Chapter 14: No Peace, No Rest

Arya's POV

"Sir, ano po ang relasyon ninyo kay Ms. Delos Santos?"

Kinamot niya ang kanyang panga bago sumagot, "Well, I'm her co-worker. Kasama niya akong waiter sa dining hall."

Base sa kaniyang mga paggagalaw, mukhang hindi niya masyadong close yung babaeng namatay. "And do you know other people na associated sa kanya?"

"Wala, hindi naman kasi siya friendly eh. Nagkakaproblema pa siya netong linggo, may babaeng pilit na nakikiusap sa kanya dito. But apart from that, wala na akong kilala."

"Anong pangalan nung isang babae?"

"Hindi ko alam, ang alam ko lang ay nagplaplano siyang tumakas sana! Kanina ka pa nagtatanong, may trabaho pa ako." This guy is absolutely useless and unnecessarily rude. Sumimangot ako at tumayo mula sa stool na kinauupuan ko pagkatapos ko inumin ang juice ko, it tasted weird but good.

Ibinaba ko ang ulo ko na nakakunot ang aking noo, I feel so tired. This was supposed to be our break, our vacation, I wanted to have fun and this is nit what I immagined. May nabangga naman akong pader habang lumalabas sa hall. At yung pader na yun ay isang nilalang pala na nagngangalang Lynch.

Damn, I feel so tired. Halos hindi ko na mabuhat ang bags sa ilalim nang mata ko, daig pa ang gamit kong bag sa campus.

Ano ba kasi ang ginawa nang babaeng ito at pinatay nila siya? Now, I can't even enjoy my short vacation. "Arya, I've got us some lead. Tara na!" Dagdag pang sakit sa ulo ang isang to, masyadong excited sa pagsolba ng mga riddles.

He led me to a room and took a key from his back pocket. I didn't even bother to ask how he got the key.

"So, ano naman ang nahanap mo?" Umupo ako sa kama, medyo natetempt pa akong matulog na lamang dito. "Well, I got the key from the receptionist and went here really early to search for clues. And I found these," May kinuha siya sa lamesa at inilagay sa bakanteng bahagi ng kama sa tabi ko.

Ang unang gamit ay kumpol kumpol na listahan ng mga utang na nakapaloob sa isnag ziploc, and ikalawa naman ay card, at ang ikatlo ay isang papel na basa. "Tapos, may nakita pa akong isang pangalan na familiar sa ating tatlo kaya isinama ko na rin siya sa listahan ng mga suspects ko."

"Ang unang papel na yan ay mga utang niya kay Rodrigo, ang boss niya. Hindi pala siya nagswesweldo para lamang mabayaran niya ang utang niya sa kanya. Tapos, yung ikalawa naman ay isang letter na nagmula sa isang Vince Ford, nagayaya ng date sa kanya, habang ang ikatlo ay isang death threat mula sa anonymous writer."

Pinulot ko yung papel,

Ibigay mo na sa akin ang hinihingi ko, kung hindi, isusunod kita.

Maghanda ka.

Tiningnan ko siya, "So, tatlo ang pangalan na nasa listahan mo ngayon? Sino yung ikatlo?" As soon as tinanong ko yon, may letrato na ipinakita niya sa akin. "The girl beside her, remember her?"

I thought for a second before remembering her face, "Shelby? Marky's Shelby?"

He nodded, "Hindi ko alam kung ano ang kaugnayan nila pero mukhang magkaibigan naman sila dito sa litrato. I asked Marky to call them all downstairs."

I yawned, the fatigue feeling was really catching up to me. "So why did you bring me here? Nandoon naman pala sila sa baba."

Kinamot niya ang buhok niya, as if wondering the same thing. "I-I really don't know why I did." He shrugged and sat down beside me, kinuha ko naman ang opirtunidad na ito para isandal ang ulo ko sa kaniyang balikat, "Can we go later? I'm really tired."

"What? Do you have a fever? Do you want me to take you to your room? Magpapacheck up ka ba? May sakit ka-" I cut him off bago pa siya magdaldal nang kung ano ano giyan, "Lynch, I'm fine," I let his hands feel my neck and forehead, "Wala akong sakit, medyo sleepy lang."

"Okay." And then he shut up and let me rest on his shoulder. It must've lasted for at least 10 minutes dahil medyo matagal din pero pinilit ko ang sarili kong bumangon. "Arya, are you sure na okay ka lang?"

"Oo, Lynch. Now, let's go solve this murder."

Nang dumating kami sa lobby, may isang lalaking panot na nakasuot ng polo at Hawaiian shorts at may relo pa sa kaliwang kamay, sa tabi niya ay may isang lalaking halos kasing edad ni Kuya Nero, walang relo pero may singsing sa kanyang index finger at may hawak na panyong malaki, at ang huli, si Shelby ay nakasuot ng simpleng short at sando habang nakikiusap kay Marky.

"We just have to ask you guys some questions and then you're all free to go."

Inanyayahan namin si Rodrigo, who simultaneously scratched with the hair left on his head, "Paano kayo magkakilala ni Jina? at nasaan kayo sa oras na namatay siya?"

"Well, ako ang boss niya at nasa restaurant ako nang mga oras na iyon.

We did the same with Vince Ford, who kept on wiping his sweat, "Hindi kami close pero yinaya ko siya sa isang date bago siya namatay, nalaman ko na lang na patay na pala siya sa sumunod na araw."

And then with Shelby, who kept on swirling her fingers around each other, "Magkakilala kami noong college tapos nagkita kami ulit. Hindi na kami close ngayon at minsan pa kami nagkita ngayong bakasyon. Nasa beach ako noon, running rounds."

I turned to Lynch as the three started to , "Something doesn't add up." He nodded, deep in thought. "Why would she write help?"

Until, suddenly, "Stop!" He screeched.

Bumalik naman ang tingin nilang tatlo sa amin. "I forgot one last thing..." Lumapit siya at sumunod ako, "Hold out your fingers."

"There's one factor I forgot...Look, in the bruises we saw on her neck, there were ring marks. So, the obvious person would've been you, Vince..."

"What?! I didn't even kill her! I only met her recently!" Sigaw naman niya pero agad agad na pinatahimik siya ni Lynch, "However, isang tao lamang ang hindi natin icoconsider na pumatay sa kanya dahil 'malinis' ang kanyang record, and that's none other than you, Shelby." He pointed to her before continuing, "You see, I finally pieced it up together. Ikaw at si Jina ay magkaibigan noon pero dahil nabaon siya sa utang at nalaman mo na plano ka niyang takasan, nagalit ka. You were fidgeting with your fingers earlier, as if twisting something that wasn't there...You wear rings on both hands but you removed them, kapag tititigan nang maiigi ang kanyang mga kamay, slightly lighter ang kulay nang ibang bahagi nito."

"That doesn't prove anything!" She defended herself.

"It proves everything. You are clinically diagnosed with anger issues, you wear rings on both hands, you had the motive to kill her and you did! You have been tailing her all week. And you decided to kill her when you argued in the dining hall because after that, you heard her talking to her co-worker about leaving. You knew about the budding relationship she had with Vince so you tried to frame him, you failed yet again. And then, suddenly, you become this angel running on the beach 'making rounds' right in the direction where the murder happened, coincidence? I think not."

Everyone had their mouths open but he wasn't finished, "Plus, there's this eeny-weeny tiny thing that I forgot to mention...Bakit naman isusulat ni Lina ang HELP sa buhangin na halos walang makakakita? Unless, she tried to stay alive until she was sure that she was in the public eye. Hindi siya namatay agad, nagpanggap lamang siya. And she wrote SHELBY hindi HELP, hoping that someone will find it. Pero nabura ang ibang letra."

"Stop! Stop! Just stop!"

"No, Shelby! You need to calm down, okay? You're the one who needs to stop." And she did. She fell down on the floor and sobbed, it was a heartbreaking scene. She had anger issues and couldn't control it, she hated herself for it...I can see it in her eyes. I know how it feels. And I know because we're the same. Self-loathing, cold blooded people. But she still has the chance to change early before she breaks.

Because there's no coming back from what you've done. You can only let time heal the wound.

"Lynch, I'm so proud of you! Ikaw rin, Arya at Marky! Ang gagaling ninyong tatlo, ooh!" Yinakap kami ni Tita Lina at pinagpipisil ang mga pisngi nina Marky at Lynch. "Mom, stop! This is embarrassing." He mumbled, a flush rising from his neck up to his cheeks.

Natawa naman ako sa mga reaksyon nilang dalawa. But I was seriously tired. Medyo mabigat na ang mga mata ko. "Now, boys, you listen to me. Aalis na kami ni Danilo dahil tinawag kami sa office but we don't want to ruin your vacation so alagaan ninyo si Arya. Lalong-lalo ka na, Lynch. Kasama ninyo ang Kuya Nero ninyo at iniwan ko sa kanya ang card ni papa niyo kaya gamitin ninyo, Ikaw Nero, huwag kang maging madamot sa mga bata. We leave first light tomorrow, iuuwi na namin si Meemo."

I didn't hear what they were talking about, I was completely out of the zone. Hindi ko namalayan na lumalakad na pala kami papunta sa kuarto ko, "-okay?"

I couldn't process what he was saying, ang utak ko ay parang nawatak-watak na hindi ko maintindihan. Nasa tapat na pala kami nang kuarto ko kaya nagpaalam na ako, "I think I'm gonna sleep. I'm tired, goodnight." I shut the door and hugged the comforter until I fell asleep.

I didn't even let him say goodnight.

Nagising ako na may kumakapa sa noo ko, "Hey, okay ka lang?"

I groaned, "I feel like shit."

He didn't even laugh or chuckle, he was serious, "Seryoso, alam mo ba na 42 degrees ang body temperature mo."

"Lynch, I swear, I don't have a fever...something's wrong with me." I couldn't even walk straight. Sinubukan kong umahon sa kama pero natumba ako, buti na lang ay nasalo niya ang katawan kong biglaang bumigay, "You're right, somethings wrong with you. This isn't something a fever would do. A rash is forming on your arm, what the heck is happening to you?"

"Lynch...I think I'm gonna-" I didn't finish my statement, I passed out suddenly with my body combusting and rashes over it. It's very painful.

I think I'm dying.

A/N: That's it. She's in danger...again. Can you please stop being in danger?

Arya: Can you please stop being such a bitch? No, yet still I endure.

Shut up!

Ehem, anyways, sana nagustuhan ninyo ang chapter na ito. I don't feel well though, my . is killing me😭😭😭

Walang masyadong nangyari sa chappy na ito, how boring😔😔😔

Butt...

Excited ako sa susunod na kabanata (Medyo matagal pa yun) kasi sobrang tawa ko sa naiimagine ko. Hayyy...😂😂😂

-Candy🍭🍭🍭