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My best friend’s body greeted me as I opened the door to our shared apartment. Her face disfigured, fresh blood pooling from her lifeless body and staining the entryway. Any remaining strength from my body seems to vanish as I fell onto my knees. I tried to speak – but my mouth only gaped uselessly, like a fish out of water. Everything went into a spiral in my mind, yet my senses still took in the metallic scent of blood wafting through the hallway, and the sight of Cosette, my best friend, with her tear stricken face, a body with stab wounds, and the unsightly Glasgow smile slashed between her cheeks.
It took me a minute to compose myself to grab my phone and call for help. It was too much to bear. One minute I was buying a cake to celebrate Cosette’s big break for her first blockbuster film, then the bloodied apartment and her lifeless body lying on the floor being the first thing that I see as I open the door. I made an attempt to regain my strength to stand up and leave, but it seems that the world suddenly blacks out and quivers, bringing me to fall down and succumb to darkness.
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The bright white light and a distant wailing siren woke me up. I found myself lying on a hospital bed with nurses and other staff, scurrying throughout the hospital. I was left alone with my handbag and phone on the side table. Everything’s happening too fast and so did the questions in my head. Before my head explodes, a nurse peeked through my curtain, carefully eyeing me if I’m awake. “Miss Esperanza, there’s someone who would like to talk to you.” the nurse asked. Behind her was a dark haired man, with thin framed glasses resting upon the bridge of his nose. Oh. A very familiar face. The very same face that I used to adore and share a romance with during my college days…
“Yes, I know him, thanks.” I replied weakly. Damn, I didn’t know that he'd come here. And why is he even in front of me? Shouldn’t he be somewhere else, like, at his penthouse? A bar? Or cooped up to his office? But then, something within me clicked, as though this sudden clarity made his presence reasonable. This man is Theodore Famenia, a forensic pathologist. My ex-boyfriend from ten years ago. And my best friend’s brother. Oh God. Of course that man is Cosette’s brother so it makes sense for him to rush over here, and it’s just mere coincidence that he found me here. That was so stupid of you Avery Joyce!
“Hello Avery.” Theodore said, closing the curtains behind him. His crooked glasses and slightly disheveled look gave hint that he rushed to the hospital after hearing the news. It was the first time in ten years that I saw this man in this state. Back then, he always made sure to look and act fine in front of his peers, to me, and Cosette. Given the situation now, it is understandable that he is in such a state. After all, who wouldn’t rush after receiving such news of your closest sister suddenly dead?
Theodore sat next to my bed, still in a daze of the entire ordeal. The scent of cleaning agents slightly clung to him, fresh from the morgue. He probably saw Cosette before arriving at the hospital. Hypothetically, he might be here to investigate the murder of his sister, but that’ll be impossible since he’s a blood relative, specifically her older brother. And within my knowledge, forensic pathologists cannot perform an autopsy on their relatives, hence the impossibility for him to do such thing. Unless…
“I’m doing it. And I need your help.” he blurted out in a whisper. I knew it. If there’s one thing that Theodore Famenia, a man of principles, would dare to do, it would be to bend the law at his own will, if it means that he gets what he wants. Although he never said his intention of conducting an investigation directly, his eyes showed his intent — a detail that I noticed during the time I was dating him. “You know you can’t do that, right?” I cautioned, “You’re putting your career on the line if you do this!”
Theodore sighed. “I know. But it’s my sister, Avery. And as her kuya, I can’t just sit by and watch the police take their sweet time on her case, knowing how the system moves in this country.” True. The justice system in the Philippines is considerably slow, making the attainability of justice for the victim almost impossible. “Secondly,” he added, “I noticed a pattern. It’s oddly familiar to a past case back in 2018… But I can’t remember who…”
A chill ran down my spine as I thought about it. If the killer is out and about again, this could mean potential harm to innocent lives who just wanted to make it big in the industry. This could mean that previous cases of the same situation might re-open, potentially giving the unnamed victims and their loved ones some answers. The risks were sky high in this case, but so does my morality telling me to gamble those said risks…
“Fine. I’ll help you.” I said. As long as it’s to give my friend’s death a well-deserved justice, then I am willing to go through any measures. Even if it means having to cooperate with my ex-boyfriend and not playing safe.
A flicker of gratitude shone in his eyes, “Thanks. I knew I could count on you.” Then he stood up from the chair beside me and slightly opened the curtains to leave my area, his figure retreated and blended with the crowd. Beside my bed, I saw two pieces of bread wrapped inside a plastic, with a bottle of water and a business card under it. It was Theodore’s. I hid the card in my purse and closed my eyes again, as the wave of drowsiness hit me again.