“What?!” Leonica bolted upright and rushed for the television remote, turning it on at once. She quickly found a news station and switched the channel to that.
“…two days ago. We’re yet to receive an official statement from the police, but from our sources, it’s been confirmed that cause of death was a stroke from Overworking.” The news anchor on the screen announced.
“Death from overworking,” Leonica parroted but she found it hard to believe, after all, the last time she had seen Jamil, he looked more than capable to fuck a thousand women.
So how come he was found dead from overworking?
“The company will be closed for the next week or two while the staff mourns his loss and we await the final statement from the police, thank you.” The anchor added and Leonica switched off the television, turning back towards her phone. She parted her lips to speak, but honestly didn’t know what to say. She hated Jamil, yes, but never wished death on him. So seeing the news of his sudden death, completely caught her off guard.
“But Ms. Romero, there’s something I think you should know.” The sound of Kennedy’s voice snapped her out of her thought.
“What is it?” She demanded.
“The police found a small vile in the office of Mr. Vanadas, besides his body.”
“A vile?” Leonica inquired.
“Yes, and the police have concluded that it contained some sort of antidote.”
Leonica was silent. An antidote? Did that mean Jamil’s death wasn’t actually caused from overworking?
Someone killed him? Who?
Her brows narrowed. “Who found Jamil Vanadas?”
“Uh,” There was a small pause as Kennedy pulled the paper out from the file his sources had delivered to him. “Florence Winslow.”
Florence huh, Leonica felt like there was more to Jamil’s death than met the eyes and even though her brain was telling her not to get involved, her gut feeling was pushing her into the opposite direction. For some reason, she felt like this also revolved around her.
“What’s Florence Winslow’s current location, Kennedy?” At her question, Kennedy turned to his laptop and typed a few things and the location of said girl popped up. “The general church.” He informed.
A befitting place to be on Sunday, Leonica nodded at the thought. “Thanks, Kennedy.” She finally responded, ending the call.
She tossed the phone aside and walked towards her bathroom, taking a quick shower.
Once she was done, she got dressed and made her way to the kitchen, where Owen and Ashley were busy with their little cooking session.
“Leonica?” Owen was surprised to see the once sick female walking. He quickly rounded the counter and stood in front of her. “Why are you out of bed?”
“I need to see someone,” Owen took her temperature with the back of his hand as she spoke. “I’m fine, Owen. I’m just going to a church and will be back shortly.”
He didn’t look convinced, mostly because her temperature was still a bit above average.
“Can’t that wait, luce mia? You’re still sick.”
“I’ve taken drugs, Owen. I’m fine.” She insisted, gently pushing his hand away from her face. “I won’t be out long.”
“Leonica,” Owen began again and as much as Leonica appreciated his care towards her, being the ever loving fiancé he had sworn to be, she needed to get to the bottom of this and figure out what had really happened to Jamil Vanadas. “Owen,” She took a step forward, pressing her hand to his chest and looking up at him. “I really really have to go.” Her eyes searched his, begging him to understand how urgent the situation was.
“What happened?” He asked.
Leonica didn’t see any need to hide what’s going on from him, after all, it was spreading on the news like wildfire. “Jamil’s dead,” She said. “But It isn’t a normal death.”
“And how does that have anything to do with you?” Owen quizzed.
“I feel like it does. Call me crazy or even Unhinged, but I feel like I’m meant to know something about Jamil’s death,” She paused again and looked him straight in the eyes. “Please don’t try to stop me.”
Owen wanted to, but knew he couldn’t. When Leonica had put her mind to something, she was going to get it done, whether or not he tries to stop her.
“Be back before lunch,” He told her as he stepped aside and joined Ashley, who was now with Grace, behind the counter.
Leonica could only but chuckle at his words. Be back before lunch, that made him sound like a stay at home husband.
“Mommy, are you going somewhere? Aren’t you sick?” Ashley asked.
“Not at all,” Leonica stated as she rounded the counter and placed a kiss on Ashley’s forehead. “You and Owen took care of me so well that the sickness got scared and ran off.” Ashley giggled at her words and Leonica couldn’t help but ruffle his hair. “Where are you going mommy?”
“Church,” She answered, smiling brightly at him. “I need to see someone, but I promise, I’ll be back before lunch.”
“Okay,” Ashley seemed to be satisfied with her answer and continued stirring the batter for his pancake.
With a smile, Leonica leaned up and placed a kiss on Owen’s cheek. “I’ll see you soon.” “See you,” Owen smiled and watched her leave.
Arriving at the general Church, Leonica was surprised to find it more crowded than she had expected.
She scanned the crowd for a while, before spotting Florence in a white and black dress, speaking with one of the pastors in a corner slightly away from the crowded congregation.
Never took her as a religious one, Leonica thought as she approached the female, stopping a few meters away and watching her.
After a while, the Pastor whom she had been speaking with, patted Florence on the shoulder and left and Leonica walked towards her.
“Florence,”
Florence spun around upon hearing her name, her eyes falling on the familiar woman. Her face crumbled up quickly, showing her displeasure for seeing Leonica. “What are you doing here?” She asked.
“I came to see you. We need to talk.” Leonica went straight to the point, seeing no use in beating around the bush.
Florence eyed her suspiciously at her answer. “What about?”
“Jamil’s death,” Florence tensed up, which didn’t go past Leonica. “You were the one who found him, weren’t you?”
“So what if I was?” Florence retorted, turning on her heels and walking the opposite way. “I’m not interested in speaking about him.”
Leonica grabbed her arm, halting her movement and making her turn back to her. “I don’t care about your interest, Florence, I just need a few simple answers.”
Florence roughly yanked her hand free, glaring daggers at Leonica. “Whatever your questions are, I’m not giving answers.” She spat, about to return to her seat when a younger girl rushed to her.
“Flora, look at this,” The girl showed Florence her phone, which had the news article of Jamil’s death. “Isn’t that your boss?” She asked as she looked up from her phone, at
ell
Florence then at Leonica who was behind Florence, flinching when she saw the woman’s familiar face.
“You’re…”
“Leonica Romero,” She smiled. “Remember me.” Because she sure did remember the female in front of her, Lana Winslow, the jobless minor who had vandalized her entrance gate. How did you enjoy your time at correctional center?”
“I-I,” Lana stuttered, taking a step back and hiding her phone behind her back.
Florence was quick to step in front of Lana, shielding her sister from Leonica. “Don’t you think bullying a minor is too shameless.”
“I wasn’t bullying her,” Leonica
carried her hand up in the air, but her
gaze still remained on Lana who had
began shaking. “I saw simply asking
my e
a question. But, I can ask my question to you instead, if you’re
wiffing to answer.”
Florence flinched this time around when Leonica looked her way, smiling from ear to ear.
“Go to Pastor Goodman, Lana,” She instructed her sister. “I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
Lana nodded and turned around, leaving Florence and Leonica alone.
“What do you want know?” She asked once her sister had scurried over to their family pastor.
“You were the one who found Jamil, correct? Did you notice anything weird?”
“Except from the fact that his dying face was extremely ugly, no.” She sarcastically answered, earning a indifferent expression from Leonica who wasn’t biting into her bullshit.
“There was a vile beside him,” She said at once. “It had this weird greenish liquid.”
“Anything else?”
“Nothing,” Florence crossed her hands over her chest. “That’s all I know.”
Leonica hummed. If that was really all Florence knew, then perhaps she could take her words and leave, but something deep inside her gut was telling her not to do that. “Was Jamil acting weird lately? Did he change any of his behavior?”
Florence shook her head. “Everything was the same.”
So he wasn’t being threatened, she clicked her tongue in disappointment. She wasted her time coming here only to get the type of information that she could have gotten online.
“Is that all you want to know? Would you leave my sister and I alone now?”
“I was never after the both of you in the first place,” Leonica answered in a dismissive tone as she turned around and began walking. “Do make sure to tell me if you remember something else.”
“I’d much rather tell the police.” Florence retorted.
“Then do just that, it’s none of my business.” She waved her hand in the air, ignoring the words that Florence muttered underneath her breath as she walked out of the church.
Getting into her car, she sighed and leaned back again her seat, closing her eyes.
She had hoped that talking to Florence would clear her suspicions, but Alas, it only left her more confused than ever. But one thing was sure, Jamil’s death wasn’t ordinary.
Just as she turned on the engine of her car, about to drive off, Florence suddenly appeared beside her window, knocking on it.
“What is it?” Leonica asked as she rolled her windows down.
“You asked if there was something else, there is.” Florence’s words had her brows knitting. “But I’m not sure if it’s help.”
“Then why are you telling me?”
“Because it has something to do with you?” Leonica cocked her head before Florence continued, “That half sister of yours, Irene was her name?”
“What about her?” Leonica felt her confusion rising up.
“I saw her stepping out of his office that very same day. But like I said, I’m sure not if it’d help.” She said, rushing off when Pastor Goodman walked out to beckon her inside, apparently Florence was part of the churches choir. “I’ve told you all I know, so please stay away from my sister.” With that, she rushed in, leaving Leonica to her thoughts.
Irene had been the last person Jamil saw. Irene had also tried ratting Jamil out because he obviously screwed her over. So did that mean…?
Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of her phone ringing and her face completely darkened when she looked at the caller ID and saw Irene’s name flashing across the screen.
Search the FindNovel.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.