Almost Isolated

Chapter 29 - Photograph

"F*uck! Who is this guy?" Margot was eyeing Jade, maliciously. "Is he really 'just' a friend like he told me?"

Neri came down to the living room as soon as she heard about her horrible cousin with Jade tailing her.

"Okay, I'm actually Neri's ex -"

"Language, Margot," Neri cut in, stepping forward the tall teenager to drive her out the main door. "What are you doing here? It's almost eight in the evening. Go home!"

She glanced at Jade who was smiling at them as if proud of mentioning himself as her past lover. His slanted eyes twinkling and had the same shape as Margot. Neri remembered her ex and cousin were both half-Chinese. "Bratty girl issue. You should rest, Jade."

"Why do you have your ex here?" Margot butted in. "Does Diana know?" She held on to her disposable mask. "Is he Covid free? Are we safe?"

"Get out. It's none of your business. I'll call your mom -"

"Fu -" Margot was about to curse. She seemed to have a second thought about it. "Sure," the teenager said, instead. "Call her about me but you should tell her, you wanted me to come here to do you some errand."

Margot grinned, excitedly. "Philip and I found something about Helen. Actually, about her sister that could link to Helen's murder -"

"What's this? A murder mystery?" Jade said, amused.

"It's nothing -"

"Something childish, right?"

"Childish?" Margot wanted to protest to Neri's ex-boyfriend; the latter hushed her, placing a finger over his lips.

"So, Neri. This is what you've been doing to make yourself busy? Playing around? Goofing with your cousin? You left your job in Seattle for this?"

"It's not that -" Jade's last statement was like a dagger digging into her conscience; she was silenced with him shushing her as well.

"I'll talk to you later." And he turned for the stairs to leave them.

"He seems bossy isn't he?" Margot commented with a sniff. "What an a*ss. Right, Robbie?"

With the mention of the ghost's name, Neri gathered that he was already standing beside her. Robbie didn't answer her cousin, he simply smiled his friendly smile at Margot then gave Neri a cold stare.

Now there's the real a*sshole! Neri thought.

"Well, Robbie here, isn't actually 'Robbie'," she scoffed. "He isn't Julian's friend, 'John'. He said, his name is Tobias."

Neri crossed her arms at him, her head high. "He made another breakthrough, too."

"I prefer you call me Robbie."

"Whatever," she whispered, turning her gaze away from him.

"Whoa!" Margot held her hands high and then she snickered. "Are you guys fighting?"

"Of course not!" Neri glared at her nosy cousin. "Do you actually think we're in a relationship?"

"F*uck no -"

"Let's get to your clue, shall we?" Neri closed the door behind Margot and nodded at her for the sofa.

"But you'll have to call Diana -"

"Mom," Neri corrected. "I'll call her later. And no more 'F's or else..."

Margot got her phone from her back pocket, made some taps on it and then gave the device to her.

"You only took a shot of the photo?" Neri saw two Elaine images on the phone.

"There were other photos. Philip didn't want me taking the real thing especially the money -"

"Money?" Neri gaped.

"We didn't know how much. But there's a bundle of it... about one inch, all in a thousand peso bill. Philip said it's for the police."

"Who is Philip?" She saw Margot turned pink; she blinked. She'd probably imagined it.

"You know him. He's Fiona's older brother, the one I told you about -"

"The reason why you trashed the Jones' house back then?"

Again Neri thought, she saw Margot cheeks turned red. Whatever! She examined the shot of the photo on the phone, instead.

"It seems like Elaine has a twin," she observed.

Elaine was indeed a looker than the older sibling. Her porcelain skin, pouty lips and bedroom eyes were also assets in addition to her great body. She could pass for a movie star.

In the picture were two 'Elaine' facing each other, almost mirror like despite of the hairstyles and clothing. Neri recognized the Elaine she found in Facebook - athletic and looking like a party girl in her halter short black dress. The other Elaine was a looking like an executive in a white suit, her dark polished hair fashioned in a long ponytail.

"What did Julian say?" Robbie asked Margot. "Did he think her as another sister?"

"I haven't asked him because of Philip." Margot's slanting eyes, widened with an idea. "I could ask him if you'll be there. You can distract Philip while I look for Julian."

"It's already late. We could end up in trouble," Neri mumbled but Margot was already at the door and Robbie had vanished.

The three of them were inside the Jones' house before Neri could object, the second time. And then, there were footsteps coming from the stairs.

"Oh! It's Philip." Margot said, turning to Neri then making a face. Her disposable mask was under her chin, she pulled it over her mouth.

"As if?" Neri forgot to wear her mask before going out. As if she had the virus, she wanted to say; she shook her head and moved away from her cousin. "Sorry okay?"

Her boyfriend was behind her; she felt a cool breeze as she almost fell back through him. He looked at her then turned away. He was still moping about Jade. The a*ss!

"What are you being so sore about?" Margot said, frowning at her through the ghost. "And where is Robbie?"

Margot couldn't see Robbie again. Neri was reminded that her cousin had no third eye like her. Margot can only see Robbie or Julian when they want her to see.

A dark shape, seemingly rounded in the middle with broad shoulders and big arms but not as tall as Robbie descended from the stairs.

"Philip?" Margot had to turn her flashlight to him. But then the LCD bulb was switched on, casting light over the hallway.

"They'd fixed the power back?" Neri asked, giving the young man a smile as he walked towards them.

Philip was a bit larger. Chubby in a cute way of saying it. He was wearing a striped horizontal shirt that made him appear fatter. But he was a handsome guy with a solemn face and a familiar smile.

His eyes were blue -!

"They haven't turned the main switch. It's Julian's doing!" Margot was near to shouting. "Get off from Philip, you f*uck!"

"What -?" Neri gasped as Margot closed in to the guy, with both of her fists, raised.

Philip had managed to dodge her cousin's attacks, moving swiftly to Neri. It was then, after he held her hand, Neri remembered that dashing smile. It was Julian's.

"My dear, Neri -"

Philip or rather, Philip's face was suddenly struck by Robbie, his eyes murderous. The ghost had managed to pin the body into the floor until it made a gagging sound.

"Stop it! You are going to kill him, Robbie."

"The f*uck! He was just being possessed by Julian," Margot said, frowning miserably as she still couldn't see Robbie, only Philip being attacked on the floor by an invisible force. "Robbie, please -!"

Philip's body shook like being electrocuted and then it sat up. Stricken as he stared at Margot who went to assist him, immediately.

"There... there was a big man," Philip said, controlling the stutter in his voice. He... He to-took the brown envelope... everything."