I finished reading the article about Isabella Gomez's mysterious disappearance in 1995. Before I realized it, tears were already streaming down my face. I wasn't sure whether I was crying out of anger or sympathy for Isabelle. I leaned back in my chair and closed my eyes, trying to calm the storm inside my head, but questions kept racing through my mind. If David had reopened Isabelle's case, then maybe he had discovered something—maybe he knew who was truly responsible for her disappearance. Was that the reason he was killed? Dad had said David received a threatening message before he died: "Close Isabelle's case... or someone will die." And that message... it mentioned my name. A painful wave of guilt washed over me. Was David really put in danger because of me? Who sent that message? Who was the person hiding behind all of this? I suddenly opened my eyes as a memory from five months ago came rushing back.
_____________________________________
Five months ago...
I was at a nightclub, drinking with my friends and enjoying the music. The bass echoed through the room while colorful lights flashed across the dance floor. Suddenly, my phone rang. I stepped away from the crowd and moved to a quiet corner where I could hear the caller clearly. When I looked at the screen, my heart skipped a beat.
David.
I answered immediately.
"Hey, bro! Why are yo—"
I stopped when I heard his voice.
He sounded rushed... and frightened.
"Ace," he said. "Listen to me carefully. I know you're at a club."
I sighed.
There was no point denying it. The loud music in the background had already given me away. "Look around you," David continued. "See if anyone is watching you. Anyone acting suspicious." A chill ran down my spine as I slowly glanced around the crowded club, suddenly aware of every stranger nearby. I swallowed nervously, wondering why David sounded so afraid.
"Bro, relax," I said with a small laugh. "You're starting to scare me."
"Ace... please." His voice was dead serious, making my stomach tighten. I slowly looked around the nightclub. People were still dancing, laughing, and talking, completely unaware of the conversation happening in the corner. Nothing seemed out of place, yet something about David's voice made me feel that something was terribly wrong.
"I don't see anyone," I replied.
There was a brief silence before he spoke again.
"Good."
"I'm outside. Stay inside until I get there. Don't leave the club until you see me."
"What? Why? What's going o—"
"I'll explain everything once we get home."
The call ended.
I stared at my phone and shook my head.
"What is going on..."
Since David rarely acted like this, I decided to listen to him. I returned to my friends and told them I had to leave. They looked disappointed, but I didn't have much of a choice. A few minutes later, my phone vibrated in my pocket.
David: I'm outside.
I checked the time. 11:34 PM. I hadn't realized how late it had gotten. The alcohol had made me slightly dizzy, but I was still aware of everything around me. I walked toward the club's exit, and as soon as I stepped outside, I saw David. He was standing beside his car, holding his phone and constantly scanning the area as if he were searching for someone. There was something tense about the way he looked around, making me wonder what had him so worried.
A smile appeared on my face.
"Bro!" I waved at him.
The moment he looked at me, a motorcycle suddenly sped past us. Both David and I instinctively turned toward it, and something immediately felt wrong. Without warning, David started running toward me. Confused, I stared at him as he desperately motioned for me to go back inside the club. There were only a few people outside—the security guard standing by the entrance and a handful of customers lingering nearby.
Then David screamed.
"ACE!!"
His voice was filled with pure terror. I turned toward the motorcycle again, just in time to see the rider suddenly pull out a gun and point it directly at me. Everything happened in an instant. Before the trigger could be pulled, David threw himself in front of me, putting himself between me and the gun.
BANG!
BANG!
Time seemed to stop.
I froze.
My ears rang as people around us screamed and ran in every direction. David immediately drew his service pistol and fired two shots at the fleeing motorcycle, but the rider sped away into the darkness before anyone could stop him.
BANG!
BANG!
He missed.
The motorcycle disappeared into the darkness as the screaming around us continued. Then David slowly turned toward me. My eyes widened in horror when I saw two dark stains spreading across the front of his shirt. For a moment, I couldn't move or even breathe.
Blood.
So much blood.
"David!"
I caught him before he hit the ground and fell to my knees, holding him tightly in my arms. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth as he struggled to breathe. My trembling hands desperately pressed against his gunshot wounds, trying to stop the bleeding, but the blood continued to seep through my fingers. I could feel panic rising inside me.
"No... no... no..."
Tears blurred my vision.
"Bro... stay awake."
"Please..."
"Don't close your eyes."
"Someone call an ambulance!"
Several people rushed to call emergency services, while others stood frozen in shock. More customers poured out of the club, whispering fearfully as they watched us. Some came closer, hoping to help. I held David tightly in my arms, tears streaming down my face. "Please..." I cried, my voice trembling. "The ambulance is coming. Just stay with me."
Then I heard another voice.
"Ace!"
Dad.
I looked up.
"Dad!"
He pushed through the crowd until he reached us. His face turned pale the moment he saw David lying in my arms. For a second, he stood frozen, staring at his brother in disbelief before rushing toward us.
"David!" Dad dropped to his knees beside us. David slowly opened his eyes and looked at me. With trembling hands, he reached for the necklace around his neck. He carefully removed it and placed it in my hand. His weak eyes met mine, silently telling me everything I needed to know. Keep it safe.
Then...
His hand slipped from mine, and his eyes slowly closed.
"DAVID!!"
Dad's heartbreaking scream echoed through the night. I sat there in complete shock, unable to move, unable to breathe. Tears streamed down my face as I tightly held David's lifeless body. The sound of the approaching ambulance, the police sirens, and the terrified voices surrounding us all seemed to fade into silence. At that moment, all I could hear was the sound of my own heart breaking.