CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE — BEAUTIFUL STRANGER

Marco’s uncle, Tito Ralph, sprang in front of him soon as he opened the front door. The old man had his arms crossed while looking at his nephew as if already expecting that he would be the one he would see by the door.

“You’re frequently home late, Marco. I passed by the station, they said, you left at five in the afternoon. It’s already twelve o’clock, and you just got here.”

He took off his shoes and put it in the shoe rack near the door.

“Did you meet up with her again?”

He didn’t have to ask. He already knew who he meant—it was Elaine. He straightened up. “We just ate outside, uncle.”

“I hope you’re not expecting…”

He smiled. “I’ll just take a shower, uncle. I already stink.”

Shaking his head, Tito Ralph followed him towards the room.

Once inside the room, Marco sat by the side of the bed. He took out his cellphone from the pocket of his leather jacket. He started scrolling his gallery photos. Until he came to four consecutive pictures of Elaine.

The truth is, that wasn’t just the second time he went and peeped in Ainsdale.

It was his fourth time. The first two times, he contented himself with just guarding the girl. He was glad now that he was able to talk to her face to face and not just look at her from afar…

***

SEPTEMBER 2017.

Makati City.

From a distance, Marco already noticed the girl sitting by the stairs of the second-floor parking lot where his car was parked.

Tito Ralph got promoted from Senior Inspector to Chief Inspector. He was on his way to his uncle’s house to give him the congratulatory gift from his mother. A boxed wine made in Russia. Ralph and Mariah were siblings, and the two remaining of four siblings.

As he moved closer, Marco was paying more attention to the girl. Her hair was disheveled, like the white polo shirt and boyfriend jeans she was wearing. She had her head on her folded arms that’s above her knees. He didn’t mean to, but his perverted eyes checked her out anyway.

He couldn’t see her face. She was slim but with nice hips. Her hair seemed soft to the touch.

Marco looked around and didn’t see anybody else but the two of them. What is this girl doing here? At this late hour in the night?

It was bugging him, but perhaps, someone would pick her up later or perhaps she is waiting for her car to be brought around. Marco went straight to the stairs, shrugged his shoulders.

He was just on the second step when the girl suddenly spoke. He stopped in his tracks, and his brows furrowed.

“I want to die.”

His instinct as a law enforcer urged him to go back down. He stood in front of the girl and thought about what to say. But before he could do anything, she looked up at him.

All the more Marco was at a loss for words. The place was not well lit, but somehow the faint light that was present was enough for him to see the girl’s face. The face that could launch a thousand ships. Nah. Too cliché to describe this beauty as that of Helen of Troy. The woman in front of him was a million dollar. The type of beauty that you’ll encounter once in a blue moon.

“What?” she blurted. Her eyes are narrowing.

One side of his mouth curled. Beautiful but feisty. “I’m a police officer. Are you drunk?” He could smell the alcohol intermixing with the expensive perfume she is wearing.

The woman scoffed. Stood up and swayed. Held on the railings. He wanted to kick himself. Even her sarcastic smile looked very attractive to him.

“So, are you going to arrest me because I’m drunk?” she asked, stuttering.

“Is there anyone with you who could bring you home?” he asked instead of answering her former question.

“It’s none of your business. Get lost.”

Marco shook his head. It is harder to talk sensibly with drunk rich kids than hostage takers. To hell with being a cop. He took a deep breath.

He turned his back to her and continued to ascend the stairs. But he stopped on his tracks when the girl touched the boxed wine he brought.

“Can you stay for a while?” she asked. Her narrowed eyes all set on the wine. “And I’ll pay you for the wine.”

His eyebrows furrowed. He eyed the girl for a while. What could be the problem of such a beautiful lady that she’d thought of committing suicide?

What if she went up to a higher floor and just jumped? What if she threw herself in front of a vehicle that could be coming in or going out of the parking area? To intentionally get herself hit? What if she was really suicidal? What is the use of his rank and uniform if he can’t even help a drunk lady?

So, Marco found himself sitting beside the girl on that staircase.

“I’m about to annul my marriage with my husband.”

That got him to stare at her until his eyes went to the left hand holding the boxed wine. Her diamond ring was sparkling. How could he not notice?

“And he doesn’t know yet…” she continued to say after a long and sad sigh.

“You are the one who wanted an annulment, but you sounded and looked like you were the one who’s too hurt and broken.”

With a sad look in her almond-shaped dark eyes, he looked at her for a moment then back to looking at the wine. Even though he is just looking right through it.

“If you still love him, and he loves you too, why would you break up?”

“Because he’s too perfect…”

Marco took a deep breath. That’s how he first met her. Few minutes later, an older man, he assumed in his fifties, arrived to pick her up. He wasn’t able to ask for her name, but the guy who fetched her, introduced himself as Chito.

The next time he saw her was in a place he didn’t expect to see her in. If one would base it on her blank look when she passed by him, he knew she didn’t recognize him.

Marco threw himself on the bed. Stared at the ceiling and again took a deep breath. How he wished he could stay next to her so somehow, all the fear in her heart would go away.

Tan went down his car after parking in front of Mang Chito’s bistro. That’s the first time he set foot in that place after three years.

That’s where he first met Elaine. Nine years ago, he went there to personally speak with the old guy. He was on his last year as an intern, and he was his last patient before he flew for the US.

Stomach cancer. It was in an early stage, but surgery is needed. But the old man kept refusing the treatment. He found out he pushed through with his surgery when he came back to the Philippines four years later.

Tan had a strong feeling this is the place Elaine has been for the past two nights. Until those very moments, she still hasn’t made it home. He tried calling Ainsdale, but he found out from Anne that Elaine hasn’t been there for two days as well.

Tan was worried sick. He couldn’t contact Elaine.

It was Macon he saw first. He was wiping off the glass wall. Upon seeing Tan, Macon panicked. He immediately called for Mang Chito, while carrying the pail filled with water and soap.

In just a while, the old man emerged from his room/office.

He took a few moments to look at him before he stepped towards the stairway leading to the rooftop. Tan followed him there. The old man stood with his back to him. His hands touching behind his back.

Tan stopped two feet from where he stood. He opened his mouth, but Mang Chito spoke before he did.

“Just the other day, I was talking to your wife here. Right there where you stand now, she kept crying until she can’t open her eyes anymore.”

Tan wasn’t able to speak. It felt like he was punched in the chest knowing he was the reason for Elaine’s tears. “Is she okay?”

That was a stupid question to ask but he asked anyway. Elaine had been shaken, and he needed to verify that she was okay.

“I believe you know your wife much better than I do. If you are going to ask if she stayed the night, No. She just slept here for one night. I told her to leave the next day.”

“She didn’t leave for America. Did you know that?” he said.

“She didn’t mention that she came from there,” he replied.

Tan kept blaming himself. If he just tried to bear the pain, if he just set aside his grief, If he just tried to look for Elaine…

Had he begged her almost every day to stay with him then, if until the last moment he tried to hold on, maybe Elaine wouldn’t be suffering so much right now.

“I know you wanted to find out the truth, Tan. But in that case, only Elaine has the answers you’re looking for.”

Elaine closed the car door when she got off. She decided to travel from the hotel she’s staying into The Palace Mall. She just received Anne’s phone call. One of their VIP is having a fit and is causing a commotion in their shop. She is complaining about the authenticity of the brands she bought from Ainsdale last month. According to Anne, compared earlier, the VIP is much calmer now. Somehow, she breathed a sigh of relief. She didn’t know what would happen if she started having a panic attack in front of the VIP.

Elaine went in the elevator. She stepped at the corner and waited for everyone to get inside. “Eighth floor, please,” she told the guy standing by the elevator buttons. Then she added a soft thank you.

Before the elevator door closed, she heard somebody called from outside.

“Elaine!”

The voice sounded achingly familiar. When she raised her head, she saw Tan, who tried to make it before the elevator shut.

Elaine’s heartbeat accelerated. What was he doing here? Is he there looking for her or his twin Sean? She heard of news he just arrived from Korea the day before.

But it was her name that he called. She felt restless. The hysterical VIP slipped her mind. Her attention was focused on Tan who is now left in the front lobby.

The door opened on Ainsdale’s floor. One by one the people went out the elevator. She was also about to step out when the guy, she asked to push the button to the eighth floor, grabbed her by the hand.

Elaine struggled against his firm grip. Slowly her fear went up to her chest. She didn’t recognize the guy.

“Get off here and take the other lift,” he dismissingly ordered the two remaining women passengers of the elevator.

The two scurried off after throwing her a quick look.

Her eyes were begging them to stay but maybe they got scared to be involved, so the two proceeded to go out.

Elaine gasped when the door closed, the guy slammed her into the wall of the elevator.

His hand grasped at her throat, choking her. She stared at him wide-eyed, gasping for breath. Her head was spinning, and her eyes begged him to spare her, but the man didn’t even flinch a little.

Then the elevator door opened.