MISSION & SECOND LOVE

CHAPTER 5 – The Killer Strikes Again

I

In an old condominium, security guards are not too strict. People come and go without any inspection at all or logging into the logbook of visitors. They did not even notice when a man wearing black pants, a black shirt, and a maong jacket with a facial mask and a face shield entered the condominium’s main door and used the stairs going up.

The man’s every step is calculated. It is evident that he knows where he is going. When he saw the sign “going to fourth floor” he climbed the stairs once more and upon reaching the fourth floor, he slowly opened the fire exit door. Upon seeing that no one is walking around the said floor, he immediately walked without any noise. He then pressed the doorbell button outside of condo unit 404.

The door opened. “Honey why did you come back?” a woman with a jolly voice swung her face outside the door.

From behind the door, the man in black pants and maong jacket suddenly appeared and swiftly pushed the woman inside her condo unit. The woman’s eyes are in horror as she watched the man removed his jacket and came nearer to her with a big butterfly knife in his hand. She tried to scream but before she could do it, she felt the knife’s double blades penetrated her heart. She gasped for air as her eyes grew bigger in disbelief.

“You know why I need to kill you?” the man asked the woman whose breath is already fading.

Tears run down the woman’s face as she tried to shake her head, her hand on her chest.

The man came nearer and whispered with anger in her right ear. “Because, you are trying to take the father of two innocent children while your own children are left to your old grandmother who could not even take care of them anymore, while your husband is so busy working in Saudi Arabia. You are a w***e! Women like you should not live on this earth!” Then the man stabs again the woman in her chest multiple times until the woman lay lifeless on her condo floor.

Thereafter, the man went inside the comfort room, cleaned himself and his knife, and checked at the woman’s closet. He grabbed a man’s dark blue shirt, got a paper bag, and there he put on his rolled black shirt.  He slowly put on his jacket and got out of the condo unit as if nothing happened.

He took the elevator down to the ground floor and successfully got out of the condominium building without leaving any trail. The security guards did not even notice that a murder minutes ago, happened on the fourth floor of their condominium.

II

The next day, a new murder case has been reported on every TV channel, radio, and other social media platform. The woman was found dead inside her condominium unit by the tenant of unit 405, who upon seeing a pool of blood coming out of Unit 404; immediately called and asked the guard to forcefully open the door.

Cresilda and William heard the news. Based on the report, the woman died of multiple stab wounds, twenty-three to be exact, on her chest damaging her heart. They can conclude then the serial killer attacked again last night.

Since the new murder case might be related to the case of Julia Andayanin, Cresilda and William asked Senior Inspector Abas to send an investigator to the condominium building of the newly murdered woman, to investigate.

The investigator sent to the condominium unit returned to the Police Station somewhat frustrated.

“Any good info that you found?” Senior Inspector Abas asked.

“Unfortunately Sir, the guards there are so useless. According to them, they did not notice any questionable personalities who entered their building yesterday. Worst, their CCTV is only in the ground floor. No CCTV on the fourth floor. They are thinking that the killer might be the woman’s lover considering that he was the last person who visited the woman that day.” The investigator replied nonchalantly.

“Did you check the CCTV footage well?” Senior Inspector Abas asked.

“Yes, I checked. But we cannot determine of course who went up the fourth floor, since there is no CCTV inside the elevator or even on every floor, except on the ground floor. I even checked those who came in the building on the possible time that the woman has been murdered. There were a lot of people who came in, so it will be difficult to pinpoint who amongst them came from unit 404.”

“Hmmm, the killer did his evil act again so clean and untraceable.” Cresilda is shaking her head. “Did you learn the background of the woman?” suddenly she asked the investigator.

The investigator sat down and replied, “Yes. As usual, the woman is married with two kids. Her husband is working abroad right now. Her alleged lover is a store manager in a nearby Grocery store, who is also married with children.”

“With that, we can conclude that it was the same serial killer who murdered Juliana and prior victims, who also murdered the woman last night.” William interfered.

“Well, absolutely.” Senior Inspector Abas agreed.

III

At the secluded, old, and cheap hotel, the staff also learned the news of the newly murdered woman.

“Good for her, she is a b***h!” one of the male receptionists said cursing the murdered woman.

The female receptionist looked at him surprisingly, “Hey, the woman has been murdered; you should at least pity her and her family.”

“Aww, if your husband will be snatched by this kind of woman, would you still pray for her soul?” he mockingly asked the female receptionist.

The female receptionist suddenly shut her mouth. She cannot answer her colleague’s question. She cannot even think that someone would be making love with her husband, she will either die or she will kill the other woman.

“See, you cannot answer me.” Then the male receptionist laughed.

“Why are you so mad with women who are like, that murdered one last night?” she is a new receptionist in the hotel, so she did not know yet the family background or stories of her colleagues in the hotel.

“Because I was cheated also by my wife.” He answered with a tightened jaw.

The female receptionist’s expression became melancholic upon hearing the male receptionist’s life story. “Oh, I’m sorry Sir, I did not know that you went through that kind of pain.”

“It’s okay, it’s been years ago anyway. But with what is happening now, I am actually getting my revenge against those women like my wife.” The male receptionist said while laughing.

The new female receptionist, who happened to be one of the secret agents sent by Senior Inspector Abas, furrowed her forehead with what she heard from the male receptionist.