Atty. Christine Villeza
"State your name, please."
"Noel Serafica, Your Honor." He instinctively replied to the judge and smirked mockingly at us. I rolled my eyes and chuckled. I raised my middle finger at him while the judge was not looking at us.
Pagkatapos kong asarin si Noel ay bahagya akong napatingin kay Jelsey na ngayo'y nakatingin sa mga papel na nasa harap namin. "Ang lalim ata ng iniisip mo, Jelsey." I remarked.
Napatingin ito sa akin at ngumiti. "Don't mind me." Bahagya itong natawa't sumandal sa kaniyang upuan.
I smiled at her and reached her hand on the table. "Is it about Jeffrey?" Maging si Sandoval ay napatingin na rin sa amin. Well, he's in the middle seat. He can't do anything but listen to our chitchats.
Jelsey gently nodded. "Napapaisip pa rin ako. Ano kayang koneksyon ni Jeffrey kay Noel? Alam lang natin na nag-usap sila noong araw na nalaman mo 'yon, pero hindi natin alam kung ano talaga ang koneksyon ng dalawa."
"Bukod sa dating boss ni Jeffrey si Noel, wala nang iba. The deep connection between them is still a mystery to us." I seconded and heaved a heavy sigh. Nang matapos nang manumpa si Noel sa unahan ay umupo na ito't bahagyang ngumiti.
He mockingky winked at us and confidently smiled. Ang sarap dugutan ng mata 'tong punyetang 'to.
Sumandal na rin kami ni Jelsey nang ayos nang tumayo na si Bright para kausapin si Noel sa witness stand. Sandoval's hand balled into fist so I instinctively held it and smiled at him.
"Mr. Serafica, what is your connection to the defendant." Bright seriously asked.
Bahagya na ring nagbago ang mukha ni Noel at tila naging seryoso na. "I don't have any connections with him, Prosecutor."
Bright's forehead suddenly formed into slits as he was slightly taken aback by Noel's answer. Well, we expected that answer from him. Mukhang si Bright ay bahagyang nagulat sa sagot nito. "W-What do you mean?"
"I don't have a connection to the defendant, but to the victim, John Tyler." Noel answered and discreetly smirked at us. "I'm his friend."
Friend, huh?
Lumakas ang bulong ng mga taong nanonood kaya napatingin ako sa kanila. They must be curious to know what happened to the crime scene as if Noel really saw what happened. Nang mapansin kong wala pa rin si Severina sa mga taong nandidito ay muli akong kinabahan.
Where the hell is she?
My attention went back to the front when Judge Magnaye pounded her gavel to shut the noise. I saw Bright nodded and looked at the paper that he was holding. "Where were you on January 12, 2021, around 10:45 pm?" he asked Noel.
"Well, I remembered leaving the SBS News Center at that time since I already finished my work. I planned to meet John Tyler that time." Noel answered and smiled.
"Why?"
"What 'why?'" Noel asked and chuckled. "Bakit ako umalis ng SBS News Center? Bakit ako nando'n? O bakit ako nagplanong makipagkita kay John?"
Bright instinctively rose his two eyebrows and heaved a heavy sigh. They may be partners right now, but I guess he can't also stand the arrogant aura that Noel was giving off. Well, both poles or charges repel. Hindi magkakasundo ang parehas mayabang na tao.
"Why did you plan to meet John Tyler?" Bright shortly asked.
"Oh." Noel gasped, acting like he remembered something worth sharing. "Since we're friends, I thought that I could ask him a favor. Back then, I'd like to interview the billionaire who made it to the top five billionaires across Europe and Asia,"
Tumingin ito kay Sandoval at ngumisi. "Mr. Anthony Sandoval, who happened to be John's business partner and brother-in-law."
Napatango-tango si Bright sa sagot ni Noel. "So what happened after you left in SBS News Center."
"John told me beforehand that he's gonna have a dinner that day with Mr. Sandoval and Ms. Villaluna. Pagkaalis ko ng SBS News Center ay nag-drive agad ako papuntang Rivamonte Hotel, kung nasaan sila. I tried to contact him, but I received no response."
Noel stopped for a moment and looked at Bright. Si Bright naman ay bahagyang tumango at sinenyasan si Noel na ipagpatuloy ang pagku-kwento niya.
"Pagkarating ko sa Rivamonte Hotel, nagpunta muna ako sa front desk para itanong kung nasaan ang room number nina Mr. Sandoval. The lady in charged with that said it to me then I went straight to Mr. Sandoval's room—!"
"Pause." Bright suddenly uttered while giving his 'stop' hand gesture. Napatikom naman ang bibig ni Noel samantalang ang ilan sa mga manonood ay napasinghap.
I looked at Sandoval after he relaxed his hand for a while. I tapped his hand so he looked at me and smiled. "Why?" he gently said and fixed the hair strand off my face.
"Do you know him?" I asked and glanced at Noel. "Or have you seen him the day of the crime?"
Bahagya namang napaisip si Sandoval sa aking tanong. Napatingin si Jelsey sa amin saglit pero itinuon na rin ang pansin sa nagsasalitang si Bright. Hinintay ko na muna ang sagot ni Sandoval at ngumiti. "No, I don't know him. I didn't even see his face that day. Besides, I told you that I lost my consciousness after someone hit me in my nape."
Maging ako ay napaisip din sa sinabi nito. "Could he be that someone whom you're referring to?"
There is a possibility that Noel is that someone who hit Sandoval's nape. If not Charisse who's in his back that time, then it must be Noel. We can't conclude or assume that it's John because the latter fainted earlier than Sandoval.
"No." Sandoval shut the possibility at once. "Kung papasok pa lang siya ng pinto noong oras na 'yon, I should have heard the creaking sound of the door. I could have also heard his footsteps. But there's none. Imposible namang nasa loob na siya ng bahay dahil naka-lock 'yon bago pa kami pumasok."
"Pwedeng nakakuha siya ng spare key to your room?" I asked, still hoping that Noel did that to Sandoval.
Sandoval chuckled and caressed my hair. "The security in the hotel and in our room is not a joke. They're prohibited to give any key to anybody, unless they're the room owner."
Ako naman ang bahagyang natawa at tinapik ang kamay niya sa buhok ko. "I doubt that. We managed to get a spare key to your room when we got your hidden cameras."
"Jeffrey blackmailed the staff." Sandoval rebutted and chuckled.
"Noel could have done that as well." I replied and mockingly rolled my eyes. Napangiti na lang ito't sabay na kaming nakinig muli sa unahan.
"—Yes, Your Honor. I saw him that night. Tinanong niya po kung nasaan ang kwarto ni Sir Sandoval."
Hinanap ko agad kung saan galing 'yong nagsalitang babae dahil wala ito sa unahan. I looked at the audience and found out that she was familiar to my face. After a second, I finally recognized her and smirked.
Shane Herguelas.
She was the staff who is always in-charged in the front desk of Rivamonte Hotel. Malamang ay tinanong siya mismo ng judge kung nakita ba talaga niya si Noel na pumunta doon kaya siya sumagot ngayon. Um-attend pala siya dito? For what?
"See," bulong ko kay Sandoval pagkakulbit para makuha ang atensyon niya. "Siya rin 'yong na-blackmail ni Jeffrey about her private videos. Noel must have blackmailed her as well."
Sandoval nodded slightly while looking at Shane. "I must fire her once I get acquitted."
"Yeah, you must." I seconded and chuckled.
Umupo na si Shane pagkatapos marinig ng judge ang nais nitong marinig. However, I think there's something off in it. "Sandoval, may CCTV naman 'yong hotel niyo 'di ba?"
Sandoval gazed at me and nodded. Napalingon ako kay Jelsey na tahimik na nakikinig sa harapan. "Bakit hindi nila ginamit yung CCTV bilang patunay na pumunta si Noel sa hotel?"
Jelsey looked at me and answered, "They said that the video footage malfunctioned at around 11:15 pm to 3:00 am. I guess it was manipulated."
Napatango-tango naman ako't nakinig na ulit sa unahan.
"Okay, Noel. After you reached Sandoval's room, what did you saw?"
Tumingin si Noel kay Sandoval at umarte pa na parang natatakot. Napairap na lang ako sa hangin dahil nagawa pa talaga niyang umarte para lang mas maging kapani-paniwala ang mga sasabihin niya. "P-Papalabas na dapat si Mr. Sandoval ng kwarto nila kaya naabutan niya ako sa tapat ng pinto. I was shocked by what I'd saw from his back." Noel said and stopped for a moment.
"And what was that?" Bright urged Noel to answer it with a huge blow.
"Nakita ko si John Tyler na nakahalandusay sa sahig, duguan, samantalang may mga bakas din ng dugo papunta sa isang kwarto sa loob. That must be their bedroom where Charisse Vilalluna was killed. THUS, SANDOVAL DID THE CRIME!"
"OBJECTION, YOUR HONOR!"
This can't be happening. This is not the truth!