All Clear, Attorney

O

THE INCONSISTENCIES WERE the first thing that she had noticed when Cadence asked her to get the report from the forensics department. Now that all the evidence was laid in front of them, she couldn't help but feel proud of Cadence. 

"Hindi, pinatay mo ang anak ko!"

"Mali ang hatol niyo!"

"Bagay sa 'yo ang death penalty!"

Samo't saring reaksyon ang sumalubong sa kanila habang papalabas sila ng korte. The jury had come to a decision, and they found the defendant not guilty of murder.

And the victim's side couldn't accept it. At the back of their minds, she knows another question lurks. A question that needs to be answered.

Now, that he's not that guilty, who could the killer be?

"You're protecting your child," Cadence remarked the moment they got inside the private room and sat on their chairs.

Nagbaba lang ng tingin ang lalaki at 'di sumagot, pero gumuhit ang malungkot na ngiti nito sa mga labi. She really doesn't know why he's trying to defend the one who killed his wife.

It's a matter between his wife and his child. . . and he chose the latter.

"Thank you for defending me, Attorney." He changed the topic instead. Parang ayaw nitong pag-usapan ang kung sino mang totoong pumatay sa asawa nito.

"What really happened, Doc? We saw the CCTV footage," paninimula niya. Since the first time they met the defendant, ngayon niya lang 'ata naisipang magtanong.

Nag-angat ng tingin ang lalaki sa kanya. His eyes are glistening, at parang ilang segundo ay tutulo na ang luha nito.

"It's my son. . ." paninimula nito at tumulo ang luha sa mga mata. "I-I was just in the bathroom tapos paglabas ko, nakita kong yakap-yakap na ng anak ko ang. . . asawa ko.

"And my son, he was wrapping the plastic bag around the murder weapon. . . and his face was grim. Hindi ko alam kung b-bakit niya iyon nagawa. At 'di ko rin alam kung ano ang pumasok sa isip ko. I-I just want to protect my son because I-I failed as a father.

"M-Marami akong pagkukulang sa kanya simula no'ng dumating ang bunso namin. A-And. . . And I thought that taking his place will be a way to make up for my mistakes. . . pero sobrang mali pala.

"Nandidiri ako sa sarili ko. Paano ko naatim na protektahan ang nagkitil ng buhay ng pinakamamahal ko?!" He broke down in front of them. Namumula na ang ilong nito sa kaiiyak, and his eyes were bloodshot.

So. . . their assumptions were wrong.

She sighed and turned her head to Cadence. Nagkatinginan sila. She couldn't see anything in those hazel eyes, but somehow, she could feel what he wanted to do as of the moment.

He wants to tell the truth.

Muli itong bumaling sa lalaking umiiyak sa kanilang harap. Nagtagal pa ng ilang segundo ang titig nito bago ito nagsimulang magsalita,

"I'm afraid you got the wrong person, Doc."

Natigil ang lalaki sa pag-iyak at nag-angat ng tingin kay Cad. His eyebrows met in the middle as his lips slowly parted. Nakatingin lang siya sa pagbabago ng reaksyon nito.

"W-What do you mean, Attorney?" tila hindi humihingang saad ng lalaki. Mas lalo pang nagkasalubong ang mga kilay nito.

"It's not your son who did it. It's your daughter."

"But, Cad, if it's the son. . . bakit ang kamay niya lang ang duguan? Considering the messy crime scene, the blood should be on his face, too, and everywhere. Pero wala.