CHAPTER 4 : THE SUICIDAL MEET UP

"The man... is he planning to jump? Oh gosh! What should I do now?", Detective Lopez stepped the break of her motorcycle.

When she looked above the man continued. He fell down but luckily he was able to hold on something. He's holding on the open window pane of his room. "That crazy man wants to die right away. He looks young but why he is committing suicide?", Detective Gaile Lopez took a deep breath. She parked her motorcycle at the side of the hotel even if it is prohibited. "Hmmm...'The Pearl Manila Hotel'", she read.

She entered the hotel and went to the front desk to inform them that she is looking for someone at the 4th floor. "I'm looking for someone in the 4th floor of this hotel. Also, I want you to ask for help and tell them to follow me in the 4th floor. This is urgent!", Detective Lopez uttered in hurry.

"Is there a criminal inside our hotel?", the front desk woman asked her.

"Just do what I told you to do. Someone needs help", she answered.

Gaile  tried to use the elevator to take her on the 4th floor easily but the elevator is not working. She decided to use the stairs. She goes upstairs until she reached the 4th floor.

"Hoooohhh.. Hmmmm.. That crazy man", she said while panting. His room, I don't know where he is", she scratched her head. Then, she noticed an opened door. Room 403. She runs towards the room and entered without any permission.

"He-he-help... Please help me", the man uttered.

Gaile saw hands holding on the window pane. She rushed in there to help the man. She pulled her with all her forces.

"Come on, help yourself to come back here. I can't help you using  my force only. Hold my hands and don't panic", she gave him an advice. She knows that, man is heavier than a woman, man is stronger than woman but still she continued pulling him.

"Okay, I'll count 3. 1...2...3...", she shouted.

Fortunately, she succeeded pulling him. She got out of balance and fell on the floor with the man over her. It took a while before the men came.

When the men entered the room and saw them in that position, they all turned back. "Sorry ma'am, sir to interrupt you", they uttered. They left the two inside the room and closed the door.

"Wait, it's not what you think. Ugh!", she acted in a childish way messing her hair. She stopped when she saw the man smiling. Then he whispered, "Thank you for saving my life, miss. I owe you".

"You're welcome", she answered uncomfortably. "Ahhhmm... you are quite heavy, sir hehe", she laughed a bit. That moment she felt joy in her heart not just because she was able to help the man but there's something else, it's unexplainable feeling.

"Oh sorry, miss", he gets up then fixed himself. He offered his hand to Gaile to help her get up. "Thank you", she said in a soft tone.

She gets up holding his hand when her phone rings...

It's her best friend, Matt who's calling. She looked at her watch and realized she's late. Maybe that's the reason why her best friend called her.

"I have to go, sir. Nice meeting you. Don't commit suicide again", she tapped his shoulder. She fixed herself while in hurry going outside the room.

"Wait, miss. You forgot to give me your phone number", he whispered. Ugh! What the... I didn't get her name too", he added.

When she's walking in the lobby the men who sent by the woman in front desk to help her. They are smiling at her, remembering what they saw in the room. "Uggh! They misterpret the situation. Hooohh!", she told herself and took a deep breath.

She goes back to the area where she parked her motorcycle but it wasn't there. She talked to the security guard of the hotel about her motorcycle.

"Sir, where's my motorcycle?", she asked politely.

"Ma'am, you illegally parked your motorcycle in the prohibited area. There's a policy here in the hotel. Any vehicle parked in this area will be retrieved after the other day", the security guard explained.

"Sir, what I did is urgent", she complained.

"How urgent ma'am? Urgent to see your boyfriend?", he uttered sarcastically.

"Sir, I'm a det...", she cuts her words when she realized she doesn't have a company ID that will prove that she's a detective. Aside from that, she's not wearing a uniform.

"Ma'am it's better if you complain to the right person. I'm just doing my job ma'am", the guard answered.

"What the heck! This is just a misunderstanding", she turned back and whispered until she heard someone saying, "let her go and bring back her motorcycle", the man commanded. The guard left to get the motorcycle.

Gaile looked back. A man standing with his hands on his pocket smiled at her.

"Oh. It's you", she greeted.

"Ma'am, this is your motorcycle. Next time, you park it in the right parking ma'am", the guard reminds her.

Gaile rides on the motorcycle then she looks into her key inside her bag but it wasn't there.

"Is this what you are looking for?", the handsome guy asked her and showed the key. He gave it to her and said, "Be careful in driving. Drive safe".

She inserted the key and turn it on but it didn't work. "Oh come on, not now. I'm very very late", she talked to her motor. She got off to check the tank, unluckily, it runs out of gas. "Uuugggghhhh! This is so frustrating!", she reacted.

"Do you need help, miss? Do you want me to take you in the place where you go?", he offered with a wink.

"Well, I won't refuse. I need to get in the Manila Police District (Police Station 7). Can you take me there in 15 minutes?", she requested.

"Wait. I'll get my car", he told her.

After 5 minutes...

"Hey, get in. Let's go", he stopped and opened the window of his car.

"Actually, I'm going there too. What's your business there by the way?", he asked her curiously. He stepped the break and moved closer to Gaile. Gaile widened her eyes because of shock. He almost kissed her because of what he did.

"Ahhm... you forgot to put your seatbelt", he smiled at her.

"Ohhh... sorry", she apologized.

The car was filled with silence for 10 minutes. No one of them wants to talk first until the man started the conversation.

"Ehem...May I know the reason why you are going to the police station? And what's your name?", he asked politely.

"I'm Gaile Andrea Lopez. I was called there to report for duty. It's my first day", Gaile answered proudly. "How about you? What's your name, sir?", she asked him with a smile.

"I'm Vi...", he was interrupted by a phone call. "Ohh wait, someone is calling me. I just have to take this important call", he excused.

"Yes, sir. I'm on my way. I'll be there in 5 minutes, sir. Thank you, sir!", he answered with respect to the one he's talking to.

"Ihhhhmmmm... Why is he so charming? He looks smart. He's almost perfect. Yiiieee", she told herself. "Is he single or not?", she whispered.

"It's the Chief of Police who called me. Sorry, if I have to take the call", he apologized. "Are you alright?", he asked with concern.

"No. Ahm, I mean, I'm alright, hehe. It's okay, it is an important call so, you have to take it. "You are a policeman am I right?", she confirmed.

"Yes I am. And you are a policewoman", he looked at her. "You are asking me something before I took the call a while ago, right?", he asked.

"Oh yeah. I asked you, what's your name a while ago", she said.

"I'm Vin...", he was interrupted when Gaile's phone rings...

"Matt? Sorry I didn't answer your calls, I know you are worried. I'm fine, just something happened. Well, it's a very long story to tell. Anyway, don't worry my on my way. I'll be there in 3 minutes", she explained to the one he is talking to. "Love you, you take care", she romantically uttered.

"Matt? Is he your boyfriend?", he uttered in a bit jealous tone.

"Why is he asking me with that tone of voice?", she asked herself.

"Oh. We are here", he changed the topic. He gets off of the car and opened the car's door for Gaile.

"Gosh! Why is he so gentleman? He's not like Matt", she compared in a soft tone.

"Are you saying something, Gaile?", Gaile, right?", he asked to confirm.

"Shall we?", he invited her to go inside the police station.

They entered the police station together. "Welcome to Manila Police District (Police Station 7), Detective Gaile Andrea Lopez and Detective Vinz Earl Pascual", the Chief of Police greeted them. "You are both late. Did you arrive together or just a coincidence?

"We arrived together, sir!", Detective Pascual answered.

"We didn't arrived together, sir!", Detective Lopez answered.

They answered together but their answers contradicts with one another.

"Who among you is telling the truth?", the Chief laughed a bit.

They looked at each other and answer again.

"We didn't arrived together, sir!", Detective Pascual answered.

"We  arrived together, sir!", Detective Lopez answered.

"I guess you need to talk about it first", the Chief of Police smiled at them.