Sunshine

IV

“TELL me everything.”

Carlos Ignacio told Adrian Dela Vega as soon as the latter arrived. Dela Vega isn’t late, but its just that Carlos slept again at the station. Without ado Dela Vega went straight to the evidence board and stood next to it like a professor all ready to discuss his new lesson. His clothes seem fit for a professor too, strangely.

“Before I tell you anything, can you promise now that you won’t be too emotional? Of course you can worry and whatever you like but don’t let it get in your work. From what I see―”

“Just tell me faster before I change my mind.”

Marie chuckled in her pursed lips. She is now standing on the side while watching them, intending to keep the distance.

“You have nothing to say before we start?”

Carlos mouthed something. Dela Vega pretended he can’t comprehend. “I’m sorry! Okay?”

Dela Vega shrugged then went on.

“I did some leg work while you went berserk.” Carlos stayed quiet though offended by the word choice. “I asked everyone close to the victims if they know Vicente and Magbanua, but no one actually did.”

“Then how did you find out?” Marie asked. Dela Vega opened his laptop and showed it to them. “This.”

Carlos stared at the laptop screen, figuring out the social networking site flashed on it. “Fotogram?”

Everyone started gathering around. Dela Vega went on with his explanation. “Yes. It’s their conversation with the victims using Love Lingerie’s account, their business account.”

“But how can we draw conclusions through this? This can be just a buyer-seller conversation.”

Marie immediately refuted what Carlos said. “No. There’s intimacy in their conversation. I’m sure they know each other. Personally.”

“That’s what I’m saying. And here. If you do this,” the former agent of National Intelligence Coordinating Agency did some clicks on his laptop. That amazed Carlos who knows nothing about computers. “The date when someone followed the account will show. Look.”

July 17, 2017, September 8, 2017, February 27, 2018, May 11, 2018, April 16, 2019, June 6, 2020, October 7, 2020

“That’s when the murders happened!” Juan exclaimed at the back, his neck extending to get a better view on the laptop. Dela Vega nodded without looking at him.

“Right. The account followed the victims hours before the murder happened. And when you look at the last post of the victims.” Dela Vega showed all posts on the same screen.

“All posted on the day they died. And it has location tags!” Juan shouted again, now eyes bigger than ever. He’s just merely showing how shock everyone is by the news. “So the culprit used their fotogram posts to locate the victims?”

“Probably.”

“Cortez’s last post. Where was it?” Carlos asked. Adrian stood straight and faced him. Carlos met his eyes and nodded to him.

“Hayahay Resto.”

With eyes still on Adrian Carlos said, “Let’s go, Juan.”

“WHY did you take me with you? You usually go with Lieutenant.” Juan rested his elbows on the table between them, drawing his face closer to Carlos. He’s looking at him intently. “If you’re intending to hide everything we’ll find here, I’m sorry but I won’t help you. I will tell everyone exactly what I’ll see and hear.”

“Don’t worry.” Carlos called a waiter. “Let’s eat first.”

“But it’s expensive here!”

“Marie lent me her card so…”

Juan nodded and didn’t hesitate to order the most expensive dish. Carlos ordered the same. Their food arrived shortly.

“Do you think someone here knows Cortez?”

“If we’re lucky enough.” Carlos stood and asked for the manager. Juan proceeded to eating, keeping an eye on Carlos on the counter.

“I’m from the police. I just have something to ask.”

Carlos watch the employees panicked calling the manager. A woman in her mid-30’s immediately went out. “How can we help you? Did our restaurant violated something or what?”

“I don’t know why everyone immediately ask if they did something wrong when they see a policeman.” Carlos thought to himself, then showed his practiced business smile in his 5 years in the service and counting. “Ah, yes. I’m here to ask if you happen to know this woman?”

Carlos showed her a printed picture. The woman immediately nodded.

“Cynthia Cortez.”

“You know her? How?” Carlos gave Juan the signal. Juan stopped eating and tried to hear in the conversation though his table is quite far.

“She’s a family friend. Her father and my father joined the same college and were business partners. The business is not that big, but it helped us to live quite a comfortable life. We attend both family parties, and we visit each other from time to time too.”

“When was the last time you saw her?” Carlos took his notepad and started jotting down.

“At the 7th. She had her lunch here.”

“You know what happened to her, right?”

“Yes.” the woman sighed. “I never thought that will be the last time I will see her. It’s so sad. She’s a good friend. Are you in-charge of the investigation perhaps?”

“We are doing our best.” Carlos nodded. “Did you talk about something that day? Anything little that could be of help?”

“We didn’t talk that much since it was lunch time and it’s busy here. We only exchanged a few greetings.” The woman clapped her hands, remembering something. “She came here with two ladies. I think they are a couple.”

“Are they…” Carlos showed her another set of photos. The woman nodded.

“Yes! I’m sure. Though this woman had a shorter hair now.”

“WHAT did you find? Why are we here?” Police Corporal Valencia asked. They watch the people go in and out of the lingerie store on the next street while inside their police car. Master Sergeant Ignacio is especially focused. “What did the manager say? Are we finally tailing Alex?”

“I never knew a lingerie store can be as busy as a mall. Though that was an exaggeration.”

“Answer my questions please?”

Carlos briefly looked at Juan then went back to the store. “It’s true that Cynthia dined there on the 7th. She came with a lesbian couple.”

“Alex and Olivia?”

“Yes.” They watch the two from the police car close the store. It’s already past 6PM.

“Then, are they really involved?”

“I don’t know. But there is a part of me who doesn’t want find out.”

Juan gave him a warning look. That came across to Carlos just fine. “You know that’s stupid.”

The two women they are watching went in a car. The lingerie store is now closed for the day. Carlos quietly drove the police car and tailed them.

“But Carlos. Can you answer this question honestly?”

“What?” Carlos breathed, eyes still on front. Juan gave his question nonchalantly.

“Are you still in love with Alex?”

That made Carlos abruptly step on the brakes. Juan almost bumped his head on the car. “What are you doing? We will lost them!”

Ignoring what Juan just said Carlos asked back. “Why are you asking me that?”

“Because you are acting the same way you are in college.”

Carlos quietly drove again. This time Juan held on the handle overhead. “I understand first love is hard to forget. I still can’t forget my first love Julia Montes. But you broke up five years ago.”

“And you’re pathetic. Falling in love with a celebrity.”

“And that doesn’t make you less pathetic.”

Carlos quietly agreed. He too thinks he’s being a loser.

THE car their tailing stopped at a subdivision. Carlos stopped the car he’s driving at a safe distance. He took the binoculars from the backseat and used it to look at Olivia and Alex closer who stayed inside their car.

“Shit.”

“Why?” Juan asked pertaining to what made Carlos curse. He took the binoculars from Carlos to take a look but Olivia went out of the car already. His eyebrows crossed. “What did you see? Why is your face like that?”

Carlos didn’t answer and went out of the car. He knocked on Alex’s window. Alex almost didn’t opened the window if she didn’t recognized Carlos. “Wait. What are you doing here?”

“Why did you kiss her?”

“What?” Alex gaped at Carlos. “What are you saying? Am I not allowed?”

“Just why did you!”

Juan went out of the car and ran towards them. Good thing the police car is on the blind spot from their position. Juan immediately pulled Carlos while whispering him to calm down. “I’m sorry, Alex. We were out drinking and―”

“I said why did you kiss her!”

“What’s wrong with kissing my girlfriend!” angered, Alex went out of the car. She slammed the door while shouting at Carlos who is as angry as she is. “Why are you acting like you just caught your girlfriend cheating with another woman?”

“Because that’s what I feel!”

“I’m not your girlfriend!” Alex laughed hard, as if laughing at some kind of old joke. “You were the one at fault. Do you really think you can do this to me?”