
We left Thomas's burial and I noticed that Margareth was avoiding me, Roberth had stayed talking to another policeman and I decided to try to intercept our main suspect. She had taken an unusual route out of the cemetery, so I gave chase.
I was just behind a large mausoleum, when a huge hand covered my mouth with a handkerchief. Until then I was unaware of the danger I was in. The next thing I remember was being on a mound that I did not recognize, I woke up dizzy and sleepy.
My hands were tied and my mouth was gagged. I felt short of breath, but not as much as when I discovered that my captor was someone I knew perfectly well.
—Listen to me very well, I'm going to remove your gag, but I need you not to scream —Camille seemed to be very scared, so I nodded.
—What the hell is wrong with you?
—I had to bring you in like this so as not to arouse suspicion, I don't want Roberth to see us together.
—Is it Thomas you want to talk to me about, do you have something to do with this? —I said furious.
—No, of course not, Samantha. I didn't, but Caroline did. She poisoned Thomas with cyanide the night he died.
—And she tried to eliminate the evidence that incriminated her. She sent you and you left the letters behind, the cup she poisoned Thomas in and the wrapper from the imperial tea. What I don't know is, why did you get involved?
—I knew you would figure it out. The answer is simple, when I left to study in London I thought my relationship with her was at its best, but to find this, her pregnancy, her infidelity and her cynicism, I have come to realize that Caroline needs to be punished.
—I need you to testify against her, Camille you are a good boy, if anyone links you to this murder, your career will be over without even having started -I said as he untied me -besides, you well know that Caroline doesn't deserve anyone's love after what she did with Thomas.
—I don't know, I told you because I know you could make her pay for her crime.
—I will, but you tried to cover up for a murderer. Until now Thomas's case was treated as a suicide, but we know that's not the case. I'll tell you what, if you testify against Caroline, I'll give you credit in the report I'll do in The Mirror, about this case.
I knew Camille very well, he had been my student at the London Institute of Journalism. He was very charismatic, ambitious and I couldn't miss the opportunity I was offering him.
—But, Caroline, I wouldn't forgive myself....
—A woman like her doesn't deserve the company of a future great journalist like you. Don't worry, I'll guide you, but tell me, besides you, is there anyone else who can help us?
—The Wilson's chauffeur, Henry. He accompanied Caroline that night. But I don't think he'll want to testify against the daughter of his employers.
—Of course he will, I'll take care of it. Now let's go, I need no one to see us together and above all, no one to know about this meeting.
I came out of that hiding place, I adjusted my hair a little and I blushed a little, I knew I had to look for Roberth, but first of all I had to go to the train station.
I had decided to leave, nothing and no one was going to stop me. I was not willing to go through a trial to find out something I already knew. So I prepared my escape before Samy found out and started pressuring me. She was going to put Caroline in jail and leave me without my insurance money.
Then, I saw some cops, I didn't think it was anything strange, until I saw Roberth. I tried to hide, but it was too late, just at the other end Samantha was peeking out with her characteristic walk and I knew it was over.
—Where are you going Samantha, —asked Roberth —I don't know if you know this, but we found cyanide in your husband's autopsy. The tests took a while because we don't have those kinds of labs in Georgetown, but you already knew that.
—Robert, everyone is going to believe that I killed my husband.
—The truth is that you are the prime suspect because of the way you've been acting, Margareth. You have not been completely frank with us, —Samantha had already reached our level —you knew that Caroline was pregnant and also according to your own words you were probably at home when Thomas started to suffer the effects of the cyanide.
—And where were you? —Roberth turned to Samy angrily.
—I promise, I'll explain you everything Roberth, first we need to take Margareth to the station and look for Henry Colman.
—Henry Colman, the Wilson's chauffeur?
—Samy, I had nothing to do with Thomas' murder, I can explain it to you.
—Even if you had taken Thomas to the hospital, nothing would have saved him, but you acted maliciously. Despite your husband's affair, he never let you and your family suffer. You watched them die and tried to cover up for the murderer to collect insurance that would not help you find the peace you long for. What you have done is infamous, but no more infamous than what Caroline has done.
—You may face charges for trying to cheat the insurance, but I promise to help you if you cooperate with us. We want to gather as much evidence as possible, if you want to do something right, this is your moment, —Roberth looked tired, but sure of what he was talking about, I nodded and left my hands on the fate of the police.
We got a warrant for Caroline's arrest, it all happened so fast that I didn't have time to digest what exactly was going on. When we arrived at the Wilson's house, everyone was shocked, she was wearing tight-fitting pink pajamas, which made me doubt her alleged pregnancy.
No wonder she had also invented a pregnancy to further annoy my beloved Thomas.
—You have the right to remain silent, anything you say or do from this moment on, can be used against you —Roberth was reading Caroline's rights and I wondered, who was advocating for my friend's rights, nothing would bring him back to life.
I looked to the side and managed to see Henry, the family driver. I approached him and told him that he should come with us too. He knew why his boss's daughter was being arrested, so he nodded and proceeded to accompany us. We were already going to have three witnesses, something told me that even more evidence was missing and that I could find it. But, before I had to start writing my next investigative story, Thomas' case was almost solved.
To be continued...
Salimos del sepelio de Thomas y noté que Margareth me evadía, Roberth se había quedado hablando con otro policía y yo decidí tratar de interceptar a nuestra principal sospechosa. Ella había tomado un camino inusual para salir del cementerio, así que emprendí una especia de persecución.
Estaba justo detrás de un gran mausoleo, cuando una enorme mano me tapó la boca con un pañuelo. Hasta entonces no era consciente del peligro que corría. Lo próximo que recuerdo fue estar en un montículo que no supe reconocer, desperté mareada y soñolienta.
Tenía las manos atadas y la boca amordazada. Sentía que me faltaba el aire, no tanto como cuando vi descubrí que mi captor, era alguien que conocía perfectamente.
—Escúchame muy bien, voy a quitarte la mordaza, pero necesito que no grites —Camille parecía estar muy asustado, así que asentí.
—¿Qué demonios te pasa?
—Tenía que traerte así para no levantar sospechas, no quiero que Roberth nos vea juntos.
—¿Es sobre Thomas que quieres hablarme?, ¿tienes algo que ver con esto? —dije furiosa.
—No, claro que no, Samantha. Yo no, pero Caroline sí. Ella envenenó a Thomas con cianuro, la noche en la cual murió.
—Y ha tratado de eliminar las pruebas que la incriminan. Te ha enviado a ti y has dejado las cartas atrás, la taza donde envenenó a Thomas y la envoltura del té imperial. Lo que no sé es, ¿por qué te involucraste?
—Sabía que lo ibas a deducir. La respuesta es simple, cuando me fui a estudiar a Londres creí que mi relación con ella estaba en su mejor momento, pero encontrarme con esto, su embarazo, su infidelidad y su cinismo, me he dado cuenta de que Caroline necesita un castigo.
—Necesito que declares contra ella, Camille eres un buen muchacho, si alguien te relaciona con este asesinato, tu carrera se terminará sin siquiera haber comenzado —dije mientras él me desataba —además, bien sabes que Caroline no merece el amor de nadie después de lo que hizo con Thomas.
—No sé, te lo he contado porque sé que tú podías hacerla pagar por su crimen.
—Lo haré, pero tú trataste de encubrir a una asesina. Hasta ahora el caso de Thomas era tratado como suicidio, pero ya sabemos que no es así. Te propongo algo, si declaras en contra de Caroline, voy a darte créditos en el reportaje que haré en The Mirror, acerca de este caso.
Conocía muy bien a Camille, había sido mi alumno en Instituto de Periodismo de Londres. Era muy carismático, ambicioso y no podía perder aquella oportunidad que le estaba ofreciendo.
—Pero, Caroline, no me lo perdonaría…
—Una mujer como ella no merece la compañía de un futuro gran periodista como tú. No te preocupes, yo voy a orientarte, pero dime, ¿además de ti, existe otra persona que pueda ayudarnos?
—El chofer de los Wilson, Henry. Él ha acompañado a Caroline aquella noche. Pero, no creo que quiera atestiguar en contra de la hija de sus patrones.
—Claro que lo hará, de eso me encargaré. Ahora vamos, necesito que nadie nos vea juntos y sobre todo que nadie sepa de este encuentro.
Salí de aquel escondite, me acomodé un poco el cabello y me puse algo de rubor, sabía que tenía que buscar a Roberth, pero antes que nada debía ir a la estación de trenes.
Había decidido marcharme, nada ni nadie iba a impedirlo. No estaba dispuesta a pasar por un juicio para descubrir algo que yo ya sabía. Así que prepare mi huida antes de que Samy se enterara y comenzara a presionarme. Ella iba a meter a la cárcel a Caroline y me dejaría sin el dinero del seguro.
Entonces, vi a unos policías, no consideré que fuera nada extraño, hasta que vi a Roberth. Intenté esconderme, pero ya era demasiado tarde, justo al otro extremo Samantha se asomaba con su característico caminar y supe que se había acabado.
—¿A dónde vas Samantha?, —preguntó Roberth —no sé si lo sepas, pero hemos hallado cianuro en la autopsia de tu marido. Las pruebas han tardado un poco porque no tenemos ese tipo de laboratorios en Georgetown, pero tú ya lo sabías.
—Roberth, todos van a creer que fui yo la que maté a mi esposo.
—La verdad es que eres la principal sospechosa por tu manera de actuar Margareth. No has sido completamente franca con nosotros, —Samantha ya había llegado a nuestra altura —sabías que Caroline estaba embarazada y además según tus propias palabras probablemente estabas en casa cuando Thomas comenzó a sufrir los efectos del cianuro.
—¿Y tú dónde estabas? —Roberth se dirigía a Samy con enojo.
—Prometo, voy a explicártelo todo Roberth, primero necesitamos llevar a Margareth a la estación y buscar a Henry Colman.
—¿Henry Colman?, ¿el chofer de los Wilson?
—Samy, no tengo nada que ver con el asesinato de Thomas, puedo explicártelo.
—Aunque hubieras llevado a Thomas al hospital, nada lo iba a salvar, pero actuaste con malicia. A pesar del affaire de tu marido, él nunca te dejo padecer ni a ti, ni a tu familia. Los has visto morir y has tratado de encubrir a la asesina para cobrar un seguro que no te ayudara a encontrar la paz que tanto anhelas. Lo que has hecho es infame, pero no más infame que lo que ha hecho Caroline.
—Tú puedes enfrentar cargos por tratar de engañar al seguro, pero prometo ayudarte si colaboras con nosotros. Queremos reunir el mayor número de evidencia posible, si quieres hacer algo bien, este es tu momento, —Roberth lucia cansado, pero seguro de lo que hablaba, asentí y dejé mis manos en el destino de la policía.
Conseguimos una orden de arresto contra Caroline, todo sucedió tan rápido que no tuve tiempo de digerir que estaba exactamente. Cuando llegamos a casa de los Wilson, todo el mundo estaba sorprendido, ella lucía un pijama rosa ceñido al cuerpo, lo que me hizo dudar de su presunto embarazo.
No era de extrañar que también hubiera inventado un embarazo para molestar aún más a mi amado Thomas.
—Tiene derecho a guardar silencio, todo lo que diga o haga a partir de este momento, puede ser utilizado en su contra —Roberth leía los derechos de Caroline y yo me preguntaba, quien abogaba por los derechos de mi amigo, nada lo haría revivir.
Miré a un costado y logré ver a Henry, el chofer de la familia. Me acerqué y le dije que también debía acompañarnos. Él sabía por qué la hija de su patrón estaba siendo arrestada, así que asintió y procedió acompañarnos. Íbamos a tener ya a tres testigos, algo me decía que faltaba aún más evidencia y que podía encontrarla. Pero, antes tenía que comenzar a escribir mi próxima historia de investigación, El caso de Thomas estaba casi resuelto.
Continuará...
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