Chapter 22

"Mallory . . ." Sage touched my hand gently and brought it to his lips. Pumikit siya nang mariin. "Please, baby, talk to me . . ."

My throat is thick. I opened my mouth and tried to speak but no words came out.

"Mal . . ." his voice croaked.

"Mallory!"

I weakly turned my head to see Gideon catching his breath. Tumakbo siya papalapit sa akin at mabilis akong niyakap.

"God, did something happen to you? Are you okay?"

Hindi pa rin ako sumasagot.

"Mallory . . ."

"Just give her some time, please." Sierra butted in, gently untangling Gideon from me. "Let her rest for a bit. Tonight is . . . it's been a long night. You can all come home and we'll go back to the station tomorrow. The police permitted Mallory to go home already."

Masama na ang tingin ni Sage kay Gideon ngunit wala siyang sinabi. He quickly caught my hand and guided me back towards the car.

"Mallory—"

"I'm driving her home." Matigas na wika ni Sage. He glared at Gideon. "Sumabay ka na kay Sierra."

Gideon shot him an unbelievable look. "Are you fucking kidding me right now? Everything's a mess and now you're concerned about your jealousy—"

"Enough!" sigaw ko sa kanilang dalawa. Natahimik si Gideon at Sage. Sierra looks shocked. "Please, just . . . just shut up. I don't need anyone giving me a damn ride tonight! I'll walk alone!"

"Mallory—"

"Alone, I said!" I gritted my teeth angrily and walked away from them. Mabilis akong naglakad sa kabila ng lamig na humahaplos sa aking pisngi at ang panginginig ng aking lalamunan.

Leon . . .  Leon . . . Leon . . . He's gone.

Tumulo ulit ang aking mga luha. The tears blurred my vision as I walked down the empty streets, leading me to a shrine. Huminto ako at nagpalinga-linga. Naupo ako sa sementong hagdanan at isinubsob ang aking mukha sa mga palad.

"Leon . . ." I sobbed.

Leon planted a bullet in his head. I watched him die before my eyes. The gunshot. The pain inflicted on his face. My scream that night. The blood escaping from his head. The way he fell from the rootop.

I knew every little detail about it.

Mas lalong lumakas ang aking iyak. My chest started to hurt. Someone from the club found me crying on the rooftop while a chaos occurred on the ground when a dead body was found.

Tinitigan ko ang aking mga kamay. The blood from the gun is still there. I picked up the gun when Leon fell from the rooftop without realizing what they would think. And now I'm under interrogation.

They are questioning if it was really a suicide or a murder case.

---

"Mal . . ."

I weakly lifted my head up. Sage is standing from a good distance from me with a gloomy expression on his face. Dahan-dahan siyang lumapit sa akin. Hindi ko na namalayan kung ilang oras akong nanatili sa shrine. I didn't even know if I fell asleep in the process.

Sage removed his jacket and wrapped it around my shoulders. He planted a kiss on my forehead.

"Let's go home . . ." he said gently.

I nodded my head and accepted the hand he offered. The warmth from Sage's hands immediately spread throughout my body. It was enough to convince myself that he's here and I'm not alone. That I'm still alive.

"Everything's going to be okay, baby. Trust me. I won't let you go behind the bars . . ."

---

"You see, you need to answers my questions properly so could proceed smoothly." The policeman said, glancing at me and then back at his papers. "I understand that you are Mallory Castillo, yes?"

I nodded my head.

"And the dead body we found at Oden Tokyo last night belongs to Leon Armendanez?"

I nodded my head again.

"You and Leon Armendanez have been dating for four years. You two do not belong to this country. You are Filipinos."

Tumango ulit ako. Ibinagsak ko ang aking tingin sa aking mga daliri.

"We've found your fingerprints on the gun. As well as Leon's . . ." inilapag niya ang papel na hawak at sumandal sa kaniyang upuan. "Can you tell me, Mallory, what exactly have happened that night?"

I swallowed. It's still fresh in my mind and it hurts a lot to speak about it. Tumulong muli ang aking mga luha.

"H-He . . . He—"

"Yes?"

"H-He shot himself . . ." I choked.

"Why would he shoot himself, Mallory?"

"Because I was pregnant . . ." iniwas ko ang aking tingin sa kaniya. "With another man."

"Are you sure that's what happened?" may isinulat siya sa kaniyang papel at binalingan ulit ako.

Tumango ulit ako.

"Well, I'm sorry to say this but the interrogation is far from over yet. Based on the fact that you are pregnant with another man and you have been dating Leon Armendanez for four years, you have a motive for killing him. And that also includes your lover. Both of you have motives for killing Leon Armendanez."

Napahagulhol ako sa kaniyang sinabi.

"Do you know that his family are headed over here right now?"

Umiling ako.

"They wanted to talk to you, particularly Governor Armendanez and his real mother, I understand, is not coming with them."

Tumango ulit ako.

"Are you ready to answer their questions? We will provide a lawyer for you. But at any rate, the police wanted to make sure that this is really a suicide case and not a frame-up murder."

The policeman looked at me with sympathy. Inabutan niya ako ng isang box ng tissue.

"Here . . ." bumaba ang kaniyang tingin sa aking tiyan. "How about your child? Have you checked on the doctor yet?"

Umiling ako.

"I will try to excuse you for tonight so you could visit your doctor for a check-up. I understand that pregnant women are not allowed to go through an intense level of stress otherwise something bad could happen to the baby."

It was almost inaudible, but I managed to choke out a thank you to the officer before he left the room. Nanatili akong nakaupo hanggang sa may pumasok ulit at sinabing maaari na akong lumabas.

When I stepped out of the room, a hard slap greeted me by the door.

"Pinatay mo ang anak ko! Pinatay mo si Leon!" his stepmother, the wife of Governor Armendanez, shouted at my face. Mabilis na hinila siya ni Gideon papalayo sa akin samantalang si Sage ay niyakap ako at ihinarang ang kaniyang katawan mula sa kaniya. "Napakawalanghiya mong babae ka!"

"Calm down, please . . ." Gideon pleaded.

"You ungrateful brat! Tinanggap ka namin sa pamilya naming tapos ito ang ipapalit mo sa amin? You killed Leon!"

Wala akong ibang naisagot sa kaniya kung hindi ang aking iyak. I buried my face in Sage's chest and sobbed loudly.

"Walanghiya ka Mallory! Wala kang puso!"

My grip on Sage's shirt tightened.

"Please, calm down, Mrs. Armendanez. Mallory didn't do anything. It was Leon."

Itinulak nang malakas ni Mrs. Armendanez si Gideon at dinuro ulit ako. "You think my son would just plant a bullet on his head? It is clear to me that you shot him!"

"Please, Ma'am, we will settle this properly." The police officer showed up again and rubbed his temples. He nodded at one of his men. "But for now, you can't see Mallory Castillo while you're still raging."

Inilayo ako ni Sage mula sa kanila. Sierra bit her lower lips and followed us. I dared to look back at them and saw Gov. Armendanez' face. He looks disappointed, angry, and sad at the same time. I can see it in his eyes that he's also restraining himself from hurting me.

"Mal . . ."

Napalingon ako kay Sage. Mahigpit ang kaniyang hawak sa akin.

"I promise I won't let you stay long in here. You're going home anytime this week and this will be all over." He squeezed my arms affectionately. "I promise."

Tumango ako at pinigilan ang pagtulo ng aking mga luha.

I hope so, Sage. I hope so . . .