Chapter 2

The Governor's Son Chapter 2

DENVER IS always uneasy when Angelito says he will defend him if ever he would be taken by the police.

His mother is at work at a nearby factory of goods. The class will start in August, that's why they move as soon as possible to the metro to get a slot for him in the civil engineering department.

Two days after that incident happened… the news is all over with the footage of Angelito—convincing the public masses that he doesn't intentionally push the man. Despite this, he tries to help him, but he falls right into the highway.

He hides those clothes inside the cabinet to avoid being caught by his mother. Upon going inside the gate where they rent for a living, Don Angelito is with Attorney Barbie inside a Jeep.

The governor's son is blissful since the police now serve a warrant, and they will take him to custody any time in this scorching afternoon.

"Poor boy, he's so cute and innocent, Angel," Barbie utters when taking his last glimpse at Denver.

"What did the chief say about it?" he asked curiously.

"He is innocent in many ways—especially when the mere public looks to the incident as self-defence. I should consider that as a justifiable homicide. There's no witness, so it's not easy to convict him as a murderer… if they can see in the video that the man slips out of his range."

Don Angelito rest his head on the heavily tinted window. "Reclusion temporal or unintentional killing. He cannot testify to defend himself in court. I will do this—"

"You still don't have any license to serve an accused person, Angelito." She has a point; he sighed out of his frustration.

"Then, what will I do?"

Barbie chuckles again while holding her iPad. "The chief says to me that when his duty police investigate, they say maybe there's a witness… and you will play the defendant. We will wait for the due process and trial until he is proven not guilty by any means by the law," she reminds him of the dazzling possibilities.

"Then who will be his attorney?" Angelito confronted.

"I will be his attorney in this case… we will win this together. Do you trust me?" An instant silence hovers all over the vehicle. Angelito nods shyly while looking at the gate.

"This case will take a long time—"

Barbie laughs out. "It's only a small trial court in a bench type of justice system. We will blind the judge from your acting," she said, pinpointing the highlights.

"I think they are here."

DENVER NERVAR keeps on playing on his mobile phone when someone knocks on the gate. He is outside; thus, he is the one who opens it by his will.

His eyes widen when a chief of police appears in his front.

"Good afternoon. We are looking for Denver Nervar, the alleged man in the video shown on the television."

His knees wobble in fear when all of his neighbours are looking at him.

"Oh my… aren't they're the new renters here?" an old lady asked her friend as they kept on buzzing all around the corner.

"I-I'm Denver, s-sir," he answers, stammering. The chief of police shows him the virtue of a warrant. All of his neighbours gasped when they realized he was the man in the video, who unintentionally pushed the man out of his self-defence.

He gulps even his saliva is drying up. He cannot speak for himself as he reads what's on the paper.

"S-Sir? I-I will explain—"he doesn't finish what he says when the Jeep's window slowly opens and Don Angelito looks at him. Denver's body is trembling so bad, and his tears are flowing down when a police officer holds a handcuff, making him face Angelito's direction.

His confused, dumbstruck and pitiful facial expression makes Don's heart remorse for the first time in his life.

"Mr Denver Nervar, you have the right to remain silent. Anything you will say can be used against you in court. You have the right to get yourself a lawyer to present during questioning. If you cannot afford a lawyer, we will provide you one. If you decide to answer any questions now without a lawyer present, you have the right to stop answering. Do you understand?" The police said as the handcuff locked on his hand.

"Will I be killed?" he asked the chief of police, but he whispered, "No, son. We will take you into custody."

DENVER SPENDS the whole afternoon inside the custody as a detainee. The police walk in his direction. "Someone is looking for you," he said.

He waits for some seconds until his mother, Maxine, appears crying.

"Mama!" Denver cries out when looking at his tired mother, who just came from work.

"My son is innocent!" he is holding her hand between the window.

"You're innocent, son! I know it. I know you more than yourself!" A loud sob echoes all over the visitor's area. Even everyone in here wants him innocent.

"Ma'am Maxine, her attorney is now here," the police notices them as they look at the door. It's attorney Barbie with Angelito.

"Good evening. I am Denver's lawyer to defend him from pleading guilty. My name is attorney Barbie De Mesa Geronimo; I heard about his controversial case, so that I will do my best in court," she pleaded wholeheartedly. However, Angelito's eyes are not merciful towards him, nor his mother because he could be an enemy because what he knew could be a nuclear bomb.

He is silent and listens to him all the time.

"Please defend my only son, attorney. He cannot do it for God's sake," Maxine is panicking all the time until her visiting time is finally over.

"Mama, I'm sorry—"

She holds his cold hands. "Don't worry, son, let them clear your name because we know you don't do it on purpose. How can I sleep without in my side…."

"Mama, I love you. Don't worry about me, and I'm here until the case rolls on," Denver tries to calm down his mom's nerves until the police take her.

They are the three left inside. The chief goes to them and tries to blend in.

"Don Angelito, this place is not suitable for you. I'd prepare the investigation room for the three of you." He walks as they go with him.

Angelito halted his footsteps. He turns his back and looks at the police.

"Please don't handcuff him," he ordered.

"Yes, boss." The officer took it from his hand as Denver moved with them. He is astonished how he could make them follow his orders even in a single word.

They sat down on their designated chair.

"The trial will roll this next week because his case is all around the country. The family wants him in jail for committing the crime—"

"You cannot put me in jail because I must not be in here!" Denver turns wild when shouting at the Don. On the other side, Angelito is dead calm when looking at him.

"I agree, but I will give a compensation after this," he utters, making him silent as if his reputation is worth millions.

"I need money for my tuition fees. However, any amount of money cannot heal this damage to my reputation—"

Angelito grabs his collar as he dilates his eyes when looking sharply. He is annoyed at how he is rushing things.

Fear instantly devours Denver's soul. His cold eyes and voice start to settle inside his head.

"Why do I care about your reputation? You are just a peasant, and nothing will change until the day you die," he swiftly retorted out of his irritation.

Denver feels helpless; the only way to release it is to cry repeatedly. Angelito is pissed off when watching him cry because those innocent eyes are reminding how he is using him in his remorse. "You're such a big boy to cry like that. Do you trust me to take you out from this jail?"

The poor boy looks at attorney Barbie's merciful eyes. "Y-Yes," he stutters when saying a single word. Lips are parched in the horror of his life. This man is so dangerous.

"Angel, don't be harsh to your substitute. It would help if you thanked him for cooperating with your hideous plans," Attorney Barbie pestered and held his shoulder to calm him down.

He sighed so loud as the chief of police looked at them. Subsequently, he cannot deny that Denver is mortified on national television.

"What if he will tell everything with the other police when he goes out from this prison?" Angelito cannot blame his instinct when asking an unassured inquiry.

"Tell him what to do," Barbie said in desperation of his silence.

He looks into Denver's sore eyes. The poor boy's sweats are beading like pearls in his back from the pressure and anxiousness.

"What will y-you do to m-me?"

Angelito smiles like a lunatic. "I will kill you too. I will put my endangered bonsai Arabica coffee tree on top of your grave so no one will dare to dig up your bones," he responded frankly.

The chilling voice and gaze of Angelito travel to the spine of Denver Nervar. He cannot understand what he is saying because his mind is distorted.

"Enough, Angel. Don't scare him. Also, Denver denies all the allegations of the prosecutor because we have many bullets to fire. If all goes well, you can be sentenced not guilty in the second trial. Do you understand?"

He nods to agree with her. "Yes, attorney…." He sobs repeatedly.

Angelito wants a private conversation as his attorney goes out.

"I will never forget how you intentionally push him and says those words," Denver warns him. Nevertheless, the governor's son's reaction is expressionless.

He beams when looking at Denver's charming face. "One single move and I will murder you with your mother. Do you get what I am telling—"

Denver cannot hold his anger towards him. He grabs his collar and throws a powerful punch on his face.

Angelito feels his wrath because his gum bleeds. He is massaging the painful location while looking at him with lousy eyes.

"LEAVE MY MOTHER ALONE YOU PIECE OF SHIT!" he shouts at him as if the veins on his neck will pop out.

Angelito smiles with bleeding teeth because he's happy someone like him dares to bring it all out. "Perfecto, I love how you punch my handsome face in front of my minions. You will remember this face when you slip your tongue at the court... right, Denver?"

Denver throws another punch, but he swiftly catches it with his hand. Angelito comes closer to his face as they will kiss in an inch or centimetre.

He goes to his ear and whispers, "Basically, you're my type, Denver."

Angelito walks out, spitting blood on the door—leaving his substitute crying for his life again.