Chapter Two

SHE groaned when she felt the soreness of her back and neck. She slowly opened her eyes and blinked disorientingly and tried to figure where she was.

Napasapo siya ng ulo at muling napaungol nang sa wakas ay mapagtantong nasa loob siya ng CR. Her eyes squinted as she took a gaze at her wristwatch. It was almost three in the morning and she couldn't recall why she was in that place.

Iinot-inot na tumayo siya mula sa pagkakaupo sa nakasarang toilet bowl at lumabas. Nagmumog siya at sandaling tiningnan ang sarili sa malaking salamin na naroon. Nakakunot ang kanyang noo sa pagtataka. After a few seconds, she shrugged at herself in the mirror and went outside the bathroom.

Madilim na at halos wala siyang maaninag. Marahil ay nasarado na ang nightclub at walang nakapansin sa kanya na nakatulog sa loob ng banyo.

"Did I sleep that long?" she murmured and groaned in frustration. She sobered up a little but her head was still felt like it was about to split in half.

Dahil sa munting ilaw na hindi niya alam kung saan nagmula ay nahanap niya ang kinauupuan kanina at dinampot ang kanyang bag na naiwan niya roon. The brute she's with left her. She snickered at that thought.

Akamang hahakbang na si Vodka upang lumabas nang marinig niya ang mga ingay na tila may nabasag sa direksiyon ng bar counter.

She heard voices and the sound of the falling objects. Out of curiosity, she started walking towards the bar counter meters away from her. With the faint light left inside, she saw two silhouettes fighting in the dark.

"N-no!" Napatigil si Vodka sa paglalakad at napatakip sa bibig nang marinig ang pamilyar na boses na iyon kasabay ng pagdaing mula sa isa pang boses.

She was frozen in place as she witnessed how the person fell on the cold marbled floor while the other ran away. Narinig niya ang pagsinghap ng taong nasa sahig at ang pag-ungol nito na tila nahihirapan hanggang sa natahimik ito.

Tumulo ang mga luha mula sa mga mata ni Vodka habang wala sa loob na napatingin sa isang bagay na nasa kanyang paanan. Kumikislap iyon kaya napansin niya sa kabila ng kadiliman. Sa nanginginig na kalamnan ay dinampot niya iyon at mabilis na tumalikod upang lumabas na sa Tipsy Talk.

Sandali niyang nilingon ang kinaroroonan ng lalaki habang walang tigil ang kanyang luha.

Wala siyang nakasalubong na ibang tao hanggang sa makalabas siya at makarating sa kanyang kinapaparadahan.

With shaking limbs and tears flowing down her cheeks, she maneuvered her car away from her favorite place and stepped on the gas as if she was being chased by seven demons.

NAPAUNGOL si Vodka nang maalimpungatan dahil sa sunod-sunod na pagtunog ng doorbell ng kanyang unit. Mukhang walang balak na tumigil ang nasa labas hanggang sa kanyang labasin.

Mula sa pagkakadapa sa mahabang sofa ay itinaas niya ang galang-galangan at tiningnan ang oras sa kanyang relo. Halos alas-otso na at nasisiguro niyang umaga pa dahil sa liwanag na bahagyang pumapasok mula sa salaming dingding ng kanyang unit na natatakpan ng kurtina. 

Isinubsob niya ang mukha sa throw pillow at napaungol nang maramdamang parang mabibiyak ang kanyang ulo dahil sa sobrang sakit. May pakiramdam siyang kakapikit lang niya nang bulabugin ng tunog na iyon. 

"Just a minute!" malat niyang sigaw para sa taong nasa labas dahil sa walang tigil ang pag-iingay ng doorbell. 

Kahit ayaw niyang tumayo ay wala siyang magawa. Mabilis na naghanap siya ng panali ng buhok, nagmumog at nilinis ang mukha dahil sa make-up niyang humulas. 

Bahagya pang nangunot ang kanyang noo nang makita ang pamamaga ng mga mata at pamumula ng ilong at pisngi. 

Nang marinig muli ang sunod-sunod na pagtunog ng doorbell, na tila ba naiinip na ang kung sinumang nasa labas ng pinto, ay umikot ang kanyang mga mata.

Nagmamadaling tinungo niya ang direksiyon ng pituan at binuksan iyon. Nang makita ang mga taong nasa labas ay humakbang paatras ang kanyang paa at napahigpit ang kanyang hawak sa seradura. 

May sinabi ang nasa labas na siyang dahilan nang paglala ng pananakit ng kanyang ulo. Napahawak siya sa parteng iyon ng kanyang katawan at mariing pumikit. 

Though blurry and there are missing parts, memories from last night surged in her mind. 

VODKA was mindlessly rubbing the nail on her thumb with the other while her hands were settled on her lap, an indication that she was anxious. 

She took a deep breath and eyed the man in front of her who was doing something with his laptop. He must be in his mid-forties, looking strict and dignified with his spectacles. He was not the brawny type but his posture and passive expression were enough to intimidate someone. But Vodka wasn't the type that easily got intimidated, she had met and knew some intimidating men in her twenty four years of existence. What made her anxious was the reason why she was brought to that place and be in a hot seat.

Somehow, she remembered what happened the other night. Though there are some spots in her memory that were missing. Was it because she was drunk, or was it because her mind chose to block her memory to protect herself... or someone?

She tilted her head on her left side, a portion of the wall was made of glass. She can't see through it but she knew that the persons on the other side can see her clearly. 

Vodka roamed her eyes around the four corners of the room. She can see CCTV's corner to corner and there were two lightbulbs on the ceiling right on top of her head.

Napasulyap siya sa kaharap nang iharap nito sa kanya ang laptop. Lalong lumakas ang tibok ng kanyang puso nang makita ang video kung saan kita siyang tumatakbo palabas ng Tipsy Talk at patungo sa kanyang kotse kaninang madaling araw. 

"Nakuhanan ka ng CCTV camera sa parking lot ng nightclub..." Muling napasulyap si Vodka sa kaharap. Sandali itong tumigil at sumandal sa sandalan ng upuan nito habang nakahalukipkip at matamang nakatingin sa kanya. "Anong nangyari at parang takot na takot ka? Bakit naroon ka pa gayong nagsara na ang nightclub?"

Hindi sumagot si Vodka at nanatiling tahimik na sinalubong ang mga mata ng pulis. "You killed Mr. Castillo and ran away!" he accused, his voice raised an octave. But he managed to calm himself down and wear his cold face. "You better start talking now Ms. Rodríguez, tell us everything you did, everything you know." 

Vodka was brought to the police station by the police officers she found in front of her door earlier. She was not even surprised when they tell her that she was one of the persons of interest in Castillo's murder case. But she admitted she was anxious.

She sighed and held her head high. She wanted this to get over with. The man in front of her was the second man who interrogated her, the first policeman went out of the room empty-handed. She remained silent for four hours and she can't take it anymore. She was not the type of person who will remain soundless when being accused of something she did not do. Of course, she'll defend herself. 

"I did not kill him or anyone," she uttered, emphasizing every word with conviction. 

Nagtanong muli ang pulis, paulit-ulit nalang ang mga tanong nito at gusto niyang singhalan ang kaharap ngunit pinigilan niya ang sarili at muling itinikom ang bibig. 

An hour passed and a man in his suit entered the interrogation room. "I am Ms. Rodríguez's Lawyer, Erick Fischer," pakilala nito sa sarili at umupo sa katabing silya ni Vodka.

The man's voice was familiar. Maybe because Vodka already heard his voice earlier when he called her. Habang nasa biyahe patungo sa presinto ay may tumawag sa kanyang isang abogado. Ang sabi nito ay ipinadala ito ng kanyang kapatid. And he's right here on her side, like what he told her.

Vodka searched for the cloverleaf cufflink and found it in the cuff of his suit. It was an insignia, a sign that he was one of Felix's trusted persons. Vodka design the cufflink for Felix—her brother, and she remember how Felix told her that whoever wears the same cufflink as he were his friend or someone that should be trusted.

"You can tell him what you remember," said the lawyer when the police started questioning Vodka again. 

She blew a rough breath before opening her mouth to speak. "I arrived at Tipsy Talk at quarter to eleven. I ordered Whiskey and almost emptied a bottle, though someone was drinking with me... Maybe it was twelve or one in the morning, I don't know..." she uttered uncertainly. "...I walked towards the bathroom and throw up on the toilet bowl. Then I fell asleep inside... when I woke up, I looked at my wristwatch so I know it was almost three at dawn. I went out of the bathroom and everything I could see was darkness.

"Then suddenly there was a faint light, I don't know where it came from but because of it, I managed to get back to where I was sitting earlier and get my bag. I... I hear falling objects and I was... scared. The first thing that came into my mind is a ghost. I ran out, get in my car and drive away from that place." Ang mga impormasyong binanggit ay kusang nanulas sa kanyang bibig. But there were lies in her words. She can't tell them she heard a familiar voice on the day of the murder. 

Nagpaulit-ulit ang tanong ng pulis at paulit-ulit din ang kanyang isinagot. Hindi na niya alam kung anong oras na siyang nandoon. Ang abogadong kaibigan ng kanyang kapatid ay nagpaalam at lumabas upang maghanap ng paraan para mailabas siya roon. 

Ilang oras pa uli ang lumipas nang muling bumalik ang abogado at isinama siya palabas. Ipinagpasalamat niya iyon dahil hindi na niya kaya pang magsalita man lang, gusto niyang magpahinga.

Sa likod ng presinto sila dumaan ng abogado dahil maraming taga-media ang nasa labas ng presinto. Ginamit din nila ang sasakyan nito dahil wala siyang dalang sasakyan.

Wala pang biente-kuwatrong oras ngunit nailabas na siya ng abogado. Hindi niya alam kung ano ang ginawa nito upang pakawalan siya ng pulisya at wala siyang balak alamin ngayon. Maybe the man was really competent.

Nanghihinang napasandal siya sa passenger's seat pagkapasok sa loob ng kote at mariing pumikit dahil pumintig ang kanyang sentido. Hanggang sa maramdaman ang paggalaw ng sasakyan ay hindi siya nagbukas ng mga mata. Gusto niyang matulog at ipahinga ang katawan ang isipan.

Earlier, at dawn, when she arrived at her condominium unit from Tipsy Talk, she let herself cried. Only the four corners of her house witness her wailing. She didn't know what time was it when she fell off to sleep on her sofa while crying.

She was being questioned by the authorities the whole day and she did not get any sleep. She was hungry, sleepy, dizzy and all that. She bet that she would pass out any moment from now.

"I'll handle your case. All you have to do from now on is to be mindful of your words and actions. I'm positive that the family of the victim has you investigated and the police won't slack off knowing that the victim is the Majority Floor Leader of the House of Representatives' son and a presiding judge's nephew."

Napadilat si Vodka at napatingin ang kanyang inaantok na mga mata sa abogadong nagmamaneho. Sandali niyang pinagmasdan ang walang emosyon nitong mukha. The shade of his eyes was steel gray paired with thick and dark brows. The bridge of his nose was prominent and the tip was pointed. His lips were full and his jaw was sharp. A definition of a handsome man. How did her brother become friends with this man?

"And you can beat them?"

"You didn't kill Patrick Castillo," he answered without a shadow of a doubt.

Tumaas ang isang kilay ni Vodka at pahinamad na napahalukipkip, nanatili paring nakatingin dito. "How sure are you, Mr. Fischer?" she asked tauntingly.

He shrugged nonchalantly. "Doesn't matter who the killer is, I just need to clear your name and pay off my indebtedness."

"Buena suerte, mi abogado," Vodka mumbled sourly, wishing her lawyer the best of luck.

"Muchas gracias," he answered indifferently.

So he knew Spanish? Vodka thought. She just shrugged it off and angled her head in the other direction, outside the car's window.

Her hands turns into a fist when their car passed her favorite place. There were police lines surrounding the entrance of Tipsy Talk and the neon lights signage of the nightclub were off. The place looked dull and deserted, she remembered it to be elegant, it was dazzling with its lights and sophisticated from the exterior to the inside.

Tipsy Talk was temporarily close for further investigation of Patrick Castillo's death. She didn't know what to feel at the moment, she was too tired to think of everything that happened. So she closed her eyes and succumb to sleep.

Vodka was so exhausted that she did not even wake up when they reached her condominium building and Erick carried her to her unit. Perhaps because of fatigue, she had a good night's sleep despite the fact that there was turmoil around her, she was stuck in the middle of a storm.