While I'm busy arranging the doctor's appointment schedule, I still can't get rid of what happened last time. It's not just the death of the famous and beloved writer but also the attitude of her family.
They look really invested in the details that the doctor can provide as if their lives depend on it. As if getting a word from the doctor was a great success for them. Weird shit.
Natigil ako sa pag iisip nang may marinig akong kumatok sa glass door ng clinic. Laking gulat ko ng makita ko uli ang pulis kasama ang mga magulang ni Miss Meredith pati narin ang kapatid na lalaki nito na si Mako.
"Magandang umaga, Miss Inez." bati ng pulis.
"Good morning din po. Ano po ang atin, Chief?" tanong ko.
"Nandyan ba ang doktor? Gusto sana siya uling kausapin ng pamilya ni Miss Avera." sabi pa nito kaya nilingon ko sila. Mas kalmado sila kaysa sa pagkikita namin nakaraan.
Ano nanaman kayang kailangan nila?
Tumango ako at ipinarating sa doktor ang mga hindi inaasahang bisita. Maske ang doktor taka rin akong tinignan. Pero sa huli ay inutusan ako ng doktor na igayak sila sa isang parte ng mansyon sa north wing kung saan sila kakasya at makakapag usap ng maayos parang lounge area iyon.
Inutusan din ako ng doktor na maghain ng makakain ng mga ito. Pero juice lang ang mayroon don at ilang dosenang triangular na club house sandwich. Kaya ayun nalang ang hinanda ko.
Pag pasok ko sa silid na iyon ay nandoon na nakaupo ang doktor sa kabisera. Napatingin ang mga pulis saakin pati narin ang batang si Mako kaya siya ang una kong inabutan ng baso ng juice.
Isa isa ko na ring nilagay sa tapat ng iba ang baso ng juice at tinapay nila. Nakapalibot sila sa iisang parihabang lamesa. Kasama ang dalawang tauhan ng pulis.
"Thank you," sambit ni Mako.
Nginitian ko lang ito. Alam kong hanggang ngayon ay nagluluksa padin ang batang ito.
"What do you want?" panimula ng doctor. Hindi ko alam pero tumindig ang balahibo ko sa paraan ng pagkakasabi niya non.
"Gusto naming mag testify ka. Sabihin mo na may psychological problem si Edith. As easy as that," sagot ng ginang.
"Why should I?" tanong ng doctor habang naka taas ang kaliwang kilay nito.
"Because she—"
"She went here?" pag putol ng doktor sa sasabihin dapat ng babae.
"Yes," sagot agad ng ginang.
Luh? pumunta lang dito may psychological condition agad? Judgmental si Madam.
Hindi ba nila alam 'yung mental health checkup? Lol.
"Meredith's death isn't suicide," pambabasag ng doktor sa katahimikan na siyang kinasamid ni Chief Officer Ramos.
Aabutan ko na sana siya ng juice pero naunahan na ako ni Mako na gawin 'yon.
"Anong ibig mong sabihin, Doc?" tanong ng pulis. "Wala namang senyales na pinasok sila kaya hindi pwedeng murder kung ayun ang iniisip mo."
"Yes, there's no sign of forced entry inside their house. So it's easy to say that it's suicide. Walang kahit anong senyales ng sapilitang pagpasok pero we can't deny the possibility that the killer is already inside the house." sabi ng doctor. "Meaning everyone inside that house could possibly be the suspect,"
Nagkatinginan kami bago ilipat ang tingin sa pamilya ni Miss Meredith. Napainom ako ng juice dahil sa init ng eksenang nangyayare sa harap ko.
"That's impossible!" sabi ng tatay. "She's all alone in her room,"
Too defensive sir. Para akong nanunuod ng mystery file cases sa netflix habang nakikinig at inoobserbahan ang bawat eksena na nasa harap ko.
"Yes she's alone but the time before she died. She's with someone," sabi ng doctor. "And the suicide note your claiming isn't really a suicide note."
Nakakabingi ang katahimikan. Lahat kaming naroon at nakikinig ay naguguluhan sa litanya ng doktor. Not until the wife hissed.
"We're not here for that!" sigaw ng ginang. "What we want to know is what specifically my daugher's condition before she end her life. That's it!"
"Oh, is that so? Well, I have nothing to say about," seryosong sabi ng doktor. Pinantayan niya ng blangkong emosyon ang galit na galit na itsura ng ginang.
"Magkano ba? Kapalit ng impormasyong makukuha namin sa'yo." singit naman ng asawang lalaki. "Name your price,"
"I can make it any amount triple. If your not interested with the facts, leave." seryosong sabi ng doktor bago uminom sa baso nito.
Nakita kong tumikhim ang mga Avera. Ganon din ang pagkalma ng sitwasyon at ng mga pulis na naalarma dahil sa inasta ng mag asawa. Lahat ng atensyon ay napukol na sa doktor.
The Doctor crossed his legs as he leaned back on his chair. He rested his chin on the back of his hand and smirked cheekily.
"Okay, I see.For those who left but wanted to stay is just a dedication from Miss Meredith's Last installment in one of her series. The killer used it and imitated Meredith's handwriting to make it look like it was her dying message. Look at this one. Madiin ang tinta sa gawing kaliwa. Ibig sabihin kaliwang kamay ang gamit na panulat nito," turo ng doctor sa sinulatang papel ni Miss Meredith noong araw na nandito siya.
Tinulak naman niya paharap saamin ang cellphone niya na may kuha ng sinasabing suicide note ni Miss Meredith. "While the suicide note you're claiming has thicker strokes on the right side, and if you carefully look at it... there are smudges on the right side, which is a good point that it's not Meredith's—instead it's the killer's ."
Napukol lahat ng atensyon sa pamilya ng babae. They all look at the glass they're holding and harshly let go of it.
"I already knew it was you." seryosong sabi ng doctor. Habang seryoso at parang galit pa ang pag titig sa batang nakaupo sa tabi ng pulis.
"It's not me! Doctor please...believe me," naiiyak na sabi ng bata. Habang sinuksiksik ang sarili sa ina na parang takot na takot siya sa doctor.
Mahina kong tinapik si Doc dahil sa paraan ng pagtitig niya ay tinatakot niya ang bata.
"You haven't changed a bit, Mike." the doctor said using his deep serious voice with his dark gaze.
Mike? Who's Mike?
"You tried to imitate Meredith's handwriting but forget what is it all about. Penmanship is different from handwriting. The quotation for those who left but wanted to stay is not a suicide letter, it's just a dedication from her last book." dagdag pa ng doktor.
"That's bullshit!" the father intervened. Tumayo ito sa pagkakaupo kaya na alarma din ang mga pulis.
"He can't do that! Look, he's just fifteen." sigaw ng ina sa doctor.
"Mrs. Avera, Psychopaths developed violent tendencies at a very early age," Doctor Zytho countered.
"You don't have any evidence that it's Mako! You don't have any idea how close he is to his sister." giit pa ng ginang.
"Exactly, They're really close that's why Miss Avera went to my clinic. She consulted and tell me about what was going on with her beloved brother. He's suffering from a psychological condition classified as multiple personality disorder or known as Disassociative Identity Disorder."
Halata ang gulat sa mag asawang Avera. Halatang hala na wala silang kaalam alam sa nangyayare sa anak nila.
"Alter's like Mike, that Mako's pertaining isn't showing anytime. He chooses kung kanino siya magpapakilala and in your case, he shows up only to Meredith, all the time..."
"Mike's always taking over Mako's mind like what my client said. He wants to always spend time with Meredith. Because Mike's personality is the same age as Meredith's. He shows attraction towards Mako's sister. Miss Meredith said that there was this one time while she was taking a bath she felt someone watching her, and guess what? It's Mako but Mike is in control, watching Miss Meredith taking a shower, obsessed with her photos, and kissing her while she's asleep. She even caught him stabbing Miss Avera's photo with her boyfriend. Miss Meredith confessed that it didn't happen just once but multiple times already. As a result, she consulted me."
Napatakip ng bibig ang babaeng Avera habang ang asawa naman nito ay katulong ang pulis sa nagwawalang si Mako.
"Alter's can be good and bad. Depending on what they want to do. But in Mako's Case Mike chooses to both be good at first and bad as he takes over and tries to control Mako's body." Patuloy na pag papaliwanag ni Doc Zytho.
"Do you have proof, Doctor? You don't have! You can't put me behind the bar. None of you can!" sigaw ng nagpupumiglas na si Mako.
"It's not my job to show and tell pieces of evidence." sagot sakanya ng doktor ng pakatitigan siya ng walang emosyong mata nito. "Let's call it a day," sabi ng doktor bago tuluyang tumayo sa kinauupuan.
"And...Chief Ramos, you can search for the CCTV footage in Miss Avera's room. If her family wants to see the footage of their child's series of personality transitions." bilin ng doctor sa pulis bago umalis. "And not just because of the compensation money," madiin at seryosong sabi ng doktor habang nakatanaw sa mag anak.
Tumango lang ang pulis sa sinabi ng doctor bago tuluyang umalis. Naunang lumabas ng gate ang kotse ng pamilya ni Miss Meredith bago ang sinasakyang pang patrol ng mga pulis.
Grabe 'yung nangyare ngayon. Hindi ko man lang naimagine na ang batang si Mako ang taong nasa likod ng lahat ng iyon. Pero technically it's not him but his alter.
In a snap, I saw the doctor seating on his favorite sofa while sipping his cup of hot coffee.
"Doc," panimula ko. "What's about the compensation money?"
May Idea ako tungkol sa compensation money. Don't get me wrong hindi ako tanga. Nakatanggap din kami non nang mawala si Papa. Pero in this case I don't know what is it for, bakit they're really mind it.
"Her family claimed that she end her life because of her boyfriend broke up with her." panimula ng doktor habang hindi inaalis ang tingin sa folder na hawak niya. "At the same time that miss Avera's family found out that they were secretly married, they were afraid of being overrun by the money they would receive from Miss Avera's insurance and compensation money from the publishing company."
"Secret Marriage?" I clarified, and the doctor gives me a nod. "So you mean they tried to use you for them to pin Miss Meredith's fiancee, no! husband because they all care about the compensation money?"
"Yes. All about damn money,"
"Ugh! Money issue really sucks!" napabuntong hininga ako at pabagsak na umupo.
"Do you know what to know something that sucks too?" he seriously said, slowly looking down from my eyes to my lips.
I gulped. "W-What?"
"Mosquitos," natatawang sabi niya, na naging dahilan ng pag irap ko. "Why? Aren't you aware that mosquitos sucks blood?"