BROKEN (Taglish)

Chapter 2 (Deliberation)

October 22, 2010 (1:00 P.M. - 3:00 P.M.)

Quezon City,  Metro Manila

"Lace..."

Lace nods as a recognition to the one who called her name. It was Burn. Nakarating na pala ito, she said to herself. Sina Sean at Will ay parating na rin as they inform her fifteen minutes ago.

Tahimik naman na umupo lang sa couch si Burn. He won't ask for any details about the case, the information will be disseminated later for sure. Kinuha na lamang niya ang isang magazine sa rack at wala man ang atensyon niya roon ay pinagtiyagaan niya pa rin buklatin. It was FHM, December 2005 edition, luma na.

Ilang segundo pa ang lumipas at dumating na sila Sean at Will. Nag-uusap ang mga ito sa kung anu-anong topic. Nakailang topic na ang dalawa ay wala pa rin tigil sa pagpi-print ng kung ano man si Lace. 

"Where's Zero?" Burn asked. Nagtataka ito kung bakit hindi nakikita si Zero kanina pa. Zero never missed any important meeting. At sabi nga ni Lace ay importante ang magiging usapan tungkol sa bagong kasong hahawakan.

"Sinundo niya si Rage. Parating na rin ang mga iyon," sagot ni Lace sa tanong ni Burn.

"Nakabalik na si Rage?" It was Sean asking, "tapos na ba 'yong pinagawa mo sa kaniya sa Indonesia?"

"Nope. Pinapunta ko roon si Yellow, siya na muna ang tutuloy ng nasimulan ni Rage doon," Lace said. Si Yellow ay agent nila na wala nakakakilala maliban kay Lace.

Nagtataka man ay hindi pa rin nagsasalita si Burn. Nakatitig lang siya sa cover ng FHM magazine kung saan naka-two piece si Katrina Halili. He smiled sa naisip. Katrina Halili is also from Palawan like the rest of them. 

Minutes had passed at dumating na rin sila Zero at Rage. Binigyan naman ni Lace ang bawat isa ng folder.

"Read and scan those files first," Lace said.

Lahat naman sila ay binasa ang nilalaman ng folder. There were lots of information about the victim.

"He died in his office... Beheaded... Based on the information here, it stated that the head of Armand Madrigal was not at the crime scene. What about CCTV?" Rage said.

"Armand Madrigal?" Will said while in deep thinking, "do I know him? His name sounds familiar."

"Not exactly you know him but you had a chance then that you met him," Lace answered.

"Ex ni Bridgette," Burn looked at Lace when he said that. "The f*ck I care about Madrigal, Lace."

"Then why the f*ck you are here?" Lace countered.

“You instructed me!”

“Yeah...but you could be late. The fact is, ikaw ang pinaka-unang dumating because you are interested in the case as much as I am. Am I right, Burn?”

Burn just looked at Lace with his pursed lips. Inis na inis sa kausap. 

"Okay," Lace said then, "enough with reading. You can do that when you leave this office." 

"What is this case all about, Lace?" Burn stated after he dropped carelessly the folder in the coffee table. May gusto siyang malaman kaya siya narito pero hindi niya alam kung paano simulan ang tanong. 

Lace looked at them all at nang sigurado na handa na makinig lahat ng mga kasama ay nagsimula na ito magsalita...

"Armand Madrigal's case was first offered to me twenty days ago by his parents but I declined because of some reasons. Three days ago they called me again and said that they will double the amount to be paid. They will pay two million pesos if we find the killer of their son and a bonus if we find the missing head of their son," simula ni Lace, stating to no one.

"Aside from two million, they will give one million for our operation. That one million is a pre-bonus. No need to return it even if we fail, but of course... We. Never. Fail. Right?" Lace said with emphasis the last words, "and as what I--"

"I am out," Burn interrupted Lace, "pwede na ba ako umalis?"

******

Five years ago...

Dubai, UAE

Phone call ang gumising kay Burn. He was dead tired sa one week na sunod-sunod na catering ng restaurant kung saan siya nagtatrabaho as a chef.  2003 nang maisipan niya pumunta dito sa Dubai.  He was nearing with the end of his two-year contract. The owner of the restaurant already offered him for  another year extension of contract.  Sinabi niya na pag-iisipan muna. 

"Hello," he decided to answer the call at baka importante,  nakapikit pa ng sagutin niya ang tawag.  Hindi na nag-abala tingnan ang caller ID sa kaniyang Nokia 6680 na phone.  Kakabili niya lang ito at ang mga magulang lang ang nakakaalam sa roaming number niya. 

"Burn," bungad ng kausap sa kabilang linya.  Kunot-noong iniisip pa niya kung sino ang tumawag.  He was half-awake.

"This is Lace. I send some documents in your email add.  I just called to inform you kasi baka hindi mo pa pinagkaabalahan i-open ang mga emails ko sa'yo."

May mga sinabi pa si Lace at nang matapos ay nagpaalam na ito.  Binigay pala ng ina ang numero niya kay Lace. Sinabi nito na last month pa ito may mga pinapadala sa email add niya at sinubukan rin siya kontakin gamit ang Friendster account niya pero wala siya nagiging sagot. Hindi niya masabi dito na wala siya interes makipag-ugnayan muna sa mga ito.  May iniiwasan siya.

Tuluyan na nawala ang antok niya at agad na bumangon para i-check ang email account niya. There were seven unopened emails from Lace.  He started to read from the beginning.  The first one tells it all.  It was about the private investigation agency na binubuo ni Lace.

One by one,  he read it all. All of the emails were just supporting emails for the first one.  He erased the disappointment he felt. Wala siya dapat ika-disappoint.  He should stop expecting any news about her.  She was just part of his past na hindi na dapat pang isipin.

He closed his eyes for a minute, erasing the pain he felt by remembering her.  Bridgette. 

"I hope you are happy with him,"  he said to himself then grabbed his phone and typed a message and sent it to Lace's number.

Count me in. 

And that was the three words he sent to Lace.

******

"Why?" Lace asked, "any good reason?"

"Not interested. I don't care kung nasaan man ang pumatay kay Madrigal at wala ako plano maghanap ng ulo niyang nawawala," bagot na sabi ni Burn, "give me any other case aside from that at kahit ako lang mag-isa eh gagawin ko. Or better send me to Indonesia at ako ang ipalit mo kay Rage doon."

"Armand Madrigal died last March, Vincent Salvador last April, Raymond dela Cruz died May, Miguel Rivera died June followed by Ken Ong in July, Ricky Meneses in August, Robbie Marco in September and the last victim was James Abelardo, he died this month," Lace said na parang walang narinig mula kay Burn.

"Three unsolved cases, three accidents, and two suicides. Different areas. Different cause of deaths. One denominator, Bridgette Serrano."

As expected, Lace got the attention of them all aside from Zero na alam na ang mga sasabihin ni Lace. Sa wakas ay nawala na rin ang inis sa mga mata ni Burn, napalitan ito ng curiosity. Sa isip ay naunawaan kung bakit nabanggit ni Lace kagabi sa kaniya ang pangalan ni Bridgette. It is all because of Armand Madrigal. Again.

"Armand Madrigal death was a big news, he was beheaded and no one knows kung saan napunta ang ulo niya. To answer the question of you Rage, regarding the CCTV, it was checked at sa mga oras ng krimen ay nakapagtataka na walang na-record ang CCTV. There is no footage at all for that day. It looks like may nagnakaw ng file o nasira ang recorder that day," Lace shrugged her shoulders after saying that.

"The other cases were not all considered crime cases because of some that considered suicides and accidents. Probably I am the only one who can think of the connections because I happen to know some of them personally and some by names. And the credit goes to Bridgette because of that," Lace smirked after saying that.

"Madrigal died in his hotel at Coron. Salvador was found with gun shots in a rented room in Ilo-Ilo. Dela Cruz fell from the 30th floor in his condominium in Singapore. Rivera was found drowned at palutang-lutang sa Siargao. Ong was found hanging in his room in Hong Kong. Meneses was burned to death when his car explodes in Marikina, he became suspect of terrorism afterwards. Marco was stabbed in Cebu and Abelardo... he was killed by a hit-and-run in San Vicente," her voice sounds sad after saying the name of her friend. Napatingin naman siya kay Burn na mistulang wala pakialam sa mga sinasabi niya.

"The deaths of Madrigal and Abelardo both happen in Palawan. The other deaths were located in different places. At ang mga nabanggit kong mga namatay ay hindi lahat magkakilala. They were just all involved with Bridgette once upon a time. Nakapagtataka lang naman isipin na every month simula noong March ay may namamatay na naging parte ng buhay ni Bridgette," Lace stopped there. Hinihintay kung may katanungan mula sa mga kasama. At nang wala naman nagtatanong ay muli siyang nagsalita.

"Among the agents of this organization ay tayo lamang ang mula sa Palawan. I called you all because I need all of your help for this case of Madrigal. I just believed that once we found out who kills Madrigal ay masasagot na rin ang maraming katanungan, if konektado ba ang lahat ng kamatayan ng mga taong nabanggit o nataon lamang. At si Bridgette--"

"What about her?" Burn said acidly. 

"What would you do if I said she is the main suspect?" Lace said without conviction.

"The hell of your thinking!" Burn said. "How could you say that?!"

"Isa pa Burn at makakatikim ka na sa akin," Zero said, makikita na ang pagkapikon nito kay Burn. "Kanina ko pa hindi nagugustuhan mga pagsasagot at pagtatanong mo kay Lace."

"Zero," Lace's reprimanding tone calms Zero, "we already talk about this, right?"

Hindi na lamang umimik si Zero at nagpaalam na lalabas na lang muna para magpahangin. After nito makalabas ng conference room ay muling nagsimula ang usapan.

"What do you want me to do, Lace?" Burn started, "you called me last midnight, informing me to come here for important matters. I thought it was just a case but it happens that you involved Bridge here."

"I did not involve her, she was already involved. If you finished reading the document I gave you ay kasama talaga si Bridgette sa suspect sa pagpatay kay Madrigal. She was detained, after a week ay pinalabas din siya dahil mabigat ang alibi niya na nasa ibang lugar siya nang mangyari ang krimen. Her visa card supported her that she was in Malaysia. Information that she was there with her business partners for some business consultation. 

"I can't think of anything bad about Bridge, Burn. It was just that the deaths of someone she knows is very unbelievable that it's all considered... coincidence." Lace inhaled deeply after saying that. She doesn't want to believe also that Bridgette could be a suspect. She knows her, she wasn't capable of any harm.

She looked at Burn's eyes, nagsukatan sila ng tingin at siya na rin ang unang nag-alis ng tingin sa kausap then said...

"I don't think that she is the one who kills but what I am thinking is the probability that the killer wants to link her to all those deaths. That someone might be framing her up."

******

Seven and a half years ago...

Puerto Princesa City

"Hi Jake!  Where is Burn?"

He heard the voice,  it was Bridgette.  He smiled. She probably will wait for him hanggang matapos ang shift niya.  He looked at his wrist watch.  One hour na lang at tapos na ang shift niya. Ganoon naman lagi,  tatambay ito sa workplace niya at hihintayin matapos ang shift niya.  Gagala sila,  kakain sa labas,  sasamahan niya lang ito kung saan gusto pumunta.

Hindi na niya nilabas ito,  kinuha na lamang ang phone sa bulsa at iti-text sana ito na tatapusin na lang niya muna ang trabaho bago ito puntahan sa waiting area.  He started to type his message when Jake came to him.

"Pare,  'dyan yung tisay mong tagasundo," biro nito pero biglang idinugtong na,  "pero may kasama ngayon.  Table 6, doon sila nakapwesto. Ito ang order,  pinapaabot sa iyo ni Chef Dom."

Sa sinabi ni Jake ay bigla niya binura ang text message na ginawa.  Mabuti at hindi niya pa na-send.  Nakakahiya sa pag-assume niya na siya ang sadya nito. 

He started to prepare the needed ingredients para sa order ni Bridgette at kasama nito.  Pasimple niya itong sinilip mula sa pwesto kung saan makikita nila ang mga kumakain pero hindi sila nakikita ng mga ito. Nagtatrabaho siya sa isang sikat na restaurant as one of the chef. Ang Chef Dom na binanggit ni Jake kanina ay ang head chef nila.

"Wala naman laban sa iyo 'yang ka-date ni Bridgette mo.  Wala naman panama kung itsura rin lang ang labanan," Jake said, obvious na pinapagaan lang nito ang kalooban niya.

"Hindi ko siya Bridgette.  Hindi siya sa akin. Magkaibigan lang kami," he whisperly said.  Totoo naman.  Wala silang relasyon,  they were just companion to each other.

"Okay na ito,  Jake.  Ipasa mo na sa magpa-platter," pasimpleng pagtataboy niya rito.  Agad naman niya nilapitan ang head chef nila at nagpaalam.  Twenty minutes pa bago ang end ng shift niya pero nagdahilan siya na may emergency at pinayagan naman siya umuwi ng maaga.

Bago siya umuwi ay muli niya tiningnan si Bridgette at ang ka-date nito.  He smiled bitterly to himself.  Bridgette deserves someone na ka-level nito and judging by the look of the man na kasama nito ay alam niya na ito ang nababagay sa dalaga.

 ******

Psychiatric Clinic,  Adventist Hospital,  Puerto Princesa City

"I can't do that, Bridgette. You are not allowed to take sleeping pills."

That was Dr. Vanessa Macalintal, Bridgette psychiatrist. Matagal na nagre-request si Bridgette ng sleeping pills pero patuloy siya nitong tinatanggihan kahit ilang beses na niya ito in-assure na hindi na niya uulitin ang pag-attempt mag-suicide.

"Doc, please..." ulit ni Bridgette makiusap, "I won't do it again. I am sane enough to know it wasn't right."

"Bridgette, just rely on your maintenance. I am happy to see that you looks good at all pero kailangan ko pa makasiguro," sabi nito habang nagsusulat sa reseta at inabot ito agad kay Bridgette nang matapos.

Clozapine. 

Napatango na lamang si Bridgette at nagpaalam na sa psychiatrist niya. Nang makalabas ng clinic ay inis na isinuksok na lamang sa bag ang reseta na binigay sa kaniya. Marami pa siyang gano'ng gamot. She no need to buy another bottle.

Habang naglalakad patungo sa kotse na nag-aantay sa kaniya ay muli nakaramdam ng inis. Kahit pagda-drive ay hindi siya puwede. She was still under treatment base sa medical records niya. Kung puwede na sana siya makakuha ng driver's license eh 'di sana hindi na niya kailangang umasa pa sa iba.

"Hey babe," nakangiting bati nang nag-aantay sa kaniya. That was Tom Avila, her current boyfriend. They are together for six months.

She is getting bored with him pero kailangan niya pa ang tulong nito kagaya sa ganitong pagkakataon. Ayaw na ayaw niya nagko-commute. She smiled with her thoughts but Tom thought she smiled back.

Kahit paano ay may pakinabang si Tom sa kaniya. Mayaman ito at maraming kotse. Nakakahiram naman siya ng kotse nito dahil wala itong alam na bawal siya mag-drive. Hindi nito alam ang sakit niya. Hindi naman siya nagda-drive kapag nasa city sila, kapag nasa travel sila eh doon siya hinahayaan nito makahiram ng kotse paminsan-minsan.

"Ano sabi ng doctor mo?" tanong nito, akala ay sakit sa puso ang problema niya.

"Nothing to be worried. Heartburn lang raw usually ang nararamdaman ko. Dr. Santos said that I should take supplements that is good for my heart. May maintenance rin na pinapa-take niya sa akin," she lied. Si Dr. Santos ang cardiologist sa ospital kung saan sila galing. She just said that para hindi maghinala ang boyfriend.

"Where to?" tanong ni Tom.

"Kain muna tayo then hatid mo na ako. May lakad kami nina Vera maya," she just said that, wala siya lakad. Ayaw niya lang talaga makasama pa ito ng matagal. Gusto niya muna sa bahay lang.

"Okay, you're the boss," sabay taas nito sa kaliwang kamay niya at sabay ang paghalik dito. He winked at her at ngumiti naman siya as sweet as she could para hindi mahalata na nababaduyan na siya sa pagka-clingy nito.