Sunshine

IX

“A G A I N, W H A T H A P P E N E D?”

Marie Aguinaldo shook Carlos’ shoulders in an attempt to wake him up. He is obviously not sleeping but his blank soulless eyes did not looked different. Marie definitely understood where Carlos is coming from but the Special Task Force Team already gave him an hour. And besides, everyone is just too anxious and pressured to keep on waiting.

“You always have something to say! But why are you not saying anything now that we want you to talk?! f**k Carlos talk!“ Marie let go of Carlos shoulders and stood in front of him helplessly. “Why are you not saying anything? Tell us please.”

After using up all her energy, Marie dragged herself back to her chair. After sitting down she looked at Carlos teary eyed in frustration. Giving up, she puller her own hair and slammed her face on the table filled with papers.

“Get a grip! I never saw you like this like never! Try to remember. Did someone knock you out?”

Juan on the other hand shouted from his own seat. Carlos’ best friend sat restlessly watching him the entire hour Carlos was silent. After using up all his thread of patience for the day, he stood up and went straight to Carlos and punched him on the face.

“Juan!”

The commotion it caused made Marie pull her face from the table. After realizing what happened she called out Valencia. “A punch is enough, okay?”

They watch Carlos staggered to stand up. The punch must have successfully shook him that his mouth finally opened. “I really…. I can’t… I can’t remember. I don’t…have a memory.”

Marie stood again and pulled Carlos’ arm. That’s when they noticed an injection mark. Marie was about to say something but stopped when they heard the door swung open.

Their eyes flew on the newly arrived pair, Olivia and Alex.

— — — — —

“WE called you in about this photo. You heard, right? About what happened to Paulo.” Dela Vega showed the screenshot of Paulo’s last post on his IG account. “Can you tell us about this photo?”

Olivia answered after looking at the printed photo. Adrian stared at Olivia’s face while she’s talking, paying attention to it more.

“I’m friends with Paulo since high school. He studied at the US for college and he just went back in the country and he came to visit. He came to the store and stayed all day there. That was the first time we saw each other after a long time, so we agreed to have dinner at that hotel’s restaurant---that photo. We talked for a while then went separate ways. We went straight home and Paulo said he will go home straight too.”

“Around what time you guys left the hotel?”

“I guess around 10?” Alex answered this time. “We stayed quite long at the hotel since we had so much to talk.”

“About?”

“Life? We are catching up on each other.” Alex said in a matter of fact. Adrian shrugged and went on with the questioning.

“Do you know him, too? Ms. Magbanua?”

Alex looked straight at Dela Vega and nodded.

“Yesterday was actually our first meeting. But I knew him before through Olivia’s stories. And he’s a nice person. It’s not hard to get close to him.”

Dela Vega nodded. He turned back to Olivia. “Do you keep in touch while he was at States? How?”

“He cut off our contact as soon as he boarded the plane. He said he wanted to focus on his studies. We broke up the day he went to States.”

“You’re not just friends but ex-lovers?” Dela Vega looked at her curiously. “But why you still talk about him?”

“Because he’s my first love.”

Adrian immediately threw glances at Alex. It shrugged. “It’s fine, though.”

“You guys are quite the liberated type.”

The two nodded nonchalantly.

“But this fotogram post. Why did he tagged your business account? You don’t have personal fotogram accounts?”

“No. Since we don’t see the need of one. We actually just use social media for our business.”

Adrian nodded again, his hands are still busy typing everything. He relayed this particular question to both, with request for the two to answer it to the best of their knowledge. “Did you notice anyone suspicious around him that time you were together? Or maybe mentioned someone who is not in good terms with him?”

“I thought it was a robbery-homicide incident? Why are you asking that?”

Adrian gave up on typing and let the recording device do its job. He looked straight at Olivia who answered first. “We rule out every possibilities. Now if you will answer…”

Olivia broke her first smile since she was seated on the hard broken chair of the interrogation room. Those didn’t escaped Adrian.

“No, Detective.” Olivia answered while shaking her head. “And I believe that will be your last question? We would like to take a leave, then. We still have a business to open, you see.”

Dela Vega showed them the way, still seated. Alex and Olivia immediately stood up to the door unbothered by the lack of courtesy by the police officer.

“But you don’t seem sad at all, Ms. Olivia.”

The click-clack from Olivia’s heels stopped. She talked while facing the door. “I cried on my way here, Detective. It’s not that I need to cry in front of you to show I’m sad, right?”

“Of course, not.” Adrian waited for Olivia to face him but it did not. He bid them goodbye. “You may go. Thank you for your cooperation.”

“WITH what was I injected with?”

Carlos got up from the hospital bed and removed the IV drip needle from his wrist. The doctor-in-charge. Dr. Montefalco slapped his hands.

“What was that for?”

“You are always stubborn! Just at least finish this!” He took new needles and gave Carlos another set of IV drip. He frowned at the dextrose bag while asking what’s in it again. “It’s to fill your lost water. You are dehydrated. And to answer your first question, it’s a sleeping drug. It’s only meant to make you sleep, so you don’t have to worry about it. But try not to drive today. The drug is still not completely washed you might doze off.”

Carlos nodded and went back to lying in bed. The old doctor took off his eyeglasses and cleaned it with his worn-out white robe.

“But you don’t really remember who did that to you? You were injected at the arm. You must have made close contact.”

“I actually dozed off while on watch. I think I was injected while sleeping.” Carlos sighed loyd it seemed like his breath reached the ceiling. “I feel like I’m the one who got him killed. I was there but that was useless.”

“Why would you say that? Are you the culprit?”

“I just feel that way.”

“And stop that. I’m glad you are only here today because of this. In the past.” Dr. Montefalco tsked. “You were bruise and cuts, not a person.”

Carlos laughed at the not so distant memory. He could also recall Dr. Montefalco’s worried and scared for life face that used to welcome him everytime he runs himself to its outpatient clinic. “You know the police force believe me now. I have a team now.”

“Still be careful.” He put back his eyeglasses. It still didn’t helped his blurring vision. “But if I have to say, I’m glad you always come to me when you’re wounded. You know I’m useless at the operating room now.”

“Because it’s now time for you to rest. You practically lived at the operating room for 30 years.”

That made Doctor Montefalco smile. “What I’m trying to say is, don’t beat yourself up too much because you still can do something. You still have plenty of time.” He patted Carlos’ shoulders. “I’m not that hotshot surgeon anymore. Just be hurt enough.”

“DO we really have to kill someone close to us? I told you its too risky!”

That followed right after the door to their apartment shut closed. Olivia went straight to the living room and forcefully pulled her heels off the straps snapped. She kicked those heels off it almost hit Alex who’s at her back.

“You know what I’m taking about, right? That’s why I asked you to tell them we’re not doing it. But you---”

“But he needs to die!” Olivia slammed herself on the sofa. She fixed her gaze at the turned off TV set. “They want him dead.”

“But he’s your friend---”

Olivia turned to Alex. Its eyes pierced her. “I would kill you too if they’ll tell me.”

“Do you really have to say that?”

“That’s why shut your mouth.” Olivia went back to staring at the TV. “And keep your guard up. And that other cop. He’s your ex, right? You don’t keep contact with him right? You better be careful.”

“How did you know?” Alex removed her sneakers off and stood in front of Olivia, blocking the dead TV from her sight. “And he was knocked out. Did you do that?”

“That’s right.”

“But why? And how? We were together the whole time---”

“He’s following us since morning!” Olivia stood from the sofa. Their eyes met. “You didn’t even notice. That’s how incompetent you are.”

Olivia took her broken heels and tossed it on the trash bin. “You can’t sleep here tonight.”

“WHAT are you doing here?”

Alex was still afar but she can already see it was Carlos leaning on Love Lingerie’s rolled down gates. When she received nothing from him, Alex quietly unlocked the gate. Carlos rolled it up.

“You didn’t open the store the whole day. What are you here for at this hour?”

“Just to check on something.”

Alex unlocked the glass door next. He told Carlos to come in, leading the way. “So, why are you here?”

“Are you okay?” Alex froze. “What? You told me to be more realistic about my excuses. I thought you’re saying to just tell you the truth. I came here to check if you’re okay.”

Alex continued walking and sat on the stool. He gave Carlos the other.

“You are in charge of Paulo’s case, right?”

“You know who killed him?”

“How would I know?” Alex continued. “That was the first time I met Paulo personally. Though I heard about him from Olivia many times before.”

“How was he? According to Olivia’s stories.”

“Olivia didn’t tell me this, but I think they were each other’s puppy love.” She nodded. “Right. He told your colleague earlier.”

“So you were really jealous.”

“I don’t get jealous easily.” Alex went to the pantry and took the comforter and pillow on the bottom part of the cabinet. She spread it out on the floor. “Now go. You will miss the last train.”

“What about you?”

“I’ll sleep here.”

Carlos went inside the pantry. Alex is already lying down. “Let’s sleep together.”