Lipstick Stain

Episode 2

Light emerged and a high pitch shriek echoed through the concrete walls of the hotel room. Jake toppled down the sofa kissing the carpeted floor. He groaned frustrated; his slumber was disturbed by such a nuisance. He stood groggily and peered on the blinking numbers in his wrist; it wasn't even three hours since he slept. His head started throbbing.

'Who could it be?' he thought wiping off the remainder of sleep from his face.

"Jake? What are you doing here? You shouldn't be here! You don't have clearance to be in here! We've already talk about this, about you doing stupid t--"

Jake sighed. Putting up a hand to silence the endless blabbering of the young petite lawyer. "So, the crocodiles hired you? Don't they have any options other than you? Or your dad--"

"My dad has nothing to do with me having this case! You retard!" gushed the young lawyer at the lethargic detective. She motioned for him to compose himself.

"Whatever you say Camilla," mocked Jake. He doubled look the girl, taunting her. He hadn't gotten any major crimes for the past few months thus he hadn't seen her also. It was far too long but nothing changed about her besides her growing fierceness. He chuckled. "The dress suits you but next time you need to wear heels. People here might mistake you as a wandering kid." Jake couldn't contain his laughter which only infuriated Camilla.

The girl kicked Jake's knee, "Nothing changed you're still an asshat!"

The two glared at each other like little kids; they used to be good friends but the path to their career made it almost impossible. Jake was the rebellious one, sticking to his instincts and never listens to anyone. Camilla was his opposite; she was a model student and the perfect daughter any parents could wish for.

A few minutes into it, Jake blinked taking the losing side. He might be stubborn but he got a soft spot for the girl. "I was just lightening the mood a bit. Sorry 'bout that. Also, sorry to announce but I got sanctions here, Cami." Jake smiled, he slumped back in the still warm sofa. "Make a call and you'll be surprise. This here, you see is my new puzzle."

Camilla groaned. "What do you know? Why are you here anyway? Where are your team? This room was locked up last night! How did you even get here?" The girl fired series of questions, one after another.

But Jake wasn't in the mood to answer her, he already knew what her reactions would be. She was all rules to start with. He might as well just sleep through her noise and clamoring.

"Jake!" Camilla insinuated.

He knew her well; she only strives to win. Graduating at the top of her class and snatching the number "one" spot on the bar exam. She was carrying the world up on her sleeves. Besides the crocodiles would never hire her if she didn't have the skills. And to chop it off, Camilla never lost a single case she worked on.

"Jake!" The girl was never patient.

Jake raised his hand holding the key card of the room, "I stole it from the bell boy in the elevator."

"What? That is insane!"

"Why is it? You know me, I couldn't just sleep through it. Santiago put me in this puzzle and I wanted it done immediately. My fuckin' brain is going to explode with so much excitement-" he stopped clenching his fists. "Like you Camilla, all I want is answer."

"What do you know?" The girl's voice shifted.

Jake knew that Camilla would understand; she knew him and his quirks. She was one of those few persons who understands him and the complexity of his brain.

"At least I'm sure it's someone who loves chapstick-"

"But how can you be so sure?" she kneeled down; her face hovered an inch above Jake's. "Tell me what you have Jakey. And why exactly chapstick?" She got that sweet smile that just make Jake say yes to her every whim.

"Table. Ashtray."

"Cigarettes?"

"Can you make me finish what I'm saying? Here look." he threw the plastic zip lock to the girl. "Traces of cherry chap stick in there. It's a start but nothing really--" he said dragging his words.

Camilla sighed, "That's it? It's really nothing then...If only we have better resources in our country this would be a piece of candy."

“You bet you are right! So, for now let me sleep in peace!” Jake yawned looking pitifully at the girl.

“No! Sleep in your apartment and not in a crime scene, for jeez sake!” she yanked the guy’s arm until he surrendered and stood raising both arms in the air. “Go home, will you?”

He was about to make a snide remark when the piece of device in his pocket started vibrating. Though it wasn’t the first call, it was jiggling nonstop for the past ten minutes since the arrival of the girl. With much reluctance, he reached for the phone, it flashed an unknown number and he answered with a frown face. He knew who it was.

“Hello, Chief?”

“Salazar where the hell are you? I have been calling all this morning!” The angry voice of his boss fully awakened him. “Are you planning on going to work, huh kid?”

He intentionally slapped his head; he was missing his days again. “I’ll be on my way now chief.”

“You better be. Where the f**k are you anyway?”

Jake looked at the girl looming in front of him, “I’m in the crime scene with prosecutor’s daughter.” He earned a kick from Camille by the mention of her father to the Chief of Metro Manila’s Police. “Stop!”

“What? I am not going to ask anymore questions, be here. I need you, there’s a new body.”  

The tingling sensation travelled immediately down Jake’s spine to his toes, he was fueled with a rush of adrenaline. His body was heated with so much excitement, like a kid promised with a new toy.

"I'll be there soon, boss." He ended the call and faced the girl with a serious look. "I'm right. We got ourselves a serial killer. Now be honest to me, how many are the total?" He knew it in his guts, he doesn't make mistakes with his intuitions.

"Your new one would be the fifth."