"You really found Robbie's body? In Don Juan Medical Hospital in Lucena city? F*uck!"
Margot didn't expect Neri to slip. She knew her cousin was doing something in the city; she didn't realize it involved the ghost.
"The 'F' word again," Neri warned.
"Sorry," she scoffed then smiled over her cellphone.
Neri told her everything about Robbie A.K.A Tobias Aquino III, even about his current girlfriend, Regina. The latter issue made Margot feel concern for her cousin. But she'd been a lot worried of what happened to Robbie. She felt relieved though, after hearing that he would recover soon.
"So, they think, Robbie was also a suspect with his friend's death? What was his name again?"
"Juan Terciano del Valle II." Neri's voice became suspicious. "And you? What are you up to?"
Margot can almost imagine her scowling at her. "I hope nothing outrageous."
"Of course not," she replied. "I'm only out of the house because I needed fresh air -"
"Really -?"
"Just do your thing there in the hospital," she said, cutting her cousin off. "I have to go."
The side door creaked open as Margot stuffed her phone inside her jeans' back pocket. Julian peeked at her then, grinned at the person behind her.
"So, you changed your mind?"
"Let us in! I need those evidence," Margot told him then para-phrased her words, glancing at Philip who frowned at her; oblivious that a ghost was standing by the door.
"I mean..." She told Philip. "Let's go in. 'We' need to find those evidence... Not I."
Margot almost bit her tongue when she lied to Neri; Philip had no idea of her other plan.
"You didn't tell him, did you?"
Margot let Philip into the house first, shaking her head to Julian. "The deal... Please?"
Philip gave her a bewildered look. He was wearing a black cloth facemask, same as Margot. "What deal -?"
He didn't finish his query. He trembled violently as the soldier ghost took over his body. Margot felt guilty as Philip's innocent dark eyes bored into hers and then, turned into a crisp blue hue.
"The large man hid the documents and the money beneath the floor boards in Elaine's room under the bed." Julian spoke in Philip's low baritone. "Go."
The possessed body moved for the door. His mouth beneath the black facemask, twisted into a grin.
"And where do you think you are going?" Margot queried.
Philip's hand pulled the cloth mask from his mouth and Julian spoke. "Outside."
Margot shook her head, fixing her mask over her mouth and nose. "Oh no you don't. Wear the mask or else you'll get Philip into trouble."
"Oh... the pandemic thing? Alright." Philip under Julian's possession returned the protective mask back on its place. "I'll just walk around. See the town -"
"You'll get Philip arrested. He's twenty one but he is not an APOR like mom or Neri."
"What in damnation is an APOR?"
"Authorized Person Outside Residence."
"Then how can I enjoy this body?"
"Well... you can help me investigate." Margot gave an impatient sigh at Julian in Philip's body. "Or you can help me think of a plan on how to visit Robbie. He is still alive. His body is in Lucena at Don Juan Medical Hospital.
Neri told me, Robbie's room is hidden behind a small storage room. It is in the fifth floor of the hospital, left hallway. I think I can find it."
Philip's thick brows met. With or without Julian in him, he still had the gloomy look. His dark blue shirt made him taller and thinner though. His lips, pressed together handsomely; Margot dropped her gaze to the floor. But not before, Julian in Philip's body noticed her.
"You feel something for him, I could tell. You like this boy."
Margot recalled her last conversation with Philip about Elaine and it stung. Sure, she felt something -!
All of the sudden, the door behind Philip opened. She gasped, astounded by the unexpected visitor. She even thought, she was dreaming. Then, the large man made a swift swing at Julian or rather, Philip's head with a big empty flowerpot. Margot can only scream as Philip's body fell to the floor unmoving.
"Don't move, girl." It was Silas, the Empoy sisters' killer. "Don't move a muscle or else..."
The big man held a knife against Philip's throat. Thankfully, the latter was still breathing... only unconscious.
"What were you doing in the del Valle Resort?" His voice was low and menacing. "Why were you interested with Sofia Romana, Juan Terciano del Valle's sister?"
"Who... What?" Margot felt her heart drumming wildly as she would faint. Then, she remembered, the latter name.
"Juan Terciano is Miss Romana's brother?" She raised her hand, warding him off as the big man straightened up. "I know the guy please... He is Robbie's friend -"
"Robbie?"
"Tobias Aquino." Margot gulped. "Is Miss Ramona worried and searching for him? He is safe and I know where he is -"
Apparently, there was a glint of surprise in Silas' eyes and then, something sinister. Margot thought, she might had made a mistake of blabbering about the ghost.
"What is taking you so long? Haven't you kill the pestering brats yet?" Margot's blood turned cold with the sweet woman voice.
She heard gentle click... click from the outside then to the doorway. Margot's eyes searched for the second uninvited guest and her gaze caught the slender figure in stilettos, elegant and dangerous in her white blazer and trousers as she stared back at her.
Oh... It's her, she realized.
The murderer grabbed Margot by the wrist. "This kid told me she can take us to Aquino.
~oOo~
Neri scoffed then shook her head at her phone. It was two hours after Margot hung up on her. Suspicion had again nagged at her. She knew her cousin was up to something stupid.
She was in Robbie's secluded hospital room that afternoon, checking the vitals of the latter's mortal body while his spirit stared at her.
"What's bugging you?" Robbie knew she was worried. "It's about Margot, right?"
"She only said hi -"
Robbie grinned teasingly, "Did she?"
"Well, she was actually prying on me... and you. She had me confessing everything."
Neri watched at the monitor showing the chart of his heart and breathing. Both rhythm were doing well; she found herself smiling. "I told her you will be okay soon -"
Robbie's ghost was sitting at the edge of his body's bed; Neri's smile faded as she noticed something wrong about him. He was always solid looking; Robbie's spiritual body was flickering, like he was in a television screen with an unstable signal, blinking in and out.
"What's happening to me -?" He disappeared without finishing his words.
Robbie's chart went wild at that moment; Neri pulled her phone from her pants to call Doctor Zoila.
It was at that moment, three people entered the room. The doctor herself was in lead, ushered by someone with a knife who she realized more frightening than any ghost she knew. Her heart sank deeper at the sight of her stricken cousin.
"Margot -!" She tried to move towards her; the murderer grabbed the tall girl by the arm and pointed the knife at her.
"Don't try anything," he barked. "Drop your phone. Or you'll all have a slow, painful death, starting with this brat."
"Nonsense!" A crisp, female voice floated across the room from the door behind them. "You'll give them a heart attack. We only came for Toby."
Doctor Zoila froze as if recognizing the woman. Margot shook her head at Neri, giving her a hint that whoever she was looking at by the door; she had it all wrong.
The sophisticated woman wasn't Elaine Empoy... not even her ghost!