Later on, she felt her phone vibrate. When she checked it, she almost thanked all the angels because finally, Lieutenant Alvarez texted her.
Alvarez:
He is not a Jaquinto. I already looked at his other papers and details but I found another Ondreaz Jaquinto instead.
Her brows furrowed when she read the message.
Lanie:
What do you mean? Then who is he?
Alvarez:
This is the reason why I didn't contact you for the past weeks because I can't believe what my investigations are leading me to.
Alvarez:
He is not a Jaquinto because he is a Gerpacio. He is Ondreaz Gerpacio, son of Don Thomas Gerpacio, father of Don Anthonio Gerpacio, and Austin Gerpacio, another woman.
She felt like her soul left her body when she read his reply. The two men in front of Lanie exchange glances again. They quickly knew something was off.
Alvarez:
He is a runaway prince like you said.
Lanie put her phone on the table. "No way..." she whispered.
"What? Are you okay, Lady? Hey!" she didn't know that Kathy was already beside her. She also looked at the other people at the table and their attention was all on her.
Kieffer gave her water. She drank it to calm herself.
"You're pale." He said. Before she spoke, her phone vibrated once again. It was on the table so they looked at it.
The name 'Alvarez' was flashing on the screen. She grabbed her phone and quickly rejected the call.
"Hey, happy birthday again. I need to go. It's already late." Lanie hugged Kathy, she looked confused. "Thank you."
"Ah,y-yes. Thank you for coming. I'll see you soon." She stood up and so they were.
"I'll take you home," Tyler said.
"N-no!" She panicked. He looked at her with so much seriousness in his eyes. Kieffer was just calculating what happened but he was serious also.
"I mean, no need. I'll just get a taxi or whatever," she said. Alvarez called her again and that was the excuse she used to escape from them.
"Hello?" she answered while passing by a lot of people.
"About Ondreaz Jaquinto, I mean, Gerpacio—"
"Wait up. I'm at the party. Wait." She quickly walked outside.
"Spill it, dude," she said, out of breath. She heard him chuckling.
"Party? Where?"
"Andres'. Why? I'm a friend of the birthday celebrant."
"Oh, nice. I'm near there. Wait for me there." He said before ending the call.
"Lady!" Lanie silently cursed when she heard that pitch voice of Kathy.
"Let Tyler drive you home," Kathy said when they reached her place.
"No need. There's someone who will drive me home."
"Who?" They waited for her answer. Shall she say who it is?
"Just—" she stopped when they heard a horn.
"Is that your car?" Kieffer asked. They looked at the car in front of them.
"Who is he?" She almost cursed when the Lieutenant came out of his car.
"Lanie, let's go?" Alvarez said. He reached for her but he stopped when he saw that Lanie was not the only one there. He greeted Kathy and Kieffer but when he looked at Tyler, his face became serious just like when he was in his cases.
"Hey, let's go." Lanie held Alvarez's wrist and accidentally touched his watch. Then, an image flashed in her mind like a movie causing her to stop. She saw different scenarios like it was being fast-forwarded. A family. A man who is a detective holding his son as his wife looks at them with a smile on her face. Then, the scenario quickly changed, the man now is inside the van looking at his phone as he types something on it with a smile on his face. The man looked outside then his eyes became big as a big truck crashed into their vehicle.
She opened her eyes as she quickly let go of Alvarez's wrist. She held her head, her breathing was heavy. When she looked at the people with her, she saw Alvarez's curious but also shocked look, Kieffer and Kathy's wide eyes, and Tyler's serious and dark face.
"We'll go now. Thank you, again, Kathy." Lanie said. She was about to grab Alvarez again but she stopped halfway instead, she left them there and walked towards the car.
She didn't look at them when Alvarez entered the car and started the engine and drove. His face remained serious. "How did you know that man?" he asked amid silence.
"Who? Kieffer? Tyler?"
"Tyler?"
"Yeah. Tyler Lancaster is the CEO of Pyeha Hotel," she said. He nodded. She noticed that he was in deep thought.
"Are you not wondering who in the Gerpacios, if ever that someone survived, continuing the investigation?" He asked out of nowhere.
"I am. Who is that person? You are one of the people handling the case, you are the one who should know that." His grip on the wheel tightened.
"I have no idea. It was just an order from the Chief. If there is someone who knows that person, it is the Chief because the Chief is the one who's talking to that person." He said seriously.
Meanwhile, the three stayed there after Lanie and Alvarez left. Both Kieffer and Kathy were still shocked while Tyler let out a deep sigh.
"Did... did she just..." Kieffer's flew to his mouth, still cannot believe what he witnessed.
"Her eyes... her eyes became gold... right?" Kathy spoke.
"Yeah. She just did a reading to that Lieutenant... accidentally." Tyler answered before starting to walk back to the mansion.
Alvarez stopped the car in front of Lanie's apartment. "Let's just talk tomorrow. I'll go here." Lanie nodded at his idea.
"Go at night. I'm on my morning duty." Lanie opened the car door and went out.
"I'll pick you up tomorrow, then." He said as Lanie closed the door.
The whole night, what Alvarez said bothered her. Who was that person who kept on continuing the case? And what happened earlier, what she saw earlier when she held Alvarez's watch still bothered her. What was that?
On the other side, when Alvarez was about to sleep, he received a text message from the Chief that there will be a meeting regarding their ongoing case.
***
Lunch break and Lanie was at the rooftop again. Penelope and Althea were outside to eat. They told her to come with them but she refused. She dialed Jeybi's number again.
"What is it, darling?" He answered.
"I have a hot tea but I will serve this to you only, babe. For you only." She heard his loud high pitched scream. She distanced her phone away from her ear.
"OMG! Sure! I'll enjoy that very much."
"I knew another Gerpacio." She said. She needed to drop the bomb so Jeybi will gonna talk about what he knew so far.
"WHAT?! Who? But no one survived that night, darling. Except to the Smiths who are the relatives of Madam Olivia Gerpacio." She was shocked at what he said.
What...
"Continue, please," she said.
"All of the Gerpacios were killed in the massacre. The relatives of Madam Olivia are handling the Gerpacio's businesses now. The Smiths. Madam Olivia's surname when she was a maiden. Olivia Lancaster Smith."
Her heart was pounding so hard.
"Darling, I was surprised at what you said because I knew that no Gerpacio are existing now."
"I know someone," she said quickly.
"Then who?"
"Ondreaz Jaquinto. He is a Gerpacio. Don Thomas Gerpacio's illegitimate son." Lanie heard Jeybi gasp.
"Do you know what you are saying?!!"
"Yes. I'm sure of this. Investigate him if you do not believe me."
"God! You're digging your own grave, darling!" He said, panicking.
"And maybe, not one... but two."
"Omg... Why did you know that? Where did you get this information?" Lanie didn't answer. He sighed.
"Tell me, darling. Some of my sources told me that there is a witness to that tragedy. Tell me honestly... are you that witness?" Her heart beat wildly.
"I'm always wondering when you are calling me, you are asking questions about these... these powerful people and talk like you know them."
"Jeybi..." her voice broke as she called his name.
"So, that witness is you?" His tone changed. Being serious now.
"Y-yes." Lanie swallowed hard and Jeybi cursed on the other line. She now dropped the bomb.
"Go with me... to one furniture shop on Sunday." Lanie requested Jeybi.
"Gosh, darling! I'm being serious here! Why-"
"You will know on Sunday," Lanie said before she ended the call.