Bente-Quatro 2 - Star Witness (Completed)

19 - 1100H

"It's fair to say we're in the 11th hour ....." -  Jeff Moorad

A/N: Huwag n'yo pong tanungin sa akin kung sino si Jeff Moorad. Ma at pa! Bagay lang ang quote n'ya. Pampahaba ng kabanata. Chos, hahaha!

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"Sino talaga kayo at ano ang kailangan n'yo sa aming mag-ina?"

Upon hearing those words, Atty. Maine Capili immediately got out of the cramped comfort room in the maid's quarter, from where she'd been listening for the past 10 minutes. There she saw a poker-faced Richard, still maintaining the eye twitching mannerism, as he was being confronted by the real Manang Eugenia.

Either the old lady is bluffing or they will soon hear the sound of police siren. Or it could just be the barangay tanod. Whatever the case, the next few minutes will be crucial.

Richard darted a glance at Maine, now worried about her safety. He shouldn't have insisted on this plan.

For her part, Maine could detect Richard's eyes his inner struggle of keeping their disguise or revealing his identity as a law enforcement agent.

She beat him to whatever he's about to say. "Naki-CR lang po kami, Mrs. Domingo. Bakit po may papulis agad?" Maine got Manang Eugenia's attention, still holding on to her stomach, still keeping up the pretense. It's too early to wave the white flag.

This gave Richard the chance to scan the room for another way out. He spied another door by the comfort room.

Manang Eugenia turned to face Meng. "Hindi ako naniniwalang taga-Bulacan kayo. Ulilang-lubos ang namatay kong asawa. At wala kaming kilala ni isang kamag-anak niya. Sino kayo?"

Okay, they missed that one. Time to own up.

Richard made a gamble and pulled up an image from his phone. The one he took of 'Nanang Eugenia' and Maine inside the library. A "younger-looking" Maine with fairer skin that the one standing in the room now.

He showed the picture to the old lady. There was surprise but instant recognition in her eyes. And longing. Richard did not miss the subtle change in expression. His gamble might pay off.

"Hindi po kami masasamang tao, Manang Eugenia. Gusto lang po naming tulungan ang anak n'yo. Medyo iba lang po ang hitsura, pero siya po itong nasa picture, hindi ba?"

"Bakit n'yo kasama si Jackilyn? Ano'ng ginawa n'yo sa anak ko?" At least she verified the name of her daughter. It's Jackilyn, just as they guessed.

Maine pursued Richard's line of thinking. She got her legal clinic ID again and showed it to the old lady. She doesn't have to say that she's from Public Attorney's Office.

Time to make up another plausible story. "Tama po kayo, hindi po kami taga-Bulacan. Pero isa po akong abogado na tumutulong sa mga barangay. Your daughter approached me thru our legal clinic, pretending to be you. Ginamit din po n'ya ang pangalan n'yo. May dinulog po siyang problema, pero hindi ko po puwedeng sabihin sa ngayon. Kaya lang po, bigla na lang siyang nawala kanina. Nag-aalala lang po kami sa kanya."

Richard observed the confusion forming in the old lady's eyes. "Hindi po kami ang kalaban, Mrs. Domingo. Gusto lang namin siyang tulungan. Bakit kailangan niyang magpanggap? Sino ang pinagtataguan n'ya?"

"Please, Mrs. Domingo. We have reasons to be believe that her life is in danger. Nanganganib po ang buhay n'ya sa kung sino man ang humahanap sa kanya."

Their arguments were too much for the old lady, who was obviously torn between loyalty to her employer and concern for her daughter. It was not the picture of Jackilyn, with too much makeup on looking like an old lady that broke her resistance. It's seeing her wearing her favorite scarf. The one that Jackilyn herself gave her on her 60th birthday. So that's why it's missing.  Ano'ng gusto mong patunayan Jackilyn, anak?