DENISE
Two months has passed, and everyone’s still asking my opinion about what happened. Especially about my reaction when I found out that my new found friend is a killer who killed the man I was supposed to marry. I like it, they are giving me a platform to look more like a victim.
My job is hard, entertaining people with the same drama for months is no joke. Not to mention every time I try so hard to shed a tear in front of the camera.
“Gosh, you smell ridiculous. Go smoke somewhere else!” Tale rolled his eyes on me before walking out the room. That man keeps me updated with everything that’s been going on with Jess, and that is the only reason why he’s still here.
“You ready, miss?” The organizer of the show ask me.
I smiled at her. “Yes.”
I’m holding hands with my manager while we walk towards the backstage. Everyone’s greeting me with their sweet eyes and pity smile. They are so sympathetic, and it is so hilarious how I manipulated everyone.
“Let’s welcome our guess for tonight, Denise Rodrigo!”
I waved at everyone, and went for a hug with Pal. “Hey, Pal. Thank you for having me again. I was so excited to see you.” I complimented as I settle myself on the sofa.
“It’s so nice to see you again on set. How are you these days?” He flips through a thick paper he’s holding. Wow, that is a lot of questions there, Pal.
Every time I here someone ask me “How are you?” I know it is show time. I sighed before looking down to play with my fingers. Every one inside the studio is quiet while waiting for my answer. I’m trying so hard not to burst out laughing and tell everyone how stupid they are for believing my lies. “You know Pal, I think it’s getting better day by day with all of the people reaching out their love to me. Still, it’s really hard for me to go on with all of the betrayal that I experienced within the past months.
Pal sighed. “I know it is not easy to carry on with your situation, and that’s why I’m glad that you’re still here with us.” He held my hand, so I gripped it tight. “Tell us how you cope with everything.”
After seconds of secretly using my inner force to squeeze a tear out, it finally came out. They let me gather my words again, not caring about the air time. I don’t have a lot to say today so it’s fine if we spend most of the time on quiet.
“I do not have any particular routine to cope. Literally, with everything I do, he’s there. When he’s there, the pain is too.”
JESS
How is this people getting fooled by a single person? I mean, it is obvious that she’s lying. Or maybe it is obvious for me because I know the truth?
“She is the worst.” I whispered for other people not to hear us.
He clicked the volume button twice to lessen the noise when his fellow guard walked past us. “You know when my wife was pregnant, she’s been telling me how she likes that other girl. Uh, what is her name? Sarah, Yana—“
“Mira.” I answered him.
“Ah, yes.” He pointed at me. “I defended this girl because I believed that what she and Ocean had was true. Sorry about that.”
“It’s okay. I believed her at first too. She’s really good at manipulating people.”
Tonight with Pal’s air time is over. He closed his phone and put it back in his pocket. 30 minutes before he starts his shift, he went to my cell to wake me up. He said that Denise is having an interview with Pal and asked me if I want to watch it.
He’s very intrigued with the Issue. He told me that he’s not really getting much action and involvement with his job and he feels like quitting. He thought that an inner tea will motivate him to wake up and sign in on his job.
“I need to go back there. That one guard needs his break.”
I nodded. “Thank you so much. You take care.”
I let out a deep sigh when his footsteps fade. It’s so quiet in here and the only one I talk to is the guard. Detective Sanchez might be too busy to visit me, so is Rufus. I don’t know what they are working on, but if I can have five minutes of their time to talk about what’s happening outside, I’ll take it.
My thoughts are too clouded and I can’t think of any specific issue to cry my eyes out, but one thing is for sure: all of it is burying me, got me thinking that I’m better of dead.
I didn’t got the chance to say good bye to Mira. I mean I’m the reason she’s dead, right? What happened to Jax, it is my fault too. If I hadn’t had a secret relationship with Kathy, both of them would still be here.
For forty minutes, I was just staring at the empty wall. The wall my bed is leaning on is the only one with decoration: a single bond paper that I paint on last night. I wasn’t thinking of anything, maybe my minds clogged and it can’t provide me with anything, and this is good. My minds knows how to take a break from too much thinking.
I was about to fall asleep when I heard footsteps nearing my cell. “You’re back again already?” I said jokingly thinking it was the guard. “Detective?” The guard is with him to open my cell.
“Jess. How have you been?” He gave me a soft hug before sitting on my bed. “I’m sorry for missing my visits. You know the pressure the media’s giving us with all the camping outside the station.”
“It’s okay. I totally understand, and I’m grateful that you still try to visit me.” I smiled to give him assurance that everything’s all right. “So, how’s everything? And how’s Rufus? Haven’t seen him for days.”
“He went back to the mansion. He thinks that there’s something Old man left that will shine a light about his parents disappearance.”
“His brother too.” I added. “Poor Rufus. This must be hard for him, not knowing what really happened to your love ones.”
Only if I’m out, I’ll go back to the mansion with him. I don’t want him wandering alone inside his prison where his Pal died.
Detective Sanchez seems to read my worry, “Don’t worry. That guy’s though, he’s got it.”
I look at the guard, by the way his name is Prieto. He just told me earlier after many weeks of us sharing stories. He’s just standing there, looking left and right to see if there’s a person coming in. Then I see him signaling something to someone, but I chose to ignore it.
I looked down to play with my fingers, collecting my words for a question. “Where was Mira buried again?”
“Jess, about that—“
I cut him off. Decided that I don’t want to hear it. “No, no. It’s okay. Don’t want to hear it.”
“Don’t want to hear what, Jess?” My head decided on it’s own to look up at the person who just spoke. “You look good in your uniform, but I’d rather see you in your office attire.
“What the hell?” That’s all I said then I just stared at her in shock.
Detective Sanchez’ smile was ear from ear, and Pietro’s shitting tears.
I get up to hug her so tight. “What the f*ck, Mira? Where the hell have you been?”
“So sorry. We need to make it look like I’m really dead so Denise will stop chasing me like a mouse. You can’t kill what’s already dead, right?”
“I’m so confused. What in the world happened to you? I thought you were dead, they cremated you!” I gave him a little slap on her shoulder. I can’t believe that she’s right in front of me. I feel relieved to know that I didn’t miss her funeral and that my conscience will not bother me up until my last day.
She looks at Detective Sanchez, “Ask him, he was the one who found me.”
DETECTIVE SANCHEZ
Months Earlier….
“I want you to shut your mouth, grab your keys, walk out of the station, and go straight here. Don’t tell anyone about this.”
“Why not? I mean if it’s that bad then maybe we should tell the team?”
“We will tell them, okay? Just go here.” Before he got the chance to ask me again, I threw the phone on the side, and climb up on Denise and I start to revive her. “Come on, Denise. Do not give me another case. Come on, breathe.”
I feel something wrapped around my neck, yet there is nothing. What the hell happened here? Why is celebrities dying? Is it there season? No, no. She will not die today. Not on my watch.
With every pump I’m giving her, I try my best to give just enough force to bring her back to life. I don’t want to break her ribs. “Archer, where are you!?” I shouted in frustration. I know it will take him some time to go here, but shouting his name makes me feel a little bit better.
Minutes later, he’s finally here. The first thing he said was, “What the sh*t.” I wish I hadn’t called him. He’s panicking like a girl who just got asked out for a date, except this is about reviving a girl who was planned to be killed. What can I do? I need him here— as a witness incase Mira dies.
“Call the ambulance you idiot!” I shouted at him, but before he presses the last number of the Hospital’s number, we heard a deep, loud gasps.
Archer gasps in disbelief. “Oh my god! She’s alive!”
I look straight at her, my hands are above my head. She’s looks at me while she holds her neck. Her eyes are red and she’s so pale. I climbed down to check her neck, it is bruised.
“What are you doing staring, eh, Archer? Dial the Ambulance right no—“
He cuts me off. “She’s saying something.”
He’s right. Mira’s trying to say something but she can’t. I can only hear her whispers so I lean forward. From what I understand she said, “Do not call anyone.”
“What? Why? I mean, someone tried to kill her.” Archer’s just confused like me.
I don’t know what to do, and I am the superior her. Sometimes, even if you’re good at your job, things like this will confuse you. “Let’s get you some water and rest for an hour. After that, you will tell us every detail. Even the small ones.”
——
Archer flips his notebook to another page to write on. It’s his 4th page already. “What’s his name? Tally?”
Even with her raspy voice, she tried to respond or write on a paper. This time, she writes on a paper, “Tale.”
Archer wrote it down. “Got it.”
I ask, “So Denise hired this guy to kill Ocean, and was once hired again to kill you?” She nods. “But, why shouldn’t we call the ambulance? You does not look all right. We need to get you into a hospital—“
She shakes her head aggressively. “No, I said no. We need to make Denise think that she’s successful killing me because if she found out that I’m still alive, she will not stop until I’m dead.”
Archer tries to comfort her. “Well, lucky you because we’re here to protect you.”
“No, you can’t. Denise is everywhere, but mostly, she’s crazy and dedicated.” Come on, those are the dangerous murderers. There is no dead end for them because they will always try to find a way to achieve their goals. Denise is just different because she make other people kill for her goals.
Archer was ready to defend that we’re here to protect her, but I know that we can’t. “She’s right, Archer. Not everyone thinks that we are doing our job correctly. We have enough on our plate right now.”
Archer defends again, “But with her dead, isn’t that another rotten meal on our plate?”
“Archer, hear me out. Either way, it is a rotten meal on our plate. But this one’s less. If she stays dead, we won’t have to guard for her safety because Denise will not try to kill her again because for her, she’s already dead. But if we tell everyone that she’s alive, she will have to fail a case about this. Now, with that, there will be a lot of work to do. After that, of course Denise will try to finish the job and we have to guard her. Is this making any sense to you, huh, Detective?”
He nods his head and put up a like sign. “You’re the best, Det.”
I look at Mira. “Are you sure about this?” She nods. “I will call only the people I trust to declare your death.”
“What about the media? People needs to know that I’m dead.”
“How about we call ArticWork? Do you have people you trust there?”
She nods, “Perry and Alex. They will keep everything discreet. I trust them.”
Present day….
“Perry and Alex was involved?” Jess is so thrilled and surprised with the story I told her.
“Is, Jess. They’re still writing about you innocence because they have proof that you are.”
Her mouth’s wide open. She can not put the surprise she’s feeling into words. After minutes of silence, she finally gave up and cry. With her situation, I totally understand all of the crying. With Denise, Mira, Old man, Rufus, and Jax— they all got to her head.
Mira rubs her back. I can tell she’s ready to present her what we talked about. “So, Detective Sanchez and I were planning everything for months while you’re here. Do you really think we will let you spend another month in here?” Jess didn’t respond, she’s just sobbing. “We got enough evidences to prove your innocence, Jess.”
I want to involve myself on delivering the news. “You’ll be out soon, Jess. I’ll be meeting with the guys tomorrow.”