Rino's image above
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Chapter V: Fallen Fille II
Bella's POV
Medyo nahimasmasan na rin si Tracy mula sa kanyang matinding pag-iyak. Mabuti na lang at inalalayan s'ya ng mga tao at dinala sa isang sulok para magpahinga.
Her eyes were swollen due to excessive crying. Her lips are very pale. I can see deep sorrow radiating from her eyes.
I actually feel pity for her despite the fact that she always picks on me.
Ilang minuto lang ay may dalawang police car ang nagpark malapit sa pinangyarihan kung saan nakahilata ang duguang babae. Naghawian ang mga tao sa paligid para bigyan ito ng daan.
Nagulat ako nang makita ko kung sino ang lumabas mula sa isa sa mga police car.
Si Gino.
Sumunod na lumabas sa kanya ang isang nakaunipormeng pulis na matangkad, at matipuno.
"Kuya, Tito." Sinalubong ang dalawa ni Rino kaya sumunod na rin ako sa kanya.
Tinitigan ko ang lalaking kasama ni Gino. This must be the police inspector he was talking about.
"Tito Akinu, this is Bella by the way, bisita ni kuya. Bella this is my uncle, Tito Akinu. " pagpapakilala ni Rino sa akin sa tito niya.
"Nice to meet you," he handed his hands and we both shared our handshakes.
"It was nice to meet you, too, Inspector."
"Uhm as much as I wanted to stay I have to go. My work is waiting for me." Binitawan na niya ang kamay ko at tumango sa amin hudyat na aalis na siya.
"I'm glad you decided to come," sabi ni Gino sa akin nang nakalayo na ang tito nila.
"I'm here to make a deal with you. If you tell everything you know about my sister, I will let you investigate with me. Maybe it's time for me, para hindi sarilihin ang mga bagay na bumabagabag sa akin. I have been investigating alone for two years about what really happ--" I was about to finish my sentences when he cutt me off.
"Be careful of what you're saying, especially that we are here in an open. There are a lot of eyes and ears everywhere we can't take the risk," sabi niya at tumingin sa mga taong nakapalibot sa amin.
He's right. What happened two years ago was a mystery to everyone. Walang nakakatiyak sa tunay na nangyari. Kaya naman kailangan naming mag-ingat sa aming mga galaw dahil malaki ang posibilidad na hindi aksidente ang nangyari.
--**--
"A paper? "
"Yes, I found this inside my book." We decided to talk privately inside his house while Rino was left at the crime scene.
"Can you show it to me?" Nagdadalawang isip pa rin ako kung dapat ko ba s'yang pagkatiwalaan. Ngayon ko lamang siya nakita at hindi rin siya nababanggit sa akin ni Stephanie.
"Yes, but first I want to know how did you know my sister?" Tinitigan ko siya sa mata para malaman ko kung magsisinungaling ba siya o hindi.
"Well, we met back when I was still a freshman in my late school. She was an exchange student back then, and we happened to get along during those times. "
"That's it? "
"Basically, yes."
"Do you know something about what happened to her two years ago?" saglit siyang natahimik at kitang-kita sa mga mata niya ang pagdududa kung sasagutin niya ba ang katanungan ko.
"Not everything, but I know one thing."
"What?" I can't help not to show the desperation in my voice.
"An organization was involved." Para akong sinabugan dahil sa narinig. Isa lang ang alam kong organisasyon na matagal nang iniimbestigahan ni Stephanie.
"The Moon organization," I muttered.
"So you also know about them?" Halata sa boses niya ang pagkagulat dahil sa sinabi ko.
"Just the name, but other than that I have no clue. I had already suspected the Organization but since I only have so little information about them, I can't form a full conclusion."
"Give me the paper it might help us answer something." Binigay ko sa kanya ang papel na dala-dala ko. I know I am taking risk here, trusting a stranger I just met, but if I would not trust him, what choice do I have?
"These writings do really belongs to your sister." I hint of sadness swallowed his face for a moment as he layed his eyes on it.
Kumuha s'ya ng isa pang blangkong papel at nagsimulang magsulat ng kung ano-ano habang tinitingnan ang papel na ibinigay ko sa kanya kanina. Makalipas ang ilang minuto ay biglang kumunot ang noo n'ya.
"What? What does it mean? Did you get it already?" sunod-sunod na tanong ko.
"I can read it but I can't understand it. "
"What do you mean? "
"It's just that its not a message but more likely a poetry. It is an Atbash Cipher. The first letter corresponds to the last letter while the second letter corresponds to the second to the last letter in the alphabet. That would mean that a=z,b=y,c=x and so on. If we apply it to the letters it would be... "
Pinakita n'ya sa akin ang papel na hawak niya kanina. Kahit ako kumunot din ang noo ko dahil sa nabasa.
This is not the answer I've been looking for. Nadagdagan lang ang mga tanong na bumabagabag sa isipan ko. It doesn't even say where my sister is or if she is even alive.
When the sun, meets its dawn.
Be ready for the 13th of June.
More people will be gone.
And soon there will be none.
Tumunog ang cellphone ni Gino at pagkatapos ibinaling niya ang tingin sa akin.
"Let's talk later."
--**--
"What's the update?" tanong ni Gino sa Tito Akinu niya. We were back at the crime scene because his uncle called for his presence earlier.
"The girl's name is Cherry Unabia, a grade 10-student. She lives at this very house kung saan siya nahulog. Nagtamo siya ng saksak sa tiyan at nabagok ang ulo niya dahil sa lakas ng impact ng pagkahulog, causing her immediate death. Ang unang nakakita ay ang kanyang kapatid, Tracy Unabia," paliwanag ng tito niya. I was a bit surprised to hear Tracy's name. Seeing your sibling in that state would be so devastating. Stephanie's face suddenly flashed in my mind.
"Such a pity. Wala na bang ibang witness? How about the relatives? Alam na ba nila?" tanong ni Gino.
"Unfortunately both of her parents work at the US. Kapatid niya lang ang tanging kamag-anak niya rito sa Pinas. We interviewed everyone who lives nearby including your brother, Rino, and they both shared the same testaments that they saw some people inside Cheery's house last night. Can you confirm their testaments?"
"Uhm yes, naalala ko nga. Kagabi maingay ang bahay nila. I think they were having a sleep over party or something. Sa katunayan nga, kaninang umaga no'ng papunta ako sa police station, nakita ko pa ang biktima na sinasamahan palabas ng gate ang mga taong nakasama niya sa bahay kagabi para umuwi."
"Can you recall what they look like?"
Gino paused for a moment. "There were three of them. The first one has white skin complexion, blond hair, wearing glasses. The second is short haired, about 5'1 feet and the third was quite a blur. I think she's as tall as the blond haired one, and has also black short hair. "
"Thank you Gino, we'll just talk to the victim's sister and see if she can identify those people." Inspector Akinu left us and went to the ambulance where Tracy was currently being assisted by the medics to calm down.
--**--
DareMe19
Partly Revised: 8/09/20
If I missed to edit something, kindly inform me. Thank you ❣️
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After Past (Completed)
Mystery / Thriller[COMPLETED] "The truth behind those eyes are twisted lies, and behind those twisted lies is a person in disguise." *** The past still haunts her. She knows that there's more to the story than meets the eye. But as she dig deeper and deeper, more tr...
