Remember That Day

Chapter 28

Earlier...

After releasing all her anger by crumpling all the scratch from her table, Jayda reached for her phone and she was too oblivious about it.

“I’m really pissed! My payment...” she cried as she browsed her phone vehemently.

Jayda was breathing heavily and gritting her teeth when her eyes landed on her phone, flashing the messages on her screen particularly from Tris.

Let’s talk some other time. I don’t want to lose you just because of a simple misunderstanding. You can come at my place. I’ll be just waiting.

After reading the message, all she could do was to heave a deep sigh.

“How can I explain to her that I’m afraid and upset that she’s actually on my list as one of the persons I think to be the culprit?” she whispered to herself. “I know I’m being ridiculous, but this odd feeling towards her just don’t leave me.”

Tris said, “Look. Killers maybe anyone that you know for a long time or probably the person you just bumped the last time inside the elevator. Who knows? It could be also the person you trusted the most. You wouldn’t know they’re murderers unless you are smarter than them.”

“Smarter...” Jayda mumbled as she kept her eyes on her friend.

A familiar scene suddenly popped inside Jayda’s head where she tried to go after the mysterious guy she saw last night.

“That person or a person I trusted the most. Who could it be?” Jayda added just as her chest became heavy.

She was muted as she felt something weird. Or she might be crazy for suspecting her friend.

No. I was with her on her birthday, Jayda thought to herself.

Jayda nodded. Just as she stood up, she added, “I’m sure it’s like Damek’s case. All I have been doing is to accuse her. I know she has nothing to do with it because I was with her that night. That’s right.”

“Killers are very... very flexible,” Tris smirked.

How Tris said it made Jayda get goosebumps. She even swallowed the lump in her throat by just looking at her friend.

“Yes. It could be probably... you,” Jayda said, almost a whisper.

Jayda expected that Tris would shout at her, but it didn’t happen. Instead, she grinned which Jayda found uncomfortable and confusing.

“I could be the killer,” said Tris while she stabbed the beef with a knife, very slowly, but with a force.

Jayda could feel her heart thumped so hard because of the sudden nervous she had felt. It was as if she was facing the killer she wanted to meet the night of the murder incident.

Her knees almost buckled with the thought of it, but thanks to her swivel chair and she could immediately take a grip of it to support her trembling body.

“I don’t know what to think. I really have to talk to her right away,” she mumbled and threw her body on the bed. But in just a snap, Jayda closed her eyes and felt sleepy as if she was in the presence of sleeping pills. She was tired mentally, and perhaps sleeping was her best escape... for a short time.

“I hope you’re not a killer... Tris,” she whispered before she fell into a deep sleep.

Jayda’s stomach rumbled at four in the afternoon, obviously because she was not eating nothing since morning. That also made her wake up, feeling disappointed.

She said, cupping her face, “How long would you be like that, Jayda?”

Clutching her chest, she stood up and went to her closet to change clothes. She added, “I’m going to see her now. I can’t let it slide this time.”

Dressed up casually, Jayda walked with a little hurry to the parking area. It had been a while since she used his car.

I’m ready. Let’s talk, Jayda texted Tris before she started the engine and drove away.

Jayda was silent all the way to her bestfriend’s place. She was focused on the road and her grip to the steering wheel was firm and tight. After minutes of driving, she finally arrived in front of a modern Mediterranean house.

“I’m here,” she whispered before she parked her car outside the place and inched towards the gate. “I’m Jayda. I’m here for Tris Villarubia. I’m her... I’m her bestfriend.”

“Inside, please.”

Aside from the guards, she saw no one around at the pool area. That made her remember the night of October 25.

“Drink more, Jayda!” said Tris, walking as if she was on a bikini contest with a wine glass half-filled with vodka martini on her hand.

Jayda turned to her left only to see the birthday girl drew near her. Jayda couldn’t deny it, her friend really had a great body of a real model.

“Right. We were both here that night,” she mumbled as she walked by the pool.

Jayda felt tired and worn out from the party, so she thought of ditching her writing schedule tonight to have a good night sleep, but it didn’t end that way.

After the elevator opened, she suddenly felt her chest became heavy. It was maybe the result of being a coffee addict.

Few more steps and she reached the door of her room. As soon as she twisted the door knob, a woman’s dead body welcomed her, making her staggered backwards because of surprise.

No trace of blood, probably died by choking. No. How would she know?

Her knees had weakened before she could be able to shout for help.

“Help! Somebody help me! There’s... there’s a body! Someone is dead!” she stuttered.

“And Tris wouldn’t do anything like that. She’s not like that. Okay,” Jayda breathed.

It was not long before she saw a tall girl standing, back facing her inside a nipa hut beside the pool. She assumed it was Tris just by looking at her shape.

She noticed Tris was on her phone and seemed troubled as Jayda heard her yelling.

“Mom, what should I do? She would surely swear at me!” Tris yelled, clutching her chest.

“What? Relax? Mom, I’m nearly going crazy and you’ll tell me to calm down? Mom, please help me!”

Jayda stopped and stared at her. She was not sure about what was happening yet, but she was curious and worried.

“I can’t leave the country. I’m not going to States. I’m not going anywhere, Mom!”

When she was about to take another step to greet Tris, her heart seemed skip a beat. Her whole body became numb and tears fell from her eyes immediately.

“It’s my fault. It’s really my fault!” Tris shouted out of frustration that she almost pulled her own hair. “I killed her! Mom, I killed her! How can I even tell that to Jayda?”