Investigation (XVII)

2:15 A.M. 

At the other side of the national road towards the exit of the Capital of Manila. 

July 21st, the year 2018. Saturday. 

Katrina Fajardo's 23rd birthday. 

7 hours and 47 minutes since Katrina Fajardo went missing. 

Mina controlled the tears from his eyes. Zoey noticed the two talking far away from her and Abbey. She shrugged a bit towards her and she observed Marcus over the insides of the woods. 

"Even Zoey, who was soothing her in every way, I know it was opposite of what she was thinking. Marcus and Carmela, their minds were the hardest thoughts I have ever crossed. Their eyes also said the same thing. How they look at Katrina with contempt," Matthew stated as he looked down at his feet. It was exactly what look he had thrown into Katrina that day. 

It was the anger that had been boiling at his heart, and Matthew was right. Mina held his knees as the tears escaped from his eyes immediately. He can't help but sob as he closed his eyes tightly while looking at that dried spot of blood at his feet. 

"Katrina... I'm so sorry," he whispered in the air and wished that Katrina would hear him. Matthew closed his eyes tightly as the tears kept falling down his cheeks. 

Another set of lights from the cars blinded Zoey and Abbey. They saw officers running over the laboratory car.

...

Marcus straightened his gloves over the wrists. Lieutenant Lirio explained everything about the time he came over here. Ms. Feliciano and the leading forensic team were investigating. They were searching for clues at the setting and the location. 

"Two investigators observed the surroundings first on where they led upon. But as you said, Lieutenant Dela Rosa, your assumption is that the jet black cars that were holding the culprit and the victim, Katrina Fajardo... they're switched. The officers stated earlier that they were chasing the right car. They got puzzled how they led up towards the other side of the national road. They knew that Margo Monteverde's murder scene happened there," Lieutenant Lirio elaborated. They stopped right at the police line. 

"I knew it. They had switched the cars, I am sure of it. But it was still an assumption for us. No one can confirm everything other than Katrina, the victim." Lieutenant Marcus shifted his eyes towards the ground. He sharply gazed at his colleague. 

"The clues that the forensic team obtained earlier were nothing suspicious. It was as if we were investigating here because of someone who fled. The question that had been forming in my mind, Lieutenant Dela Rosa, was the dandelion hoodie." Lieutenant Lirio muttered as he put his hands over his hips. Marcus observed the officers sprinting towards the laboratory car. 

"There was blood in it?" Marcus asked. He squinted his eyes towards the doctor, who received the trays on the laboratory car. The officers ran up over the street again. Lieutenant Lirio nodded as Marcus looked back at him.

"I'm uncertain if it was in her left or right abdomen. But the blood spilled right through the hoodie. What matters now is the results. If the DNA of the blood that's found over that hoodie matched hers... we will take another step forward towards this investigation," Marcus drawled. Lieutenant Lirio pursed his lips, nodding. Marcus averted his eyes towards Ms. Feliciano and Sergeant Kim. They were watching the investigators retrieve some swabs of the spots of the blood on the tree. 

"I was thinking, Lieutenant Dela Rosa. How can Katrina run over here without the officers noticing?" Lieutenant Lirio asked him while they were walking a few distances. Marcus also considered that thought and nodded right away. 

He sighed and responded, "Yeah, Mr. Lieutenant. I also suspect that's the case. We all have our own assumptions, and I am glad that my thoughts were matching yours. What we need right now is that DNA, we can investigate from here when it matches Katrina's." 

Lieutenant Lirio stopped right at the bark of the tree. The investigator stood up, successfully retrieving a blood sample. He bowed down his head towards the leaders of the investigation. Marcus followed him out of the woods with his eyes as the trees rustled around them. 

"We were lucky to find that evidence 7 hours after Katrina Fajardo went missing---" 

Marcus cut off what Ms. Feliciano had said as he studied the spots of the blood. He narrowed his eyes as he saw that someone had brushed the blood on that bark. 

He averted his eyes towards the other side of the tree and the barricades of the leaves. The spots of blood were still evident towards it as Marcus picked up a leaf from the pile. He turned it back and around and creased his forehead while standing up.

"It's as if someone had placed the spots of blood here literally on the leaves," Marcus whispered. He crouched down quickly again, narrowing his eyes. He darted his eyes everywhere. There were no clues that could lead them up towards the footprints of the culprit. Marcus bit his lip for a second and turned to Ms. Feliciano again as she was raising her eyebrows. 

"Did you check any tire tracks over the street? It can help us with this investigation," Marcus stated. Ms. Feliciano nodded. 

"We were still in progress of tracing the tire tracks a distance away from the store. We are going to continue it as you command," Ms. Feliciano said as she saluted and bowed down her head before leaving. Marcus heard her loud shout over her team and she ordered them to continue tracing the tire tracks. 

"Sergeant Kim, check the progress of the blood test over the dandelion hoodie. And check whether any fingerprints matched Katrina's right away. If this was a misdirection, we will take another route on finding the real culprit. If that was the clue that we had to find, we will take a step forward. Come back here if the results are on your hand already. Cmon!" Marcus ordered Sergeant Kim. She nodded and saluted to him first before leaving the insides of the woods.

Marcus held the leave in his hand as he scrutinized the circumference of the tree. He walked out of the trajectory he had been solving in his mind and looked far away, out of the woods. Lieutenant Lirio was beside him immediately. He got this puzzled look on his face.

"What is it, Lieutenant Dela Rosa?" Lieutenant Lirio can't help but to bother by the results. 

"It's not as if I don't trust the officers who search in the woods. But it felt like we had been here for nothing," Marcus hissed. He turned his heel around, walking towards the side of the woods. Marcus ended up shedding the light over the wall that was several feet taller than him. He pursed his lips as he pointed the flashlight over the walls, looking for something. 

"What are you looking for, Lieutenant Dela Rosa?" 

Marcus didn't have time to explain what he was looking for as he licked his lips. He found himself on the dead-end of the wall. They had stretched the woods, reaching the railings of the national highway on the other side. It was impossible for Katrina to run up the kilometers that can lead up to her death. 

He brushed his hand over his face, breathing out in exasperation. 

"Lieutenant Lirio, are you suspecting something mysterious here? It was as if I did not mean for us to investigate here. I can feel it. This investigation here was wrong. We should take a retreat right away if those results don't match Katrina's database." Marcus wasn't joking anymore. 

He danced the light over the part of the woods a few feet away from the police line. He was darting his eyes on the ground as he saw a folded piece of paper on the side of Lieutenant Lirio's feet. 

Marcus widened his eyes towards his feet and glanced at his colleague again. Lieutenant Lirio's shocked by how Marcus swiftly crouched down on the side of his feet. He picked up the folded paper. 

He unfolded that paper, astonished by what he saw. He dropped the flashlight on the ground. A loud and shrilling voice that was resonating over the street.