Chapter 1
"PUNYETA!!" Chief Martinez shouted, as he angrily flips through the pages of Isagani's reports.
"What is this? Ha? " He holds the folder before Isagani. "You don't have any evidence, threads nor witnesses to trace the suspect?"
Chief Martinez' voice blares through his office, which can be heard from the outside.
"This is not just some petty theft case, that you will come back here empty handed.
This is a Murder Case!! A Murder!!. "
"Sir—."Chief Martinez slammed his hands against the desk interrupting Isagani.
"A man is dead. It was not just any random victim. It's Laurente Ferrer."
"Do you know who he is?" His voice roared like thunder.
"He is the only son of the Parañaque City Mayor."
Isagani stood near the desk firmly and quietly. His hands clasped behind his back.
His eyes wander around the office, tracing the plaques and awards which gleam under the soft white light. It seems to sneer at him at this moment.
"De Luna," Chief Martinez addresses him.
He sighs in frustration, pinching the bridge of his nose.
" This is a high profile case."
"You—" He pointed at Isagani. "Of all the people here, should know exactly what is at stake here." Isagani glances at the plaque that reads- Excellence in Leadership.
"If the media catches wind of this,we're done!"
There is a photo of Chief Martinez shaking hands with prominent figures.
"The Ferrer Family are waiting for an answer. What are we going to tell them?"
Isagani didn't respond, his gaze lingered on framed newspaper clipping— District 34, Recognized as the best out of all the regional police stations nationwide.—Chief Martinez Commended for Outstanding Service.
"Sorry, My Officers are incompetent because they can't find anything at the crime scene to trace the suspect. You want me to tell them that, Huh, De luna?" Chief Martinez exclaimed.
"You know that we can't afford to lose face, we can't afford to lose our reputation just because we can't find anything and can't give a damn answer."
The Chief's voice fades into the background. As Isagani's thoughts wander, his mind drifts back to the crime scene.
The body was sprawled in the middle of the street.Blood pooled beneath the victim, thick and dark that started to mix with the rainwater which runs towards the drain. The victim, a man between the age of 37-45, has been viciously attacked. Deep lacerations across the neck,violent enough to almost sever the head from the body.The brutality of it makes his stomach churn.
Isagani crouched beside the body, his flashlight casting a harsh light on the scene. He grimaced, his eyes scanning the surrounding area. Not a single footprint, No discarded weapons. No signs of struggle nor signs of frantic escape. The killer had been careful- too careful.
He looked at the victim again.
It's Haunting!
Eyes still wide open frozen in unblinking stare,
that seems to fixate at nothing,reflecting disbelief at his final moments.
Then, suddenly the speakers of the victim's car crackled to life.
A sound cut through the stillness.
A Song.
A loud playful melody of a familiar folk song.
🎶"Mamang kay lupit,
ang puso mo'y 'di na nahabag
'Pag pumanaw ang buhay ko,
may isang pipit na iiyak"🎶
Isagani froze,his hand gripping the flashlight tighter.
The playful tune of the song feels oppressive given the grim reality of the scene, yet the poignant lyrics were unnerving and haunting, mirroring the wretched state of the man.
He immediately ordered it turned off and the other officers complied. They reached for the volume, twisting it to silence but the music didn't stop, they try to press the power button on the stereo. Nothing.
It was getting louder. The track kept on repeating the same verse. Isagani hurriedly went to the car, he fumbled with the controls and flipped the switches but the sound remained.
Then he decided to yank the wires and that's when only the music stopped. Ending the mockery of the moment.
"De Luna." the Chief called, which made Isagani snap back from his revery..
"Are you listening to me?"
"There is something strange about the scene." Isagani met the Chief's gaze— steady and direct.
Chief Martinez narrows his eyes.His frustrations simmering just below the surface.
"What do you mean?" Ask the Chief.
He felt like Isagani was not taking him seriously.
"The Crime Scene was too clean. Everything is planned perfectly and deliberately. The suspect knew exactly what they were doing. This wasn't just a simple murder—" He paused. " Whoever did this was trying to send a message."
Chief Martinez exhales sharply, he runs a hand through his hair. "I know this type of case is very uncommon." He's trying to soften his tone slightly. "But it's your job to look for the evidence so that we can trace the suspect. The Ferrer Family nor the public doesn't care how meticulous the suspect was. They just want an ans—."
Isagani recalls the unnerving scene.
" There was a song." He looked at Chief Martinez.
The playful melody starts looping in his head, Haunting him.
"A song.?"
"Yes.There was a song playing in Laurente Ferrer's car. It was a folk song. To say the least."
Chief Martinez raises an eyebrow, his frustrations momentarily giving way to confusion.
"It wasn't just a random song. It wasn't just played there by accident. The killer planned it all along." Isagani took a glimpse of another plaque displayed in the Chief's office that says—Excellence in Criminal Investigation.
"Mocking the investigation."
"Mocking us?" The Chief was baffled.
"They wanted us to know that they are in control." Chief Martinez sat down on his chair. Intrigued, brows furrowed as Isagani spoke.
"I'm looking at two possible angles regarding the murder of Laurente Ferrer.
First, it may be connected to his family. Like, business rivals or political enemies seeking revenge and unfortunately, Laurente became the target."
"And the second one?"
"It could be—" Isagani hesitates, the thought weighs heavily. "A serial killer and Laurent was one of the victims."
The room fell silent. Chief Martinez leans forward, his hands on the desk.
"Serial Killer.?!"Chief Martinez repeated.
"Yes.Sir, Serial Killer. And it could be that Laurente Ferrer was not the first one and won't be the last. This may all be tied to the string of notorious killings that have terrorized Metro Manila."
The Chief chuckled in response. "There is no serial killer in the Philippines."
"De Luna, What we need is clear and solid evidence to find who is really responsible on this. Not your goddamn speculations or stupid theory. What are we supposed to tell the Ferrer Family? and the press?!"
"But Sir—"
Chief Martinez stood up from his chair and approached Isagani.
"I need you to focus on this High Profile case. I want you to do everything that you can. If you need to go back to the scene. Do it!!!" His voice was stern and commanding.
"Sweep every corner, dig deeper and look for any clue. Find out anything that might give us a lead and I want it to know immediately. I don't want theories, I don't want speculations. I need results!! Do whatever it takes to solve this case. Bring me the one who is responsible for this. So that the Ferrer Family can get the justice that they deserve."
"And most importantly,We cannot lose our reputation. Not Like this. Do you understand?"
"Yes.Sir.!" Isagani feels defeated.
He felt like there's no point to argue.
He needs to do what he was asked to do.
That's his job. His Job.
"Don't disappoint me, De Luna." Chief Martinez' final directive to Isagani before he dismissed him..
The heavy wooden door of the Chief's office clicked shut behind Isagani, the sound barely cutting through the low buzz of voices and phones in the station bullpen.
He stood still for a moment, weighing the heavy burden of the case and his own frustrations on his shoulder like a cloak. The Chief's words echoed in his mind.
He wants to laugh out of frustration and bitter amusement.
Its cynicism at its finest.
Isagani could feel the brewing storm inside and outside of the station. Across the hall of District 34, noises drifted in,voices, camera shutters, the low hum of the press conference beginning. The Family is grieving, their voices trembling as they call and demand for justice. Flashes lit up the somber scene, as questions were shouted over each other. The media is in a frenzy. They're trying to twist the Family's grief into headlines.
As Isagani walks through the station the noises seem to dull, conversations paused, heads turned. He felt them— All eyes subtly shifted towards him.
Some Officers looked at him with silent pity, expressions strained with empathy, Others looked with quiet disdain, judging him for flaws that show cracks in the investigation. A few younger ones looked away, nervously. They fear that he might fall from grace.
His mind was clouded by the thoughts that weighed heavily on him. He headed towards his workstation and immediately sat at his cluttered desk,checking through the stacks of files and reports , reviewing the details that he might have missed.
Laurente Ferrer,44, son of Parañaque City Mayor.
Brutally murdered.
Yet, there are no fingerprints.
No signs of struggle.
And the void of answers was evident in this case that should have made sense by now.
Isagani picks up the folder containing the report about the tape found in the car,As he flips through the pages.The tune starts to play from his memory;playful yet eerie, poignant but unnerving.
He feels uneasy.
"Sir?"
The voice snapped him back from his trance.
When he turned, he found Lieutenant Hidalgo standing at the side of his desk—calm and composed but the younger officer was unable to hide his concern and worry for his superior officer and friend.
Hidalgo is the only one in the station who never looked at him with pity or blame. The only one who never got swayed by anything nor flinched around the truth. He wasn't just a subordinate and partner. He was the one person Isagani trusted the most in a place full of cynicism, corruption, and eyes that watched too closely.
"Are you alright?"
Isagani did not answer. He exhaled slowly and sank back to his chair.
"I got something." Hidalgo looked around, then leaned closer, lowering his voice. "Might be a lead."
That caught Isagani's full attention.
"I checked the vehicle registry and the car that Laurente was using was registered to Emilio Asuncion. No immediate connection to Laurente nor his family, but I pulled anything I could from the archives. And—" Hidalgo hesitated.
"Emilio Ascuncion was one of the suspects from a cold case 20 years ago." He looked around again and handed over a case file to Isagani. "He died 3 years ago from the buy-bust operations in Parañaque."
He flipped the file open. The pages have aged, digitized copies of old police reports. Grainy photos. Typed statements.His eyes moved through the pages scanning the faded details.
Then,there it was. The victim. A young woman, raped and murdered in a violent circumstances. No conviction. The case went cold.
Then, at one of the bottom of the pages there is a redacted name.
"Why is this redacted?" Isagani asked.
"Maybe it's the name of a protected witness, but there's no indication on why it was redacted." Hidalgo stated.
Isagani stared intently at the blacked-out line at the bottom of the page. the certainty pressing in on him that it had been deliberately removed to keep anyone else from finding out. But why?
He turned the page over, searching for an impression, A mark. Yet, There was nothing.
Somebody didn't want the name to be found.
"We need to get the original file. The uncensored version. Ask the records division. We need every page."
"I already made a request." Hidalgo informed.
"But—" he hesitates.
"They said they need clearance and it's under restricted access, something about protocols."
Isagani ran a hand through his hair, the tension rising up. He was trying to stay calm,but they were chasing shadows now and someone, somewhere, was still pulling strings.
"P*t*—" Isagani cursed under his breath but cut himself shortly after.
He took a deep breath, slammed the folder shut.
"Forget waiting. I'll go down there myself."
"Are you sure, Sir? " Hidalgo asked his Captain. "There is a chance that they will not grant your request as well."
"I'll make sure that they will give me everything that we need ." Isagani stood from his seat.
"If that redacted name is part of whatever killed Ferrer, then I'm not leaving without it."
He grabbed the folder and left the office with Hidalgo tagging along with him.
Isagani's mind races as they briskly walk down the corridor, tightly gripping the folder in one hand.Each step echoing with the weight of everything they still didn't know. He tries to piece together the fragments. The car, the song,the lack of fingerprints, evidence and even witnesses.
Then this Twenty year old cold case probably forgotten suddenly matters? With a dead suspect and a redacted name. Why is it resurfacing now? What is their connection?
This isn't just a random killing. It is intentional.
The killer actually leaves the clues to connect the dots.
But, to what?
Whatever it is, it's no coincidence.
It's planned down to the smallest detail.
🎶"Mamang kay lupit,---- 🎶
Isagani could still hear the song, lingering like a smoke in his thoughts.
casually playing in a never ending loop.
🎶"ang puso mo'y 'di na nahabag—"🎶
The press conference echoed faintly through the station's sound system.
"I'm exhausting all of our resources. My department is committed to solving this case." Chief Martinez spoke, his voice is measured and political. "I will make sure that Justice will prevail."
Then the family's voice broke through;tired, cracked, and trembling with grief:
🎶" 'Pag pumanaw ang buhay ko,
may isang pipit na iiyak"🎶
"My son didn't deserve this… please, we beg you" Mrs. Ferrer said, voice trembling, holding back her tears. "We want justice for our son. Justice!!"
Surrounded by grief and unanswered questions, they both knew that this wouldn't be easy. Someone behind this knew exactly how to cover their tracks but leaving just enough to provoke.
He knew that this wouldn't be solved overnight.It wasn't going to be clean.
And worst of all this wasn't going to end with just one dead body.
But, he will make sure that this won't end up like just another cold case.