3 A NEW MISSION
Veren sat in a local coffee shop in Tuguegarao City. He didn’t expect it to be so dense with low-rise buildings and people. The streets were typical of small cities: tight four lanes of concrete with almost no sidewalk. Old homes made of wood and stone and semi-new buildings made of glass and cement stood side by side along the road. Cars, jeepneys, and tricycles roamed the roads in a noisy parade, but there wasn’t much traffic. Their pace was slow, but steady.
He was waiting for the man who delivered ice to the household of Anza Soledad, the last person who saw her. According to Manuu Soledad, the man gave Anza a ride to the city and dropped her off across the street. Then, he drove away. Still, Veren wanted to interview the man himself to see if he could pick more clues
