Puppet Town (Cold Case Series 3)

Chapter 10: Everlast

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Pumipikit na ang mata ni Roman. Nakikita ko kung paanong pinipigilan niya ang antok. Tinungga niya ang natitirang kape pagkatapos ay inabot niya sa 'kin ang baso. Huminga ako nang malalim pagkatapos ay kumuha muli ng panibago.

Napatitig na lamang ako sa kupas na usok ng mainit na tubig habang dinarama ang init nito sa 'king kamay. It's already late in the morning, and yet Roman remained fidgety. He was so sure that there would be another killing in the 18th day that the silence made him suffer.

Lumipat ang tingin ko sa kaniya habang patuloy sa pagtimpla ng kape. How can he be so confident about his assumptions anyway? Maliban na lang kung may kinalaman siya. Inalis ko ang nabubuong ideya sa 'king isipan. Hindi p'wede. Siya lang ang tangi kong pinagkatiwalaan.

Isang pagod na ngiti ang nakuha ko nang mailapag ang kape. How he straightly drank from the cup, even with its hot temperature, sent shivers down my spine. It takes me half an hour to drink a hot coffee! Parang dila ko ang napaso dahil sa ginawa niya.

"Thanks," he said, referring to the coffee.

I nodded, and there was silence once again.

I was silently observing him as he went deeper into the contents of his mind. When Jennifer died, he became more on edge. But now that it's over, I sense relief— or at least, that's just how I'd like to think. His brows never separated since the sun had risen, though.

"Roman, if your assumption actually happened and... someone died yesterday, wouldn't that make you suspicious?" Pagsasaboses ko ng iniisip. "I just remained because you were wrong. Pero sa totoo lang, hindi ko na talaga alam kung mapagkakatiwalaan pa ba talaga kita."

Akala ko ay hindi na siya magsasalita. Pagkatapos ng ilang sandali, sinenyasan niya akong sundan siya. Napuno ako ng pag-aalinlangan. Mukhang nabasa naman niya ang nararamdaman ko. Bigla siyang lumapit at inabutan ako ng susi na nakamarka ng numero ng kuwarto niya.

"You can also guard the door while we talk. I'll explain everything, we don't have to do it here," sabi niya.

Nang pumunta kami sa kuwarto niya, nagtungo siya sa kaniyang higaan habang ako naman ang sumandal sa pintuan, hawak-hawak pa rin ang susi. Kabaliktaran ng kuwarto ko ang kaniya. Nakaayos ang mga gamit niya sa mesa at talagang nawalisan pa ang sahig. Nagmukha tuloy mas malawak ang kaniya.

"I only have my brother and father living with me. But everything changed when a man named Eloi encouraged them to join a cult named Everlast."

Bumalik ang atensyon ko sa kaniya nang magsalita siya. Naramdaman ko ang panggigigil sa kaniyang boses nang banggitin niya ang pamilyar na pangalan. Eloi.

"My brother invited me to join them, but I declined. I thought it wasn't a big deal at first until I saw them change because of it. This reincarnation thing... they bought it, Renée. Umabot pa sa sukdulan na nasampahan ng kaso ang kapatid ko dahil inialay nito ang girlfriend niya kay Eloi para... gawan ng—" Natigil sa pagsasalaysay si Roman nang ilapat ko ang kamay sa kaniyang balikat.

"Please stop; I get it now."

Tumango-tango lang siya. "My brother was still in hiding because they moved out with this Eloi after the case was filed against him. I never saw them since then. Until my father came back and told me, he had left Everlast. Hindi niya nakaya ang mga rituwal na kailangan nila gawin doon."

Mukhang alam ko ang susunod na sasabihin niya.

"My father told me about Everlast's 18-day rule of killing. He said that everything will start once a dead member of theirs comes back to life. His escape from Everlast caused him his death," sabi niya. His face was void of emotions, although his chest rose and fell rapidly.