jay jays pov
The police station felt different.
Lighter.
Not physically.
The same fluorescent lights buzzed overhead.
The same stacks of paperwork cluttered desks.
The same coffee machine in the corner looked like it was one bad day away from exploding.
But something had changed.
For the first time in months, nobody was rushing around because of the Zoren Santos case.
Nobody was chasing leads.
Nobody was reviewing timelines.
Nobody was arguing over evidence.
It was over.
Or at least…
That's what everyone believed.
I sat at my desk, slowly organizing a pile of reports that didn't actually need organizing.
Across from me, Eman was scrolling through his phone.
Ci-n was spinning around in his chair for absolutely no reason.
"You're gonna get dizzy," I said.
"I've trained for this."
"You trained to spin in a chair?"
"Years of experience."
Eman didn't even look up.
"He's lying."
"I am not."
"You got dizzy after ten seconds yesterday."
"That was a tactical retreat."
I laughed despite myself.
A normal conversation.
A stupid conversation.
And somehow I appreciated it more than anything.
Maybe because things had been so tense lately.
Maybe because I was tired.
Or maybe because I knew something they didn't.
A secret sitting in the back of my mind.
Heavy.
Dangerous.
Permanent.
The sound of approaching footsteps pulled me out of my thoughts.
Angelo.
He stopped beside our desks.
For a second, nobody spoke.
Then—
"Case closed."
The words landed heavily.
Even though we'd been expecting them.
Even though we already knew.
Hearing it out loud felt different.
Official.
Final.
Angelo crossed his arms.
"Nice job, detectives."
His voice was calm.
Professional.
But there was something underneath it.
Pride.
The kind he tried very hard not to show.
Ci-n immediately sat up straighter.
Eman finally looked away from his phone.
I smiled.
A small one.
"Thank you, Kuya."
Angelo nodded.
Then pointed toward the mountain of paperwork still sitting on my desk.
"Now finish those reports."
My smile disappeared.
"Never mind."
Ci-n laughed.
Even Angelo's mouth twitched slightly.
Then he walked away.
Just like that.
The Zoren Santos case was over.
Months of work.
Months of stress.
Months of unanswered questions.
Gone.
I leaned back in my chair.
Relief washed through me.
At least on the surface.
Because underneath—
Something else remained.
Guilt.
The feeling settled in my chest immediately.
Quiet.
Persistent.
I knew the truth.
I knew exactly what happened.
And I wasn't saying anything.
Nobody else in the room knew that.
Nobody else could see it.
To them, I was just another detective celebrating the end of a difficult investigation.
To them, justice had been served.
The station continued moving around me.
Phones rang.
Printers hummed.
Officers walked past carrying folders.
Life continued.
Meanwhile, my thoughts drifted elsewhere.
To Keifer.
Immediately.
Annoyingly.
Always.
I hated that.
Or at least I told myself I did.
The truth was more complicated.
A lot more complicated.
My phone buzzed.
I looked down.
One new message.
From him.
Of course.
Kulot 🖕
I rolled my eyes instantly.
Eman noticed.
"What's that face?"
"Nothing."
"That's not a nothing face."
"It's definitely a nothing face."
Ci-n leaned over dramatically.
"She's hiding something."
"I'm not hiding anything."
"Suspicious."
"Very suspicious," Eman agreed.
Traitors.
Both of them.
I locked my phone before either could see the screen.
"Mind your business."
"Now I'm even more curious."
"Good."
The conversation moved on after that.
Thankfully.
Because there was no universe where I was explaining my situation.
Hi, coworkers.
Remember the murder case we spent months investigating?
Well…
I'm secretly dating the murderer.
No.
Absolutely not.
I would rather launch myself into the sun.
Hours passed.
The station slowly emptied as shifts ended.
One by one, desks became vacant.
Conversations faded.
The evening settled in.
Eventually I finished my work.
Finally.
I grabbed my bag.
Stood.
And headed toward the exit.
For a brief moment, I paused near the station doors.
Looking back.
This place had been my life for years.
The people.
The cases.
The long nights.
The victories.
The failures.
Everything.
I loved this job.
I really did.
Which made everything harder.
Because now there was a line.
One I had already crossed.
A line I couldn't uncross.
The thought followed me outside.
The evening air felt cool against my skin.
Cars passed by.
People walked along the sidewalks.
The city moved like normal.
As if nothing had happened.
As if lives hadn't been destroyed.
As if secrets weren't still buried.
I started walking toward my car.
Then stopped.
My phone buzzed again.
Another text.
Kulot 🖕
I stared at the notification.
Already regretting opening it.
Then I sighed.
And tapped it anyway.
Because apparently making good decisions wasn't my strongest skill anymore.
Whatever happened next—
The investigation was over.
The case was closed.
And somehow…
That felt like the beginning of a completely different problem.