A/N: A short chapter. Pero may mapapala naman kayo dito.
***Dawn's POV***
"I can help you out." I said and the three of them turned heads at me. Akala ba nila hindi ko naririnig yung pinag-uusapan nila? I removed my headset from my ears and turned off the music from my cellphone. "I know someone who can help you ladies, if you'll take my offer." I closed my notebook and jumped on my bed. I sat crossed-legged facing them and waited. "Well?"
"Narinig mo yung pinag-usapan namin?!" Tanong nung wavy-haired.
"All of it." Matipid kong sagot. I looked at Rachel and hoped for a response.
"Okay."
"Wait. What?! Rachel, how sure are you with this?" Miss SC President pointed her hand at me while looking at Rachel.
"I trust her. You should start doing that, too." The wavy-haired just looked at me and Miss SC President let out a huge sigh.
"Okay, fine! What's your bright idea?"
"I can contact someone who handled the cases in Sisters of Mary. Kilala niya ako, madali niya kayong matutulungan." I answered.
"Cases? What cases?" Asked Wavy-haired.
"Nothing much. Just annual deaths of innocent girls. You don't want to know the details, trust me." I answered in my bored tone. Dapat yata kay Rachel ko muna inoffer 'to. Pero sigurado akong makakatulong ang taong iyon sa kaso nila. Mukhang simple lang naman yun.
"Deaths?!" Halos sabay na sabi nung SC President at ni Wavy.
"Can you still contact that person, Dawn?" Rachel changed topic. Thank goodness!
I nodded and grabbed my wallet from my closet. I searched for a particular calling card and hoped na hindi ko pa iyon naitapon. After a few seconds of searching through my jungle of a wallet, I was able to get the one that I needed. I stared at it for a moment and read the name printed on it: Inspector Gia Chan.
"I hope you're not busy, Inspector." I called her up first thing in the morning. Alangan pa rin ang mga kaibigan ni Rachel sa inalok kong tulong, pero wala din naman silang mas magandang idea.
"Princess Dawn Dominguez. It's been a while." I rolled my eyes at her kahit hindi niya ako nakikita. I hate my full name!
"Yup, it's Dawn." I emphasized on my nickname. "I have a favor to ask, sana po hindi kayo masyadong busy."
"Are you going to help with Anastacia's case?" Yan ang gusto ko sa kanya-- direct to the point. Parang ako lang.
"This one's different, Inspector. At tungkol sa kaso ni Anastacia..." I trailed off and quickly thought kung sasabihin ko ba sa kanya ang pag-i-imbestiga ko ng mag-isa. "I don't have any idea on it. Wala na ako sa Sisters of Mary."
"Oh?" She sounded surprised. "Kaya pala wala ka nung nag-imbestiga kami doon. Akala ko nasa therapy ka lang."
"No. I left for good. Now can you help me with this case?"
"I'll drop by there. Saan ba?"
"Monte Carlo High School."
"Sigurado ka ba dun sa kausap mo? Paano mo siya nakilala?" Rachel asked over breakfast. Kasama na namin sa table ang dalawa niyang kaibigan. Naisip ko tuloy mag-evacuate na, pakiramdam ko ang crowded na ng table.
"Oo naman, Rachel. Siya yung nag-handle ng mga kaso sa Sisters of Mary."
"May connection ka sa PNP?" Whispered Wavy.
"Not actually a connection. Nagkakilala lang kami ng dahil sa mga deaths sa dati kong school." I took the last bite of my sandwich then my cellphone rang. It's Inspector Chan. I pressed the answer button and put it on my ear.
"I'm parked in front of the Main Building."
"I'll go there, Inspector." I ended the call and stood up. "Wait for me here."
"Good morning, Inspector Chan." I saw her leaning against her white car and looking around the school. Lumingon siya sa akin at tumayo ng tuwid.
"Goodmorning." We shook hands. "Your new school's...cozy. I never thought you'll end up in a boarding school after what happened in Sisters of Mary."
"I had no choice. My disorder's getting worse at lahat ng bagay sa school na yun nag-papa-dagdag sa anxiety ko. And besides, I feel safe here."
"So, what's the case?"
"May nag-suicide na estudyante dito more than a year ago-- she jumped from there." I pointed at the Main Building's rooftop. "She was abused and threatened by the suspect at ang taong iyon, gumagala pa rin dito sa school."
"Suicide more than a year ago? How did you know these kung wala ka pa dito nung nangyari iyon?"
"I have her friends with me." I walked towards the Cafeteria's direction and she followed.
"This is not a good place para pag-usapan natin 'to." Miss SC President said.
"Baka malaman niya 'to and he knows who to find first." Wavy looked at Rachel.
"Pero saan? Hindi naman tayo pwedeng lumabas ng campus." Rachel's voice faltered and I knew she's afraid.
"I know where." Miss SC President said and she stood up from her seat.
Lumabas kami ng Cafeteria at lumakad patungo sa direksyon ng Gym. Anong gagawin namin sa Gym, eh mas maraming tao dito? Lumakad pa kami pero hindi kami pumasok sa loob, instead we walked on the side and Miss SC President inserted a key on an old gate at pumasok kami doon.
The place looked like a big garden, no, a small forest maybe. How come the sign on that gate said 'Restricted'? "Sakop pa ba ito ng Monte Carlo?" I decided to ask since my curiosity's killing me.
"Yes, but it's restricted." She answered. We continued to walk hanggang sa makarating kami sa isang maliit na greenhouse. "This area was previously used for Science and Home Economics classes. Pero isinara ito years ago. Why? I don't know." She gestured us to sit on an old bench outside the greenhouse.
"So ladies. Can I hear the story now?" Inspector Chan looked at the three.
"Her name's Maecy Lim. She's our bestfriend and we knew each other since first year. Okay naman ang lahat nang magbago ang personality niya early last year. Hindi naman siya nagk-kwento ng mga nangyayari sa kanya until I accidentally found out." Rachel bowed and played with the edge of her skirt.
"So nakita mong ginahasa siya ng suspect?"
"I only heard it. I heard her pleaded and cried at what he's doing. And he said that it was not the first time."
"Bakit hindi ka agad nag-salita? Why wait for more than a year to do this?"
"I tried, Inspector! Kaya lang...natakot ako. After she died, I attempted to tell the Principal, pero laging siyang naka-bantay sa mga galaw ko." She was fighting back her tears. Her two friends were very quiet with anger and sadness on their faces. I wished I could do the same for Anastacia and the others. Pero hindi pa ito ang oras para sabihin ko kay Inspector ang ginagawa kong pag-iimbestiga. They're doing their own investigation at ayokong mag-conflict ang mga information namin.
"Who's our suspect?"
"Mr. Gary Julio. He was SC Adviser, pero nagpa-reassign siya recently lang sa Admin for some reason." Miss SC President answered this time.
"And you said he threatened you?" Inspector Chan looked at Rachel again.
"Sabi niya...Kapag nagsumbong daw ako...Gagawin niya din sa iba kong kaibigan ang ginawa niya kay Maecy..." She was already crying. I saw her friends stiffened and I realized na ito ang first time na sinabi niya ang impormasyong iyon. Napaka-demonyo naman ng teacher na yun! Dapat siya ang hinihiwa ng marami hanggang mamatay!
"Hmm." Inspector nodded and jotted something on her small notepad. This should be easy for her. Matagal na siyang humahawak ng mga ganitong kaso. "Anything else you ladies want to add?"
"Ano po'ng mangyayari? Magiging safe ba kami dito?" Wavy asked.
"I will file this right away at ipapatawag namin siya for investigation. I still had to re-open her case dahil sa tingin ko sinarado na iyon dahil walang tumestigo noon and it was declared as suicide." She took her small recorder and stopped the recording. She placed it inside her coat's pocket together with her notepad. "You will be safe here, don't worry. Just stay on common places at lagi dapat kayong may kasama. I'll contact you again tomorrow."
"Inspector?" I asked her nang ihatid ko siya sa kotse niya. Pumasok na sila Rachel sa klase and I decided na magpa-late na lang. This is more important than today's lesson.
"Hmm?"
"How are the cases going? May bagong lead na po ba? Pareho lang din po ba ng sa iba yung kay Anastacia?" I had to know something. Sa ebidensiyang hawak ko, mukhang hindi pa nila alam na konektado ang tatlo. Pati yung akin na hindi pa nila alam. What I knew would definitely help them, pero kailangan ko munang makakuha pa ng detalye sa kanila.
"Dawn." She turned to face me nang mabuksan niya na ang pintuan ng 1998 Chevrolet Camaro niya. Malaki siguro ang sweldo kapag commissioned officer ka. "Those are classified information. Pwede ko lang sabihin sa 'yo ang gusto mo kung tutulong ka as witness sa mga kaso nila." She always knew that I knew something, pero hindi lang ako nagsalita noon dahil sa sobrang takot.
Wala nga akong makukuha sa kanya kung hindi ako makikipag-tulungan. I thought I was smart, but this woman's way way smarter. Sigh. I just nodded and she got in her car and started the engine.
"Alam kong magkakausap pa tayo ulit, Dawn. You've changed a lot since the last time I talked to you. You will need my help again, I'm sure of that." Yun lang and she drove away and out of Monte Carlo High.
----END OF CHAPTER 08.24.14
A/N: Inspector Gia Chan on the media box, btw.