"Anything else?"
Pouring the coffee powder in his cup, Felmor asked Yeonica after she updated him about what happened. Yeonica shook her head.
"Nothing more. That's what I remember," she answered.
"How about the face of that person who hit you from behind? Didn't you recognize?"
She clicked her tongue. "That also, I don't know. She's familiar, but I can't recall or figure out. I passed out."
"From what you've said, it looks like people behind all of these already know who you are," Felmor speculated. Yeonica agreed.
"Aren't you going to back out now? Let's just leave it to the police officers. It's getting riskier as you dig deeper, Ms. Harmie. Remember that we're not accountable for whatever may happen to you. It's stated in our deal," he reminded her.
Yeonica sighed in disappointment. She hates her boss sometimes, but he has a point this time. "No, I won't. Many things have happened already. Too late to stop everything now."
Another thing in her mind is that she wants to know information behind Zeumro Ignari and why he needs to do an undercover like her. He's the information she left out in things she said to update Felmor.
"How did you manage to free yourself, anyway? When you said you woke up all tied up on the floor," Felmor asked, now comfortably sitting on his chair.
"I don't know. I just did free myself. I have to do that so I won't be caught. Adrenaline rush, I guess? I obtained more pain and bruises in exchange, though," she simply answered, hoping her boss won't be suspicious. He doesn't know Zeumro yet. She's also not a secret spiller, and Zeumro helped her anyway. She owes him one.
___________________________
"President, just pass me all the papers later. You can take your break."
Yeonica comfortably leaned on her chair. Finally, the subjects before the break were done. She can't put up with the need to pretend she knows academic matters anymore.
Her eyes slightly moved to be able to see something behind. It's Zeumro, who is unexpectedly looking at her, too.
She then looked at Edem after him, who has been continuously avoiding her since the start of the class. "I can't squeeze her yet," she thought in her mind. She's just a kid after all.
__________________________
The class was done. Yeonica, doing her endless tries to talk to Edem without scaring her or pushing her to, failed all her attempts. Edem immediately got out the classroom after the teacher dismissed them. And as usual, Zeumro was about to go next to Edem, but Yeonica stopped him.
"Hey," she called him. Zeumro stopped walking and turned around. His eyebrows raised.
"Let's talk," Yeonica said. She didn't let him answer and immediately came out of the room. Zeumro, on the other hand, did nothing but follow her. He observed her from the back.
They reached the gate and continued walking outside the school. There, Yeonica initiated the conversation, but still goes on walking. "Edem knows something, doesn't she?"
Zeumro answered without looking at her. His hands were inside his pockets. "Is that what you want to talk about?"
"You're always with her. Answer my question," she urged her.
It took him a few seconds to answer. "She definitely knows something."
"And what is it?"
"I don't know. And even if I do, why would I tell you?"
Yeonica stopped walking and faced him. Zeumro did the same. "Why are you always with her? You always follow her. You look suspicious to me now that I already know who you really are."
He looked at her, scanning her face. Trying to read what is on her mind. "I don't share new recipes I have discovered. Unless I'm getting something new in exchange."
She crossed her arms. "What will I gain from telling you what I know? I don't even trust you yet. Who knows? You may see me as a special ingredient you can just burn in a burning pot later on."
He smirked. "Same question. What will I gain from sharing my reasons with you?"
"We're just in the same boat right now," she answered.
"And you can use the information I would disclose as a weapon to sabotage that boat."
"We both die, then."
Zeumro chuckled, feeling the desperation and tenseness she possessed at the moment. "I don't know. You might have another boat to hop on."
"Then I'll let you hop on, too."
"Why would you? You don't trust me."
Yeonica smirked. "Well, as long as I can get something good from you, I think I may consider."
His turn to cross his arms. "What is this? Partners for benefits?"
She pretended to clap in awe. "Woah. You're so fast on catching that, mister."
He laughed in sarcasm. "I'm not a detective for no reason, madam."
The atmosphere between them got serious. In their minds, they thought they could just be instantly killed by each other right now, given that they are still strangers and do not know what the other got inside their sleeves.
Zeumro sighed. "If it's for the better of the case I'm handling right now, then so be it. You might be useful for me, too, anyway."
Yeonica looked at him with her serious face. "It's a deal, then. Then, let me introduce myself properly. I don't have a card right now with me as I am a student at the moment."
She looked around them for a moment. He did, too. After making sure no one else was around, she proceeded.
"I'm Yeonica Harmie, a lawyer at Marshall Law Firm. I don't know if you know that law firm already. I'm currently handling the case of Alvirgo Yamar's murder case, the father of Margareth Yamar," she said and stretched her hand for a handshake.
He looked at her hand, then proceeded next. "I'm Zeumro Ignari, a detective at Lakewine Police Station. I'm handling the case of Margareth Yamar's suicide case," he said in exchange and reached her hand. A deal, or a team-up for benefits rather, has been officially made.
_________________________________
After a long day, Yeonica finally got to go home. With her heavy mind and chest, she took a deep sigh and sit on her bed.
She opened her phone and saw Leana's message: The old man wants to talk with us tomorrow. Meeting shits. Go be absent, my niece ; ).
"What now?" she murmured, tired.
After having a talk with Zeumro, Yeonica discovered that it was him and his co-officers to found Zaranaia's dead body on the day she died. Also, it was him, the owner of the unknown number who texted Yeonica that day.
"As what I've said earlier, Edem definitely knows something. I saw her giving Zaranaia a warning and telling her to run away. Edem left Zaranaia and ran, so I tailed her. But maybe that was the mistake I did."
"Why?"
"I could feel something is wrong so I went back to where Zaranaia is. She disappeared. So I went back to Edem, but she's already with the principal, her dad. I never got to come near her anymore."
Yeonica cannot stop recalling the conversation they had earlier. Some of her questions were answered, but more questions inside her keep coming.
"I called for a backup to find Zaranaia. That's also when I texted you that she's in danger. But... but we were late."
Yeonica found out that Zeumro was always with Edem as he thinks she might be the killer of Margareth. In exchange for all the information Zeumro has told her, she told him what she knows, including the fact that Edem and those evils know her real identity already, and it's not impossible that they probably know his, too.
"Mom, Dad. Maybe it would be a little different if you two were still here. Dad, can I borrow your investigating skills, please?" she desperately whispered in exhaustion.
______________________________
"Hey, Yeonica!" Leana greeted her as soon as she came inside their office. She was late.
Yeonica caught her breath first. "Morning. How's the meeting? I'm late. My darn alarm didn't ring."
Leana laughed. "Don't mind that. It's just some usual meetings. You know, about the cases we're handling. There are numerous cases coming in. Some clients are headaches to talk to."
"Like it's new to you," Yeonica chuckled.
"Anyway, nice to see you again, Yeonica, aka my niece!"
Yeonica rolled her eyes. "Stop it. I've been stressed lately due to this case. I'm not stopping, though," she said and looked at Leana. She was standing while holding her favorite coffee. Looking at her, she's reminded of that girl who struck her head last time. If her memory is not fooling her, they maybe have the same height.
"Stop it, then. Look at you. You have two roles and is exhausted. You even got in danger last time," Leana said and leaned on Yeonica's table for a while.
Yeonica looked at her. "Oh, you know that?"
Leana nodded. "Of course! Duh. I'm concerned! Mr. Felmor always updates me. I'm really thankful that you're okay. Being hit with a rock in the head must've been so painful."
Yeonica's ear tingled. "Wait, the old man told you that?"
Leana sipped the last coffee on her mug. "Yeah, he did. Hey, he may seem like he doesn't care but he's worried of you sometimes. After all, it's the name of his law firm you're carrying."
Yeonica stared at Leana's face. Her eyes wandered from her head to her shoes, and from her shoes to her head. Not too long, her boss, Mr. Felmor, came in.
"Ms. Secre—Oh, Ms. Harmie, you're here. You didn't come earlier," he said.
She didn't answer. She felt like her whole world would stop at any moment. A feeling of betrayal is starting to devour her.
Yeonica never told them that she was hit by a rock.