin na may mga abogado din palang dala sina Luca at Sylvia. Their lawyers came to their defense too. I expected Detective Archer to be furious, but he kept his smirk.

"Damn. Rich people really bend the law to their will, huh?"

Napalunok ako. I felt a bitter bile rise up my throat. I knew that gaze all too well. The disdain for those who abuse power. The disdain for the rich. Now, I'm one of them. I'm what I swore to overthrow.

"Well, then..." Huminga siya ng malalim at pinagsiklop ang kaniyang mga daliri. "I declare this investigation closed."

"What?" Sylvia's voice sliced the silence. "Case Closed?"

"Yes," sabi ni Archer. "We know you killed him. We know you murdered him, but you won't admit. And you won't damn well be imprisoned."

I felt the tension in the room.

"We did not kill him." Every word was emphasized. Tumayo si Sylvia. "I did not kill daddy. Yes, I abhorred his previous decisions in life, but I will not step down to his level and actually kill him."

Archer stalked closer, towering over Sylvia. Mabilis kaming tumayo ni Luca at humarang sa kaniya. I did not like the hostile look he gave to Sylvia, and I could feel Luca didn't either.

Archer narrowed his eyes at the three of us, before eventually sighing. Umiling siya.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever." He looked at his watch. "I will find whoever killed your daddy." It was not a kind tone he used. It was as if he was just saying that to shoo us away, like we were kids and he was saying what we wanted to hear so we'd leave him alone.

None of us appreciated this.

"Are you even an actual detective?" Galit na tanong ni Luca. "You're prancing around the room like you know everything, yet you get mad when what you thought was true is actually inaccurate!"

Archer laughed, devoid of any humor.

"I do know everything. I know you all killed him. I know you'll never admit to it and I know you'll get away with it. Kung ang mga Senador nga na nakagawa ng krimen, nahihirapan na kaming ipakulong, kayo pa kaya na may-ari ng mga mall." He shrugged. "I've seen it hundreds of thousands of times. Artistang nakabangga at nakapatay, hindi nakulong dahil sa impluwensya at pera. Anak ng politiko–heck, kahit anak ng Principal ng isang eskuwelahan. You'll get away with it as long as you have a throng of lawyers and bags of hard cold cash at your disposal."