His Past

I investigate further on the death of Romy Felizar and his wife. I cross the police line and wear special clothing that hides my tracks or fingerprints. Somehow, I can see that the crime was committed at the unexpected of times. His wife was at the kitchen cooking breakfast since when I first saw the corpses, the wife was positioned in the kitchen leaving eggs to be burned. Then, Romy was near the door when it occurred. His wife might have screamed, and when he went out to check on her, there he goes without a scream. The neighbors seem to be oblivious to the crime as they are either asleep or the crime was committed silently.

I go over some opened letter, and I see one familiar letter. It holds the logo of the RSC, a monogram of his name with swivels of line around it as if it represents lines of connection everywhere he goes.

It is a personal letter from the CEO, Emma's father. Raphael is sad to inform Romy that Emma is dying and he is in desperate need of an heir to succeed her. He says he is not willing to acknowledge his bastards as his heirs as he does not want to shame himself. Instead, he names him as the heir as he is a close relation to him as a cousin through his father's line.

In the envelope, a copy of the official document is included. It is said in the letter that Raphael wills his cousin, Romy, as his only heir.

Somehow, as far as Professor Diwa has explained to me, Ysabel is willing to remove anyone who is a challenge to her inheritance. She does not worry about Emma, as she only needs to wait until her breath takes her. Rex was a threat since he was willing to buy a share from the RSC. This would divide the RSC. When the company is divided, she would have to deal with a lesser inheritance. I know that she wants it as a whole; therefore, her only way is to get rid of him.

And now, Raphael actually manages to solve a problem that would threaten the economy if exposed. He finds an heir that seems to be an unlikely heir as he is not a man part of the elite. As far as I have observed through photos, Romy is nothing more than a computer engineer. He does not seem to desire wealth since he lives in a modest house with his wife.

I go through his documents on his computer, and I saw that a recent document was written. He was typing a reply letter to his cousin, Raphael. It says that he is honored to be named as heir, but he does not want it. He understands that there is no other choice; therefore, he says that he will take it up as a burden as a means of gratitude to him as it seems that Romy owes Raphael a favor. It was typed the night before the incident.

As far as I can conclude, Ysabel might be behind this. Romy is another named heir, and with him out of the way, Raphael might have to name her as the heir. I think this is a personal hit at Raphael. She seems to give a message that she would kill anyone that he names as an heir and it would rest on Raphael's conscience if he does not write her name on his will. It will be his stubbornness that will cause the death of his family.

Still, I do not know who Ysabel Javier is. I do know that she shares a surname with Emma's mother, but since this is a bastard of Raphael, he might have gotten a child from a close relation of Lerine Concepcion. Or, it could just be that the woman he had an affair with is just a woman that has a similar surname to Lerine.

Suddenly, I hear a knock on the gate. Instinctively, I decided to hide in the closet. It could be the cops. I am afraid that they will arrest me for crossing the police tape and taking matters into my own hands when I promised I wouldn't. Then again, I realized that the cops had been silent all these days. The street seems undisturbed as they seem to think that it is another ordinary day. They do not know that there is a murder that occurred. If they do not know the murder, then certainly, the cops had not visited many times to investigate the case. It was as if they abandoned the investigation altogether, just like what they did with Rex.

How much bribe does this woman give? How could she turn the cops to her side once more? The cops had taken away the bodies for examining, but I suppose this is nothing but a means to silence the case. It could be for an autopsy, but it couldn't be more obvious that they had been killed with a knife. As the gate opens, I think for a moment of what is going on. Are my suspicions wrong and the cops are going back to check on the case? Or, is it that a friend of Romy, or worse, Raphael, is coming over to check on the lovely young man who is now dead?

I realize that it was only one person who was coming over. I realize that my suspicions are indeed true. The cops had abandoned the search for the truth once more. I take a peek out of the closet, and I see that it was a man wearing slacks who was going over the silent home covered with police tape, plastic wraps, chalk marking, and everything. Suddenly, he goes inside the room where I am in. I immediately hide and look silently at what he is going to do. To my surprise, he just goes around inspecting the room. Suddenly, he looks to the closet and I finally get a glimpse of his face. Professor Diwa? Oh, seriously! Why is he involved in everyone's business?

To be honest, in my journey, Professor Diwa is the wildcard. I do not know his reasons and purposes for doing anything. I do not even know why he cares. Most of all, I do not even know how he can be connected to everyone. I know everyone's purpose. Mateo is my partner. Eloisa is supposed to be my partner in my search for Emma's lover but I suppose nothing will happen between us as we share different views on what we should do. Atty. Guevarra is my lawyer who has secret goals that he thinks we share. Lastly, the murderer is out to get me. Professor Diwa, he is the only one I do not understand. Still, my foolish affection for him threatens me.

Then, I made the most wrongful choice of all. He opens the closet and he can see my stunned face looking awkwardly towards him.

"Les journalistes sont vraiment une poignée. Ils traversent tellement même pour le faire."

He takes my hand and pulls me out of the closet. Oddly enough, he does not immediately ask for my reasons for being here. Instead, he remarks on my willingness to go through this. At the back of my mind, there is a part of me that processes the language he spoke. Then, a memory of Mateo flashes in my head. I remember his intonation and accent as he reads Emma's side note, and then, I remember that Emma wrote it in French. French. . . he can speak French. Somehow, he is indeed a man of many talents.

Awkwardly enough, he just walks away as if seeing me is not that much of an importance to him. Then, it strikes me. If this man is visiting Romy, then he must certainly be related to him. Then, remember how solemn he walks around the home. He must not have understood what's going on. Instead, I walk out of the room and see him just sitting on the sofa. I was about to leave him there when suddenly he calls out to me.

"Rosanna, stay with me for a while," he says. "I need someone to talk to."

Those words. . . I have always dreamed of him calling to me and wishing my company. I have always prayed to be with him. I have always wanted him to talk to me and ask me to stay. I know that this must feel victory for me, but instead, I feel blank. He does not wish my company upon his desires or love; rather he wishes that I be with him for comfort. I am not his comforter. It was bittersweet for me thinking that he will always remain innocent about my love for him.

I oblige to him as my senior. I take a seat on the solo seat of the sofa set. Still, I see his puzzled gaze on me. I know he understands nothing and all I see from him is just a gaze of confusion.

"Please, Rosanna, spare my pain," he says bluntly. "Tell me what you know. You must tell me!"

Then, I went on to tell him about everything I am certain. I do not tell him about my suspicion of Ysabel's connection with the murder. I do not even tell that the cops have abandoned the investigation. I only tell him the truth that I am certain of.

"I do not understand," he says. "Romy is a simple person. Why would anyone kill him?"

"There is one reason I suspect," I say hesitantly. "As an investigative journalist, I went through Romy's letters, and I found an open letter stating that Romy is the new heir of the RSC. You said it yourself that Ysabel is willing to kill potential heirs to the RSC. Romy is just one of the many that will die if Raphael Concepcion will not declare Ysabel as his heir."

"But he is not the heir!" the man who has just lost his friend blurts out in anger. "Your friend, Emma Concepcion, is the true heir that will inherit the RSC when her father dies!"

"No, she will not," I say bitterly.

"Why is that?" he asks.

"It's because she is dying!" I exclaim. "A stubborn man is searching for heirs to inherit his heirless company and he is certainly not willing to shame himself by declaring his bastard his heir."

A silence forms between us. Through our silence, I realize that I blurted out a secret that would scandalize the elite if they realize it. I have forgotten that this man is elite himself. Through his Diwa line, he is a political influence.

"So. . . Chloe's sister is dying," he says bitterly. "No wonder she torments me bitterly out of spite just because she cannot have a claim in the Concepcion fortune. Tell me, why is this not in the papers yet? You certainly did a well-done job on making the Concepcions famous through your investigation on a private betrothal between the now dead heir of Rade Real Estates and the heir of the RSC, but how could you not release a statement on her coming death?"

"It's for respect," I say.

"Well, anyway, you say that," he says.

"Now, I shall ask," I say. "What is your relation to the dead man?"

"He is my friend," he says kindly. "We treated each other like brothers. He was also the man that made me best man at his wedding. He loved his wife dearly. It's a pity that they have not yet bore a child after their four years of a marriage."

"Might I ask, sir?" I say. "Are you friends with Emma's sister? I mean, I just want to ask because, during these days, I see you often with her."

"We are not exactly friends like the way we used to," he says. "Romy and Chloe were once a couple until it all went awry. I am a friend of both; therefore, I should be the mediator. Unfortunately, there came a time I had to choose a side. I weighted their arguments and I have seen Romy as the more reasonable one. I had to take his side, but on that day, I knew I made an enemy of her."

"Forgive me for this, but I was once at the coffee shop near the school when you, two, had a talk," I begin. "Is it true that you are – "

"A fornicator?" he asks. "Or, how about an adulterer? Heavens, no, child! It was a rumor to take down my reputation and she only rekindled it. I would only do it with someone I truly love, child. I would not go around whoring or whatever it is you mean. Do not think it so."

We have a good talk concerning everything. As I talk with him, he asks for my reasons for remaining constant and going through all of these. He asks for my true objectives in all of these.

I tell him Mateo and I's journey through investigative journalism. We share the same mission of wanting to find the murderer and put her behind bars. Now, that it has come to a near dead end, I fell utterly lost. I only want to end this and release it as a story to be a warning to the elites that there is always one media outlet that will let the truth prevail. Also, in the process of this search, I want to find the man who can be a son of the enemy, but also be someone who can face enormous foes. In the end, he can always be a kindred spirit to someone. That is the greatest mystery of all that I want to solve.

"Why on earth would you want to find a person like that?" he asks after I told him about the search.

"I do not want to find someone like that, but rather the person who is that. Sir, you would not understand it."

I realize that I have told him too much. He should not be involved in this mess. Why did I even tell him that? Quickly, I rise from my seat.

"I have to go now, sir," I say just to escape the things that I could tell him out of trust. "I fear that I am already staying too late here."

Before I can step outside the door, he stops me. "Wait, Rosanna, there is something I need to tell you."

I look back at him. "What is it?"

"I just wanted to say that. . . whatever truth you find, you need to see it with impartiality. Alright?"

That was quite odd of him to say that. Anyway, it does not matter. I have learned this years ago for it is the very principles I have learned over the years.

"It's a journalism thing, sir. Of course, I do that. I report my words with truth and no other fallacy. I have to go to the hospital anyway. I need to visit my friend."

We end our talk in good terms. We part on our separate ways and bid that God be with each other as we go along. As we part, he bids the best of blessings along the way. He also wishes the best of greetings to my dying friend. And with that gesture, I know that he is far too pious to be a fornicator or adulterer. He may have proven himself not guilty on that but he has not shown his true colors. I will always suspect him for his secrecy.