Part 33 # Love-Hate Relationship
“Husband! Huhu!”
Lara was startled to hear Bi Yani’s mournful cry echoing through the air. People crowded around, and she struggled to find out what was actually happening.
“Excuse me ….” Lara tried to push through the crowd, pretending to be a family member of the person being surrounded. What was actually happening?
“Oh my God!”
Lara was stunned, unbelieving, to find Bi Yani’s husband lying helpless with blood pooling around him.
“His skull is fractured!”
Someone shouted from the other side. The sound of cries and screams only added to the tense atmosphere.
“AAndre, what happened?” Lara walked over to Andre, who looked flustered. He seemed desperate after doing something. “Did you just try to help him?”
Andre nodded weakly. “He … he’s dead.”
Lara’s heart seemed to stop beating. Now she understood why Bi Yani was so frustrated. “Then?”
“An ambulance is on its way here. He suddenly ran towards the moving car because he was afraid of being arrested by the police.”
Lara nodded, listening to all of his explanations. “Poor thing,” she whispered. However, he was just a regular human being after all. Surely, there was a hint of humanity directed towards the lost soul.
Lara shifted towards Bi Yani, who was attempting to embrace her husband’s body but was being held back by the police officers on duty. She wasn’t allowed to approach the scene. Lara tried to reach out to her and hug her, but she kept resisting.
“Husband! Husband!” Bi Yani called out incessantly. It seemed like Bi Yani still couldn’t believe that her husband had died just like that, without warning.
“Bi!” Lara called out, half-shouting. She quickly pulled her arm, which was still trying to push away the officers who were restraining her.
“Bi! Be patient. Don’t make everything more complicated,” Lara said slowly, while stroking her back. Finally, she managed to pull her closer and landed a hug to calm her down.
The atmosphere was so tense. Soon after, the sound of ambulance sirens wailed, approaching the scene. The officers carried Bi Yani’s husband’s body on a stretcher, his entire body and face tightly covered by a white cloth extending from the head to the toe.
Around the scene, there were yellow police lines and white tapes indicating the investigation area. The situation of the fatal accident seemed clear, although questions about what actually happened still hung in the air.
“Husband! Don’t leave me, Husband! Huhu ….” Bi Yani continued to wail as the stretcher carrying her husband’s body finally entered the ambulance and closed completely. Shortly after, the ambulance drove away with permission from the duty police chief.
“He was the one who hit him?” Lara asked Andre.
“Yes. But he’s not guilty. The man suddenly hit his car.”
Lara nodded. It was indeed difficult to remain calm in such a situation. Although technically he was not guilty, the effect of his car’s speed had taken another person’s life. Of course, if not careful, he could end up in prison.
Lara could see the forensic team and police investigators immediately starting the investigation procedures at the crime scene. They designated specific zones, put up police lines encircling the accident area, and began documenting every detail that could provide further clues.
Of course, this was their official procedure. Everyone knew that this was all because of Bi Yani’s husband who fled when the police caught him!
The forensic officers moved carefully, collecting important samples such as car fragments, blood traces, and personal belongings that might be scattered around the scene. The forensic photographer meticulously captured every angle, noted the initial position of the body, and took detailed pictures that could serve as evidence.
“Did you see him coming beforehand?”
Lara overheard a detective asking the car driver who caused the fatal accident. They were having a serious conversation. She couldn’t catch the conversation clearly.
Several witnesses at the scene were also being interviewed by other detectives. Perhaps they were collecting data for the office report later.
The detectives approached people who witnessed the incident or might have information to assist in the investigation. Sharp questions were asked to detail the chronology of events and get as clear a picture as possible.
Lara was also curious about what actually happened. How could Bi Yani’s husband die just like that?
“Are you the doctor who helped the victim earlier?” a forensic officer asked Andre, while Lara was still accompanying Bi Yani, who was quite shocked and unable to say much.
“Yes. I am a doctor. Fortunately, I was at the crime scene, so I just did my usual duties as a doctor.”
The forensic officer and Andre seemed to be engaged in detailed discussions about the victim’s condition before being declared dead. Andre appeared to respond firmly and straightforwardly. Lara could understand that Andre probably didn’t want to complicate the situation further.
Andre had the same testimony as the car driver who refused to be blamed. He clearly saw Bi Yani’s husband suddenly running into the middle of the road and hitting the car. Apparently, the action was impulsive and sudden. The car driver, of course, couldn’t anticipate this beforehand.
“Are there any CCTV cameras around here?” the officer asked Andre.
Andre shook his head. “I’m not sure there are surveillance cameras around here. It’s just a small village area.”
The forensic officer noted the information and communicated with the criminal technology team to further check the CCTV recordings around the accident area. Although it was a small village, the criminal technology department might have access to several CCTV recordings from the surrounding area. In a short time, the team could provide information on whether there were surveillance cameras recording the incident.
Meanwhile, Lara began to look towards Bi Yani, who had stopped crying. Finally, the middle-aged woman seemed to be a little calmer.This text is © NôvelDrama/.Org.
“Ma’am. I want to go to the hospital. I want to accompany my husband to his final resting place peacefully…” she said with sobs.
Lara nodded, understanding her feelings as a wife who had spent many days with her husband. Despite the many hardships, their marriage had provided plenty of memories in Bi Yani’s life.
“I can take you. Wait here,” Andre said, apparently overhearing their conversation.
Lara smiled, feeling a bit embarrassed but not refusing his help.
Andre’s back receded, with sweat soaking almost most of his shirt. In her heart, Lara’s hatred for him gradually faded. She couldn’t even believe herself. How could she depend on her past enemy?
But, of course, she didn’t have a choice.
***
“I’m glad I could finally be useful to you, my Lara.”