THE POPSTAR PRINCESS AND THE BODYGUARD

CHAPTER 27: THE BREAKUP...THE BREAKDOWN

Scene 53

ALABANG ROAD

Muntinlupa

Sunday

11:40 A.M.

Traffic was in a snarl on the west side of the South Luzon Expressway.  One of the lanes was closed due to the ongoing road rehabilitation and construction.  The remaining opened lanes were congested with various types of vehicles travelling southward of the metropolis.  What used to be a quiet and laid-back sub-urban community at least three decades ago had now become a center of business and residential activities.

It seemed that everyone was in a hurry to do his/her own business and be done with it.  No one cared to give way.  Even the pedestrians crossing the streets appeared unmindful of the traffic laws.  Most of them crossed the streets every chance they got without waiting for the proper traffic lights.  Public transportations were the same.  The bus and jeepney drivers stopped at every conceivable spot where they could pick up passengers.  Horns from private and public vehicles blared loudly, indicating thinning patience and flaring tempers among drivers.

What made the situation worse was the fact that the sole policeman supposed to be manning the traffic was on one side of the lane, busy getting information from the drivers of the two cars that got into each other’s way when one tried to overtake the other.

The flow of traffic had turned into a turtle pace.

Unfortunate for Max, he was caught in the said traffic jam right before the intersection of Alabang Road and South Luzon Expressway.  What was supposed to be a fifteen to twenty minute-travel time from Muntinglupa Police Station to Asian Hospital and Medical Center for Max had now stretched into almost an hour.

Max was in a foul mood.  A very foul mood.  He hadn’t had a decent sleep in the last twenty four hours.  And the situation did not help improved Max’s mood.  It only exacerbated it.

Few days ago Max was confident that he had a very good lead on who Asher’s stalker was.  He thought that he had finally figured out the case of the stalker.  He assumed that it would only be a matter of time before this person committed a mistake and Max would have one valid reason, one solid proof to expose and catch this person.

But after last night’s accident that involved his godfather, Max started to question his judgment and assumptions.  The accident threw Max off the loop. 

It looked like that Max had underestimated Asher’s stalker.  He had underestimated the extent and length up to which this person was capable of doing in order to get what he wanted.  One thing was definitely clear though.  The stalker badly wanted Asher at all cost, even if it involved losing someone’s life.

“What could have I possibly missed?”  Max asked himself for the nth time.

“There’s something that doesn’t add up to this whole thing.  Everything is odd.  The accident is strange.  But darn it!  Why does it have to reach this point where Ninong Miguel could lose his life?

Gosh!  What a fool I am!  Kapag may masama pang nangyari kay Ninong, if what happened will cost him his life I don’t think I will be able to forgive myself.  I don’t think Asher will ever forgive me!”

Max muttered to himself, banging one fist in frustration on the steering wheel.

The results of his own investigation of the accident and his talk with the police investigator an hour ago had only confirmed Max’s suspicion.  The car accident was no accident at all.  It was planned and Asher’s stalker could possibly be behind it all.