The Devils Mayhem (Devils #3)

Chapter 2

LATELY, Spencer is been very persistent in Victorique's case.

It's like a madman has possessed him completely. The other teams couldn't even start to notice these changes, not that they had the time to worry about his alarming behaviors. Ano nga ba ang masasabi ko, mas gugustuhin nilang mag-resolba ng mga kaso na alam nilang ikaaangat ng kanilang rangko.

At isa pa sa mga kaso na pinagtutuonan nila ng pansin ay ang patungkol sa pagkawala ni Detective Dumapidez. Kahit na kahina-hinala ang kanyag pagkawala, mas sigurado sila na si Victorique Smith na naman ang may pakana sa pagkawala nito.

Kahapon lang namin napag-alaman ang patungkol sa pagkawala ng naturang detective. The crime scene was at the apartment where Detective Dumapidez is staying. And some of the fingerprints discovered on the scene belonged to Victorique and other unknown fingerprints.

Honestly, if Ynalee Maxwell weren't involved, Victorique's name will not be mentioned. Pero nakakasakit lang ng ulo ang katamaran ng mga pulis na ito. Parang wala silang makitang taong masisi at si Victorique nalang ang laging lumalabas na salarin may lumitaw lang na panibagong kaso.

"Are you okay?"

Agad na tanong ko kay Spencer pagkatapos ng roll call.

Isang tango lang ang isinagot niya sa akin. Ngunit napansin ko ang bigla niyang paghawak sa dibdib niya kung saan siya natamaan ng baril ni Victorique.

Hanggang ngayon, hindi ko pa rin mawari kung talaga bang naging seryoso siya kay Victorique. It could be that he really cared but more than that, he probably cared more about his own self.

"Huwag ka munang gagawa ng kung anong bagay." Naalala kong paalala ni Detective Drozell noon bago ito umalis makailang araw pa lang ang lumipas.

"Where are you going?" Tanong ko.

"I can't tell you right now. But I have to take care of some things while I'm away." Batid kong may sasabihin pa itong bagay ngunit sa hindi ko malamang rason ay tumigil ito bigla sa pananalita.

Napatingin ito sa kawalan na animo'y naisip na nakakatawa.

"I have a feeling that my niece is going to do something."

Napahawak ito sa sariling buhok. Huminga pa ito ng malalim na parang pinapakalma ang sarili. It took almost a minute.

"But for now, I need you to watch Spencer carefully. And no, you can't let anybody know." And Detective Drozell doesn't need to point out why.

I have more than enough years to know that not everyone running the law cannot be trusted.

"Paano si Mrs Smith."

Nang banggitin niya ang nakakabata nitong kapatid ay bumalatay ang lungkot sa mukha nito.

"She'll be fine. I had more than enough people on her side." Sabi nito saka nagsimula nang tumalikod. Ang bulto niya sa madilim na hagdanan ay bahagyang naiilawan ng buwan, ang balikat nito animo'y may dalang mabibigat na pasanin.

Hindi ko alam kung ano ang napagdaanan niya at nagagawa niya pang maging kalmado sa mga nangyayari. Maybe he has already seen worse.

As if he could read my thoughts, Drozell once again spoke.

"Detective, have you seen Red Lady's case?"

Something immediately clicked within me, I don't really have to recall some of the previous cases we've had before. Because this case gave the authorities a hard time to solve, other than Chauslte's case, the Violent Queen and other syndicates related to his name, this case played with the minds of the detectives involved.

It was a famous one but a short one.

It went for almost five years but it sure left a memory on the detectives that joined in catching the Red Lady.

I have read the file, it was like a lifetime worth of documents that I had to skip some of the information. Hindi ko naman kasi kailangang alamin sa kaso na ito, but I remembered that it had sparked my interest when I was in high school. Almost every night, I've been following articles related to the Red Lady.

To give a quick explanation, the Red Lady is a serial killer who went on a murder spree to kill every bit of the Grandaulienz clan, leaving behind a number two blood mark on each of her victim's body. At sa pinangyarihan ng mga krimen ay mag-iiwan siya ng mga clue para sa mga pulisya kung sino ang sunod na papatayin niya.

In the end, Drozell Smith managed to crack the last code made by the Red Lady.

And the last victim was none other than Drozell himself.

He survived.

But the Red Lady was never caught. Pero tumigil na ang mga pagpatay. Walang nakakaalam kung sino ang pumapatay, o kung babae ba talaga ang gumagawa ng mga ito.

But the last message they received from the Red Lady was this,

'If I hear another single article about me, or see my pretty name on the TV, expect to see another person dead the next day.'

It raised a public hysteria.

At doon na itinigil ang imbestigasyon patungkol dito. Hindi na din naman pumatay ang salarin.

But the silent investigation went on for about a year but still, she was never caught.

Thus, the case still remained unsolved.

"I have never said anything." Muling simula ni Drozell. "Akala ko, lahat ng mga magiging desisyon ko ay tama. I trust my judgement more than anyone else. Pero noong araw na iyon, nakagawa ako ng desisyon na pagsisihan ko, hanggang ngayon naaalala ko pa rin ang araw na iyon. As result, I lost some things important to me."

Nagulat ako sa kanyang sinabi. Napag-alaman ko sa mga senior detective na sa araw na nawala ang Red Lady ay siyang naman pag-resign ni Detective Drozell sa pagiging detective.

"I've been drowning myself in regret and I've lost trust in my own skill. Pero ngayong may nangyayari sa mga natitirang tao na importante sa akin, hindi ako mag-aatubling harapin ang nakaraan ko." He touched the back of his nape and laughed stiffly. "I've become to hate my gift, honestly, I don't feel as confident as before, but I'll try my best to be more useful."

Doon na nagtapos ang pagkikita naming dalawa. Ngayon ay narito ako, hinihintay kung may gagawin si Spencer.

And it's almost cynical that Spencer isn't doing anything behind the scenes. Even though he looked like a dysfunctional robot at the moment.

Magkakaroon lang ng kulay ang kanyang mukha kung may makakalap kaming balita tungkol kay Victorique. At ginagawa ko ang lahat para hindi maawa sa kanyang kalagayan, but this situation is just affecting his predicament greatly.

Huminga ako ng malalim at pinagpatuloy na lamang asikasuhin ang mga papeles at patong-patong na ang workload namin. I was in the middle of scanning a file when my phone vibrated. And when I picked it up, I saw Detective Drozell's name registered on the screen.

When I picked it up, I immediately accepted the call and greeted politely.

"Any progress?" Drozell asked.

"Wala pa." Sabi ko saka tinapunan ng tingin si Spencer na tulala pa rin.

Agad naman akong tumayo sa aking upuan at naglakad paalis sa opisina.

"Oh, right. I called because I have something for you at the rooftop."

Ito lang ang huli niyang sinabi bago niya ibinaba ang tawag. Nagtatak man ay sinundan ko na lamang ang kanyang inuutos. Habang tinatahak ko ang hagdan paitaas ay lumingon-lingon muna ako sa likuran upang alamin kung may nakasunod ba sa aking tao.

Pero hindi ko tiyak kung wala ngang nakakasunod sa akin kaya't pumunta bumaba muna ako ng hagdan at dumiretso sa restroom para sa mga lalaki.

I opened the faucet and left it running. Ngunit nang mapatingin ako sa salamin ay nagult ako nang makita ang isang pamilyar na babae na nakatayo sa likuran ko. Mabuti na lamang ay napigilan ko ang mapamura para hindi makakuha ng mga hindi kanais-nais na atensyon.

"M-Miss Smith..." Pabulong na usal ko. "H-how—"

Ngunit hindi pa rin ako sigurad kung siya nga ito dahil iba na ang buhok niya at ang suot niya ay hindi sa nakasanayan kong nakikita sa kanya. Pumihit ako patalikod upang mapagmasdan siya ng mabuti.

Siya nga ito. Nag-iba lang ang kulay at ang iksi ng kanyang buhok.

"Why are you here?"

Hindi siya nagsalita noong una at itinapat lamang ang daliri sa kanyang bibig saka iginalaw ang mata papunta sa pintuan. Nakuha ko naman ang ibig niyang iparating at tumahimik.

Then she gestured for me to go upstairs using her hands. Tumango ako saka pinanood siyang umunta sa bintana at iangat ang sarili upang makalabas mula roon.

Pinatay ko na ang gripo at pinunasan ang aking kamay. Tumingin muna ako sa aking repleksyon sa salamin bago kumuha ng isang stick ng sigarilyo at inipit ito sa aking bibig. Then I started going out of the bathroom. And when I opened the door, I looked around carefully, to make sure I wouldn't look suspicious to capture any attention.

Medyo natagalan din ako sa pagputa sa rooftop. Kailangan kong siguraduhin na walang nakasunod sa akin.

When I finally got to the rooftop, I looked everywhere at the sign of that stubborn girl. He wasn't really sure why she would show up. At ang alam niya ay nagpakalayo-layo ito upang hindi mahanap ng mga pulisya.

"There you are..."

I suppressed a smile when I finally found her. She was sitting on the wall connecting the doorway, looking like someone who just wanted to take a breather. Napatingin tuloy ako sa yosi na nasa aking bibig saka inalis iyon.

Victorique Smith at the ground while watching the cities view. Her short blonde hair waves with the wind making it unruly. But she easily combed it with her hair since it's too short.

"Happy birthday."

Nanatiling nakaupo ang dalaga at hindi man lang kumilos para pasalamatan ako. In fact, she was looking too gloomy for a birthday celebrant. Can't blame her. Life has been rather sh*tty.

"Time sure passes fast, you're already twenty," I calmly said and reached for something in my back pocket and handed it to Victorique. "Here, take it." Sabi ko. "I always carry this around in case you show up out of nowhere. Funny how I even thought of that.

Victorique stared at the square-shaped little box, she didn't bother to take it.

"I am not here to receive a gift." Victorique coldly said. "Especially from someone who's a friend of that devil."

I sighed patiently and placed the box on her side.

"Detective Drozell asked me to give this to you when I see you."

Doon na siya napatingin sa akin. She looked at me, more like glared at me first.

"Are you telling the truth?"

I smiled, "Who do you think I am?"

Victorique rolled her eyes. "The friend of the devil."

Huminga ako ng malalim. "I get that you will think of me that way."

Hindi na siya nagsalita pa. Ang kamay ko naman ay nanatiling nakatapat sa kanya. Hinihintay kung kukunin niya ba ang kahon na binibigay ko sa kanya.

I sighed helplessly.

"I'm going to protect you. At least that was Drozell said—"

"I can protect myself, I don't need a knight!" Victorque angrily said.

There was silence for a moment. Then finally I decided to clear my throat and pushed the box at Victorique.

"Accept it. It's not from me anyway," Ilang segundo pa ang lumipas bago kinuha ni Victorique ang binibigay ko na kahon. Pero ibinaba niya lang ito sa kanyang tabi at nagsimula nang sabihin ang ipinunta niya dito.

"Tomorrow, I need your help."

Kumunot ang noo ko. "Help?" Nang tumango siya ay muli kong tinanong. "What help?"

"I'll tell you the details later but I just want to know if you're in or not."

Huminga ako ng malalim. I just can't believe how a person could change this drastically. The polite and bright Victorique I met seems nowhere to be found in those deep and hooded eyes. Ngunit kahit hindi niya sabihin, alam kong may binabalak siya na ikakapahamak niya.

For a moment there, I have finally understood why Drozell laughed at that time. It was because he knew that Victorique would be driven with the desire to take revenge and that he knew he wouldn't be able to do anything to stop her.

Kaya't wala siyang ibang paraan kundi ay suportahan na lamang ito at protektahan ito sa kapahamakan na kasalukuyan nitong pinupuntahan.

"I am in." Sabi ko.

I gave her my personal number for her to contact me.

Gusto ko pa sana siyang kausapin, kamustahin ang kalagayan niya. But she seems distant and I bet she wouldn't open up even if I ask so I just keep my mouth shut.

When I opened the door I felt my body froze. I need to say something. Even though I knew it's the last thing she needed she wanted to hear, I just want to be the one saying this.

"Gusto ko lang malaman mo na nandito kami. Kahit anong magiging desisyon mo, tutulungan ka namin. Just don't try to keep it all to yourself."

I said before finally deciding to leave Victorique.

VICTORIQUE gritted her teeth. She put her jacket on and put the gun back at her thigh. She was about to leave when she spotted the box.

Without thinking, she reached for it, pulled the case off. Then there revealed two wedding rings laced in a chain. She recognized it in an instant upon reading the letters carved on it.

A lone tear escaped her left eye as she clutched the rings at her hands. "Papa...mama..." Victorique whispered. "I'll find Eros, promise..."

She finally said and put the necklace around her neck.

She muttered a quiet 'thank you' to where Gean left. Kasi sa dalawang taong kinausap niya ngayong araw, kay Elle niya inaasahan na marinig ang pagbati na inaasam niya ngayong araw. Other than her uncle of course.

But she straightened her back and stilled herself, almost keeping herself together as she let go of her emotions.

Tomorrow is a big day, and she needs to prepare for it.