✔ 03 | Point Of Exposure

CAPITULUM 45

"Kaya akala mo isang magandang ideya ang pasukin ang shop namin?"

Nang hindi umimik ang matanda, akmang magsasalita pa sana ang store owner kung hindi lang siya sinamaan ng tingin ng detective sa tabi nito. Silence fell upon them as the police officer who was taking down notes started tapping his pen on the table.

'This is why I hate these kind of situations,' Nico thought and cleared his throat. Bumaling ang atensyon ng mga nasa silid sa kanya.

"If you suspect someone being a serial killer, wouldn't you be a concerned citizen, too?"

Alam ni Nico na pinapalala lang niya sitwasyon, pero sa mga sandaling ito, hindi naman niya kayang hayaan na lang ang panggigisa nila kay Scorpio. When Todd was about to answer, Nico smirked and leaned into his chair.

"And before you argue that you'd rather mind your own business, gusto ko lang ipaalala na illegal rin naman ang pagi-import ng African green monkeys sa Eastwood. So, don't act like you don't have your own dirty laundry, too." Maya-maya pa, sumeryoso si Nico. Kahit pa nabigyan na ng treatment ang sugat ni Scorpio sa ospital kanina, he knew there was still a possibility. "At kung mapapatunayang ang mga unggoy na 'yan nga ang pinagmumulan ng virus, I'll put you inside a cage myself..."

Kapansin-pansing napalunok sa kaba ang store owner, para bang nabahag ang buntot.

Napabuntong-hininga na lang si Scorpio at, gamit ang maayos niyang kamay, tinapik ang balikat ng binata, "You don't need to justify what I did, Nicodemus. Alam kong nagkamali rin ako."

To Todd, he added, "Hindi ko dapat pinasok ang store ninyo. It was...an impulsive and immature way to act. Ganito lang siguro talaga kapag tumatanda na."

Doon lang naunawaan ni Nico kung bakit niya ito ginawa.

'It's because of his retirement,' the detective realized. Muli niyang tiningnan ang matandang medical examiner slash forensic scientist. The wrinkles on Scorpio's face suddenly looked deeper, his unkept hair suddenly as pale as his complexion. Tuwing iniisip niyang mag-isa na rin ito sa buhay, Nico couldn't help but lower his gaze in pity.

'Some day, when time decides I'm too old for my field of work, will loneliness visit me, too?'

Nico quickly pushed those thoughts away. Damn Sherlock, kung anu-ano tuloy ang naiisip niya! He blames the post-effects of carbon monoxide poisoning for this.

Ilang sandaling katahimikan ang namayani sa loob ng presinto. Nagpapalipat-lipat lang ang tingin ng pulis sa may-ari ng exotic animal shop at sa matanda, naiinip.

Finally, Todd nodded. "You can test the monkeys. Kapag infected ang mga ito, ako na mismo ang susuko sa HELP. Tungkol naman sa iligal na pag-i-import ng mga 'to, I'll take full responsibility. Pero sinasabi ko sa inyo, inalok lang din kasi sila sa'kin."

"Inalok?" Nico and Scorpio chorused.

Tumango naman ang lalaki, kahit pa halatang ayaw nitong pag-usapan. "A few months back, nilapitan ako ng kakilala ko sa shipping port. May nilapit sa'king African monkeys na hindi na raw kinuha ng ka-transaksyon niya. Ang sabi, hindi raw 'pumasa' sa standards 'nong bumili, kaya ibinenta na lang niya sa'kin."

"At ano naman ang 'standards' ang tinutukoy niya?" Nico asked, growing even more suspicious.

Nagkibit ng balikat si Todd. "Hindi rin daw niya alam, eh. Pero parang...parang tinetest pa raw nila noon. May hinahanap sa mga hayop."

Hindi na namalayan ni Nico ang pagkuyom ng kanyang mga kamao. His instincts were telling him that somehow, the Unknown Disease was behind this. Sinasadya niyang hanapin ang mga hayop na infected ng Marburg para may source ito.

'All the lengths he did just to terrorize Eastwood.'

When everything had been settled at the police station, Nico spotted Nova waiting the car. She wore a cap, concealing her pink hair against the light of a nearby lamp post.

"Is everything alright?" She asked when she neared them.

"Of course, not. May serial killer pa tayong kailangang huliin."

Nova rolled her eyes at his response. Sinulyapan naman niya si Scorpio sa likuran nito, her eyes momentarily glanced at his bandaged hand, "Ihatid ko na rin kayo. Your house is just a couple of blocks away, isn't it?"

"O-Oo... Salamat sa inyong dalawa," mahinang sabi ng matanda. Huminga siya nang malalim at inayos ang kanyang salamin sa mata. Thankfully, the crack wasn't too big to render it unusable. "If you two hadn't been on the road ealier, baka sa kulungan na ako magpapalipas ng gabi."

Indeed, kung hindi siguro naging makulit kanina si Nico at nagtangkang umuwi mag-isa (dahil ayaw na niya sa ospital), baka hindi nainis si Nova at literal na kinaladkad ang partner niya sa sasakyan. Although he was complaining along the way about his capability to go home alone, alam ni Nova na hindi pa rin ito fully recovered sa nangyari sa kanya.

Earlier, when she decided to take a shortcut just so she can kick Nico out of the car sooner, that's when they saw Scorpio running across the street.

"Will Goldilocks be okay with Min?" Nova asked, starting the engine.

Sa kanyang gilid, pumikit si Nico at humalukipkip. "My dog likes her. She'll be fine with the nurse. Ihahatid na lang daw niya si Goldilocks sa apartment bukas," walang-ganang sagot nito.

Napataas ng kilay si Nova. "Mukhang kumportable si Goldi sa kanya."

"She's a nurse."

"That doesn't explain anything, Yukishito."

Imbes na makipag-away pa (kahit na wala naman silang dapat pinag-aawayan), pinaandar na ni Nova ang kotse at tumahimik buong biyahe. From the rearview mirror, she can see Scorpio glancing at them, as if trying to decipher the situation himself.

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