Dagger Series #4: Unadorned

Chapter 28: Enemy

"We're used to Stephanie being gone... but when we received that letter..."

Hindi niya nagawang tapusin ang sasabihin at hindi niya rin kinakailangan. There are scrabble tiles glued on the letter.

B - L - A - M - E

S - Stephanie

M is next.

"You want me to believe that it's him." Halos malukot ko ang hawak nang mag-angat ako ng tingin para salubungin ang mga mata niya. "You know what happened that night. Ikaw mismo ang nagbigay sa akin ng pera para lumayo at hindi magsumbong sa pulis."

"If you went to the police it would have ruin your life—"

"Don't act as if what you did helped me. That was what I believed for a long time. Na umalis ako kasi iyon ang kailangan. Hinayaan kong bayaran niyo ako kasi paano kapag nakulong ako? Paano ang nanay ko na nasa ospital? I was so scared. I killed a person. I was never at ease. Unlike you and your family na nakuha pang ituloy ang party ni Stephanie." Mapait ang ngiti na umiling ako. "I lost so much that night, but I still have a lot to lose. So for years, I made myself believe that what I did was wrong. Pero hindi. Hindi ko kasalanan. I killed him because he raped me. I killed a person because I needed to save myself. It took so long for me to realize that, because a part of me still believes the vile things he told me. That no one would want me. That no one would believe me. That it was my fault. That it was me that made him do that."

If the tension coming from Pierce was poisonous, all of us would have been dead by now. If the way he looked at Mr. Castañeda could kill, he would be nothing but ashes.

"You have no idea what it's like for your voice to be drowned out by the blaring words of another, even if that person can no longer speak from the dead." I threw the letter on the table. "Ngayon gusto niyo kong paniwalain na siya ang gumagawa nito? That he's alive and he's haunting me more than he's already been doing? That this is not just a game that your family is doing?"

Umiling ang matandang lalaki. "Walang rason para gawin namin iyon." Nang pagak na tumawa ako ay muli siyang napabuntong-hininga. "You can destroy my family with just one word from you. What I did years ago was to protect my family too. Steven was young, and if you went to the police, his life would be ruined too."

"He helped him."

"He didn't. Earl used his phone to lure you in our house."

"He watched what his uncle did to me, and he didn't helped me."

Bumuka ang mga labi niya pero muli niya lang iyong tinikom. We all know what he wanted to say. Steven was weak. I can remember him cowering in the corner of the room while his uncle violated me. I can remember him curling into a ball as I dismembered Earl with a scissor.

"This is not just about threatening me," I whispered. "This is more than that. Women are dying, Mr. Castañeda. Your daughter could be dead."

"A-Anong ibig mong sabihin?"

Kumilos si Pierce at inabot niya ang sulat. Iniharap niya iyon sa matanda. "Your wife already showed us this two days ago. Our agency has been investigating the deaths of five women. See how the scrabble tile S is next to your daughter's name? Bethany, Lorraine or known in the modeling industry as Sophia, Aurora, Monique, and Emma. These were the names of the women that died. There's one remaining tile and that is M." Ibinaba ni Pierce ang sulat at tinuro ang huling salita na nandoon. "Mireia's next. Even if her name was not stated, it was implied. You know that, and your wife knew that. That's why you're contacting Mireia. Hindi niyo gustong makausap si Mireia dahil sa tingin niyo ay alam niya kung nasaan si Stephanie. Ang gusto niyong malaman ay kung magagawa niya kayong tulungan na matunton ang anak niyo dahil alam niyong si Mireia ang susunod."