VIII. There's No Murder If There's No Body
Thomas was sitting on the seat across mine. It was so obvious that he was comfortable in this place. He was known to everybody; and I swear I just saw him tapping the ass of one of the waitress who just passed by.
Asshole.
"Ready?" he asked, smirking at me while the dealer was distributing the cards.
I just answered him with a shrug. With every card placed in front of me, my heart just kept on beating faster. Pakiramdam ko ay magkakaroon na ako ng sakit sa puso bago pa matapos ang laro na 'to.
"I open..." Thomas said while looking at me. "50 thousand," he said, cocking his head to the side as if challenging me.
I stared at my card. I only got three of a kind—10 diamond, 10 club, and 10 spades. I didn't like my chances... but I needed to be aggressive.
"I raise to 100," I replied, looking smug. Sabi ni Pamela, siya ang bahala. Bahala talaga siya dito.
The side of his lips rose. The other players with us, they just folded. Kaming dalawa na lang ni Thomas ang natira. "Call," he said.
When I placed my cards on the table, mas lalong umangat ang labi ni Thomas. He seemed impressed with my guts.
"Three of a kind," he said when he stared at my cards. "You have guts," he continued while he was taking the chips to his side.
"The game is just starting," I said, smiling at him, but inside, I was pissed. I just fucking lost a hundred thousand pesos! Pamela better be serious about what she said the last time! Sure, I had that money, but I didn't want to waste it on gambling.
The game continued, and I continued to play aggressively. We played 6 rounds, and I won twice. Thomas won twice, too. I already won 800 thousand, and lost 900. On the seventh, hindi ko alam kung ano ang pumasok sa isip ni Thomas.
"I open 1 million," he said, smirking at me.
I stared at my card. Straight flush. I liked my chances... what were the chances that Thomas was holding a Royal flush? It was slim to fucking none. Wala pang naglalabas ng Royal flush sa buong laro namin.
"Raise to 2 million," I replied.
"Call," sabi niya.
Molly, if you're looking down at me, please tell the angels to save me. Even if it's not my money that I'd lose, hindi pa rin maganda sa pakiramdam na matalo ng dalawang milyon.
With heart beating so fucking wild inside my chest, I laid down my cards, then stared at Thomas'.
My lips almost parted.
This mother fucking asshole. He only got a high card but he betted 2 million?!
"You're crazy," I uttered.
He shrugged. "Consider that as a gift," he said like he didn't just lose 2 million on purpose.
Fucking rich guys.
My system was still slightly trembling from the fear of losing that amount of money, but I willed myself to act calmly. The game of poker was now done; I was now playing the game they started when they played with Molly.
"I don't believe in gifts," I said, staring back at him. He was looking at me like he wanted to do bad things to me. He was just so shameful. "I'm sure you'd want something in return."
"You think too much, Ary Fuentes," he said, running his eyes up and down on me. "I'll see you again," he continued with a lingering stare.
* * *
"Nice. 4.5 million," Pamela said while counting my total winning. "Want me to put them in your bank account?" she asked.
Umiling ako. "No. That's dirty money. If you know any charities for victims of rape, just make an anonymous donation."
My only goal was to find justice for Molly, and if in the process I could help someone else, too, then good. But I never wanted to gain anything from this—not money nor fucking connections with those rich assholes.
Pamela looked taken aback with what I just did. I didn't know why she was so surprised. If she's really good at what she does, she should know that if I really wanted money, I could always just... go back.
But I'd rather be poor than to go back to that hell.
"So, what's the next plan?" she asked.
"Usual," simula ko. "Will still date Nathan, then I'll try to get closer with Thomas. He said he'd see me soon. I'm just waiting for that soon."
Pamela nodded. She was typing something in her laptop. For a change, ako naman iyong kumakain. I just let her do her magic while I eat and simultaneously text with Nathan. I promised him that we'd have dinner tonight. I couldn't keep on ditching him. After all, should my plan of getting close to his friends fail, Nathan would be my only chance.
From: Thomas
Yacht party. Friday. Game? -Thomas
"Speak of the devil," I murmured as I read his text. Hindi ko alam kung saan niya nakuha iyong number ko. I surely didn't give it to him. Isa lang ang alam ko na pwedeng magbigay sa kanya—si Nathan.
It was obvious that he didn't want me close with his friends. Yet for some reason, he just gave my number to Thomas. His manwhore friend. Talk about missing a spine in his back.
"What?" Pamela asked.
"Thomas just texted. He's inviting me in some yacht party," sabi ko.
"Sino'ng kasama?" she asked.
I shrugged. "Not sure." I glanced at Pamela, and she looked worried. "I'll be fine."
"That was probably what Molly thought, too. That she'll be fine. But look where she ended up in," Pamela said. My jaw clenched at the mention of Molly. It was... still a sore topic. Until now, I still hadn't read the whole affidavit. Every time I'd try, suddenly, I couldn't breathe.
It was more than reading; it was like I was reliving the whole nightmare.
And I didn't think I could do that just yet.
It was... too much.
"I'm not Molly," I told her with serious eyes.
"I know. But you're being stupid if you'll come to this yacht party. Paano kapag may ginawa sila sa 'yo? Tatalon ka sa dagat? Magpapaka-lunod?"
"Ikaw 'yung nagsabi na kailangan kong lumapit—"
"There's a thin line between being brave and being stupid, Mallary. Once you cross the line, death might be the end game," she said, staring at me like she meant every word.
Alam ko naman na tama siya. This was dangerous... but I knew that, but that didn't stop me from playing. I wasn't just playing for fun, I was playing for justice. For Molly.
This was bigger than me.
"Sometimes, you just have to cross the line... and hope for the best," I said before picking up my phone to confirm my attendance in the party.
* * *
"What? May dumi ba sa mukha ko?" kunut-noo kong tanong kay Nathan nang mapansin ko na nakatitig lang siya sa mukha ko. We were dining, but he's been unusually quiet. Usually, we'd talk about books, current events, or anything the interests the both of us. But tonight, he was quiet, and he just kept on staring at me.
I had an inkling that this had something to do with me suddenly being poker-buddies with Thomas.
"Nothing," he said. Sabi ko na nga ba; he's too spineless to even address the situation. I was pretty sure that he'd just let me do whatever I wanted... hindi dahil sa may tiwala siya sa akin kung hindi dahil takot siya sa mga kaibigan niya.
I couldn't wait until I find out what his friends were holding over his head.
"This Friday..." he began while cutting his steak. His steak was already cut to tiny pieces—that's how bothered he was. "Want... to go somewhere?"
This was new.
And fast.
We'd been only seeing each other for almost 3 months. If he'd invite me in an out of town trip, then me going in a yacht party with Thomas must really be bothering him.
"I already committed my Friday night," I said, staring right into his eyes. How easy would it be if he'd just confess everything. I wanted to believe that Nathan wasn't capable of doing everything that I thought he did... but if he's keeping his silence to protect his friends, then he's just as worse.
The veins in his neck looked like they're ready to burst anytime. I continued enjoying my steak. I had a feeling that after the yacht party, tuluyan ko nang makukuha ang tiwala ni Thomas. Right after that, I'd probably work on Harvey.
Then the two bane of my existence—Andres and Blake.
"Can't you reschedule?" he asked, sounding adamant.
"No," I said. "But you're free to come."
Pero hindi siya sumagot.
Wala talagang kwenta.
* * *
When I arrived at the Manila Yacht Club, I was immediately ushered to the yacht of Thomas. The music was already blasting, and people were already on deck.
Pag-akyat ko, at saka ko napansin na naka-bikini lahat ng babae. I was trying to figure my way around nang maka-salubong ko si Harvey.
Bingo.
Two in one.
"Ary?" he asked, his forehead creased. Hindi sinabi sa kanya ni Thomas na invited ako? Nakakapagtaka talaga... these guys, they all seemed close, but in reality, there were walls that separate them from one another.
"Oh, hi," I said, smiling. "Finally, a familiar face," sabi ko habang biglang napa-lapit sa kanya bigla dahil may dumaan sa likod ko. I sensually ran my hand over his chest when I pretended to have lost my balance.
"First time seeing you in Tommy's party," sabi niya habang tinutulungan ako na tumayo.
I nodded. "Accidentally bumped into Thomas last Tuesday, and he invited me," I said, shrugging. "But I didn't get the memo that I should be wearing bikinis," I continued, as I glanced at the bikini-cladded ladies parading around.
"Don't worry, you're still hotter than those girls." I almost jumped when Thomas suddenly whispered in my ears. Seriously! He should stop doing that!
"Is Nate here?" Harvey asked. Instead of answering, Thomas just laughed.
Hindi ko talaga maintindihan 'yung pagkakaibigan nila. It's like they're friends... but not really.
Pagkatapos naming mag-usap, mabilis na pumasok kami sa loob. Mas tahimik dito dahil walang masyadong tao. It seemed like only a few people were allowed to get inside. An exclusive place within an exclusive place.
"Don't worry, she's cool," I heard Thomas saying. I tried to walk faster to be able to hear their conversation, but Harvey already was on the other side.
"Thanks," I said when Thomas handed me a red cup. "Looks like Harvey doesn't want me here," I commented.
Thomas waived his hand. "He'll get over it. You're just new in his eyes."
"Alright," I replied, shrugging.
"Does Pierce know that you're here?" tanong ni Thomas.
"Yes," sagot ko, naka-tingin sa kanya.
"Hmm," he hummed, then downed the content of his cup.
"He's not the boss of me, Thomas. No one is the boss of me," I said with a lingering smile as I left him to wonder about me.
Paglabas ko, napansin ko na sa magkakaibigan, si Harvey lang ang nandito. It confirmed my theory that those people were not friends—not really. There's just something that connected the five of them.
And I fucking needed to know that.
Harvey was talking to some girl, and the next thing, his tongue was already inside the girl's mouth. O...kay.
Tumalikod na ako, at naghanap ng ibang gagawin. I discreetly went inside the rooms, but nothing useful there. I just saw some couples making-out.
A few minutes later, Thomas pulled me, and told me that I should join the game.
"Seriously?" I asked when I learned what they're playing.
"It's the best way to know somebody," he replied, shrugging. He sat on the couch, and I figured, fuck it. Nandito na ako.
The game began. Some of their friends joined; some were unlucky because they're still outside. It seemed like they couldn't get in unless they're invited.
I was playing with the in crowd. I wondered if any of these people knew what happened that night. After all, the world of the rich is unbelievably small.
"Never have I ever..." I began as I directly stared at Thomas. "Killed somebody."
I heard whispers.
But the jaws of the people around me dropped when I drank the content of the cup.
"What the fuck, Ary?" Thomas said, unable to believe what I just did.
"There's no murder if there's no body," I said, smiling at him. And I knew then, by the look on his face, that Thomas Marius Aranza III's already on my hook.