I Own You, Lira

Chapter 21

I can't give you a sure-fire formula for success, but I can give you a formula for failure: try to please everybody all the time.
~Herbert Bayard Swope
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Detective Ben drove his car away from the station. He took out the piece of paper he got from Jack and scanned it once more.

He glance every signages he passes by. There were buildings and people walking around.

"What a busy street." He whispered.

After a few minutes of driving, he reached the place his been looking for. He saw a building named Malcolm's Clinic near the coffee shop.

"Ito na yon." He mumbled.
He turned the engine off and exited his car.

The building's door was made out of glass. There is a security who accompany people entering.

"Goodmoring Sir." The security guard greeted Ben with a gentle smile.
Detective Ben nodded as he entered.

The place is very pleasing to the eye because of it's flourished wooden floor and white wall.

Ben's eyes were darted to an old lady wearing a white blouse and long plaid skirt organizing documents in her desk. Ben walked towards the busy old lady.

The old lady lifted her head and stopped. "Ano yon?"

"Si Doctor Malcolm po?" Ben said while scanning the whole area.

"Is it for your checkup?" The old lady opened a book near her table and scanned all the names written on it. "Your name?"

"Hindi po ako pasyente." Ben said. "Actually Im here to ask something from him."

The old lady raised her left eyebrow and closed the book. "Do you have an appointment?"

"Wala po." Ben said.

"Sorry but Dr. Malcolm is too busy to entertain a guest today." The old lady shifted her gaze back on the documents.

Ben left out a sigh and picked something out of his pocket. He opened it and faces it on the old lady.

"Im Detective Ben from Chicago Police Station and Im here to conduct an interview."
The old lady lifted her face up and saw an id and a badge proving the detective's indentity.

"Oh my , so-rry dear." The old lady stammered. "Here is your number de-tective." The old lady handed out a card with 2 written on it.

"Thank you." Ben smiled showing his perfect white teeth making the
old lady embarrased on how she acted towards him.

He left the old lady and turned his way on the receiving area.

There was a black sofa and glass table near the doctor's door. A blonde lady wearing a red dress with her little boy was sitting on the sofa. The lady was reading a fashion magazine while the boy is playing with his toy robot.

When Ben is about to open the door the lady stopped her. She put the magazine back in the table and raised her hand.

"Oh sir, someone is still inside." The lady giggled.

"Sorry." Ben heard the lady so he take a few steps back.

"Pang-ilan ka?" The lady said.

"2." Ben said plainly.

"Im 1 so that means you'll need to wait." The lady taps the sofa next to her son. "Upo ka muna."

"Thank you."

Ben sat next to the little boy whose swinging his robot across the air.

"Im Sally Perri." The lady smiled and handed her hand to Ben.