“Or maybe, the one who’s closest to you right now.” Shanty grinned. “Who knows, Detective. They might bite you in the back. Mag-ingat ka.”
“I said get the fuck out of here, Ms. Marcel!” iritadong utos ng detective.
Shanty let out a laugh. “Kalma ka lang dyan. I’ll come back tomorrow, detective. See you!” aniya bago ito lumabas.
Raj sighed exasperatedly. He didn’t know why he was so irritated with her but her accusations didn’t sit right with him. More than anything, it was enraging. Nagagalit siya dahil ikinokonsidera niya na maaaring iisa nga sa kanila ang dumukot kay Celeste; at maaaring iisa rin sa kanila ang pumapatay. He stood up for them but it made him feel guilty nonetheless. They were working as a team for years. Decades, even, and their trust for each other knows no bounds. Kailan lang ay handa niyang itaya ang lahat para sa co-workers niya. Masyadong malalim na ang pinagsamahan nila para pagdudahan pa niya ang mga ito. But for him to doubt them because of a mere statement from a total stranger just shows how helpless he is when it comes to Celeste.
George walked near the detective’s back. He sighed before tapping the detective’s shoulder. “Ipahinga mo muna ang sarili mo, detective. You've been working hard since you came back from Siargao. You’re tired,” he declared.
Detective Raj didn’t answer.
Ilang minutong katahimikan ang namayani sa kanilang dalawa. Nobody broke the silence between them. George knew that Detective Raj was still trying to calm himself. Bakas din sa mukha nito ang puyat at pagod. The detective was so invested with the case that he had forgotten to tend to himself. George believed that it was a chance for the detective to rest not until a commotion outside the detective's office broke out. Akmang tatayo na sana ang detective kaya pwersahan niya itong pinaupo ulit. “Leave them be. Malaki na ang mga tanginang yan,” anito. “I'll go handle them. Go get some sleep.”
Lacking strength for another argument, Detective Raj nodded his head in agreement. Pagkalabas ni George ay isinandal niya ang kanyang likod sa backrest ng kanyang swivel chair. All he could hear was his breathing and his rapid heartbeat. Kabado dahil anumang oras ay maaaring may mangyaring masama kay Celeste. Subalit sang-ayon na rin kay George ay hindi pa naman umabot ng 24 oras ang pagkawala ni Celeste at higit sa lahat ay may notice of leave ang babae. She might just be somewhere out of coverage.
Pero hindi pa rin mawala sa isipan ni Detective Raj ang sinambit ng babaeng witness ng kasong kasalukuyan nilang hawak. Kung paano nalaman ng babae na nawawala si Celeste ay hindi niya alam. Hindi niya rin masabi-sabi sa kanyang team ang lahat dahil maaaring nagkakamali lamang siya. Sino ba namang maniniwala sa baliw, hindi ba? Gayunpaman malakas talaga ang kutob niya na may hindi na magandang nangyari sa babae.
Maya-maya pa ay bumukas ang pintuan ng kanyang opisina at bumungad sa kanya si George na putlang-putla ang mukha at hingal na hingal. Bakas sa mukha nito ang labis na pagka-gimbal.
“Detective!” anito.
Detective Raj immediately got up from his seat and walked towards George. “Anong nangyari?”
“We… we found Celeste’s body, detective,” nakayukong sambit ni George. “Ginilitan ang l-leeg. Patay na si…” Huminga siya nang malalim bago nagpatuloy. “Wala na si Celeste, detective.”
Detective Raj couldn’t take what George stated. He wasn’t able to function. Kagabi lang nawawala si Celeste. Imposibleng sa maikling oras na dumaan ay agad na kukunin ito sa kaniya. Maaaring nagkakamali lamang sila. Sa tagal at hitap ng training nila ay imposible na ganun kadali dakpin si Celeste. Baka nagkakamali lamang sila.
“Detective!” George shouted when he got no reaction from him.
Detective Raj faced George who was on the verge of breaking down. His hair was a mess and his dress shirt was crumpled in every corner. His bloodshot eyes bore into the detective emanating his angst.
“Where’s the body?” Detective Raj coldly asked.
George looked at the detective in confusion. The detective was calm but one could tell that he would burst out anytime if triggered. “Nasa mortuary room ng Philippines General Hospital ang katawan, detective,” he answered as carefully as he could.
Walang sabi-sabi ay agad na naglakad ang detective palabas ng kanyang opisina habang si George naman ay tahimik lamang na sumunod. He almost lost his mind when he found out about the thing that happened to Celeste.
Celeste’s body was found dead in a rundown building; but it didn’t end there. The photos showed she was tortured by removing her skin. Her hair was still intact yet her face was skinless as well as the rest of her body. Ang dila niya ay nahanap isang kilometro ang layo sa katawan. Her eyeballs weren’t found at the crime scene and were suspected to be at the hand of the criminal. May sugat din ito sa leeg sang-ayon sa kapulisan na nakakita sa katawan. Still, the cause of her death was yet to be uncovered. George could not imagine the torture she suffered.
Nang marating nila ang hospital ay agad silang pumunta sa post-mortem examination room. Bern was sitting outside the examination room and immediately ran towards them when he saw them approaching.
Bern’s face was as pale as a white sheet. Kitang-kita sa mukha nito ang kaba. He dragged the detective and forced him to sit down.
“Look at me… Raj” Bern commanded.
Detective Raj shook his head. “Let me see her body, Bern! Kailangan kong makita kung totoo ngang si Celeste ang bangkay!” he insisted.
“No. You still need to calm down!” Bern stated firmly.
With furrowed brows, George decided to step in. “He's calm, doc. Let him see her body.”
“He isn’t. Now, please restrain him from entering. They are still examining the body.”
“Tell me that isn't her, Bern. I’ll really lose my mind if something bad happens to her,” aniya ng detective.
Lahat sila ay balisa ngunit hindi kayang tumbasan ng kahit na sino ang takot na nararamdaman ng detective. Mahal niya ang babae.
“We are still examining the body, detective. I can’t disclose any information about it yet.”
BINABASA MO ANG
Surging Of Affliction (WWS)
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