Sunshine

XXIX

“WHAT do you mean he died! You still haven’t found his body yet! How can you assume already―”

“The river’s current is too strong to continue searching.” The search rescue operation team leader brushed Captain Rivera’s hands off his clothes as gently as he could, like he always did on families he encountered in his almost 30 years of experience. He also talked as nonchalantly as he could as if it is an oath or a protocol he have to live all his life. “And we’ve been searching for 24 hours already. Considering the water current his body won’t be here any more.”

Captain Rivera took his safe distance from the team leader and from anyone as he took few deep breaths to calm himself. It always worked for him but not at the moment, per se.

“If you’re going to be emotional then go back. You can’t be here.” Simon Rodriguez shoved Rivera out of the way and talked to the team leader. Rivera almost staggered on his own feet. “Can you tell me what happened?”

“Yes, sir.” The team leader filled in the details Rivera refused to listen. It was just the same thing said to him.

“Have you investigated on a possibility of a foul play? Where is that witness? I want to question that person myself.”

“Stop it, Rivera. Or else I’ll take you out.”

Rodriguez showed his back on Rivera as he walked to the bridge with the team leader. Rivera watched them for a while, then cursed.

“I hate that I’m hearing the actual words I said to Carlos and just realized how s**t it actually feels.”

“WE can't really get our phones for a while? But it wasn’t mentioned either that contact from the outside is totally prohibited?”

“You are not held here for a vacation. Of course that is something not needed mentioning.”

Marie almost choke at what the police officer who served as the guard for them said. She can also hear Carlos and Juan scoffed while watching at her almost like a dog wagging her tail. But she can’t help but commend the police officer’s job here.

They got a better guard here than the guard they had at the hospital. If it is something needed mentioning.

“Okay at least I got a new answer from you. But aren’t you tired? You’ve been standing there for good 3 hours already. You don’t really need to do that we’re not going anywhere.”

“Please stop it, Lieutenant.”

Marie took steps backward and went back to her seat. She murmured, “At least I am still called Lieutenant even if I’m at this place like this.”

“What do you mean? Of course you are just suspended.”

“But we are most likely prisoners here.”

Carlos quietly nodded in agreement. “Anyways what do you need your phone for and you actually bothered trying for it? Not like you don’t know how it will end.”

“What else? To less feel like a prisoner.” She whispered the last words. “And also to try to connect to Adrian.”

“You know how?” Carlos cleared his throat and also talked in low volume. “Do you know where he is?”

“I wish I do. At least we won’t be dying with anxiousness and worries here.” Marie titled her head to the direction of the door and the window. Just at the back of the wall she’s staring at is the lone TV set of their police station. “But for sure what happened is already out in the public and all over the news. Since this is something impossible to block from the media.”

“You’re right. This is too big to get hidden.”

The meeting room aka the “holding cell” went quiet again. But not after a loud bang on the door and a brisk shouting. “Guys I’m getting you out of there! f**k this I am getting you out of there!”

The guards didn’t managed to do anything as the person quickly ran out of the police station after saying that. The three exchanged looks and shouted.

“RIVERA!!!”

THEY tried to recall what they did to kill time on their fancy holding cell. Aside from secretly talking about Adrian and such they wasted their time staring at each other and the ceiling, playing games they did as kids, and gossiping like housewives loitering at the sari-sari store. They thought time will pass them fast when they managed to distract themselves and have fun a little.

How can you pretend that the time that passed you by is nothing when you actually don’t have enough time to waste?

Marie sighed hard as she slurped the noodles in front of her. Not because it taste good but because she can’t help but think while trying to satisfy her angry stomach.

Ten hours passed and Captain Rivera is still out of sight after he left them his words of hope.

“But this is making me nervous. What do you think is happening?”

“I really wish no but I guess we should expect the worst.”

“Thank you for making me wanna throw up.”

“No, please. We won’t be getting another meal for the next ten hours.” Carlos joked, referring how ten hours passed before a knock came in their door with packed lunch. Marie rolled her eyes and continued eating her pancit palabok and rice.

“Hell to them. I won’t let them starve me anymore.”

Carlos and Marie went on with their bickering while Juan just stayed quiet even after he finished his meal. The two noticed it.

“You okay? You’ve been so quiet lately.”

He looked up at Marie. His face said it all. It’s depressing here.

“Oh. I understand.” Somehow that silenced them. But not until the door swung open. It made them stand up from their seats.

“Capt!”

Rivera sat in front of them. He took out his phone and clicked the paused video play.

Breaking news. The Kahilom police officer and a member of Special Task Force Team, the team in charge of the Kahilom Serial Murder Case Police Executive Master Sergeant Adrian Dela Vega who was presumed dead this Wednesday due to suicide is revealed to be the killer behind the Serial Murder Case. An investigation revealed that Dela Vega took his life out of guilt as he also tried to kill his girlfriend. As his body is still not found, the investigation is still ongoing…

“What the f**k is this?”

As usual, Carlos curse is as crunchy as ever. Rivera sighed as he turned off the video and pocketed back his phone.

“You guys are still suspended but at least you can get out of here already.” He looked at them one by one. “Let’s find Adrian.”

— — — — —

H E W O K E U P groaning due to pain from all over his body. He also found himself wearing only a white bathrobe, while his clothes hanged on a hanger against the wall in front of him. He tried to look around while enduring a severe headache. It was a place he couldn’t find in his brain.

“You’re awake?”

He stared at the door, trying to stay alert though his pain and dizziness is failing him. The door started to slowly crack open.

“Did you sleep well?”

The door finally opened and from it is a beautiful woman he had never seen before. It was her who’s been asking the series of questions.

And as if it was her job, another question again escaped her mouth.

“So this is the face hiding behind the Kahilom Serial Killer title, huh?”