Once Upon A Murder

Letter

CASE#1/CODE MINT: IDENTITY THEFT

Sophia's Point of View

"Please help me find him!" She started to tear up as she speaks.

Halatang ilang araw na siyang walang tulog sa mga malalalim nitong eye bags. I also smell something, probably she didn't get to shower for days.

Pansin ko rin ang bag niya sa lupa. Her shoes are so dirty pati na rin ang school uniform niya. This girl probably skip school and also never come home.

Ilang araw na ba itong hindi na uwi? Tsk!

Kahit pa tinakpan niya ang kaniyang mukha pero naka-ID naman siya. I quickly approach her and pat her shoulder.

Trying to distract her by patting her shoulder and sympathizing for her.

"Please calm down!" I said as I slowly reach for her ID and slide her ID Card out of her ID holder without her knowing.

Knowing people engaged into strong emotions like too happy, sad, or mad makes them not being aware of their surroundings. Pagdistracted ka hindi ka aware na hinahawakan o kaya ninanakawan ka na. Mostly, sa 5 sense may possibility na mas malakas ang sense of sight nila kaysa sa ibang senses. Hay nako! Paniguradong nag-aalala na mga magulang nito.

As soon as she calms down, I started to talk to her again. "Okay first of all introduce yourself first Miss—" I quickly raise the ID card on my hand and took a flashlight to read her name.

"Tess Elona Hedalgo, grade 11 student!" She's surprised but later on she took a deep breath and asked for her ID card back.

As soon as I return her ID she begins to breath heavy. "Don't judge me, I'm just. . ." She paused.

"In love?" I continued.

I saw her cry as soon as I said those words. Love sometimes kills feelings. Tsk!

***

After she said everything about the case, I advised her to go home take a bath and rest. She resist at first but thankfully with a couple of advises she was convinced.

Her case was about a missing person she meet online. As what she said, he was studying also in RC University. Yet, kahit na iisang school lang sila never pa niyang nakita ito o kaya naman nagpakita ito sa kaniya.

The odd is, she knew this person in personal kasi hindi naman lingid sa lahat na ang hinahanap niya ay isang popular na tao sa school. I'm also studying on RC, may highschool, kinder, at college sa RC. Hindi na iyun bago na may rankings ang mga studyante.

What she worry about was he never knew her at ilang araw na raw itong nawawala. Kaya siya na mismo ang naghanap, wala naman siyang karapatan na magfile ng missing person kasi ni hindi siya kapamilya.

And even if magreport siya sa mga police you all know that if it wasn't a dead body it's not their priority. At pagsinabing missing person magdidikit lang naman sila usually ng flyers.

She also give me some printed files about the person she wanted me to find. Even if I already knew him I just can't oppose to her request. Back to my room it's already 9 o'clock in the evening.

Inilatag ko lahat ng ibinigay niya pati ang mga litrato na sabi niya ay pinagsesend nito sa kaniya. All pictures was random at ni walang gaanong mukha nito sa mga picture ipinadala.

She also included the account she said that guy was using. Actually I just thought this account was normal not until I saw the conversation.

Initially ang babae ang unang nag initiate ng conversation, yet paghindi na nagpaparamdam ang babae sumusulpot naman at in an instant subrang caring nong lalaki. After a while she then started to lead again the conversation at nawawalan naman ng gana ang lalaki the way he reply to every conversation.

As I stretched my arms I then reach from my phone on my coffee table at pumuntang f*******:. I searched his name and gone through photos. He got 104 photos but all of it was private. I also asked for her account and she gladly give me her account after I explain what I would like to do.

As I open her account a message pop up. She got a lot of hate chats mostly from girls. I just shrugged it off and started to search for his name on the chats.

Sa modernong panahon ngayon madali nalang ang paghahanap sa tao. Through internet using f*******:, twitter, tiktoks madali nalang malaman ang taong gusto mong hanapin o kaya naman nakawan ng pagkatao.

As I click the photo of the account, it's strangely wiped out. From photos, vids, and posts walang natira.

"Hiatus" it is posted on its bio. Beforehand I should know the conversation before I do the deep dive. I click It's profile and download it to be used later.

Nagsend Naman na agad sa akin si Hedalgo ng iilang pictures na senend nitong Evan Salazar sa kaniya. It's not necessary but kung delikado ang client ko ay dapat na alam ko ito. Baka rin may mga malaman pa ako sa pagkatao nito na hindi na banggit ni Hedalgo.

I know it's illegal but hey! I've got the permission so it's not a crime.

The entire night I spent on reading their conversation and thank goodness walang pasok bukas kasi sabado. I also did answer my assignments in advance at tinapus ito agad-agad.

***

As of today naglalakad ako papunta sa parke. It's still 4am in the morning, mga ganitong oras nasa park sila ngayon nakatambay I kung hindi naman nakatambay nagpaplano sa pinapagawa niya kung may trabaho.

Nakapajama pa ako habang nakajacket sa lamig ng buong lugar. As I walk closer to the park I could hear them arguing while whispering.

Malamang dapat lang silang manahimik, sa lakas ng mga bunganga nito baka mga katapat na apartment ay mabulabog sa kaingayan nila.

As I get closer and closer I could hear what they are arguing about. It's about that thing again, they still into that, that they never move on and argue again about it.

"Sabi niya 400 daw," halos matawa naman ako habang nakikinig.

"Mag-isip ka nga kung ilan? Diba sinabi ko naman sa iyo na tama iyong pagkakabilang ko," I heard there voices getting louder a bit, so I grab my flashlight at pinagtututukan ang mga mukha nila.

"Gago police!" Sigaw ng isa at akmang tatakbo na ang mga ito nong magsalita ako.

"Nag-aaway pa rin kayo sa 100×2?" Saad ko at napatigil ang mga ito sa pagtakbo.

"Tsk! Simple lang naman iyun!" Pagmamatapang ni Kyle habang nagpigil naman ng tawa ang iba nitong mga makasama.

"Owww para namang hindi nagbutil pawis mo kakaguhit ng stick sa lupa mabilang lang kung Ilan sagot!" Panggigisa naman ni Susa sa batang si Kyle na agad binusalan ang bibig ng kasama.

As I'm watching them argue, I noticed some of them are missing. "Ba't kunti lang kayo ngayon dito sa park? At bakit nandito kayo ngayon sa park?"

Tanong ko na ikinataas nang kamay ni Fernan na ikinatango ko. "May pinapagawa si Madam sa iba habang kami namang lima ay may gagawin sanang operasyon!" Walang ano anoy agad na binatukan ni Kyle ang nabiglang si Fernan.

"Operation?" Oh by the way this are the street kids of Runa(Name of the city).

Kyle the so called leader is 12 years old, may pagkaarogante pero maasahan naman at kuya kuyahan sa lahat. Susa is 10, subrang ganda g bata at nag-iisang babaing sumasama sa kaniyang mga kuya, Fernan is 11 mahiyain pero gwapong bata kung matatanda ito bagay na bagay sila ni susa, the other two who's very quiet is Mark who's 10 and Anton 10 years old.

And this kids are my sources minsan at kung minsan naman sila ang mga galamay ko na nakakalat sa buong city. They knew the city very well for some reason dito na sila isinilang sa lansangan ng Runa.

At first noong bago lang kaming nagkakilala talagang groupo na ang mga batang ito. Susa in the other hand was recently adopted by this group of street kids. Noong una nanlilimos ang mga batang ito, nagnanakaw at snatcher. Before they've got adopted by Madam who's a bar owner mga asong kalye itong mga batang ito sa lansangan.

Mga anak barombado sa opinion ng mga tao. Mga polubi at mga daga sa kalye ng Runa.

"Hmmm anong operation 'yan?" Tanong ko na ikinakamot ni Kyle. Napahinga pa ito ng maluwag at maya-maya pa ay nagsalita rin naman.

"May pinapahanap si Madam," sagot nito. "Pangalan?" Huminga na naman ito ulit at sumagot. "Babae, Tess Elona Hedalgo," agad akong napalaki ng mata sa sagot nito.

"Why?" The Madam they are talking about was a bar owner and also a police officer. She was the one who also give me permission as a informant s***h detective niya.

At hindi rin ako makakatanggap ng clients kung walang permission niya. She's the detective anyway mukha lang naman niya akong alalay pagmay malaking kaso. Alalay Niya ta's ako naman halos lahat gumagawa. We're in a detective agency run by Madam, I'll be in jail kung wala akong kakamping police.

Knowing I'm still a 2nd year college student at walang license sino naman ang taong maniniwala sa gaya ko. And on top of that, I may not also allowed to investigate for some reason I'm a f*****g civilian.

Laging makapunit pangalan ni Madam para lang payagan ako minsang maki-alam sa kaso and thankful naman ako roon, pero talaga minsan pagsiguro matanda na nagmemenopose nababahiran din ng kasungitan masungit niyang mukha.

"Alam ni Madam na pumunta ang babae sa iyo. Pagkatapus niyong mag-usap hindi siya naka-uwi," kyle said na ikinakurap ko pa.

"Anong pinapagawa ni Madam?" Tanong kung muli.

"Hoi hoi manang ang daming tanong," agad ko itong sinapak sa ulo sa pagtawag niya sa akin ng manang.

"Sagutin mo nalang," napapakamot at papa-iyak na ito pero sumagot rin naman agad.

"Kailangan namin siyang hanapin sa buong syudad," sagot nito at nagpipigil ng luha. Alam ko naman na dilikado ang syudad pero itong mga batang ito ay hindi naman naghihiwalay.

"Pumunta nanay nito sa presinto para magfile ng missing person,"

They've been through a lot before pa sila tumungtong sa puder ni Madam. "Sige," simple kung saad at namaywang.

"Anong sige? Alam namin may sadya ka rin, alam ba to ni Madam ha? Alam mo naman iyun hawak ka rin non sa leeg," pagbabanta pa ng maliit na demonyong ito. Ginagaya pa ako sa pamimiwang na ikinaamba ko ng suntok at agad na binatukan ito.

"Abay ako pa ang tinakot mo, nga pala sila Boboy may ginagawa ba?" This kids had massive connections, kahit mga na ampon na ay may connection pa rin sa mga batang ito.

Madam wants them to get some education of course, pero ang mga batang ito ay mas piniling maging mata at tenga ng buong syudad kaysa mag-aral. And now even Madam benefits from their work, in exchange syempre sa matutulugan, damit at pagkain.

"Kung wala sabihin mo may ipapagawa si ate," ngisi kung saad at hinawakan pa ang ulo nito. "Kuha mo?" Tumango ito agad nang pandilatan ko ito ng mata.

Agad kung ibinigay ang instructions na ginawa ko kagabi matapus kung basahin ang lahat ng mga babasahin sa kaso. Pati na rin ang mga dapat na dalhin at kung saan nila ito dadalhin kung may makita man sila.

Agad ko naman itong binitawan at hinayaan na silang magplano sa gagawin nila.

"Manang kaylan mo ba ulit kami tuturuan?" Pahabol pa ni Kyle habang papaalis na sana ako.

"Tuturuan ko kayo kung pipilitin niyo si Madam na pag-aralin kayo," sigaw ko pabalik at tumalikod na't papa-uwi. This kids got future and Madam also knew it. Kaya kung maa-ari dapat lang talaga silang mag-aral.

What they say na hawak ako sa leeg ni Madam is not what you think na binablock mail niya ako. The other way around siguro.

For today, hahayaan ko munang magtrabaho ang mga ito by tomorrow makukuha ko rin Naman ang result. Those kids are way more clever than real detectives.

***

2:45pm

I've received a text from Madam. Nakita na nila ang estudyante at napa-uwi na rin sa kanila. She stated na natatakot itong umuwi at baka mapagalitan ito, kaya nakitulog ito sa kaklasse nito.

After reading the text I got relieved, jusko! Ako pa naman huling na kausap nito kung may mangyari mang masama sa kulungan na talaga bagsak ko.

"Sophie, Kain na!" Pagtawag ni mama sa akin mula sa baba. Don't misinterpret I didn't eat from breakfast to lunch. I'm still re-reading the contents of this papers.

I've been thinking about the case at kanina pa ako pabalik-balik sa pagtingin sa mga files at sa internet about the case. It's odd, siguro kailangan ko na talagang puntahan ang Junior buildings sa lunes.

"Sophia?" My mom again called na ikinasagot ko na. "I'll be there, may tinatapus lang akong assignment!" Pagsisinungaling ko pa.

Minute's had past, after scanning the files over and over again, mom knocks on my door this time.

"Sophia may naghahanap sa iyo, kapatid ng classmate mo!" Agad akong napatayo at agad na binuksan ang pinto't nagkukumahog na bumaba. As soon as I open the front door ang ngiti ni Boboy agad ang aking nabungaran.

He hugged me as if he missed me, knowing Boboy is not like this I felt that he then slide something on my pocket. They're retired snatchers anyway so I'm not really so surprised.

"Gaya ng sabi mo sa sulat nandiyan na lahat," saad nito at naglakad papalayo. Pansin kung nasa likod si mama kaya kumaway ako.

"Ano kaylangan ba Sophia?" Takang tanong pa nito. "Ah pina-alalahanan lang ako sa gagawin naming research, at binigay tong hard drive na ito," saad ko at agad na binunot sa bulsa ang handa handa kung excuse para maniwala ito.

Letter:

I, I am sorry,

I don't want to hurt you, I need to clear i myself from the things that have done. i know the things i do was all wrong. I need you to hear that i regret to do the things i do to you. Promise to forget me after because of what I do. I really regret what I do, I really do, you may not believe it cause it did hurt you.

This might be my last letter for i was going to stop now. i wIll never forget the things i shared with i and you. I love you, i do and i will always be, I should stop now, Goodbye!

As soon as I come back to my room, this is what I read.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?"