暗影的面纱 (Veil of Shadows)

Chapter V (Case)

The workplace appears peaceful, yet each table has its own set of issues, confusion, and complaints. Everyone is minding their own business and working on various matters that need to be settled in order to provide fairness to everybody. Every day, fresh crimes occur from left to right. They don't know what crime comes next; it may be worse.

Salazar came in with a cup of soup in his hand. It was a steaming mushroom soup. It's currently  afternoon and the weather isn't nice, but just like the cases that they're handling, it was also unpredictable.

Their uniforms might look cozy; they consist of a black suit jacket worn over a white long-sleeve shirt, paired with black slacks and a red necktie. Completing the attire is a pin worn on the left side, just over their hearts, but their uniform wasn't doing it since it was cold inside the office.

The taller man placed the warm soup on the female prosecutor's table when he was bumped by a clumsy person known as the noisiest in the room. Marco was holding two brown folders; these were new cases.

"Yun, oh!" He saw the steaming soup and immediately snatched it from the table. He dropped the folders. Gabriel specially prepared the soup for Stacey, but instead it was devoured by someone who just entered the room. Gabriel's face changed immediately.

Marco was enjoying the soup when he looked at the man beside him. "What's the sour face for?" he said.

Lalong uminit ang ulo nito sa kanya, "Masarap?" tanong ng ginoo.

He just nodded, agreeing with the taller man. Hahampasin na sana ito ni Gabriel nang biglang magsalita ang babae sa harap ng dalawa.

Marco just shrugged it off but was laughing inside.

"Ano yan?"

"Bagong kaso, drug dealers daw sa Pasay," sagot nito habang humihigop sa sabaw. Nagpipigil na lamang ang katabi nito, samantalang kung gaano kainit ang sabaw, mas mainit ang dugo nito. Binigyan na lamang ni Marco ito ng ngiti. "Salamat," dagdag niya.

"Umalis na lamang si Gabriel baka may magawa pa ito sa kanya.

"Hindi ka sigurado?" seryosong tanong ni Stacey.

"Hindi talaga, wala pa ngang kaso na iipanalo," sambit ng babae sa kabilang dulo ng opisina.

"Bakit nakikisali ka?"

Tumawa na lamang ang pinakabata sa kanila.

"Ikaw naman, ano ang tinatawa mo diyan?"

Patuloy silang nagtatalo na parang mga batang nag-aasaran, hanggang napuno ang kwarto ng sigawan at pikunan. They always banter at each other every single day, and it is endless. It was full of nonsense as well.

Stacey slammed the folders in front of her, making them stop. 

The three stopped arguing.

Fiscal Reyes stood up on her chair and picked up the folder from her desk; it was the newest case in the office. They can never underestimate a case, whether it is a small crime or not; it could potentially lead to something bigger.

She handed the folder to Marco, who refused to accept it. She then walked over to Diego, who also declined. The last woman in the room held the case out, but there was no one left to accept it.

"Why has nobody in this room accepted it? I thought you guys could do it alone with your so-called capabilities." As the lady spoke, the room became silent; she is the superior in this room, and her strong character contributed to the coldness, making it impossible for anybody to meet her gaze. Her imposing presence, along with her stance and firm tone, created obvious tension in the room. She was walking back and forth while holding the folder.