There Ghost My Everything

Chapter 16

Cassandra felt relieved when the vehicle finally stopped. As she stepped down from the vehicle, she looked around but she can't see anything because it's too dark. She doesn't have any idea where she was.

"Just walk," says the man who was with her in the backseat a while ago. Only the two in the backseat accompanied her outside. The driver and the man on the shotgun seat remained in the vehicle.

Cassandra walked without any objection. She was hoping that Herdon was not hurt. The money was already left in the vehicle with the two men.

"Stop," the bigger man said.

Cassandra did what the man said. But she's wondering, where are they? It's still dark around her and there is no sign of Herdon.

"W-what are we doing here? I thought I'm gonna see my husband? Where is he?" she nervously asked.

"You're gonna see each other, Mrs. Facundo," the second man says, "in heaven..." followed by a laugh that sounded evil to Cassandra.

"W-what are y-you talking about?" she started to walk backward. Planning to run away from them.

"Do not think of running. It's useless," the bigger man said seriously while pulling out his silencer gun.

"I-I wanna see my husband," she stuttered.

"I already told you, you're gonna see him in heaven. Maybe he's already waiting for you there," the second man grinned.

"N-no..." she felt helpless, especially that they told her that her husband might be dead now.

When the bigger man pointed the gun towards her, she just closed her eyes. Tears run down her cheeks. Then she heard a gunshot. But she didn't feel anything. She immediately opened her eyes because there was something wrong. She's not that good about guns, but as far as she remembers, it was a silencer gun. Why the hell did she hear a gunshot and she's not bleeding?

"Mrs. Facundo!"

Someone shouted her name. Then she saw lights flashing on her. Cassandra doesn't even know what's happening. All she knows is that she's going to die tonight.

"Mrs. Facundo!"

She came back to her senses when someone grabbed her. It was a man with a gun in his hand and a flashlight on his forehead.

"Are you okay? Come this way, we need to get out of here now."

The voice became familiar to her. The man was holding her hand as they walk fast. They stepped inside a car, a police car to be exact. It was Inspector Clay.

She can't find the black van as she looked around. But she saw the black bag where the money was. Then the next thing she saw was the dead body of the two men who tried to kill her. Now she understands that the gunshot came from Inspector Clay that killed the two men...

************

Yuno was flipping a five peso coin on the table when Inspector Clay sat beside him.

"What did she say to you?" Inspector Clay asked Yuno.

Yuno sighed, shaking his head. Telling Inspector Clay that she did not talk yet.

Inspector Clay faced Cassandra. She was in front of them and there was a table between them.

"Mrs. Facundo, you need to cooperate with us," Inspector Clay said. Then he nodded to Yuno giving him an instruction to leave them two.

When Yuno left, Cassandra looked at him.

"Tell us, Mrs. Facundo. When was your husband went missing?" Inspector Clay asked again.

"How did you find me?" Cassandra asked instead.

Inspector Clay leaned back still holding his pen.

"I didn't call you or any of the police here. So how did you find me and not my husband?" Cassandra's voice was full of resentment.

"We are not to blame here. You did something on your own instead of alarming or notifying us. If you did so, maybe we—"

"Let me go home," Cassandra said cut him off.

"We cannot let you go, Mrs. Facundo. Not unless you answer our questions," he said before leaving Cassandra there.

Cassandra sobbed after Inspector Clay left. She wanted to talk or answer the questions but knowing the truth that her husband is dead now, she can't find any reasons to cooperate with them. How she wished they just collected the money...

Inspector Clay felt pity for Cassandra as he watches her cry. She was on the other side of the interrogation room where she can see her...

**********

Three hours have passed but Cassandra was still not talking.

"She needs to rest but she's still not talking," Yuno said to Inspector Clay.

"Where is his husband..." Inspector Clay murmured.

"What?" Yuno frowned.

But Inspector Clay did not answer him. He hurriedly went to Cassandra. Cassandra was still in her the same position since he left.

He sat in front of her then started opening his mouth, "Where is your husband?"

Cassandra gave him a sharp stare.

"Do you think he's not part of it?" He continued.

Cassandra burst in anger, "My husband is dead!"

Inspector Clay remained silent for a while as Cassandra started crying. He had a lot to throw more on her but he decided to give her a little time. From the way Cassandra grieves, Inspector Clay can say that she was telling the truth about her husband. But he needs proof, they didn't find any remains of Herdon if he is really dead. So he needs Cassandra to talk.

"Can I talk now?" Inspector Clay after almost half an hour.

"Please..." Cassandra closes her eyes, "leave me alone..." she pleaded.

Inspector Clay exhaled. "If you just talk to me, you can go home. I promise you this will be over soon. But first, you need to cooperate. Don't you want to know if your husband is really dead?" he cited.

Cassandra shook her head, tears are running down her cheeks again, "What are you trying to say? You will insist again that these are my husband's plans?"

"Mrs. Facundo—" but he was cut there.

"You want me to answer your goddamn questions? Okay! Ask me now because I want to get out of here now. Your face sucks and I can't stand seeing you here, face to face," she said furiously.

"That's very nice of you..." muttered Inspector Clay. But then he proceeded, "you asked me a while ago how did we find you. So here's my answer," he put down the pen he was holding.

Cassandra waited for his answer.

"Remember the first time we met each other?" he asked.

"How can I forget? The man in the hospital who was ruining my husband's image," Cassandra answered very fast, remembering him in the hospital.

Inspector Clay make face, shrugging, "I tapped on your phone so I can intercept every call you make. So it happens that when someone called you yesterday, I heard it all. That your husband was abducted again? Is that right?" he mockingly asked.

"Continue," Cassandra said instead, ignoring his last question.

"We can't track the location of your caller because it's off the grid. So when we heard that they will pick you up, we decided to follow you instead of stopping them from picking you up last night," he stood up as he explains.

"D-didn't you find Herdon in there?" Cassandra asked, hoping.

"Mrs. Facundo, if your husband was there, she's here with you," he gave an obvious answer to Cassandra's question.

Cassandra looked up trying to stop her tears from falling again.

"Now, Mrs. Facundo, answer me so you can all go home. When was your husband went missing?" he repeated his question from the very beginning?

"Yesterday... We spend the night at my parents' house then we went home yesterday morning. Our maid, Fatima... Took her day off since it's Saturday. But she didn't check if we still have groceries..." Cassandra's voice becoming weak, "my husband insisted on buying on his own and I said yes... He was gone for three hours then... t-that's when someone called me... they asked for five million," she started to cry, "I-I just can't u-understand... I provided it... B-but..."

Inspector Clay stopped asking, letting Cassandra cry. He understands her feelings.

"Stop crying. Your husband is alive," his voice was so sure, giving Cassandra hope.

But Yuno on the other side of the room frowned. He doesn't understand why Inspector Clay was trying to give Cassandra false hopes.

"A-are you serious?" Cassandra's face lightens up.

"Mrs. Facundo, what I mean here is, as long as there is no dead body, he is still alive... But I am making sure that he is, and I will bring him back to you..." he said sincerely while looking at her eyes.

Suddenly the door opens, "I need to talk to you," Yuno said.

"I'll be back, Mrs. Facundo. Let's see how this works," he stood up.

"Wait... the money... I saw it. If they weren't able to take it, where are they? There are four men with me, where are the other two? There's a black van..." she wondered.

"They run away. One of us tried to stop them, Gino. But they threw away the bag at him that's why they managed to start the van. We didn't have time to follow them because our main priority is to save you," he answered before leaving her.

Inspector Clay figured out why Yuno called him. And he was right.

"What the hell are doing? We are not to lie just to make them cooperate with us. If the chief found out about it, we are dead. You hear me?" Yuno was trying to make his voice low.

"We are dead and Herdon Facundo's not," Inspector Clay smirked.

"Let her go home. It's not right to let her stay here for too long," Yuno said leaving him there.

Inspector Clay did what Yuno told him. Then he talked to Mrs. Facundo outside.

"I need you to trust me, Mrs. Facundo. We need you to stay at your parents' house until this is over. We already sent security there so you rest without worrying," Inspector Clay stated.

"And he's one of that security?" Cassandra asked looking at the policeman who was waiting for her.

"Yes. And he's going to accompany you from here to your parents' house. Please, Mrs. Facundo. No more secrets or lies. If you are not comfortable, you can trust me. If anything happens or someone called you again, inform me," he was so worried for Cassandra's safety.

"Inform you? You said you tapped on my phone? Do I need to inform you?" Cassandra bitterly asked.

Inspector Clay chuckled realizing his mistake, "In case you change your cellphone," he explained.

"I think I must," then she walked away. She did not glance at Inspector Clay when the car starts moving.