10:15 A.M.
Manila National Police Station, in the office of the Chief of the Police Mr. Rosario.
June 25th, the year 2018. Monday.
Mr. Rosario rolled his tongue and clicked it over the insides of his mouth. He looked at him rudely and weighed in the worst words Marcus had ever heard from the chief.
"If you decline to sign this transfer of murder case, I don't have a choice to change your teammates again. Or worse, I will remove your position as the head of detectives," Mr. Rosario spoke to him roughly. It made Marcus baffled in his place. He tightened the knuckle of his fists.
"What are you suggesting, Mr. Rosario? That I don't have any other options besides the one you gave?" Marcus asked, infuriated about what he heard. Mr. Rosario nodded matter-of-factly as Marcus exhaled exasperatedly at him out of rage.
"What will you choose, pass the case, or change your teammates?" Mr. Rosario questioned him while Marcus was glaring at him. Mr. Rosario raised his eyebrows at him. Marcus clenched his jaw and stared at the signage board that the chief of the police was holding in his right hand. He sighed and battled with himself on what to choose between those options.
"Mr, Rosario, this case is important for me," Marcus declared. His mind and heart were whispering to him he needed to choose his teammates rather than the case.
"But what's more significant for me right now is my teammates. I don't want to lose them. Not because I need them. They need recognition for helping me through the murder cases I had solved." Marcus glared at him. Mr. Rosario pursed his lips, put down the signage board on his desk, and crossed his arms.
"I should not be the only one stepping for the higher stairs. They should, too. So please, Mr. Rosario, don't underestimate them if you don't have the chance to work with them side by side." He spoke in a low voice. Marcus doesn't want to be furious with him or else it will put him in a tighter situation.
"I don't want to give up my position, sir. Instead, I will hand over the case because I don't have any other option," Marcus conceded, clenching his jaw. The chief of the police chuckled to him.
He stood up from his seat. It still glued Marcus to his place. A rising temptation to punch the one who stood beside him. Mr. Rosario held the signage board. He lent it to Marcus.
Marcus got the pen from the board and scanned the agreement. No matter how guilty he was, he can't help but feel sorry for his best friends. This case was the most important matter right now because it can lead them to the real culprit in Margo's death.
Marcus was still assuming that the killer was always watching them. But no clues had shown up days ago after the late actress's death.
Marcus signed the line above his name and gave it back to the chief of the police. Mr. Rosario chuckled and patted his right shoulder several times. Marcus was wearing his emotionless face because he didn't know what to feel right now.
"You should go now. I'll tell another team that you officially handed over the case. And it said so in our agreement. You should go with your teammates now so you can solve the bunch of cold cases we were still working on." Mr. Rosario chortled. He sat back down in his seat.
Marcus sighed, turning his heel around. He opened the door angrily and was careful not to slam it.
He bit his bottom lip as he leaned over the right side of the wall. He closed his eyes and all he felt right now was guilt. The promise that he made in himself was repeating in his mind.
"How am I gonna go to Margo's funeral if I had to say that I handed over the case?" Marcus whispered to himself as the officers saluted to him. He walked over the hallways again so fast and barged into their office again. His teammates were so startled with the door abruptly opening and they all stared at Marcus.
They all took turns looking at each other. Marcus retrieved his jacket from the seat and slammed his office's door.
"I have some urgent matters to do first. I dismissed earlier if someone was searching for me here at our office, understand?" Marcus spoke to them all, and they all nodded at the same time. Marcus also did the same thing and went outside their office rapidly.
He wore the jacket over his back, running over the parking lot of Manila National Police Station.
Marcus dialed the number of the forensic team leader, who had a day off now until the end of the week. It will delay the crime scenes for the murder cases for a week. The maintenance team needed to repair the scanners that got broken a few days ago. Coincidental with Margo's death after.
It was also suspicious of Marcus. Those happenings at the Manila National Police Station were rare, and he didn't know that it was coming. He dialed the number of the leader hurriedly and it answered immediately.
"Hello, Lieutenant Dela Rosa, what can I do for you?" Ms. Feliciano stated on the other end of the line.
"Ms. Feliciano. I have something to ask you about the crime scene of Margo Monteverde," Marcus uttered. He closed his eyes because he felt that Ms. Feliciano will say nothing about it. If Ms. Feliciano hesitated to answer the question, he doesn't have any choice. He will have to find illegal ways for the information.
"I'm sorry, Lieutenant Dela Rosa. Mr. Rosario called me a minute earlier before you, so it prohibited me to say anything to you. Even if you were the head of detectives of the FBI, the results that will come out will be confidential. We will send it directly to the chief of the police," Ms. Feliciano said. Marcus leaned over his steering wheel while closing his eyes.
He leaned back in the driver's seat, apologizing for the disturbance.
He hung up immediately, threw his cell phone on the passenger seat, and rubbed his face out of dismay. He started his car and stepped on the gas pedal out of annoyance.
Marcus zoomed so fast towards Bella's National Highway. He went to the forensic doctor, Doctor Cruz, the one who examined Margo's body hours after she died.
…
The furious ambiance of the chapel earlier when a bicker happened seemed to die down a few moments later. Mina and Carmela went out to get some fresh air. Xian was now in the front of the chapel, sitting. He was staring right through Margo's beautiful face on the frame. His tears were still pouring unconsciously out of his eyes.
Zoey and Abbey were on the backside of the chapel, and the murmurs of the reporters died down in an instant.
Mina guided Carmela on the benches outside of the chapel. They sat down on a bench.
Mina observed the rustle of the trees outside. The flowers bloomed over the lawns of the entrance of the memorial garden. He observed the caretaker who was trimming the grasses along the tombstones. Mina huffed the fresh air as the clouds were hiding the broad daylight behind them.
Carmela was still staring out of space, and Mina looked over at her. He saw the tears streaming down her eyes, and he felt another pity for his best friend.
"They always say that when someone passes away, they may have disappeared from our sight. But never in our hearts," Mina initiated the conversation. He observed the dried leaves that were falling on the trees. Carmela slowly looked over at him and Mina beamed.
"You know, Margo's physical body may disappear right now. But you should always remember her in your heart. All those moments you had with her, it will be on you forever. Because you were the only one who was there for her when she was down."
Mina spoke to her softly which made her heavy tears emerge. Carmela sobbed again. She clasped her knees tighter and Mina hugged her again. She leaned her head over his chest again as her shoulders were shaking.
"We will find the one who murdered her, Carmela, I promise," Mina murmured to her as she cried. Mina closed his eyes and leaned over his head to Carmela's.