DESPEDIDA GONE WRONG. What's supposed to be a memorable send-off party ends up in tragedy as the celebrant drops dead after making a toast. Of all the possibilities, murder seems to be most likely scenario. And the suspects? The four attendees who w...
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COLEMAN
I MIGHT be guilty of using drugs, but I wouldn't be guilty of plotting to murder Zack. Sumama ako sa dalawang police detective dahil tiwala ako sa pagka-inosente ko. I wanted to show them that I got nothing to hide, so I was willing to cooperate. Kung tutuusin, pwede naman akong tumanggi lalo na't wala pa silang warrant sa akin. But if I turned down their invitation, I might look more suspicious than I already was.
For half an hour, I was held in the interrogation room. Ako lang mag-isa sa kuwarto, nakatitig sa salamin na nasa harapan. I told the police detectives that I wouldn't speak without the presence of my lawyer. They respected my wishes and left me alone. Pero alam kong hindi ako nag-iisa sa kuwarto. Kahit hindi ko sila nakikita, malamang nasa likod sila ng two-way mirror, pinapanood ako at inoobserbahan ang mga reaksyon ko.
Stacy must be so worried about me. Ayaw niyang bitawan ang kamay ko kanina. No matter how much I tried to assure her, she wouldn't just want to let go. But she had to, lalo na't meron pa siyang audition sa lead role ng theater production. I didn't want her to miss that opportunity, the same way she didn't want me to miss any basketball practice. Sana'y hindi nakaapekto sa performance niya ang nangyari sa 'kin. She might get distracted by the mere thought of me.
But I was confident that there's nothing to be worried about.
Napalingon ako sa likuran kung nasaan ang pinto. Bumukas ito at sumilip ang isang police officer. He motioned his left hand inside while his right was holding the door. Pumasok ang isang babaeng naka-crown braid at nakasuot ng blazer. My attorney was finally here.
"How are you, Cole?" Tita Frigette Corazon-Mendez asked, looking at me with such concern. "Did they ask you questions and trick you into answering them without me around?"
"Pumunta sila sa gym kung saan po kami nagpa-practice kanina," kuwento ko. "They asked kung pwedeng tanungin ang bawat member ng team tungkol sa mugging incident na nangyari kagabi. Naka-varsity jacket daw kasi ang suspek. Dahil hindi siya connected sa Zafra case, nakipag-cooperate ako at sumagot."
"And?"
I let out a sigh. "After the interview, that male police detective told me that he got the details confused. It turned out na connected po pala sa Zafra case ang pagtatanong niya sa varsity jacket. That's when they invited me to come with them to this station. Wala pa naman po silang tinatanong magmula nang makarating kami rito."
Tita Frigette raised her gaze at the mirror and shook her head. "They tricked you into answering a question related to a case where you're being considered a suspect. I'm going to file a complaint after this interview. You shouldn't have said anything at all."
If I had known na connected sa case ang tanong tungkol sa jacket, hindi na sana ako sumagot pa. But the way the detective presented the question to us sounded like it wasn't, so I fell for his trap.
