Chapter 36
“WHAT’S your plan for her?” Fred asked Euclid. “She tested positive for ecstasy.”
Euclid sighed. “It’s a good start. We can make it look like she was drugged before the bidding,” he said. “Thus, she’ll become a victim.”
“But her records show that she’s been in that job for almost four years,” Fred countered. “Remember the records that Kristoff sent to us? It says there that Maria is one of the drug carriers of the Decagon.”
“Yes, she is. But her background can save her from being convicted,” Euclid said in a lower voice. “Sick daughter, poverty, uneducated, countrywoman who migrated here in Manila to test her fate, and what else? A victim of domestic violence and the negligence of parents.” His chest hurt with all those things that happened to Maria. “It’s clear that she’s just doing this illegal job for money.”
Fred raised his eyebrow. “Who’s going to sell drugs for passion? Everybody’s doing it because of money.”
“I know, but you don’t get my point, Fred.” Euclid heaved a sigh and sipped on his styrofoam cup of coffee. “We don’t even need a good lawyer to defend her.”
They haven’t slept since yesterday, and so Maria. He looked at the prison and found her sitting at the farthest corner. Her head is low, but he doubted that she was sleeping. Euclid can see in her eyes a while ago that many things were running inside her mind. If he only can read her mind, he won’t have a hard time understanding her every action. Euclid also noticed that sometimes, she changed her personality. One moment, she’s a soft-spoken woman, and then with just a blink of an eye, she’ll turn into an anguish lady full of hatred.
“Euclid!” Frederick snapped his fingers in front of him. “Are you sleeping with your eyes open?”
“What?” he asked with a scowl.
“I’m asking you if you have called the office to send a lawyer for her,” Fred said. “The ones that tested negative in the drug test will be allowed to bailout. And, the ones that positive will be detained here until they get a lawyer and request to bail them out.”
“I have sent them the reports,” Euclid said without taking his eyes off Maria. “The lawyer will be here in a few hours.”
“I think you should cancel the request for a lawyer,” Fred suggested suddenly.
“Why? You can defend her in the hearing?” Euclid asked, glancing at his partner. “What are you looking at?”
Fred motioned his head to the Police station entrance. Euclid saw Sara’s doctor with another man on his side who doesn’t look like a lawyer, except that he’s carrying the legendary briefcase of a good lawyer.
Euclid went to meet them. The doctor nodded when he saw them approaching. “You’re visiting who?”
The doctor offered his hand to him. “I’m Dr. Connor Llmansares, the doctor of Miss Daza’s daughter.”
Miss Daza, he repeated in his mind. It was supposed to be Mrs. Mercado if he just made it to the day that he promised him to come back for her. Euclid suddenly felt the regrets of what he’d done seven years ago. If he managed to fly back to Balesin Island and take Maria with him, none of these terrible things would happen. She won’t be locked up inside that cold prison for being guilty of criminal activity.
Maria wouldn’t be the person that she was now. She’s still his Sweet Maria.
“I’m Atty. Maximilian,” the other man introduced himself and shook hands with them. “I will be Miss Daza’s lawyer.”
“She already has a lawyer,” Euclid said. “I thought I have made it clear to you, doc?”
“Maria never agreed to that condition,” he said and walked past them. He went straight to the prison and called Maria, who was surprised to see him.
Euclid saw Maria’s eyes sparkled when she saw the doctor, and even behind the mask, he can see that her face lit up. He clenched his jaw. Is he the reason why she’s distant from him now?
“Do they have a relationship?” Euclid heard Fred ask the lawyer.
The lawyer shrugged his shoulders. “As far as my knowledge is concerned, Doc Llmansares cares about my client.”
“How did you know?” Fred asked curiously. Euclid wanted to slap his partner for being so nosy.
“Isn’t it obvious?” the lawyer asked. “Do you think a man would do that for a woman that he didn’t like? It’s apparent that he cares for her.”
Euclid watched Connor open a sandwich for Maria. “Eat this. Wendy told me that you haven’t eaten any meal since last night.”
“How’s Sara? Is she okay?” Maria asked, her eyes started to water again. “Is she looking for me?”
Euclid clenched his jaw as his chest tightened again by seeing Maria breaks down also. Her daughter never left her mind, even a second. Sara is always in her heart. That’s what Euclid loved for Maria. She always gave her heart to her loved ones. Her heart is so pure that it can give love substantially and unconditionally.
“She’s still at school,” Connor told her. “She’s perfectly fine, you don’t have to worry about her.”
“I want to go home and be with her,” Maria said and burst into tears.
The doctor slipped his arm between the bars to hold Maria. “Shh… I will make sure you’ll leave this prison before the day ends, but you have to eat all these foods that I brought you. You need to get your energy back so you could play with Sara when we get home, okay?”
Maria nodded and started to eat the sandwich that Connor gave her. Euclid couldn’t take to seeing Maria like this. He must do something now.
“Dude, where are you going?” Fred followed him when he just walked away from them.
“I will knock out the information from that Club owner,” he said to him.
“What am I going to do with the lawyer?” Fred asked again.
“Give him the information we got from Maria. We need him, two is better than one,” he said and walked towards the prison where Boss Doppy was detained.
***
