Un caso incierto (Cuento) An uncertain case (Story) S&S Invitational: diciembre
Un caso incierto
Ruperto Cubillas se agachó para mirar bien lo que apenas se podía ver entre las piedras que adornaban el matero, levantó la piedra y pudo ver parte de un ticket escondido, estaba algo húmedo y eso hizo que la tinta del sello se corriera. Al examinarlo bien, notó que era un ticket de viaje muy reciente, se lo guardó, luego miro el reloj y se dio cuenta de que estaba retardado para llegar a la oficina.
Anita Morillo se encontraba muy nerviosa después de lo sucedido, agarró la pasta de jabón y se la pasaba con desespero por el cuerpo, como queriendo arrancarse la piel, que no quedará nada de huellas, deseaba, si fuera posible, que el agua se la llevara por el desagüe, así podía desaparecer entre las tuberías.
Tengo que irme, decía entre sollozos, no puedo quedarme, esto no pudo haber pasado.
Ella no sentía sus lágrimas, aunque sabía que iban yéndose con el agua. —¿Por qué las cosas tenían que haber salido de esa manera?
Ruperto Cubillas llevaba contados los días, marcaba en un cuaderno con una raya cada día después de aquel desafortunado suceso, esto lo hacía luego de levantarse en la mañana para no olvidarse, se miraba largamente en el espejo buscando en la piel de su cara algo diferente, pero solo veía el mismo rostro de siempre, lleno de tristeza y amargura.
—Esto no avanza nada, Ruperto, pensabas que iba a ser más fácil, pasan los días y no hay nada nuevo, —eso se decía en la soledad de su casa.
Lo único que tenía era un pedazo de ticket que no le indicaba ningún destino. Terminó el desayuno, se tomó el café y salió a la oficina.
Cuando llegó, el detective Ramírez lo esperaba.
—Buenos días, inspector, ¿hay algún avance en el caso?
—Todo sigue igual, Ramírez, esto no me deja dormir y la persona que puede tener alguna respuesta, no aparece por ningún lado.
—¿Quiere café? Está recién colado.
—Deme una taza grande.
Ruperto Cubillas buscó en su bolsillo y sacó el ticket, lo dejó sobre la mesa para que su compañero lo viera.
—Es lo que tengo y con eso no he podido averiguar nada. Cuando llegué a esa oficina del terminal de pasajeros y les mostré el ticket, eso se volvió un cuchicheo, culpándose entre ellos por negligencia porque no conseguían el registro.
—Eso pasa cuando hay un desorden administrativo o también cuando se esconde algo Inspector.
—¿Usted cree? Tuve que alejarme, agarré el ticket y les dije que volvería en otro momento.
Anita Morillo fue al terminal y compró el pasaje antes del suceso, regresó a la casa donde ya tenía todo preparado para irse, ahí fue cuando esa mujer apareció.
La mujer vestía con una franela con capucha. Miró el reloj, eran las ocho de la noche, la calle estaba solitaria, se notaba que era un barrio muy tranquilo. Vio cuando una luz se encendía y se apagaba; era la señal que esperaba.
Lo que menos esperó Anita cuando abrió la puerta, fue recibir un golpe tan fuerte que la derribó, ella lo que quería era hablar y aclarar todo, ya había tomado la decisión de desaparecer de aquella ciudad, pero solo recibía golpes, sin gritos, sin palabras.
Cómo pudo, llegó hasta a la cocina, la mujer parecía disfrutar, Anita Morillo buscaba algo para defenderse, sus manos toparon con un rodillo, como pudo se levantó y se lo aventó, la mujer no se lo esperaba, el rodillo le dio en la cabeza, justo en el momento que ella tenía un arma en la mano.
Ruperto Cubillas recibió la llamada de alguien que no se identificó, solo le dijo que había un cadáver de una mujer en un lugar solitario.
No podía creer lo que estaba viendo, era su compañera de trabajo y la mujer con la que esperaba casarse, la Sargento Ramos.
El forense le dio el pésame, el detective Cubillas no dijo nada, por su mente pasaban tantos momentos que había vivido con ella, esa mujer había sido la compañera con la que él quería envejecer.
La sargento Ramos se había desempeñado con honor y valentía, también era la que lo esperaba en las noches cuando llegaba estresado y se entregaban a la lujuria.
Anita Morillo, regresó por sus cosas, estaba muy nerviosa, limpió la casa y después se metió en el baño donde no le dio freno a la desesperación, lloró lo más que pudo. Anita quería aclarar todo con esa mujer, pero ella no le dio chance. Ruperto nunca le dijo nada, más bien le prometió sacarla de esa vida miserable del cabaret, ella creyó que por fin la vida le sonreía. Todo lo que había soñado se fue por las cañerías. Se acordó del ticket y lo tiró antes de salir.
Tomó el primer autobús que pasó por la carretera sin saber a dónde iba, solo quería alejarse, olvidar lo ocurrido. Cuando tiró el ticket, estaba segura de que él lo encontraría, era bueno investigando, ella también sabía cómo engañarlo con una pista falsa, cuando se dé cuenta, ya estará muy lejos.
Ruperto Cubillas sentía el sabor amargo en su boca, intuía que su mujer se había enterado de sus aventuras nocturnas, por eso le dejaba impregnado su perfume, era su sello, él solo le sonreía y se despedía con un beso.
—¿Usted sabe quién fue, inspector?
—Solo son sospechas Ramírez, pero la voy a encontrar.
—¿Quiere decir que es una mujer?...
Ruperto Cubillas se lamentaba todos los días frente al espejo. Fue un error involucrarme con esa mujer, pero me enamoré como un tonto, me sedujo su voz, sus movimientos, esa dulzura con la que me trataba. Deben ser cosas del diablo.
¡Qué broma Ruperto Cubillas! Primero te casas con tu compañera de trabajo y luego buscaste calor en otro cuerpo sin saber nada de ella.
Solo era Anita Morillo, eso era lo que importaba, pero las cosas te salieron mal Ruperto.
—Inspector Cubillas, lo único que averigüe, es que ese pasaje no fue usado
—Ahí sí que se subió el gato a la batea, es como decir, ¡no tengo nada, ni siquiera un maldito testigo!
—¡Cálmese inspector! Con alterarse no va a solucionar esto. Siempre hay un error y lo conseguiremos. Se me olvidaba... el forense me entregó esto.
—¿Un papel?...
—Con la dirección de Anita Morillo Inspector, estaba en uno de los uniformes que la Sargento Ramos guardaba en el casillero.
El detective Ramírez miró como el rostro del inspector cambió de colores.
—Fuimos a esa dirección y revisamos, allí ocurrió todo, lo que sí hizo, fue una buena limpieza y otra cosa, la Sargento Ramos llevaba su arma de reglamento.
—¿Dónde la consiguieron?
—En la tanquilla de las cloacas, pero no fue disparada...
—Fue ella, Anita Morillo, no hay dudas.
En un pueblo muy lejano, el hijo de un viejo hacendado celebraba su despedida de soltero, sus amigos y su padre le prepararon una sorpresa, contrataron a una chica y la envolvieron como regalo, al abrir la caja, apareció una mujer vestida de ángel, el hombre se dejó llevar como si fuera al paraíso y Anita Morillo sonrió, tenía otra oportunidad.
An uncertain case
Ruperto Cubillas bent down to take a good look at what could barely be seen between the stones that adorned the flowerpot, he lifted the stone and could see part of a hidden ticket, it was a little damp, and that made the ink on the stamp run. On examining it well, he noticed that it was a very recent travel ticket, he put it away, then looked at his watch and realized that he was late getting to the office.
Anita Morillo was very nervous after what had happened, she grabbed the soap paste and ran it desperately over her body as if she wanted to rip off her skin so that there would be no traces left, she wanted the water to wash it away and disappear between the pipes.
I have to go, she said between sobs, I can't stay, this couldn't have happened.
She didn't feel her tears, although she knew they were going with the water. —Why did things have to turn out this way?
Ruperto Cubillas had been counting the days, marking in a notebook with a line every day after that unfortunate event, he did this after getting up in the morning so as not to forget. He looked at himself for a long time in the mirror looking for something different on the skin of his face, but all he saw was the same as always: sadness and bitterness.
—This is not progressing at all, Ruperto, you thought it was going to be easier, the days go by and there is nothing new, — he said to himself in the solitude of his house.
The only thing he had was a piece of a ticket that did not indicate any destination. He finished his breakfast, drank his coffee, and left for the office.
When he arrived, Detective Ramirez was waiting for him.
—Good morning, Inspector, is there any progress in the case?
—Everything remains the same, Ramirez, I can't sleep and the person who might have an answer is nowhere to be found.
—Do you want coffee? It's freshly brewed.
—Give me a large cup.
Ruperto Cubillas reached into his pocket and pulled out the ticket, leaving it on the table for his companion to see.
—It's what I have and with that, I haven't been able to find out anything. When I arrived at that office in the passenger terminal and showed them the ticket, it became a whisper, blaming each other for negligence because they couldn't get the registration.
—That's what happens when there is an administrative mess or when something is hidden, inspector.
—Do you think so? I had to walk away, grabbed the ticket, and told them I would come back another time.
Anita Morillo went to the terminal and bought the ticket before the event, she went back to the house where she had everything ready to leave, and that's when the woman appeared.
The woman was dressed in a flannel with a hood. She looked at the clock, it was eight o'clock at night, the street was lonely, and she could tell it was a very quiet neighborhood. He saw a light go on and off; it was the signal he was waiting for.
What Anita least expected when she opened the door was to receive a blow so hard that it knocked her down, what she wanted was to talk and clarify everything, she had already decided to disappear from that city, but she only received blows, no shouts, no words.
As best she could, she reached the kitchen, the woman seemed to be enjoying herself, Anita Morillo was looking for something to defend herself, and her hands came across a rolling pin, as best she could she got up and threw it at her, the woman did not expect it, the rolling pin hit her in the head just as she had a weapon in her hand.
Ruperto Cubillas received a call from someone who did not identify himself, he only told him that there was a woman's body in a lonely place.
He could not believe what he was seeing, it was his co-worker and the woman he hoped to marry, Sergeant Ramos.
The coroner gave his condolences, but Detective Cubillas said nothing, so many moments that he had lived with her were going through his mind, that woman had been the partner he wanted to grow old with.
Sergeant Ramos had performed with honor and bravery, she was also the one who waited for him in the evenings when he arrived stressed and they indulged in lust.
Anita Morillo returned for her things, she was very nervous, so she cleaned the house and then went into the bathroom where she did not stop her despair, she cried as much as she could. Anita wanted to clear everything up with the woman, but she didn't give him a chance. Ruperto never said anything to her but rather promised to get her out of that miserable life in the cabaret, and she believed that life was finally smiling at her. Everything she had dreamed of went down the drain. She remembered the ticket and threw it away before leaving.
She took the first bus that passed along the road without knowing where she was going, she just wanted to get away, to forget what had happened. When she threw the ticket away, she was sure he would find it, he was good at investigating, and she also knew how to trick him with a false clue, by the time he realized, he would already be far away.
Ruperto Cubillas felt the bitter taste in his mouth, he sensed that his wife had found out about his nocturnal adventures, that's why she left her perfume on him, it was her seal, he just smiled at her and kissed her goodbye.
—Do you know who did it, Inspector?
—They're just suspicions, Ramirez, but I'm going to find her.
—You mean it's a woman?
Ruperto Cubillas lamented every day in front of the mirror. It was a mistake to get involved with that woman, but I fell in love like a fool, I was seduced by her voice, her movements, and the sweetness with which she treated me. It must be the devil's work.
What a joke Ruperto Cubillas! First, you marry your workmate and then you look for warmth in another body without knowing anything about her.
It was only Anita Morillo, that's all that mattered, but things went wrong for you Ruperto.
—Inspector Cubillas, the only thing I found out is that the ticket wasn't used.
—That's the cat's out of the bag, that's like saying, I don't have anything, not even a damn witness!
—Calm down, inspector! Getting upset isn't going to solve this. There's always a mistake and we'll find it. I forgot... the coroner gave me this.
—A piece of paper?
—That's Anita Morillo's address, Inspector Cubillas; the coroner found it in Sergeant Ramos' locker, tucked in one of her uniforms.
Detective Ramirez watched as the inspector's face changed colors.
—We went to that address and checked, and that's where it all happened, what he did do, was a good cleaning, and another thing, the sergeant was carrying her regulation weapon.
—Where did you get it?
—In the sewage tank, but it wasn't fired...
—It was her, Anita Morillo, no doubt about it.
In a town far away, the son of an old landowner was celebrating his bachelor party, his friends and his father prepared a surprise for him, they hired a girl and wrapped her up as a present when they opened the box, a woman dressed as an angel appeared, the man let himself be taken as if he was going to paradise and Anita Morillo smiled, she had another chance.
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
Illustrations made with Bing's Image Generator of Microsoft.
Images edited with PhotoScape.
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Intrigante. Una historia cautivadora de secretos, pasión y misterio. Me ha gustado cómo has entrelazado las vidas del inspector Cubillas, Anita Morillo y Ramos. Supongo que Cubillas siempre se considerará responsable de la muerte de su esposa, ¡bien hecho! Gracias por participar en el Scholar N Scribe December Invitational. !PIZZA
Intriguing! A captivating tale of secrecy, passion and mystery. I enjoy the way you wove such intricate twists around the lives of Inspector Cubillas, Anita Morillo and Ramos. I guess Cubillas would always hold himself responsible for the death of his wife. Well done! Thank you for participating in the Scholar N Scribe December Invitational.
$PIZZA slices delivered:
@kemmyb(1/5) tipped @silher