Investigation (XIV)

1:30 A.M. 

Manila National Police Station. 

July 21st, the year 2018. Saturday. 

Katrina Fajardo's 23rd birthday. 

7 hours and 2 minutes since Katrina Fajardo went missing. 

"I'm sure it wasn't hers. The officers who I commanded to be on their tail were right behind them. How can they?" 

Xian's accident... when a person wearing an oversized black hoodie was riding a motorcycle, came to his mind. They had been leading him towards the other side of the national road. The culprit for Katrina's abduction was riding a car that time, and Marcus came to notice that it was jet black. 

"Wait up, the color of the car that they were chasing down on that road. Did they lose it?" Marcus asked. Lieutenant Lirio pursed his lips, motioning for the officers who accepted the order. They scratched their necks, worrying that Marcus will scold them when he finds out. 

Marcus exhaled, realizing that there were two cars that might switch. It might lead them in another direction. He waited for Lieutenant Lirio to answer over the phone. Zoey nodded beside Carmela. 

"I'll be there shortly, don't worry, I'm here at the Bella's Main Highway. Is Marcus still there? Or he had gone to the other side of the national road for the investigation?" Abbey asked, emotionless. She observed the few cars who passed by.

She kept what she saw over her brother at their house, especially the spot of blood on their front gate. It was suspicious for her to see those spots, also the soaked part of Xyrelle's pants. The metallic scent was still lingering in her nostrils. Behind that smile that he granted upon her earlier in the kitchen, is Xyrelle hiding something from that mask he was wearing... if there were any? 

"Abbey? Abbey?" Zoey called out over the other end of the line as she came back into reality. Abbey huffed an air and stepped onto the gas pedal first before answering Zoey. 

"Marcus was still here, talking to someone on the phone. Keep safe while driving. We will wait for you at the parking lot of the station," Zoey hung up the line. Carmela retrieved her cell phone and saw a text from her aunt Martha. 

She sighed, typing in that she had to be here until sunrise because her best friend, Katrina, had gone missing. She sighed after. Marcus exhaled. It made everyone shift their eyes towards him. 

"They lost the car that they had been chasing over the highway, Lieutenant Dela Rosa. They were apologizing now on your behalf. They thought that the one they were chasing was the one we tried to catch," Lieutenant Lirio announced. He patted the two officers on the side of their police patrol car and nodded at them. 

"It's okay now. I'll talk to Lieutenant Dela Rosa about this. You don't need to worry much. I'm sure he will understand." Lieutenant Lirio covered the mouthpiece of his cell phone first. They bowed down their heads again as Lieutenant Lirio nodded at them and turned his heel around. Marcus hissed as he licked his bottom lip while his best friends were watching him.

"An officer found spots of blood on the bark of a tree a distance away from the dandelion hoodie inside the trash bag. You should head straight here, Lieutenant. You can check it personally," Lieutenant Lirio addressed. Marcus pursed his lips. 

A car parked at the front of the station. They all averted their eyes and saw Abbey climbing out of the car. She ran over beside Zoey with a worried look and bowed down her head at Marcus. 

"I should head there. I'll command someone to guard Mr. Santos first in the holding cell. Investigate everything suspicious down there. We need to find those clues beforehand so that we can fit it into a puzzle together," Marcus ordered. He's determined to solve this case and find wherever Katrina is. He nodded towards his best friends to hop in their cars right away.

They moved separately as Marcus ran over to the far side of the lot and climbed inside his car. He placed his cell phone over his shoulder. He's on the way there, as he said. 

He called at the information after he hung up Lieutenant Lirio's call. They should direct him to Lieutenant Jacob, the leader of the Violent Crimes Division. He stepped on the gas pedal, zooming out of the highway. He was now behind his girlfriend, Zoey, who was now speeding up on Bella's Main Highway. 

"Lieutenant Jacob from the Violent Crimes Division speaking, what can I do for you?" 

Marcus sighed as he gripped the steering wheel tightly.

"Lieutenant Jacob, I have a favor to ask you for this investigation," Marcus pondered. Lieutenant Jacob furrowed his eyebrows. 

"What is it, Lieutenant Dela Rosa?" 

"I need you to guard Xian Santos, who is now in the first holding cell of the station. You need to guard him while I am away. He is the first target," Marcus exhaled over the phone. They reached the other side of the national road in a matter of minutes. 

"What? The first target?" Lieutenant Jacob stood up from his seat. He went out of his office, disturbing his teammates by discussing Margo's murder case.

"Yes. I will explain to you later on. I needed to head down through the side of the Reyes' Convenience Store, and it was a few feet away from Margo's crime scene. Katrina Fajardo had been abducted 7 hours earlier. I need you... to guard Xian Santos first," Marcus breathed out the information. 

Lieutenant Jacob motioned for them to stand up as he agreed to what Marcus said. He hung up and put his hands over his hips as he commanded them to go over to the holding cell and guard Xian Santos. 

"You need to be awake to do this. It might kill someone anytime again. You must protect Mr. Santos for us to solve this case," Lieutenant Jacob ordered. They scrambled up out of the door and ran over the hallways. 

He exhaled, seeing the smiling face of Margo Monteverde over their whiteboard. 

…

Abbey bit her lip and tried to connect the thoughts that had been bugging in her mind. She knew her brother had to do with the situation happening right now. But she was not in the right place to judge him. Something had injured him earlier, and she knew Xyrelle was telling the truth. Her brother never lies. 

Lieutenant Lirio crouched down underneath the police line. He wore white, disposable gloves before heading straight. They were observing the bark of the tree. 

He averted his eyes from Ms. Feliciano and saw the spots of blood over the tree. It was on the same level as his chest and he squinted his eyes as he saw it was like a stroke of fingers. 

"There were no spots of blood. It was like someone passed over here," Ms. Feliciano said as she darted her eyes over the side of the tree. Lieutenant Lirio and Sergeant Kim were thinking the same thing, too. They narrowed their eyes at the bark of the tree. 

Sergeant Kim made a gesture in the air. Lieutenant Lirio watched as she stroked her hand in the air the same way as the blood had spotted. 

Ms. Feliciano crouched down on the ground as she saw a few leaves scattered beside the tree. She shed some light over there and saw a few spots of blood on the ground. She sighed as she mumbled, "The victim had been here. Or was it the culprit? They had shot him on his leg, so we don't know whether it was Katrina or the person wearing an oversized black hoodie." 

She motioned for one of her teams to retrieve some samples over the bark of the tree. The same as the one on the leaves. Lieutenant Lirio and Sergeant Kim heard a loud screeching of the cars. Parking at the side, they halted abruptly. 

They ran over the police line again. Lieutenant Marcus breathing rapidly as he climbed out of his car.