Episode 10

Lt. Berdin: That is still moving.

A brief silence. Major Yap has a light bulb experience.

Major Yap: Oh! Wait, are you saying that her phone is with someone else now. I’m a little lost at what is going on right now. But are you trying to say that we must apprehend the individual who has her phone right now. Because he or she is POI.

This is not some boring briefing. What the hell are we into? I am so stupid. Thought Major Alexander Yap.

Lt. Berdin: We can only infer. Because at the time of her estimated death, why was she posting defamatory statements towards a councilman.

Major Yap: I don’t want to ruin any running investigation, I would like to take that person in for questioning. How do we do that?

Lt. Berdin: Well, we can only work with what we have right now. Whose address is 54 Gotiaoco Extension Road? They may perhaps be working within the Community Hall.

Major Yap: Jeez, there were a lot of people we initially interviewed, there were like over a hundred of them.

Col. Mantalaba: The best way to do this is to call the Datu himself. Let me call the office for his number.

Lt. Berdin gets a small note from one of his subordinates.

Lt. Berdin: Col. Mantalaba ma’am, try this number.

He passes on the small sticky note to Col. Mantalaba.

Major Yap: I’ll radio in and have a unit standby, non-uniformed of course. Can we ask the mobile patrol for backup and move further away unseen if possible.

Col. Mantalaba: Kiko, get some mobile car ready near Gotiaoco.

[Kiko is Col. Mantalaba’s aide-de-camp]

Col. Mantalaba has her one hand on the phone talking to the Datu of Synod.

The office of CCU7 suddenly gets hyper, and the room a buzz with excitement.

Col. Manatalaba snaps her fingers, everyone turns their heads towards her. With her left hand on the phone and the other pointing towards the ceiling.

Col. Mantalaba: We have a name, Claudia Ylaya.

Everyone listens in on the radio of Major Yap.

Major Yap: Hunter 1, double 9. situation.

Hunter 1: Negative on the visuals.

Lt. Berdin: Major sir, the cellphone is moving, you should have visuals.

Hunter 1: 99, hunter 1, we may have a visual.

Lt. Berdin: Major sir, would you need me to call the cellphone.

Major Yap: When we have visuals yes.

Hunter 1: 99, hunter 1, we have visuals confirmed. Sending the photo now.

Major Yap: Shows the photograph to everyone.

Lt. Col. de la Cruz: Yes, that is her, Councilman Tan brought her here a few days ago.

Major Yap: Hunter 1, 99, advise if you are ready to arrest her.

Hunter 1: 10-4.

Major Yap: Please 10-12, standby.

Major Yap gestures towards Kiko, Col. Mantalaba’s aide for the mobile car.

Major Yap: Hunter 1, 99.

Hunter 1: go ahead double 9.

Major Yap: Advise when you see the mobile patrol car. Then proceed with the arrest.

Hunter 1: 10-4 mobile patrol car is visible on scene.

Major Yap: Please proceed.

Claudia Ylaya walks to go to work, she passes by a parked car. Oblivious of what is going to happen she continues to walk, as she normally does. Two plain clothes policemen alight from the car.

Officer Segundo: Ms. Ylaya?

Claudia turns around and sees two men with their credentials at the ready for her review.

Officer Segundo: Would you please come with us to the station.

Claudia Ylaya: What for?

Officer Segundo: You should know.

Claudia Ylaya: But I already said what I know.

Jenny Lynn’s phone rings.

Officer Segundo: Right, this is something new. And I think your phone is ringing.

It keeps on ringing.

Officer Segundo: That isn’t your phone is it?

Claudia Ylaya: Am I under arrest?

Officer Segundo: The phone please.

She hands it to the arresting officers, as they put it inside an evidence bag.

Officer Segundo: Ms. Ylaya, you are under arrest for possession of a stolen item and suspicion of murder. Please turn around.

Officer Segundo starts to read her, her Miranda rights, and handcuffs her.

Major Yap: They have her in the patrol car, they are taking her in for questioning now. I’m glad those guys made a follow up on the witnesses, otherwise it would have taken us a little longer to do this.

There was a sense of relief in the office. Everyone always dreads the moments of arrest, it is during the arrest that things become bad to worst in a second.

Lt. Col. de la Cruz: This case might be bigger than we think. Are we really sure she killed Jenny? However we can pin identity theft on her. But murder, right now, we, on our end, CCU side do not have enough proof. Which is why we need her cellphone, Jenny’s cellphone and hers.

Col. Antigua: Col. Mantalaba, since this is both a regional case and one that falls under your jurisdiction. I will inform the Regional Director that I am forming a taskforce to coordinate the regional case and the local case.

Col. Mantalaba: If the RD decides, then so be it. But we take the lead, since we are the initial agency in this case.

Col. Antigua: I… cannot say just yet, but I think I will make that decision, in fact without CCU calling us in, would we have known what is really going on? They know more of this case than any of us. Initially, they saw what we could not see right in front of us.

Lt. Col. de la Cruz: Excuse me sirs, ladies, I am or us are, well all of us are still in the dark on this one. We just happen to have caught a little light in the tunnel. Which is why I called for this meeting. We should know more once we have more data on the autopsy report. I’ll assign Lt. Berdin to lead on our end.

Major Yap: Col. de la Cruz sir, do we have a running theory.

Lt. Col. de la Cruz: It is all sketchy right now. But thinking out loud, it has to center around one man. Although, I do not see any crimes yet. But it centers on Councilman Tan. What is his relationship with the ladies? And the ladies, themselves who are they associated with. We should narrow on the complaint filed against Jenny Lynn Villamar.

Col. Mantalaba: Are you saying this case initially started with the complaint.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***