Gunita [EDITING]

treinta y dos

"They already caught the suspect?" I asked Uno when I saw the headlines about this high-profile socialite rape-slay case, as I browse on my iPad for news updates. He nodded and took a sip from his cup of brewed coffee. It's our norm kasi kapag day off ko sa hospital—tatambay lang sa terrace ng bahay at magkakape.

"They'll just probably stir up the drama and then set him free," he said. "Justice can be bought here anyways. Just bribe the shit out of the media and they'll fall into the pit."

"Well not everyone," I said and smiled. "Marami pa naman diyan na mas pipiliin pa rin 'yung tama kaysa sa mali."

Uno paused for a while and looked at me, "Pero pa'no kung wala nang totoo? Pa'no kung puro mali na lang pala lahat?"

"Then you seek the truth," I said. "If no one else's buying what's the truth—the real truth—already, then show it yourself, find it. There's nothing wrong naman if you pursue it even without their permission, 'di ba?"

Uno smiled and stood up from his chair and walked towards me hanggang sa mapunta siya sa likod ko. Napangiti na lang ako nang malawak no'ng niyakap niya ako mula sa likuran, at hinalikan ang gilid ng ulo ko, "You're my truth," he whispered. "Thank you for keeping me grounded."

I smiled and held his arm, "Always."

Wala akong pasok ngayon, pero si Uno naman may trial sa RTC. I haven't really watched him in the courtroom setting kaya sumama na lang ako sa kan'ya. Wala rin naman akong gagawin sa bahay since naka-schedule naman 'yung pagre-review ko para sa boards... pero siyempre, the paranoid student in me brought small reviewers para kahit pa paano may binabasa pa rin ako. Although sayang lang din kasi last trial na rin 'to.

"Pro-bono?" I asked.

Uno nodded, "A doctor was the prime suspect for the murder of a former medical student. I took the case as pro-bono since that guy lost everything already the moment he became the suspect," he said. "It feels something's not right..."

"So, you took the case?" Binitiwan kasi no'ng dating abogado 'yung kaso dahil maraming na-overlook. Sakto naman nailipat sa firm nila Uno 'yung kaso kaya siya na ang kumuha agad.

"Yes," he said. "Although the prosecution did an investigation already, there's something really odd about the case."

"Like?"

"I can't really tell anything further about this but, there's just one thing... There's no motive for the crime—that's one thing that the past lawyer overlooked," he uttered looking at me for a little while and then focusing his attention back to the road again. "I mean, matagal naman na silang magkakilala, naging sila pa raw... pero hindi naman alam no'ng doctor na matagal nang nakauwi sa Pilipinas 'yung biktima, nalaman na lang niya no'ng isinugod siya sa hospital."

I sighed.

"But Uno, crimes without motives can happen naman, 'di ba?"

"Actually yes. But isn't it odd, Brandi? Hindi alam no'ng doctor na nandito na siya."

"You're the lawyer and I know it's your duty to believe your client... but this is an obvious case..."

"Brandi... you know rigor mortis, right? When they arrived at the crime scene, the body was already in the phase of rigor mortis. And I tracked every CCTV that would show the doctor... he left the hospital 2 hours after the suspected time of death."

I paused for a while, "So... the victim was already dead when he left..."

"Exactly," he said. "Prior to that, she was also with a tutee before she died. The condominium where she stays at has a lot of cameras except for the rooftop, so the tutee left already before she died, tapos sa nakuha naming footages sa mga nakaparadang sasakyan na nahagip 'yung tutee, an hour after that... saka siya nalaglag."