Bente-Quatro 2 - Star Witness (Completed)

2a - 1800H

2 - 1800Ha

A/N: Naluluha naman po ako sa mga comments n'yo nang pa-welcome back. Promise, hahanap po ako ng time na sumagot. For now, kailangan munang i-beat ni otor ang 9am self-imposed deadline and it's already 7:30am when I started, huhuhu.

Ayun na nga. Medyo build-up muna, i-enjoy po muna natin ang interaction ng mga bida sa supporting cast/guests, whatever. Kapit lang po, basta ang masasabi ko lang, hopeless romantic pa rin si otor.

6:05 pm, Naga City, Philippines

"So panyera, si poging Agent Richard ang dahilan ng malamig mong mga gabi. Tama ako diba?"

The lady lawyer being questioned just watch as the seconds hand of her watch continued to move while periodically glancing at the road side, side, front and rear. Tik-tak, tik-tak, tik-tak several thoughts running through her mind. So he did become an NBI agent.

"Okay, sabi ko nga objection overruled. Pero in fairness, panyera, hawig siya ng TOTGA ko. Very, very slight lang naman."

Atty. Maine feigned innocence but replied nonetheless. She needs distraction. "What's TOTGA?"

" Seryoso ka? Hindi mo alam ibig sabihin ng TOTGA? Sino ba ang millenial sa 'ten?"

"I wouldn't ask if I know."

"Fine! The One That Got Away. Baka kilala mo siya, si Doc Aga."

"You mean Aga Mulach, the actor?" She had noticed the resemblance before, at least in the way Richard smiles.

"Uy, tao ka pala! Imagine, kilala mo si Aga Mulach? Hinde!!! Si Dr. Agatom Dimakulangan. Kulang man sa height, pero sobra naman sa dimples at pagka-busilak ng puso at kalooban. But sadly, we're not MFEO."

"MFEO? Ano naman 'yon? Where are you getting all these acronyms? Are you sure you wanted to become a lawyer?"

"Uy ano ba, luma na yan. MFEO, Made For Each Other. Pero tama ka, nung bata ako, ang gusto ko talaga e maging showbiz reporter para may pass ako na makakita ng mga artista at magkaroon ng sarili kong showbiz talk show. Buti na lang di ko tinuloy."

"So what happened?"

"May lolo happened, matalino daw ako at magaling mangatwiran, bakit di daw ako mag-abogado. Eh gusto kong mag-masscom."

Atty. Maine remembered how she pursued law with a passion to please her own father. "Then why did you follow him? Mukha namang independent thinker ka."

"May kasabihan tayo, 'he who holds the purse rules'. Siya magpapaaral sa 'kin e. So natuloy ako sa pre law. Pero nagamit ko naman sa mga kaso ang hilig ko sa showbiz dahil magaling akong mag-stalk at bumasa ng mga body language pag kumakausap ng witness."

"So what pre law did you take?"

"Iniiba mo ang usapan panyera! Kailan kayo naging SO and eventually FO ni poging agent?"

"Now you're really confusing me. SO meaning Service Order?"

"Hahahaha! Hahaha! Nagpapatawa ka. SO, Significant Other. Puwede ring Secretly On kung tatanungin mo ang mga bagets ngayon. FO is Friendship Over. Tama na ang pasakalye, sasagutin mo ba ang tanong ko o sasagutin mo?"

Maine thought of a witty retort. "It's IC."

"Integrated Circuit?"

"Akala ko ba upated ka? It's Complicated. Hindi ba dapat yung witness ang pinag-uusapan natin?"

"Imbento ka ha, walang gano'n! I-spluk mo na! May oras si Nanang Imelda. Kahit nakapikit, kaya nating kunan ng statement yan. Sino si Agent Richard? Ano connection niya sa sariwang sugat na sabi mo? Bakit kayo nagdeadmahan kanina? At bakit wala siyang pictures nung nag-SOCO ako ng mga SocMed accounts mo?"

"Those are all your questions?" lawyer tactic, buying some time to frame her answers.

She looks outside again, at the side window and then to the front. She noted from the rear view mirror that even the driver, the same one who fetched them from the airport is smiling and enjoying their conversation. All the more reason why she needs to be careful with her responses.

There's another reason why she'd been entertaining Ate Regine's chatter and line of questioning.

The minute they were led to a different car, she knew the two cars would take on different routes to the airport. She saw the signal Richard gave to the driver.

This is not a simple operation and Nanang Imelda is not your typical witness.

Another force of habit that she learned from another trip, another fateful time. She glanced at the back of the car. She did the same thing when they joined the traffic on the major hi-way earlier.

A/N: Atty girl, ang tagal mong sumagot ha, ang daming pasakalye.

"Panyera, I'm waiting. Umaandar ang oras."

They've been traveling for more than 15 minutes now and she is sure that she had seen that maroon Mitsubishi Mirage behind them when they turned from the alley leaving the port.

Ignoring Ate Regine, she taps the shoulder of their driver.

"Kuya, we're being followed."

Time check: 6:20 pm

A/N: Ano na? Car chase agad? Diba pang-ending lang yan? Aminin mo otor, hindi mo lang alam pa'no sasagutin ang tanong ni Atty 'the millenial' Regine? Dinamay mo pa ang kawawang Mirage?

Friends, there's a letter'A' in the chapter title. Lam na this. This is not a drill, may follow-upchapter po mamaya. Kinulang ng oras si otor.