Defending Mr. Billionaire (Sandoval Trilogy #1) | COMPLETED

Chapter 67

Atty. Christine Villeza

"Let's move on to the second exhibit."

A photo of the sleeping pills caught in the crime scene was flashed on the big screen. Galing ang litrato na 'yon sa documentary ng mga imbestigador na may hawak ng kaso ni Sandoval. It was seen on the crime scene and it is also included in the evidence list made by the prosecution. Bright and Dark seemed to not be so worried while I'm presenting this.

Though, I don't care. I'll use this to provide reasonable doubt.

Pagkatapos sabihin ni Rina (Severina) lahat ng 'yon ay napaisip ulit ako.

The sleeping pills.

"Sa tingin niyo, bakit may sleeping pills sa crime scene?" I asked them over the phone while getting the bottle of shampoo. Dapat siguro ay bilisan ko na ang pagligo kaso kakasimula ko pa lang pala.

"I don't know," Rina answered. "But I'm quite sure that it was from Charisse. The depressed individual sometimes needs some sleeping pills aside from their anti-depressant pills."

"Pero bakit nasa crime scene? Bakit nasa kusina kung pwede namang sa kwarto niya ilagay?" Jelsey asked, also wondering why the sleeping pills are positioned awkwardly.

"I don't know the whole truth. . . but I think she used it." sambit ko.

"Uminom siya bago kumain ng gabihan kasama sina Sandoval at Tyler?" Jelsey asked.

"No." I retorted. "I think Charisse used this to Sandoval and Tyler. Remember, ang sabi ni Sandoval sa atin, bigla raw tumumba si Tyler bago siya uminom ulit ng wine. Tapos, may humampas na matigas na bakal sa batok ni Sandoval kaya siya nawalan ng malay."

"So you think, si Charisse ang may pakana ng pag-setup kay Sandoval?" tanong naman ni Rina.

"No. Sa tingin ko may mas malaki pang dahilan si Charisse kung bakit niya nagawang ipainom kina Sandoval at Tyler ang pampatulog na 'yon."

Nang makita ko ang picture na ito ay saglit kong naalala ang pag-uusap namin nina Jelsey at Severina ilang araw ang nakalilipas. 'Yong araw na bago ko dinalhan ng pagkain si Sandoval sa kwarto niya.

I composed myself and started discussing the evidence that we will present. "Why do you think these sleeping pills are part of the crime scene?" tanong ko sa kanilang lahat sabay taas ng kamay kong may hawak na bag na may lamang sleeping pills.

Lahat sila'y nakatitig sa akin dahil siguro'y naghihintay ng mga susunod kong sasabihin. Some of the media personnel, including Jeffrey, were taking down notes while I was speaking. Jeffrey gave me a faint smile and mouthed, "You can do it, Christine."

I just smiled and mouthed, "Thanks." without making any sound. Jeffrey has been a great friend, but he became a big mystery to us.

Inialis ko na muna siya sa aking isipan at itinuon ang pansin ko sa aking ginagawa. Ibinaba ko na ang bitbit ko sa isang kamay na cellphone ni John Tyler. Inilapag ko 'yon sa lamesa namin pagkatapos ay nagpunta muli sa gitna para mag-discuss. "This evidence from the crime scene will not prove Anthony Sandoval's guilt in any way or by any means, but it can provide reasonable doubt. Bakit nga ba may ganitong bagay sa crime scene?"

Humarap ako kay Judge Magnaye at bahagyang ngumiti. "Your Honor, we have asked Villaluna'spsychiatristt and we found out that Charisse requested these sleeping pills a few days before the crime. Here are the sleeping pills that I borrowed from the set of evidence, plus the notarized statement of Charisse's psychiatrist." Iniabot ko na kay Judge Magnaye ang evidence bag na dala ko at ngumiti.

"Maraming dahilan kung bakit nasa crime scene, at sa hindi inaasahang posisyon, ang sleeping pills na 'yan. Pwedeng napadpad lang doon." Tumingin ako kay Bright at ngumisi. "O baka isa ito sa mga makapagtuturo na hindi talaga si Sandoval ang gumawa ng krimen."

"Objection! What she's talking about is based on her opinions!" Bright said that to his mic.

"Objection sustained."

Lumingon ako kay Judge Magnaye at bahagyang tumungo para humingi ng tawad. Yes, it was my opinion. But who cares? Hindi lang naman opinyon ko ang ipanglalaban ko para palayain si Sandoval. "Sorry, Your Honor."

Humarap muli ako sa audience at ngumiti.

"Moving on to the next evidence that I'll present. . ." Pumunta ako sa aming lamesa at kinuha ang evidence bag na naglalaman ng cellphone ni John Tyler. "This is John Tyler's phone. It was from the crime scene."

"YOUR HONOR, IT WASN'T PREVIOUSLY ON THE EVIDENCE LIST!" Bright stood up while pointing at the phone that I was holding.

Kalmado akong pumunta sa gitna at ngumiti sa judge, hindi pinapansin ang mga reklamo ni Bright. "I'll turn it as new evidence, Your Honor."

"IT'S CHEATING TO TURN IT IN LIKE THIS!"

"WHO CHEATED?" I countered. "This evidence was from the crime scene, Prosecutor Bright. Yes, you're right. It wasn't previously on the list, but it was in police custody! Kasama ng iba pang ebidensya na nakuha sa crime scene. Sinong nandaya? Ako na isinama ito ngayon o 'yung mga taong nasa likod ng pagtanggal nito sa listahan ng ebidensya?"

Nanatiling inis ang mukha nito habang ako ay mapang-asar na ngumisi lang. Ngayon, magkabaliktad na kami ng posisyon. Ako naman ngayon ang nang-aasar at siya naman ang inis na inis. Padabog itong umupo at hindi na sumagot.

Nagsimula na ulit akong magsalita at iprisenta ang ebidensyang ito. "For you to make sure, Your Honor, you can request to examine that evidence if there's something that is deleted or manipulated. But let me show you this photo on the third exhibit."

As if on cue, the third photo was flashed on the screen. It was the photo of the crime scene to which Tyler's phone can be seen. Humarap ako sa mga manonood at nagsalita. "This was a photo taken from the crime scene. Ang ipinagtataka ko lang ay kung bakit wala ito sa listahan ng mga ebidensya? They can track the recent calls that have been made and the most recent calls received on that day. . . but they didn't. Why?"

I looked at Judge Magnaye and confidently smiled. "There is another individual involved in this crime, Your Honor. Sandoval was framed for this crime and this involved person shall know something that will shed us the whole truth of the crime."

"How can you say that, Atty. Christine?" Judge Magnaye asked and looked at the documents and evidence that I gave earlier.

I looked at the big screen and spoke, "Let us see it in the fourth exhibit."

After I said that, multiple photos of a man examining Tyler's phone were shown. "This was the documentary that we made while John Tyler's phone was being examined. We already hired a person to track the recent calls and messages made and received by John Tyler. There's only one person that was traced from the phone."

Lumingon ako sa mga manonood at ngumisi. I saw Jelsey beamed at me from my peripheral view while Sandoval composed his features into encouragement. Ngumiti ako sa kanila at bahagyang tumungo.

It is our fight. I'll finish this fight.

We will win this.

"The other person involved is John's partner. The person whom he called 'BABE'."