CHAPTER 30: IGNATIUS

SORCHA'S POV

Pinagmasdan ko ang natutulog na mukha ni Daze. He looks so peaceful, even though I know his heart isn't at peace. Not after everything he told me that he had kept buried for years. Not after the box of secrets he opened and gave to me.

"You've endured a lot, haven't you?" I couldn't help but touch his cheek. We're still curled up on the floor with his arms around me. Even in his sleep, he's still holding on to me tight. "You're stronger than you think you are, Henderson. You can still smile and laugh after everything that has happened to you. Those things... they weren't in your control. You were robbed of control, and you managed to get it back."

Grant Henderson shot himself in the head in front of his family. In front of, Daze. It was heartbreaking, but for Grant, that's how he regained control of his life. Buhay niya na ginawang laro ng mga taong dapat pumrotekta sa kaniya.

Daze did it by losing all ties with his parents, gaining his grandparents trust, inheriting a fortune, and naming his business after his brother. He did that while doing what he loved, which was acting.

What happened could have ruined his dream for him, yet he made his own path away from his parents' influence. Mas malaki siguro ang naabot niya kung nasa ibang bansa siya.

"That wasn't my dream. My dream is what I have now because I had it my way. Hindi dahil sa kanila. They have no part in the career I built here. They have no say in anything. The dream I'm living is my own dream, not the dream they had for me and my brother. And for me, that's just one of the many ways they could pay me back for taking my brother away from me."

With everything that he told me, it finally made sense why he kept everything a secret. Iba ang dahilan niya sa dahilan ng mga magulang niya. His parents wanted to hide it because it would cause a scandal. No one even knows that Grand Henderson died by a gun except his family. Ang alam lang ng mga tao ay ang pagpanaw niya.

But Daze didn't want to reveal the story behind his brother's death because he didn't want his reputation tarnished. Na malaman ng mundo kung anong nangyari sa kaniya. Something that his brother did his best to hide. Something that he wanted to keep hidden even when he's gone.

"He left me a letter. Just me. He said sorry again and again. He said he tried to live. He tried to forget. He said he was sorry that he couldn't. He couldn't live with it, Sorcha. I don't think anyone could have made him stay. Not even me."

So Daze did the next best thing he could. Before he left Australia, he reached out to everyone that his brother mentioned who had gone through the same experience. He reached out to anyone who worked and was still working around that man.

Just like his brother, they were afraid. But Daze said that he would come forward. He didn't tell them that it was for his brother. He told them what he was about to do, as if he were the victim himself.

It wasn't long before people started coming forward. There was a long list of boys—boys that were already men and girls that had already become women—who shared their stories. One of those was Daze.

"You're the only one that knows, Sorcha, that I lied. I lied without remorse. I lied like it happened to me. Not even my parents could deny it because, for all they know, it indeed happened just like it did with my brother." Mapait siyang ngumiti. No one can miss the pain coloring his face. "But the case was a quiet one. No one knew who was in that court except for me and his victims. But I took the stand, looked at him, and told my story. Story that he knows didn't happen, but a story that he knew why I made."

For those people in there, Daze was just like them. But just like Daze said, I'm the only one who knows that the statement he gave everyone was all just lies.

The director, who at that time was also a producer, was registered as a sex offender and wouldn't be able to work in an environment that requires being around children. He was also sentenced to twenty years, with the possibility of parole.

After that, Daze went to the Philippines, where he stayed with his grandparents. He said that they knew what happened and were heartbroken for him and his brother. His grandparents protected Daze from being contacted by his parents, and until their deaths, they made sure that Daze would be okay. By the time his parents knew where he went, he was no longer a minor. He had already turned eighteen, so there's nothing much that they could do. At kung sinubukan man nila ay handa si Daze na lumaban para hindi muling bumalik sa kanila.

"You never fully healed," I whispered softly. "Someday, I hope you will."

Napatingin ako sa direksyon nang pinto nang makarinig ako ng pagkilos doon. There was a bit of hesitation before the door opened.

Wala ng saysay para magtago pa. I also didn't want to move. Hours ago, I would have. But I want Daze to rest. He deserves to rest.

"We're both fully clothed," I said with a roll of my eyes at my brother.

Lukot ang ilong na pumasok siya at maingat na sinarado niya ang pintuan sa likod niya. He looks like he wants to run back into his house and bleach his eyes. And probably his brain. I would have done the same if I saw him curled up with a woman on his living room's floor.

"Let him stay here," I told him. "He'll be fine with me."

"Sorcha—"

"O kaya matulog ka sa guest room. Your choice."

He brushed his fingers through his hair. As my brother, he probably wants to pull Daze away from me. But at the same time, because he is exactly that, which is my brother, he knows that I have never been this way with anyone in my life.

"What is going on here, Sorch? You and him... are you—"

"No."

"Then—"

"I don't know what we are anymore."

Nilingon ko si Daze at pinagmasdan ko siya. I know I still want what I originally wanted. I want a life without complications, and a relationship is one of the most complicated things on the planet. But I can't say that we are nothing now. I can't say that I don't care much, aside from the physical pull I'm feeling when he's around.

Napabuntong-hininga ang kapatid ko nang makita niya marahil ang pagkalito sa mukha ko. "I'll sleep in the guest room. He's still my case."

"Suit yourself."

Naglakad siya sa direksyon ng kuwarto pero sandaling huminto rin siya at nilingon ako. "Don't get your heart broken, Sorcha."

"Kuya—"

"But don't break his either. He's a good man."

I know that. That's the problem.

HINDI INAALIS ang mga mata sa monitor na nasa harapan ko na inilahad ko ang kamay ko. Pero imbis na ipatong doon ni Daze ang pinaprint ko sa kaniya ay sa lamesa ko niya iyon na binaba.

I looked up at him, and he winked at me. "I don't want to hurt your beautiful hands. Ang dami pa naman nito."

I glanced at the stack of papers on the table. Ang dami nga ng mga iyon.

"Do you really need printed copies?" Humila siya ng upuan at umupo siya sa tabi ko. "Nandiyan naman na sa computer mo. Isn't it better that you have a more advanced tool to use?"

"Digital files could easily be corrupted or deleted, and it's not impossible to lose them due to technical issues. We also keep printed copies here at Dagger. Saka isa pa ay mas gusto kong mag cross-verification ng ganito."

"There's so much of it," napapakamot na sabi ni Daze. "Can I help you with anything?"

Umiling ako. This is the part that I really can't teach him easily. It's a complex process that requires a lot of training, not just simply observing and shadowing that Daze has been doing.

"If you shoot the movie and it involves this scene, just act like you're fully concentrating." Something I need to do right now.

Nangalumbaba siya. "Then I'll just observe how you do it." When I rolled my eyes, he grinned. "Promise, I won't disturb you."

I gave him a look. "Make sure to keep that promise."

Itinaas niya ang kamay niya na parang namamanata. "Yes, Ma'am!"

Napapailing na binalingan ko na ang mga dokumento sa harapan ko. From time to time, I also use the monitor to find things easily.

There's a lot to be reviewed because we tested a lot of things. Maging ang mga gamit ni Daze na matagal ng niregalo sa kaniya noon ay nagawa na rin naming i-proseso at ihanda para sa analysis.

I don't know how long I've crouched over the data in front of me. Paminsan-minsan ay kumikilos si Daze na nasa tabi ko pa rin. He kept his promise, and he didn't make a single sound for what seemed like hours. He has wireless earphones on, and he's watching something on his phone, but I would feel his eyes on me occasionally.

Most of the fingerprints found in the gifts were just Daze's prints, his manager's, and random prints that must have come from the one who gifted them to him. Ilan sa mga iyon ay nagkakapareho dahil ang ilan ay galing sa parehas na mga tao. It wasn't uncommon, since it's only natural that some of his fans would give him multiple gifts.

None of it appeared registered anywhere except from government agencies for identification purposes, such as licenses. None came from the police's database. Pero kung hindi naman kasi nagkaroon ng record ang tao na hinahanap namin ay posible talagang hindi siya lumabas sa database ng pulisya. That's why I'm still treating everyone as a suspect.

This is why I told Daze that I couldn't teach him this part. Analysis like this requires more than the knowledge learned from observing and the knowledge acquired from studying. To recognize patterns that might be too subtle, which can result in them being overlooked, to see inconsistencies, and to detect anomalies, it takes an intuitive judgment that has been honed through experience.

The rustle of papers could be heard in the room as I scanned document after document. Natigilan ako nang may mahagip ang mga mata ko.

Sa lahat ng mga regalo na natanggap ni Daze, higit sa trenta ang nag-match mula sa dati niya ng natanggap na regalo at sa mga bago lang. Just like Daze said, he didn't keep every gift his fans gave him. Some were donated. Iyong iba nagamit niya na o naka-display. But he kept all the letters given to him except those that had something explicit in them. There was nothing amiss with the letters. Just the normal things fans say to their idols.

Sa lahat ng mga regalo na natanggap ni Daze, higit sa trenta ang nag-match mula sa dati niya ng natanggap na regalo at sa mga bago lang. Ilan ay mula sa mga damit, character figurines, pero karamihan ay galing sa mga sulat sa kaniya.

"Khione." My voice sounded loud in the quiet room. Nag-angat ako ng mukha at nagtama ang mga mata namin ng babae na nakatingin na rin sa akin. "Can you pull up information about Vanessa Santana and Aubrey Ballard? It's important that I see their fingerprints."

She nodded. "Give me fifteen."

I turned back to the papers in front of me. Hindi lahat ng regalo na natanggap ni Daze ay may mga pangalan. Merong iba na first name lang at may iba na parang code name lang. Mula sa mga lumang letra ay mayroong nakalagda na Vanessa ang pangalan. Meron ding Aubrey. Both of them matched with a gift that came from Ignatius.

However, I can't be certain that they are the same Vanessa and Aubrey that were involved in this case. Hindi lang iisa ang may mga ganoong pangalan sa data na hawak ko. There's three Vanessas and two Aubreys.

The thing is, if it is indeed them, if the letters that match with the gift from Ignatius are indeed Vanessa Santana or Aubrey Ballard's, then that changes everything. Because that gift was given just recently, which would be impossible because both women are dead.

"You have it," Khione informed me.

I turned to the monitor, and I quickly opened the files she gave me. Pakiramdam ko ay binalot ako ng lamig sa nakita ko.

"Call the Dawsons." I turned to Daze, and I found him already looking at me. "We have a lead."

There was a flurry of activities, but my eyes stayed on Daze. I could see the question on his face. A lot of them.

"You probably didn't know you still had it, but among the letters given to you before, you received one from Aubrey Ballard and Vanessa Santana." I pointed at the paper in front of me, and he glanced at it before his gaze returned to me. "You received a gift just recently. One has a code name written on it. Ignatius. The prints found in the gift matched with Aubrey and Vanessa's letters."

"W-What? But they're—"

"Dead? Yes. That's the problem. They're supposed to be dead. At least I'm sure that one of them is dead." Binalingan ko ang mga papel. I touched the paper that contained Ignatius' prints. "There were a lot of matches, you know? You have a lot of fans that keep giving you gifts. Noon man o ngayon. So of course their prints will appear twice or multiple times. But this one caught my attention. You know why?" Hindi ko siya hinintay na sumagot at sa halip ay inabot ko ang mouse ng computer. I typed it into a search engine and pointed it to Daze. "Ignatius. St. Ignatius. It's a tree. Its scientific name is strychnos ignatii. It produces a seed, a bean, which is known as the St. Ignatius Bean. It contains strychnine."

"Strychnine... that sounds familiar."

"Because you've heard it before. It was the poison found in Vanessa Santana."

______________________End of Chapter 30.