Tiwi Police District Director Captain Reynaldo Ferrer stormed out of his office after he had heard the news that his daughter was assassinated at the seashore by an unknown person. He remembered that Marie asked his permission last night that she and her boyfriend will just go to the seashore to escape the intense heat they are experiencing in the house.
Few meters away was already the seashore that’s why without any hesitations, Ferrer permitted the two to leave at the same time he also needs to go back to the office to fix some things. He was not arriving yet when he heard that two teenagers were murdered at the seashore. The police act normally upon hearing it but he ignored the news. Instead, he sends some of his men to investigate at the seashore.
Few minutes ago, he had received a phone call from the man he sent to investigate and it was reported that the kids were of opposite sex but both of the same age. Also, the kids were in a relationship with each other. “We found their body both fully naked. It seems that they are enjoying both their bodies. The man’s clothes were thrown away at the sea while the girl’s long sleeves were stripped to half.” the police reported.
Ferrer could not believe on what he heard. It was like a lightning that struck him in his heart. “The same clothes used by my daughter when she asked for my permission that they will be going to the seashore for refreshment.” Captain Ferrer found himself crying in front of a low-positioned police.
For the first time, the police saw a high-ranking officer in tears. “Why could Michael do this to my daughter? I trusted him a lot.” Ferrer angrily stated.
The police in front of him was surprised on what he heard. He realized that his report was not complete. He had forgotten that he found something on Michael’s back. “Sir, I apologize for missing something. We found a gun on Michael’s hand at his back. But what surprised us a lot is that, Michael was not killed by a gun, but by a dagger.” the police continued his report.
“So what you are trying to say is that both of them were assassinated?”
“Unfortunately, Yes. But we are...” the police was cut when a police woman approached the two men. Her expression was serious like he had heard news coming from heaven.
“I’m sorry to disrupt you, sir, but I receive a phone call coming from the pastoral office.” the police woman said. “The caller was Father Eufemio delos Reyes, the assistant priest of San Lorenzo. He stated that a middle aged man enter the private room of the Father Valentin.” she continued.
Captain Ferrer’s anger arise. His patience is short is enough to entertain more less important news. “I believe that I have some important works to be done, a murder case. I don’t have time for theft case.” the Captain said as he attempted to storm out of the station but he was halted by the words of the policewoman which echoed to the whole station. “Captain, the curator of St. Lawrence the Martyr Parish was murdered and burned alive at the altar of Sinimbahanan ruins wherein few meters away, at the seashore, your daughter’s corpse was found.” the policewoman declared.
Captain Ferrer’s mind was already blown by the words he had heard this hour. He glanced at the clock nailed at the wall of the station. It was just quarter to five in the morning but he had already faced too many problems; murder case for her daughter, boyfriend, and a curator, destruction of a Cultural Heritage, and a theft case at the curator’s office. After a few seconds of thinking, finally, the captain of the Tiwi Police District concluded one thing. Everything that happens today was surely planned by only one person - the thief.
Captain Ferrer stormed out of the station rushing towards the seashore where his men found her daughter’s body. As he runs, he recalled some of the important events happened when Marie was still alive. She was one of the prettiest girls in the town of Tiwi, but she doesn’t want to join any fashion show in the town. She believes that beauty is a gift to be proud of but not to be competed. Whenever she goes to Virgin of Carmel High School, he accompanied her because he knew she was not safe to the boys in the town. That’s why he was very thankful when Marie met Michael because he believed that this man can protect her daughter very well.
Suddenly, a struck of recollection entered Captain Ferrer’s mind. He remembered the last time he had hugged his daughter. It was during their family reunion at a spring resort. It was the first time when she went out of the house together with her father who was as busy with his work as a Police Captain. Upon showing her daughter wearing her cropped up shirt revealing only her body, her father rushed towards his daughter and hugged her. “You shall reveal nothing. Don’t show your body to other people.” Ferrer said as he was still cuddling at her daughter.
“Papa, first of all, they are also my family, so it’s okay. Don’t worry; they can only see my fat tummy. Nothing else.” Marie smiled as she turned her back to her father hugging him tightly. “Papa, we have to reveal everything we know is true. We should not hide anything. We fear nothing except God. That’s why I’ll be revealing something in this family reunion.” Marie turned to everybody in the spring resort. “Everyone, listen! I have something to tell you.” Marie shouted. Everyone was surprised even his dad. What could the announcement be? He thought.
“I love my father so much!” Marie exclaimed and everyone applauded. Marie glanced back to her dad and smiled. “That’s what needs to be revealed, papa.” Marie hugged her father tightly as Ferrer hugged her back.
Captain Ferrer’s tears were continuously flowing from his eyes as he can already glimpse at his daughter’s body. Slowly, he approached the lifeless body of Marie and there he started to cry. Captain Ferrer could not imagine who could do this to her. He closed his fists tightly and slid the white linen towards her daughter’s face. All he wants now is revenge. Not justice.
Captain Ferrer turned his back from the corpse of his two children and stormed towards the ruins of Sinimbahanan. As he arrived at the place, he could still see the burning corpse of the curator. Ferrer could remember he had only met the priest once. He was the kindest of the entire person he knew. The priest once had a talk with Captain Ferrer after a mass. Captain Ferrer asked the curator for advice regarding him struggling from his faith.
“Kapitan, I guess there’s no harm in losing faith to God. Sometimes, whenever we encounter problems, we thought that it is already the end of everything. We always thought that we lose our faith to God, in fact, we had just forget it. We choose to deny Him because it is impossible for us to see Him. We could hardly prove his existence.” the curator told him. “Sometimes, we need to deny something because it was unacceptable. What we did is cover it up with more positive and more acceptable explanations. This is how we live, Rey... And I guess, this is how we accept It.” the curator said and patted his shoulders. “Balance is the key to a decision. I guess I should live now, Kapitan.” the curator said as Captain Ferrer thanked him. The curator is gone.
“Why do this things happening? Who could possibly the person behind this demonic plot?” he whispered. Suddenly, a vibration occurred at his right pocket. He slid his hands in it and retrieved his phone.
“Yes?” Captain Ferrer asked.
“This is Sergeant Eros, sir. The Parish Pastoral Office sent to us the CCTV footage of the incident at the curator’s office, and we have identified that the person was a historian. Philip Apostol is the name of the man. He was currently become an enemy of the church because of his field of studying the secret brotherhood who do nothing except put the name of the church in controversy.” the man reported.
Upon hearing it, Captain Ferrer feels a bit comfort. “I knew where to find him. Thank you.” he ended the call.
Captain Reynaldo Ferrer left the place to search for the man he knew as an atheist, and now...as a criminal.
