17 Reason

"What is it?" Alvarez asked.

"Anger? Greed? For money? Or for power?" She looked at Alvarez. "Gerpacio was one of the most powerful and wealthiest families in the country. Probably, Ondreaz resentment... of his father... was one of the reasons why he did that to his own family. Hiding him in the dark... was the worst feeling that someone would feel if he was abandoned... just because they thought he was a mistake. A result of one mistake. Greed... although he is the first son... he did not get any shares, instead, Austin and Anthonio Gerpacio got the shares... which are the biological sons... " Alvarez sighed. Lanie was now looking out the window.

"That's understandable." He whispered. He also thought about that but... he also thinks that there is something mysterious behind that tragedy.

"What about the other two masked people who are in his alliances?"

"What about them?" She looked at him.

"There are also reasons why they joined Ondreaz, right?" He said while looking directly into her eyes. She gulped and looked away.

"Y-yeah." she just drank her beer to hide her nervousness. Alvarez was not that stupid not to notice Lanie's reactions and felt her emotions. Just like Kieffer and Tyler, Alvarez noticed that too.

"Lanie," he called her. Lanie didn't want to look at him so she settled her eyes on the beer she was holding. "Hmm?"

"How did you know it was Ondreaz Jaquinto?" Her heart ached. At this moment, Alvarez finally understood what Tyler meant by Lanie being his bait.

"Alvarez," She smiled sadly before looking at his serious face. "Did you know that the son of that person is important to me?" His serious face changed into pity and sadness. And Lanie doesn't need that. She doesn't need someone to pity her. She needs someone who will stay by her side no matter what happens and will stay true to her.

Lanie remained smiling.

"Jake Jaquinto, the only son of Ondreaz Jaquinto, was my first love and a precious friend of mine. That's why solving this case... is hard for me. I don't want to hurt him." And there. Alvarez finally knew one of her reasons.

"He's a Gerpacio, too," Alvarez uttered. She just drank her beer and didn't want to comment about that.

"Why can't you answer my question?" He asked after a minute of silence.

"What question?"

"How did you know that it was Ondreaz Jaquinto?" Lanie breathed deeply before opening her laptop. She played the video and paused to the part where Ondreaz Jaquinto removed his mask.

"I knew Uncle Ondreaz. Just one look and I can recognize him." Alvarez remained looking at her and didn't even look at the laptop.

"You said his name, saying he was one of the three masked people at the mansion but I didn't even show this video to you before." Lanie gulped, trying to fight his gazes.

"Do you forget the envelope I gave to you at the precinct? I did my investigations before going to you, Alvarez. And one thing, he is Jake's father." Luckily, she managed not to stutter while talking. Hoping that Alvarez will buy that reason.

"So, Jake knew that his father killed many people?"

"Yes..." because I told him. Lanie continued in her mind.

"Maybe, I can ask him, then? Since his father was involved." He said. She quickly looked at him and aggressively shook her head.

"NO! DON'T YOU DARE!" She doesn't want him to be involved in this chaos. She wanted him, at least, to be safe from the chaos his father has caused. Jake didn't do anything. It was his entire father's doings.

"Leave him to me, Alvarez. Please." He just stared at her before nodding. Upon seeing her reactions, he knew this would be hard. Lanie did not want those people to be hurt while this investigation was going on, she wanted those people to be safe while she was serving justice for them. But Alvarez knew that was impossible to happen, especially since the people behind this were too powerful to fight. That the only person who has power over them is the child they failed to kill when they entered that mansion.

Patrick Alvarez. Lanie knew he would help her in this case but she felt like she was a bomb whenever she was with him. Every time he would ask her questions, she felt like he would discover all the secrets she was hiding in. Just one answer to every question, she was afraid that all of her secrets would explode. That his question was like a pin on that bomb. When he pulled that, it was over.

But was that a good thing? Lanie is the strongest evidence and the only witness to that massacre. Finally, the case will be closed. She is getting there. Almost there. But why does she feel like she is not? That there's something that might happen soon, big chaos. And she is not prepared for that.