Chapter 5

Ayashi's POV

"So she was killed because there is a problem in her heart? You got to be kidding me." I put my phone on my desk as I heaved a sigh.

Binabasa ko kasi ngayon ang autopsy report pero wala pa rin akong makuhang matinong sagot, siguradong-sigurado ako na lumalabas ang dugo niya sa katawan mula sa bibig niya. It's not just a simple complication in the heart. She might have drink something.

Tinignan ko muli ang pangalawang e-mail ni Lancelot na naglalaman ng mga detalye sa isang kasong katulad ng kay Linette. 

"She died the same way, and they didn't widen the investigation." 

These cops will be the end of me. Kulang na kulang yung mga detalye sa kaso, pinaresulta lang nila na cardiac arrest ang dahilan ng pagkamatay ng babae. 

I quickly turned my phone off when I felt someone's presence in front of me, nag-angat ako ng tingin at nginitian ang lalaking nasa harap ko.

"Are you still going to keep this up after what happened?" It's Giovanni.

"What do you mean?"

"You almost got killed, right?"

Hindi ko pinahalata na nagulat ako sa sinabi niya, so he knew it. How?

"I'm not afraid of dying, diyan rin naman tayo tutungo hindi ba?" I rested my back on my chair, “How did you even know that I almost got killed? Are you stalking me now?"

"I happen to see the shoot out.."

"Is it entertaining?"

He clenched his fist.

"Just give it up Ayashi, I'm sure you don't want this case to be the end of you. You still have a life to live—" I pinched his cheeks that made him stop from talking.

"You talk a lot." Tinigilan ko ang pagpisil sa pisngi niya, "Don't worry about me okay? I know what I'm doing."

He hissed before he move inches away from me. Pumikit siya ng mariin.

"That's your choice, if I ever win the bet—just make sure you'll do the exact thing you said that you will do."

"You have my word." He then left me, sometimes I wonder what's the deal with Giovanni.

Tumunog ang bell hudyat na uwian na, ang bilis naman ata ng oras. Kinuha ko ang phone ko mula sa bulsa upang maghatid ng mensahe para kay Calvin.

To: Calvin the chismoso

Mauna ka na umuwi, may tatapusin lang ako. Magkita na lang tayo bukas, okay?

Sent 4:45PM

From: Calvin the chismoso

May kopya na pala ako ng cctv footage, hindi ko na pinanood kasi gusto kong ikaw ang unang makakita. E-sesend ko na lang via messenger, okay?

Received 4:45PM

To: Calvin the chismoso

Okay.

Sent 4:46PM

I slid my phone back to my pocket before I stretched out my arms. I guess I will be able to unravel the truth today.

Dumiretso agad ako sa bahay, pinagpuyatan ko na din kasi kagabi yung pag-aayos ng phone ni Linette. Basag man yung screen ng phone niya pero gumagana pa din naman yun ng maayos, I just need to simply look at her messages and find out the truth.

Sumampa ako sa kama ko tsaka kinuha ang phone na nasa ibabaw lang ng study table, I opened her phone and saw three unread messages. I looked at it and saw that the three unread messages came from Kaitlyn, Paul and an unknown number. The thing is, yung message para kay Paul ay undelivered.

Kaitlyn                                           6/27/38

Let's meet tomorrow, we'll talk it all out privately. Huwag mo isama si Paul.

Paul                                             6/28/38

I loved you.                             Undelivered‼️   

0998764321                               6/28/38

If you know something, you should better keep your mouth shut.      

Nangunot ang noo ko sa nabasa galing kay Kaitlyn, so their conversation on the first day of school was already planned. I know it's an invasion of privacy, but I still managed to click the message. At mas lalong naging klaro sa akin ang lahat nang tuluyan ko mabasa ang buong convo nila.

                      June 27,2038 8:56PM

Linette

I know your feelings

about Paul, bakit 

hindi mo sinabi?

Sent 8:56PM

                                                                    Kaitlyn

                                                        What are you

                                                        talking about?

                                                 Received 8:58PM

Linette

If sinabi mo lang

maiintindihan ko

naman.

Sent 9:00PM

                                                                     Kaitlyn

                                                       I told you that

                                                       I don't like him.

                                                 Received 9:01PM

Linette

Rhea told me

everything.

Sent 9:01PM

                                                                     Kaitlyn

                                                       Rhea told you

                                               what exactly?

                                                  Received 9:02PM

Linette

Rhea told me that

you like Paul, bakit

hindi mo sinabi na gusto

mo pala siya?

Sinasabi mo naman

sa akin lahat lagi ah,

I'm your best friend.

Sent 9:05PM

                                                                       Kaitlyn

                                                Boyfriend mo siya

                                                    Linette. Kapag 

                                     sinabi ko ba sa'yo na

                                                mahal ko si Paul,

                                               mapaparaya ka

                                                 ba?

                                                  Received 9:10PM

Linette

I was hoping for you

to say the latter.

I was hoping for you

to say that you respect

my relationship with

Paul kaya hindi mo

sinasabi. So isa ka rin

pala sa abangers kapag

nagbreak na kami. Ganon

ba ang gusto mong sabihin?

Sent 9:12PM

                                                                      Kaitlyn

                                             That's not the point

                                           here Linette. You're

                                               clearly missing the 

                                              main point.

                                               Received 9:14PM

Linette

We both know each

other's secret. I kept

your secret kahit na

dapat nagsumbong

na ako sa awtoridad.

Sent 9:15PM

                                                                        Kaitlyn

                                         Magsumbong ka kung

                                       gusto mo dahil buhay

                                       mo lang din naman ang

                                      mapapahamak.

                                                  Received 9:17PM

Linette

Si Paul lang ang gusto

kong pag-usapan, bakit

yata pati buhay ko ay nasa

alanganin din? Are you

threatening me, Kaitlyn?

Sent 9:20PM

                                                                        Kaitlyn

                                   Let's just meet tomorrow,

                                  we'll talk privately. Huwag

                                  mo isama si Paul.

                                                 Received 9:30PM

So, that's how their conversation ended. I have one question tho, what secret? The next message I opened is from Paul, although undelivered lang ang mga mensahe na yun.

      June 28,2038 8:20AM

Linette

I loved you for

so long.

Undelivered‼️

I gave you everything.

Undelivered‼️

and you lied...

Undelivered‼️

you fucking lied...

Undelivered‼️

and said you loved

me too.

Undelivered‼️

I loved you.

Undelivered‼️

Then the last message is just a simple death threat. June 28 is our first day and Linette send a message to Paul on that same day but it was undelivered. My phone beeped that made me looked at it, it's a chat from Calvin. Baka nasend na niya yung video na nakalap niya.

Calvin Johnson:

Heto na yung video na hinihingi mo.

Calvin sent a video.

I quickly click the play button, mga ilang minuto siguro yun nagloading bago nagplay. One thing I hate about living here is the slow internet connection, sheesh.

I played the first video where Linette and Rhea are on the canteen, the video was taken 7:45, they are talking about something—it's probably what Calvin told me back then. Before they end their conversation, Rhea handed her a sandwich. Kinain yun ni Linette bago siya nagpaalam kay Rhea. When the other video started playing, I saw Linette with Kaitlyn. They talked on the rooftop where students don't normally pass by.

"We're alone now, explain yourself." Maririnig sa video ang seryosong tono ni Linette.

"Before I explain myself, I'll tell you right at this instant that it was not my intention to lie—"

"Kaitlyn, you didn't lie to me. You just hide something, hiding and lying are different."

Kaitlyn rubbed her hands, she's obviously trembling.

"I'm not the one who likes Paul, I would never. I respect you relationship with him, you know that."

"What are you trying to say?"

"Rhea..." nagsiunahang tumulo ang luha ni Kaitlyn, "...she's the one who secretly likes your boyfriend. Hindi ako Linette, kundi si Rhea."

"W-What?"

"Paul was Rhea's former boyfriend, nakipag-break si Paul sa kanya nang makilala ka niya. Paul chooses you more than her."

"How about the text messages you sent me last night? How will you explain that?"

"She's monitoring my every move, do you remember the time that I told you that the school laboratory has something to do with my secret?" Naningkit ang mga mata ko habang nanonood, "She was part of that secret too. There is a secret place inside the school where they study and make a medicine that can be used to humans.."

"W-What..."

"So whatever happens do not take any food from Rhea, baka may nilagay siyang gamot doon. Just like what happened to that politician from six years ago, you might end up just like him."

In a matter of seconds Linette fell on the ground, nagsimulang manginig ang buong katawan niya, her skin started to get pale as red fluid started escaping her mouth. That's when Kaitlyn cried and ran away, obviously scared from what she saw. A few seconds after that, an image of a woman which I am certain that is Rhea, went into the scene. She's wearing gloves before she took the phone from Linette's lifeless body. Rhea typed something before she intentionally drop the phone beside Linette's body, she took the gloves off then after that, she yelled.

She must be the girl we heard that day. The girl who yelled that caught our attention.

Rhea is the prime suspect, Kaitlyn isn’t part of the crime. So, Calvin’s hunch is wrong.

Did Rhea put some medicine in that sandwich?

I looked at the autopsy report once more and it quickly cleared my mind. Linette's heart didn't simply stopped beating, her heart exploded inside her. The medicine that Rhea placed on the sandwich has the ability to trigger a pressure inside the body that would tighten someone's heart until the pressure can no longer be endure, but that kind of pressure can only happen in the ocean.

For an example, diving at the depths of the Mariana's Trench, I can recall my brother saying before that the deeper you are in the sea the more  pressure your body receives. If the pressure keeps on adding, your body will crush due to that pressure but in the ocean's case—your lungs will be the only one to collapse. I’m no brainiac but the effect of the medicine is so confusing.

If this medicine is true then who is the genius that made this medicine possible and what are their motives in making it?

Mas lalo kong pinagkaguluhan ang cellphone ni Linette at laking gulat ko nang makita ko ang laman ng e-mail niya, there was an e-mail that she sent to my old e-mail address. It's the e-mail address I have in my bio data but I never use it, I have a new email now. There was a photo attached to it. Did Linette tried contacting me?

May 28, 2037

To📧: ayashivixenyamamoto723@g***l.com

From📧: lilylinette@g***l.com

Hi Ms. Yamamoto,

I am aware of your achievements in Japan, I know it is too much to ask but can you investigate this substance for me? I found it inside the school laboratory when I was busy cleaning the lab for the first day of school. I tried studying the substance at my father's personal laboratory yet even him find this substance strange. I'll send you the documents of my research about the substance. And by the way, my best friend, Kaitlyn Ortega is under an illegal alliance that help mysterious scientists to make this dangerous medicine. I can provide some evidence to you, I'll send them right away. I'm hoping and will be looking forward for your response.