Umberto stood stunned whose heart seemed to be gripped tightly by a hand, which took his breath away.
-Hello, sir, hello?
The phone fell to the floor and the sound brought Umberto back to himself. He bent down to pick up the cell phone but his legs lost strength and his whole body fell.
His fingers clenched the cell phone with effort, and he said in a trembling voice:
-Tell me!
-A little while ago, you tell me that the corpse’s name is Albina, right?
-Nonsense! It’s impossible! She can’t be dead! -Umberto suddenly interrupted him and shouted- -It can’t be Albina! Absolutely not!
On the other side of the call, the person was frightened by his voice and could not answer until a while later:
-I’m sorry, but since there is no identification of the deceased, we really can’t confirm her identity. If you are now available, can you come to the site to confirm?
After getting the address, Umberto ran straight away without another word.
At that time, the words that Albina said appeared all over his brain, that she asked him for salvage.
However, what he did was not to believe her, and he felt that Albina simply did not want him to commit to Yolanda.
She obviously begged him so humbly and asked him for the favor of alerting the police, but he removed all chances of her living.
Umberto’s eyes turned red.
As he was leaving, Yolanda was looking for him. Seeing him walking outside with red eyes, she hurriedly grabbed him from her embrace and said nervously:
-Umberto, where are you going? Our engagement ceremony is not over yet. where are you going?
But Umberto paid her no heed at all and crossed directly between the guests. There was a roar of cars outside the hotel. By the time Yolanda reached the door, he was gone.
Ruben was also going to drive to catch up with his boss, but Yolanda stopped him:
-Do you know where he’s going?
Ruben murmured in his heart that only Albina could make Umberto so anxious.
Seeing that Yolanda was trying hard to control herself but still showed a slightly fierce face, he paused and explained:
-There is an urgent matter at the company, that is why, Mr. Santangel is so anxious.
Hearing these words, Yolanda calmed down and smiled softly at him:
-Well. He hasn’t eaten anything since morning. You must remind him.
Ruben nodded in response and drove the car to chase Umberto in the direction he went.
Yolanda looked in the direction the two were going, and a sternness appeared on his delicate face.
He still wanted to deceive her. What Umberto did was simply to go and look for Albina, but it was too late!
She saw the message David sent and smiled sarcastically. By now, Albina’s body should be completely cold.
Umberto arrived at the place the police said and saw a crowd. He stood by the side for a long time, he felt shy and didn’t dare to approach.
He was afraid that the woman was Albina.
-Hello, is this Mr. Santangel? -A man in a police uniform walked towards him.
Umberto nodded his head.
Seeing his pale face, the policeman gave a sigh:
-Follow me, please.
Umberto was stunned and followed the policeman through the cordon. Seeing the corpse covered with a white cloth on the ground, he did not dare to breathe and his lips trembled.
He never believed in gods or buddhas, but at that time, he prayed in his heart that it was not Albina.
The policeman lifted the cloth to let him make the identification and said:
-The cause of death has been determined and it is from being drowned. The face is a little swollen due to the weather, but it should be recognizable.
Umberto took a look and discovered that the face underneath the cloth was not Albina’s.
He breathed a sigh of relief, as if he had lost all his strength and fallen to the ground.
The police thought he was frightened by the appearance of the corpse, covered it with the cloth at once and helped him up:
-Are you all right? Are you sure now?
-I’m sorry, but I don’t know her,” Umberto answered.
The policeman said in a surprised tone:
-Well, how strange, why is there your number on this phone?
Umberto felt nervous again:
-Can I see the phone?
The policeman handed him the cell phone.
It was a very normal black phone and there was nothing information on the device, not as if it was used in a routine way but as a mobile specially prepared to do something temporarily.
There was no contact either and the only number that was dialed was his.
Umberto felt heavier and heavier and glanced at the turbulent river. For some reason, a sadness suddenly filled his heart.
-Police, besides this corpse, have you found another deceased?
-Nothing else,” saying this, the policeman looked worried, “Recently, the witness said that the woman who jumped into the river was wearing a white jacket, that she was small and skinny. He did not see her features clearly because of the distance. In fact, the features described did not match the corpse.
At that moment, Ruben also arrived at the site, seeing Umberto coming out of the yellow cordon, he was stunned for a moment and ran towards him:
-Mr. Santangel, are you all right?
-Call the restaurant where Albina works, to confirm what clothes you are wearing today.
Umberto finished these words with difficulty.
Ruben did not delay, he contacted the restaurant right away to consult and then talked to him:
-People said that today Miss Espina went to worship her mother in a white jacket.
Before he finished the words, he saw Umberto staggering that he could hardly stand.
Ruben supported him:
-Mr. Santangel, are you all right?
Halfway through, he was stunned to discover Umberto’s red eyes. Looking again at the crowd around, the yellow cordon and the busy policemen, he let out his voice:
-Has something wrong with Miss Espina?
Umberto grabbed her arm tightly with a fierce look:
-Call more people to come here to help. It doesn’t matter if she’s alive or dead, bring her to me!
-Yes!” Ruben had never seen him in such a terrifying state and hurriedly warned people to come.
The police also received news that the one who jumped into the river was the other woman, so they sent some people to pull her out of the water.
So many people worked along the river all day long. It snowed heavily at night, which made the rescue even more difficult.
Umberto stood on the shore in a thin suit whose lips were blue from the cold. Ruben also felt the icy wind blowing directly toward his body strongly.
-Mr. Santangel, it has been so long. It is estimated that there will be no news for the time being.
Then he saw the police leading the team out. Before leaving, the police spoke to Umberto:
-In winter, the river water is freezing and the current here is relatively swift. According to the information you offer, Miss Thorn is skinny and blind. If she jumps into the river, it could be more dismal than fortunate. You must be prepared to accept the truth.
Umberto said nothing.
Seeing his stubbornness, the police shook their heads and left.
It was not known how much time passed, and suddenly someone shouted:
-I find her!
Umberto was surprised and ran to get closer, then he heard more words from the man:
-I find a shoe!
When he saw the shoe, he felt a chill in his heart.
This pair of shoes were the ones Albina wore the day she went to pick up the divorce certificate.
-I find this shoe stuck in the grass on the shore.
Umberto took the shoe without moving for a long time. If he still had expectations before, when he saw it, all his hope was completely extinguished.
Albina jumped from here because he left her in the bull’s horns!
His eyes opened wide, as if he didn’t believe it, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.
Ruben was frightened by her appearance:
-Mr. Santangel, you can’t stay here. I’m taking you to the hospital.
Umberto continued muttering to himself:
-Albina, it is Albina’s shoe, she jumped into the river.
Suddenly he raised his head and asked Ruben again and again:
-Since they haven’t found the body, she’s still alive, isn’t she?
Ruben could not let it go on like that. He forced him into the car but his hand was pushed hard, and Umberto shouted:
-Let go of me! I need to look for Albina, let me look for her!
-Mr. Santangel! -Ruben raised his voice abruptly, looking at Umberto’s frantic appearance and said, “We’ve been looking for her all day. If we could have found Miss Espina, we would have taken her body out early. It’s so cold now, that’s why, Miss Espina …..
Umberto looked at him angrily and you could see his anger in his cold stare:
-Shut up!
-Even though you won’t let me talk, I still have to tell him the truth -Ruben was afraid by his look-. You are so smart, I think you know better than me.