CASE

"WHAT? Is that a joke?" Shari stared at Frida incredulously when her cousin dropped the bad news. She blinked hard, trying to process her words. A subpoena was issued at home, and she had to attend a preliminary investigation at one trial court in Manila.

"We didn't inform you about this earlier since you were inside the training camp. It would be best if you weren't distracted. But don't worry, I already found the best lawyer to handle your case."

"Darn! Tell me this is not happening." Shari sat weakly on the couch.

Although she had a hunch that her previous company would look for her. But certainly not in this manner. It was not her fault that she accidentally accessed those top-secret files. Who would have thought that the well-known Cheng Shipping Lines would be involved in countless illegal activities? Like smuggling of firearms and drug trafficking, to name a few.

The files she found contained all the details of its operations and a long list of persons involved. At first, she was cautious and pretended it didn't happen. Probably they found out now, and they want her dead.

"What's the case?" She buried her face in her palms. Fear engulfed her body, but she could not tell her cousin about the real reason of this sudden case. Involving more people would be risky.

"Estafa," Frida answered.

"Damn it! That's so cheap. They framed me! How can I embezzle such million-dollar money?" She harshly sighed. On the other hand, filing a case against her was better than hunting her down. She must take extra precautions from now on. The weight of the situation should not be taken for granted.

Once the camp knew about her pending case, it would affect her training. Worse, she might be dismissed from service.

"If only I hadn't checked the database that night out of curiosity," she murmured. Despite her being easy-go-lucky, she was considered a computer genius. Her brother would always call her a brilliant hacker. And now that she was a step closer to her goal, she wanted to be the best asset if ever assigned to the intelligence division. However, her future turned bleak all of a sudden.

"Take it easy. I know it will stress you out. But according to Attorney Eusebio, you must appear at the hearing the next day, and she'll handle everything. She is the best lawyer in town."

She clenched her fists. "I'm not threatened that I might be imprisoned or something. I don't want to spend my time on this hopeless case. This is bullshit!"

"I understand your sentiments, Shari." Frida tapped her shoulder.

"But I only have a day pass." She massaged her temple.

"Don't worry. That problem is already solved. I've talked to one high-ranking official inside." Frida winked.

She looked at her cousin. "Impossible! What did you reason out?" Shari knew how hard to ask for an extension on passes. Unless it was an emergency, a health issue or someone died in the family.

"Well, I told them that Granny Wen passed away." Frida smiled, as if so proud.

"Seriously? Did you tell them that? May the soul of our grandma forgive us!" She lay her back on the couch and put her head on the armrest. It had been five years since their grandmother passed away.

"I can't believe you lied." Shari chuckled. Frida was the type who would choose the right path, and now she just lied for her comfort.

"Don't look at me like that! Do you think police officers don't lie? It was the best option. The authorities might issue a warrant of arrest while you're inside the training school. Is that what you want?"

"Of course not!" she pouted her lips.

"Besides, trainees who have pending cases are allowed to go out. But for now, it's better to keep this case secret until we solve it."

"I'll pray for that."

"Come on, fix your things. I have booked your flight for tomorrow. You only have two days to settle everything there. You need to go back ASAP."

"Thanks, I owe you a lot. Please don't tell my parents, especially Sage. You know my brother; he will probably storm to CSL once he finds out."

"Of course, Sage will be the last person to know. Stop being dramatic. You'll be with Sierva on travel. She's your attorney."

Shari nodded. She was thankful to her supportive family. If not, she would deal with depression alone.

"Ah, by the way, how's your relationship with Renzo? Have you asked him about the rumor circulating that her ex-girlfriend is pregnant?" Frida curiously asked. Renzo did not go in after he drove her here.

"Yeah, I asked Renzo many times about it. He said he has nothing to do with it."

She already knew about this issue, but Renzo always denied that he was involved.

Frida nodded. "I see, that's better."

Shari had a lot of problems in mind right now, and adding this issue regarding Renzo's ex-girlfriend would make her crazy. It would only take two months before her recognition as a new police officer. If that happened, she would be free. She needed to deal with the most important.

THE following day, Shari met her lawyer. She initially thought she was an old woman. But she was wrong. In her estimate, the woman was the same age as Frida. Her skin was fair, and the way she carried herself was a little intimidating. It crossed her mind that her lawyer could pass as a gorgeous ramp model.

"Attorney, you're so pretty." She complimented her while they were in the airport waiting for their flight. Now that they were sitting side by side, Shari looked like a delinquent boy who had messed up as a drug pusher. At this moment, her skin was severely burned, and most of her friends could not even recognize her.

"Thanks. Let's drop the formality. I'm Frida's close friend. Call me Sierva."

"Sure!" her smile widened. Shari thought that when everything came back to normal, her face, especially her hair and complexion, they could pass as sisters.

"Don't worry. We'll settle this case as early as possible. They are just giving you a headache." Sierva reassured her. Her words were comforting.

Shari had seen that her lawyer was true to her words. Sierva immediately took care of everything when they reached the Regional Trial Court. She almost shrunk in embarrassment when they asked for her mug shots. She was not a criminal to deserve this! Her blood boiled down to her previous employer. But she could not talk about the things she knew because she feared for her life.

"Take it easy, Shari. This won't take long." Sierva pressed Shari's hand to comfort her, noticing she was almost crying in rage.

"Thank you," she tried to smile.

AT THE Regional Office, Levi met General Manalang when the order arrived. In the next two days, he would assume a Chief of Police position in the city.

"By the way, Captain. Are you acquainted with Police Inspector Frida Manzareno?" General Manalang asked.

"Yes, sir. I know her. She was my classmate in Criminal Investigation Course. And she is currently working at the Crime Lab, right?" He smiled at the old man.

"Her cousin is also a trainee right now—a girl named Shariah. Frida asked for a favor to extend her passes. Their grandmother just passed away."

Levi paused when he heard the name. "Oh, I see."

This might be the reason he had not seen her in two days. It had been his routine to check on her because she might break the rules again.

He was also busy recently because of his cousin's arrival. He accompanied him in touring around, and they even went bar hopping at night. It would take a long time before they could see each other again.

"Frida even asked me to look for Shariah. By chance, do you know her?"

Levi cleared his throat. "Yes, sir. I know her. Don't worry. I'll look after her."

He had no plans to tell the old man how hard-headed the girl was, or else she'd be in trouble. At least she really excelled in academics. Besides, he intentionally caught her in the act most of the time since he could easily track her inside his office, with all the cameras around.

"Frida's father was a good friend of mine. This is a small favor to ask."

Levi remained silent. He immediately excused himself after assuring that he would report to his new assignment. The new police officer who would handle the trainees was also ready. He only had two days to stay in the training camp.