19 Binary

"Nothing. I just want to check something." Lanie answered. Jeybi just shook his head and started his car.

"You want to check if they are connected, right?" He said after a long silence. "And it seems like they do."

"Jake said, they are his father's friends. They also go to the province just to buy furniture." She said while looking out the car's window. Friends. She needs to know their story. She was sure something was going on here.

"About Mr. Lancanster," Jeybi murmured. He glanced at her for seconds before fixing his eyes on the road.

"Is he also a friend of the Jaquinto's then? He's also a client, a big-time client, too." She did not answer him. She stayed looking at the window.

"There are many good furniture shops in the country or even abroad, why settle for that newbie shop?" He continued. "Maybe Mrs. Hossler introduced that shop? Since they are business partners now. What do you think?" He asked and stopped the car in front of her apartment. He handed her his umbrella. Right, it started raining when they were on the way.

"Thanks for today." She gave him a little smile before going out of his car.

When Jeybi saw that Lanie was walking to her apartment safely, he dialed someone's number. It took three rings before someone answered the call.

"How long are you planning to lead her to the people who are involved in this case?" He asked directly.

"Until she meets and knows each person included in the case. And until she finally decided to give testimony about what happened that night." Jeybi just sighed.

"So, my role here is to give her the information she needs? That's why the first thing you did was meet me when you just came back almost a year ago??" Jeybi clarified.

"Well, who did you expect me to approach first? Of course, the media, right?" Jeybi rolled his eyes.

"Anyways, Lanie finally found out that those three are BBFs. Better watch her more. You know she is just like that but when she wants something, she will go for it even if she will put herself in danger." Jeybi said after the call ended. He looked once more at Lanie's apartment before leaving.

Lanie decided to stay a little longer in the stairway of her apartment. Since she lived on the rooftop, it feels nice to sit there. Through this, she can think clearly, can organize her thoughts.

Wang, Hossler, and Jaquinto. They are connected. And each of them has reasons why they want Gerpacio to disappear... permanently.

"1...011..00...1" The number engraved on Mrs. Hossler's table. What is this number? What is the meaning of those numbers?

"1011001..." She recited once again. She combed her hair backward and took a deep breath. What is it?

"1011001." Binary numbers. 89. What's with the number 89?

"11...000...11." The numbers on Mr. Wang's chair. It is equivalent to 99 to binary.

"89 and 99?" What are these numbers?

"What are you still doing here?" Her eyes moved to the person who was a few steps away from her. The other person messes with her mind.

She stood up and fixed her shoulder bag, "Why are you here?" She turned her back on him and started walking towards the door.

"I had a meeting near here and I saw you up here, lost in her thoughts." He said. She unlocked the door and let him come inside.

"We went to Jake's father's furniture shop." She went to the kitchen and got herself a bottle of water. He followed and leaned on the table.

"We?" She nodded.

"With a friend," She answered before throwing the empty bottle.

"I heard you are their client, also. Uncle Ondreaz said. And oh! Did you know? Mr. and Mrs. Wang were there, too, together with Mrs. Hossler. They are clients, too. Amazing, right? How this newbie furniture shop had these famous and rich clients..." She said while slightly smirking. He was looking at her seriously. The look he was always giving her whenever she said something that he did not want to hear.

"Well, Jake said that they are his father's friends. Maybe they want to support their business' friend since the two of them became successful in business." she added and smiled at him while nodding her head. As if those things are the ones who she believes. "And I think Mrs. Hossler recommended that shop to you?"

He sighed heavily before standing properly, facing her. "Yeah, you're right. She recommended that shop to me. It's not that bad." He said before going to the living room and sitting on the sofa.

"Their furniture is all high quality. I find it nice and their designs are also good." He added.

"Are you familiar with binaries?" She suddenly asked him. She was sitting on the floor while he was on the sofa, drinking a can of beer. She doesn't know why and when they became this comfortable with each other but she thinks, It's because she knows him at least... a little.

"Kinda. Why?" He answered. 'Should I say it?'

She shook her head. "Nothing. Just a random thought." She said and drank her beer. Tyler stared at her as he listened to the voice inside her mind. 

"Kiefer said he saw you at the coffee shop near the hotel." He asked and looked away. Lanie stood up to get another can of beer.

"Yeah. As far as I remember, that was months ago?" She turned on the television and put it on the Animal Planet channel.

"Why? Did he say something?" She asked while her eyes remained on the television and drank her beer.

'Yes. He said that you are scared. You are scared because if you voice out the truth, we, the people who were involved in this case will be hurt. Why? Why are you scared when we are on your side? And how about you? Aren't you scared for yourself, too?' He thought while looking at her. He just sighed and silently got his phone and texted Kieffer.

"Nothing," Tyler answered instead when he saw her reaction to it.

She slightly tensed up because she said some things to Kieffer that day. She guess Kieffer didn't say anything about that to him. She hopes so.

"Don't you have a plan on going home? It's already midnight." She asked him and pointed out the clock. He stood up because of that. He placed his beer on the table before looking at her.

"Fine. I'm going home then." He walked towards the door and Lanie followed him. She sent him off outside but she stayed at the stairs.

"Tyler," She called him. He stopped and looked at her. "How did you know that the furniture was good when you did not even come there? It was their opening a while ago; it means their furniture was only displayed that time." She questioned. He was staring at her blankly.

"Mrs. Hossler brought me to Jaquinto's house to see their furniture. I was already their client before they set up a branch here in Manila." He said coldly before leaving. Lanie bit her lower lip. Did she question him too much? Without realizing the true story?

"Aish! Fool!" Irritated, she pulled her hair and went inside her house.

She sat on her bed while holding the notebook and a pen. She wrote the binary numbers and their equivalent numbers. 89 and 99. She needs to find out what these numbers mean.

She lies down on her bed and stares at the ceiling. "This is driving me crazy." She murmured.

"Where did you go?" Kieffer asked when Tyler entered the house.

"Are you going home? Did you find out what I asked earlier?" Tyler asked. Kieffer gave him a piece of paper containing the binary numbers that Lanie was talking about earlier.

"I still don't know what that means. But knowing Lanie she will not easily give this kind of information. Wait, did you seduce-" Kieffer stopped talking when he saw Tyler's glare at him. "You read her mind. Okay. Okay. Got it. Chill." He said while raising his hands. Tyler started to walk towards the stairs.

"Wait! You did not answer my question! Where did you go? You don't have a schedule today, right?" Kieffer shouted. Kieffer just shook his head, when his friend continued to walk to his room without answering his question.