Her eyes stay troubled. “This one differs from the others, my dear. This haunting is impactful and has taken over you.”
I take a deep breath. “Three days earlier, Alexa got stronger. Her apparition is so much clearer, like she’s almost human. My dreams are longer and vivid. Why?”
“When did she die?”
“Two Saturdays ago.”
She pauses and counts. “Yesterday was her ninth day.”
I raise my eyebrow.
“It’s called, Pasiyam, mahal. Filipino Catholics believe that the soul of the departed are still roaming the earth nine days after their death. During that time, they will realize that they died and will embrace the afterlife. They’ll prepare for ascension until the 40th day where they permanently leave our world.”
I stare at her, trying to understand this. She continues. “They weaken after the ninth day, and they’ll use their energy to communicate with the living while they are the strongest.”
“Would it lessen my Alexa sightings?”
“That’s my experience, my love.”
“And there’s a big possibility I may no longer see her between now and the 40th day after her death?”
She nods. “Unless she has unfinished business, and she’s in limbo. In that case, she may stick around. A weaker spirit, but with full capability to visit and say hello. Otherwise, I hope you’ve gathered all the information you need to help rest her soul.”
I sigh and lean back on my headrest. “Why do I have this gift? It doesn’t feel like a gift at all.”
She places her warm hand on my cheek. “You’re doing a good thing, anak. You are connecting the spirit to the living and helping them find the light.” She smiles and squeezes my arm. “I’ll teach you what you can do with your ability. You are capable of great things.”
My eyes moisten because Mama believes in me when no one else does. For once, I have an anchor, and I belong to something greater. “I wish my parents were more like you.”
She leans closer to hold my hand. “Mahal, your family has significant influence in the Philippines. You’re aware of that, right?”
I nod. I come from “old money”—generations of wealthy landowners, and they are influential in the Philippines. We are a family of politicians, landowners, business owners and lawyers. They represent us well in the government, in the entertainment industry, commerce and the judicial system. My family abhors scandal because discreditable behaviors can be disastrous to our clout and credibility. My mother’s neurotic style of parenting is a product of this.
“You must keep this a secret, mahal. No one in our country is brave enough to question your family because of their influence and their ability to…. well… handle things. I don’t trust them to protect you if they discover your gift.”
I’ve heard stories of people going missing when they speak against my family. It’s unsettling that I’m related to individuals who condones shady, ruthless practices. I shiver at the sins my ancestors may have committed throughout history.
Just then the doorbell chimes. Mama looks at me with her forehead creasing. “Are you expecting someone?”
“No,” I said. I look at my watch. 1:30 pm. “Jehovah’s Witness? Mormons?”
She laughs. “That’s a big possibility.” She stands up from my bed and walks out of my room. A few minutes later, I hear her footsteps descending the stairs and the door creaking open. I can’t decipher what she’s saying to our visitor, so I lay back and get deep underneath the covers. I press the play button of my bluetooth speaker, and listen to Monica’s, “Why I Love You So Much.” As soon as she sings, I make a satisfied sigh and close my eyes.
“You’re still listening to this song?”
I pop open and sit up from the bed. Julian is standing at the doorway. “What the hell? Dude, you’re supposed to be in class.”
“I should ask you the same thing,” he says, with a raised brow. “Why aren’t you in class?”
“I didn’t feel good,” I said. “As you can see.”
“You didn’t respond to my texts. Naturally, I got worried. So here I am.”
I huff. “You just want an excuse to play hooky.”
“I don’t need an excuse to play hooky. If I want to be naughty, I just do it.” He winks at me.
I roll my eyes, and he chuckles. He enters my room as if I invited him and sits at the foot of my bed. Then, he picks up my legs and places them on his lap as he swings his long legs over the mattress. As he leans against the wall, I marvel at how he’s able to do this so nonchalantly.
“Nice Ronda Rousey poster,” he said. “She’s hot in that I’m-gonna-maim-you-in two-seconds kinda way.”
I laugh because I’ve had no visitors to critique the decor in my room. Meanwhile, Julian rests his hand on my ankle as he shares what I missed this morning. I blush as I recall that, just last night, I was sitting on his lap, straddling him. Then, I remember him asking permission to kiss me, and I thank god for my self-control or this moment would’ve been awkward.
“Jo? Hello? Come back to me, Godzilla Breath.”
I snap out of my reverie and clear my throat. “Um, yeah. That’s crazy.”
He scowls at me. “You were so not listening.”
I turn red and give him a sheepish smile. “Sorry.”
He shrugs. “Feel like talking about your dream now? It’s ok if you’re not ready.”
I take a deep breath. “I’m ready. We need to figure this out. My parents are coming home soon.”
He nods. Then, I tell him every detail. It’s amazing watching him go through so many emotions as I share Alexa’s story. I watch his jaw clench and his fist curl. I can’t imagine how difficult this must be because Alexa was his friend. On one occasion, he became misty-eyed and averted his eyes for a minute. But when I finish, he looks composed and determined.
“Let’s get this, motherf—”
“Ok, relax,” I said. “So, we were in a forest somewhere. You’re familiar with the area. Are there any forests in Rentown?”
He nods. “The next city over. Bradshaw. But here’s the thing. The woods are vast. How will we find her, assuming that’s even the right murder site?”
“Well, she’s buried at the foot of a sequoia tree where white orchids grow.”
He sighs and leans his head on the wall. “Orchids attach to trees normally. They’re epiphytes, so there could be thousands of them tethered to barks in the Mission Forest. Plus, we can’t just ask, ‘hey, do you know where that tree with the orchids is located?’”
I chuckle. “Epiphytes? You got a secret hobby, buddy? How do you know about this stuff?”
He rolls his eyes. “My grandma. She enjoys gardening and shit, remember?”
“Oh, yeah…”
We sit in silence for a while, both frustrated. Then Julian smacks a hand on his forehead. “Of course. Grandma! She’s an orchids enthusiast. Let’s visit her and see if she can identify this orchid species. Maybe she can tell us unique features about it to help narrow down our search area.”
I think for a moment. It’s not the best idea ever, but it’s better than nothing. “Ok, that’s fine.”
“I’m free Thursday night. Let’s visit her and decide there when we’ll go to the forest.”
“Ok. But remember, my parents are coming back Monday. We have little time.”
As he leans back against the wall, I notice the graphics on his T-shirt. It’s a picture of a black car, and it reminds me of another dream. “Listen, Jules, remember that night you learned of Alexa’s death?”
He tightens his lips and nods.
“I had the most vivid dream about her.”
“What did you see?”
“I woke up in her room, and I believe it was the night before she disappeared.” I describe what I saw, and he listens but says nothing. “The last thing I saw was her running towards a black car with heavily tinted windows.”
Julian takes a deep breath. “Was it the same car from our car chase?
&
nbsp; I bite my lip and shift in my seat. I don’t have to reply. When he turns to me, his eyes look troubled. He already knows the answer. He curses, then rubs his neck.
“I don’t get it. Why are we being targeted, Jules?”
“That person is coming for me. Not you.”
“How do you figure?”
“I’ve been asking about her, seeking information from my dad and Dee.”
“Dee?”
“Yeah, her cousin is dating the detective assigned to this case.”
“Ok, but did you share this with anyone else?”
“No, except for Dee and you.”
I fidget. “Listen, I know he’s your best friend, but I need to ask about Brandon.”
He reflects. “He’s the likely suspect. But Brandon has a white truck, and I’ve never seen him with any other vehicles.”
“What about his family?”
He shakes his head. “No black cars.”
I nod and bite the insides of my cheek.
“Well, one thing’s for sure.” He pauses and places his hands behind his head. “She met with this person freely, making abduction unlikely judging from the way she was running towards the driver.”
“You think she was cheating on Brandon?”
He cringes. “I’m not ruling anything out. Here’s the info I got.”
Julian updates me on his own investigation, from the muddy jacket to Zander witnessing Brandon leave the house.
I shake my head. “It’s not looking good for Brandon.”
“No, I’m trying to prove his innocence, but every tip leads to him.”
My head snaps up as I remember the postcard. “Wait here. I’ll be right back.”
I leave him and run to my closet. A few minutes later, I’m back with a backpack on my shoulder. I hop on the bed and begin rummaging through the contents of my bag.
“What are you looking for?” He leans towards me to get a peek inside my bag.
“I took something from her house. Maybe you can make sense of it.”
Finally, I see the item and pull it out. I give it to him. His forehead wrinkles as he studies the postcard and reads the brief note in the back.
“Where did you get this?”
“It was behind the picture board in her room. Who’s B? And was Brandon moving to Montana for college?”
“Not that I know of. He’s planning on returning to Oahu and enrolling at the University of Hawaii,” he said. “I’ve never heard him express any interest in Montana. I mean, he could be, but that would be a random choice. There’s nothing in Montana for him.”
We both sit back as we mull things over in our head. I pull my legs to my chest and wrap my arms around my knees. Then I remember something. “Brandon sang a song he wrote for Alexa. Do you know anything about that?”
He furrows his brows. “He sings a lot of songs. How does that one go?”
I press my lips tightly, feeling shy suddenly. “Uh, I think it goes something like this.”
I sing the chorus about making mistakes and second chances. My cheeks burn and I know I’m getting red by the minute. When I finally finish, I find him staring at me. Then he clears his throat and looks at the postcard again.
“You planning on doing something with that voice?” he asks.
I look at my cellphone, looking at my nonexistent social media account. “Nah. The world doesn’t need another mediocre pop star.”
He smirks as he sets aside the postcard. Then he returns his attention to me. “That song. I remember him playing that to her a month ago.”
I nod. But he continues, “Brandon told me they hit a rough patch in their relationship. Then I remembered Alexa mentioning something about regretting a decision she made, which puts more ammo to Brandon’s statement. Also, get this. I overheard Bianca’s teammates saying that they broke up briefly last year.”
I gape at him. This news is groundbreaking for me. “So, infidelity is a possibility and this B person may not be Brandon.”
He nods. “Bottom line, Brandon and Alexa’s relationship was not perfect despite its glowing reputation. There may also be a third party in the equation.”
Letting that sink in for a moment, I take my phone out and type my passcode. “I took pictures of all the photos on her board. Look at them and jot down the ones whose names start with a B.”
He nods and takes my phone. He furrows his brows as he studies it. Meanwhile, I hand him a pen and a notepad. As I watch him scribble names, I mentally thank him for being persistent with me. This case feels more hopeful now that he’s onboard.
He lays the pen on the bed. “Ok, so I have four names. I don’t know her family, so I can’t help you there.”
“That’s fine. We can ask her parents for that. Somehow.”
He nods. “Benjamin is on Study Abroad, so he’s out. That leaves us with Brandon, Becky, and,” he pauses. “Bianca.”
We mull over the idea of his girlfriend being a person of interest.
“I know already that she has no intention of going to Montana,” he said. “And this note sounds romantic. Are we suggesting they were lovers?”
I furrow my brows. I hadn’t thought of that angle. “That certainly puts an interesting spin on things.”
His forehead creases as he thinks. “Huh, I don’t know how to respond to that.”
“Don’t dwell on it too much. We know nothing.” I tap on the picture. “Does she have relatives from Montana?”
He shrugs. “I don’t know, but I can ask.”
“She and Bianca have been best friends for years, huh?”
“Before you and I became best friends.”
“So, out of everybody, she’ll know the inner workings of Alexa’s mind?”
“I guess so. I get where you’re getting at, Jo. I’ll talk to her.”
We let everything sink in as we sit in silence again.
“Hey, my aunt is coming home soon.” I said.
He turns to me and grins. “You kickin’ me out, homie?”
“What do you think she’ll say if she sees you in my room and on my bed?”
“Nah, I bet you she wants us to hook up.” He wags his brows at me.
I throw my pillow at him, and he laughs. “Unless,” he pauses. “She wants me and her, which is cool with me. I’m 18 and legal now.”
“Ew, gross!” I throw him another pillow.
He catches it mid-air. “She’s only 34, Jo, and she’s hot.”
“My auntie is not a cougar!”
“But she’s hot,” he repeats. “And so is your mom.”
“God, Julian! Get the hell out of my room! You’re nasty,” I yell as I take my legs off his lap.
The Night Orchid Page 24