Puppet Town (Cold Case Series 3)

Chapter 06: A Strange Symbol

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"And... done!" He clicked the stop button on his camera.

He just took a video of me telling him that I'll cooperate. Alam kong hindi na maipinta ang mukha ko. I can't believe I'm helping a stranger!

"You're evil," sabi ko sa kaniya.

He grinned. "And you're selfish."

Natahimik ako.

Later on, he told me everything about him. He was actually living in this apartment for months... kaya pala ang pamilyar niya. Also, he is a wannabe detective who claims that Hana asked for his help days before the suic*de happened.

Kumunot ang aking noo. Why did Hana choose to ask for his help? Why not the police?

"I can read your face, you know." He looked like a kid who was about to throw a tantrum. When he became serious, he spoke once again. "Renée... never trust the police in this town."

Inilapit niya ang mukha sa 'kin. I can smell his minty breath. Napaatras ako.

"So, what do you know about Eleanor?" Pag-iiba ko ng usapan.

"Nice try. But I'll only tell you once you cooperate."

Saglit siyang umalis. Pagkabalik niya, may dala-dala siyang mga printed pictures. Laman nito ang screenshot ng mga conversations sa isang messaging app. Talagang pinaghandaan niya ito. He's confident that he can make me agree to cooperate, and he did.

He told me the order of what to read. Saka ko pa lamang napagtantong chat conversation nila ito ni Hana. Muling bumigat ang dibdib ko nang makita ang profile picture niya sa itaas. It was her picture that she forced me to take.

The conversations told me one thing: A mysterious man had invited her to a meeting about reincarnation. He told her he could help her have a new life— literally speaking. And Hana can choose what kind of new life she wants to have. This happened even before the feast gathering when Marion showed up.

I was taken aback by the last time I had a conversation with her.

"Renée, if someone approached you and told you they know how Marion did it... I mean the reincarnation thing, what will you do?" She asked me.

So, something was really happening to her.

"Hana was going through her darkest days when that man approached her. She just learned that her Mother and Father's relationship had caused someone's death. And apparently, their mistake was the reason why a lot of people don't like her as well," sabi ni Roman.

"Marion," sabi ko.

He nodded.

Huminga ako nang malalim. "What does that reincarnation thing have to do with this?"

Itinuro niya ang pangalan ni Marion sa chat conversation niya. "Of course, Hana did not believe him. But after Marion's appearance, assuming it was actually her, Hana started considering the offer. After all, what could go wrong with attending a simple meeting?"

I looked at my toes. Whenever I think of Hana, I always remember her smiles. She was so good at it that I never really noticed nor pondered what was behind it. I thought I was a good people reader, but I'm not.

"I never thought she wanted to change her life that bad." Or I guess I never cared as much as I think I do. "S-So, she went?"

"I told her not to. And it seems like she actually won't. Nasabi niya na sa unang pagkakataon ay nagkaroon na siya ng kaibigan. Hanggang sa muling nagpakita sa kaniya 'yung lalaki para sa kaniyang sagot. Alam kong tumanggi siya dahil naroon ako. Sinundan ko si Hana dahil sa kutob na namumuo sa dibdib ko," sabi ni Roman.