Too old.
'Hindi naman talaga tayo bumabata sa paglipas ng mga taon,' the medical examiner thought will fixing his polo shirt. The same brand he's been wearing at the Eastwood Forensic Crime lab for decades.
Pero sa kabila nito, hindi pa rin niya maiwasang pansinin ang lungkot sa kanyang mga mata sa salamin. Hindi niya alam kung dala lang ba 'to ng sitwasyon, o talagang ngayon lang niya nakita sa kabuuan ang kulubot niyang balat at ang namumuti na niyang buhok.
Scorpio sighed, but his skeletal hands shook while adjusting his black butterfly tie.
Why does it even matter?
Para sa admin ng EFC, wala na siyang lugar sa laboratoryong naging tahanan niya ng ilang taon. Para sa kanila, dumating na ang panahong kailangan na niyang mag-retiro sa trabaho at gugulin ang natitira niyang mga taon sa bahay nang mag-isa.
Matanda na siya, at sa kabila ng paligoy-ligoy ng mga sinasabi nila, alam niyang ito lang ang dahilan kung bakit siya pinipilit mag-retiro nang maaga.
"Ni hindi pa sila nakakahanap ng kapalit ko," mapait na sabi ni Scorpio bago tuluyang lumabas ng kanyang bahay. He didn't even bother catching a glimpse of himself in the mirror again.
Buong magdamag siyang hindi nakatulog nang maayos. Partly due to his insomnia, partly due to the fact that he was trying to think of ways to convince the admin to let him keep the job he dedicated his whole life to, even just for a few more months until he was ready. Or, at least until he found someone who can take his place.
'Pero hindi nila makikita ang importansya ng matandang kagaya ko hangga't wala akong nagagawang kapaki-pakinabang sa mga mata nila.'
Just then, he spotted several people outside wearing face masks. Agad na naalala ni Scorpio ang kasong hinahawakan ngayon nina Nicodemus. Posible nga kayang isang serial killer ang may kagagawan nito? He didn't find anything suspicious on the broken mug and, unfortunately, the porous surface of the rock made it difficult to extract any fingerprints. Kailangan pa nga pala niyang tawagan ang detective para sabihin ito sa kanya.
'Pero kung isang kriminal nga ang may gawa nito, ano naman ang source ng virus?'
Suddenly, he stopped in the middle of the sidewalk when the sound of animals broke the silence of his morning. Agad na dumako ang mga mata ng matanda sa pet store ng kanilang kapitbahay. Nakita niyang nagpasok ang panganay na anak ng shop owner ng ilang kulungang naglalaman ng mga unggoy.
The kid---what what his name again? Franco?---even greeted him good morning, pero hindi na ito narinig ni Scorpio. His mind was already lingering on the possibilities that both terrified and excited him.
He's read enough articles and medical journals to know that animals, such as primates, can be a source for viruses.
'At kung mapapatunayan kong dito nagmumula ang virus, I imagine the EFC admins will regret to even think of leaving another retirement plan flyer on my desk,' Scorpio thought.
Kaya kahit alam niyang late na siya sa kanyang trabaho, pinili ni Scorpio na dumiretso sa loob ng pet store. As if on cue, the silver bell chimed to announce his arrival.
'How hard can a detective's job be?'
---
BINABASA MO ANG
✔ 03 | Point Of Exposure
Mystery / Thriller"Kailangan natin siyang pigilan bago pa ubusin ng virus ang populasyon ng Eastwood!" This time around, Detective Nico Yukishito and Detective Briannova Carlos are forced to face two enemies... One unseen. One vengeful. Both deadly. What happens when...
