Sunlit oak tree

Approaching Alex’s house, Augustine knew that he had to tell his friend the latest news — it would be too difficult for him to keep this burden inside himself. Besides, Alex could help them. He worked for the police, and if anyone could be useful, it would be him. Augustine had no one else to turn to. Chaos was going on in his head, anxiety was squeezing his chest, and his thoughts were constantly confused. Looking at his wristwatch, Augustine realized that Augustine had gotten up long ago, and decided not to hesitate. Crossing the stairwells, he quickly found himself at the door of Alex’s apartment. — Good morning. — Augustine smiled tensely at Alex when he opened the door for him. “Good,” said the friend, a little confused. — How should I best respond? I’m glad to see you, but you came early in the morning and you look scared. What’s happened? Augustine sat down on a stool that stood in the hallway. “Alex, I really need your help…” Augustine said a little choked up, lowering his eyes to the floor. “As if I could refuse you,” he said mockingly. Augustine rolled his eyes. — It’s not funny, it concerns Irene. Alex strained his ears and drank a glass of water. Yes, a deep hangover looked different to him now than before. Age was making itself felt — Alex could no longer, as at eighteen, vigorously jump up after drinking and run errands without the slightest hint of a headache. — So what happened? You’re starting to scare me. — Alex was sitting in yesterday’s street clothes; he looked rumpled and unkempt. — Okay, if I remember correctly, you have the day off today, right? — Alex motioned to continue. — So, Irene killed her husband. Need your help. “At the last words he said, Alex staggered a little and at first couldn’t believe his ears, deciding that he had gone crazy from drunkenness after all. Seeing Augustine sitting in front of him with a completely serious face, he instantly sobered up. — Did Irene kill her husband? — Augustine confirmed the words. — Have you been checked by a psychiatrist lately? “Alex, I’m serious, I just came from her house, I saw Arthur with my own eyes, we are together…” He broke off the line of narration. “Are you together…” Alex waited for the continuation. — I’ll tell you if you help us. — Okay, I’m in. “We buried it together not far from the city.” — Augustine finished the story.; Alex grabbed his head in surprise. “Great, now you’re also an accomplice to the murderer.” How can I help you? “Please help us get rid of the body and the evidence.” We were going to burn it tonight, but I don’t have that much gas. — Augustine was serious in his words. Yes, Alex went through a lot with Augustine, but helping to erase traces of murder is the first time. — Okay, I understand you. When will you visit her again? — Tonight. Alex walked into the kitchen. His involvement in this situation meant that he too would come under attack. However, there was nothing to be done. “Okay, I’ll help you, but I see you’ve decided to take the blame on yourself, right, Augustine?” — Why do you think so? — The friend was dumbfounded by his statement. “I could tell by your loving eyes.” You won’t leave her. — Alex closed the door to the bathroom, and Augustine was grateful to his friend — he still agreed. They decided that they would not tell Agnes anything. She shouldn’t have been burdened with these problems as well—she might not have understood everything correctly. *** Augustine was going to leave the house a little earlier than the agreed time. Alex was already waiting for him on the street, nervously smoking a cigarette. Alex and Augustine were silent all the way to Irene’s house. Irene waited for Augustine all day, sitting next to the clock. Their quiet ticking unnerved her even more; she could not distract herself from thoughts of killing Arthur and tried to avoid their bedroom — going there was beyond her strength. Hour after hour, she counted down the time and waited for Augustine, frantically eating ice cream. Finally, looking out the window once again, she saw Augustine’s car and rushed down to meet him. But imagine her surprise when she also saw Alex walking next to him. — You both have arrived… Alex greeted Irene. — Yes, I had to bring him up to date. I didn’t know what to do. — Irene, Augustine and I decided that, most likely, we will now burn not only Arthur’s things, but also himself. — What? — The girl got goosebumps. Alex glanced sideways at the house. — Has the servant left yet? “Oh, yes…” Irene was a little taken aback by the quick change of topic. — So what did you say about burning? — Get in the car, we’ll tell you on the way. — Isn’t there any other way? It makes me sick to my stomach to think that I am a murderer. “She said the last part in a whisper. Alex turned to Irene. — Irene, everything will be fine. But we don’t have time to dwell on this tragedy. We are with you. Fine? The girl shook her head. Augustine locked the house and looked around to make sure no one was watching them. Irene looked more like a bird that had frozen everything in the winter wind than like a person. Augustine wanted to suggest that Alex not take her with him, but he thought that leaving Irene to her own devices in such bad health would be an even worse idea. *** The lifeless highway, laid outside the city, was drowned in darkness and illuminated only by the stars and the moon. Irene sat silently and sometimes began to shake in horror. Looking at Alex and Augustine, somewhere in the depths of her soul she was glad that she had such faithful friends. She was ashamed that she had dragged them both into such a dangerous undertaking. Alex and Augustine were discussing something in a half-whisper, and only fragments of their phrases reached Irene. She was tired of listening to their whispers, and she irritably called out to them with an urgent question: — So, whose idea was it to burn the body? And why did you decide to do this? The friends looked at each other. “Irene,” Alex began, “we thought that Arthur was a very important big shot, and it’s clear that the best forces would be sent to find him.” We have maybe three days. Arthur always got in touch with his subordinates before his arrival. If his adjutant knew that he was coming, then we have no choice but to burn the body. — Alex drove the car disgustingly — this also revealed his internal state. “Besides,” Augustine continued quietly, “no body means no search.” Without finding the suitcases and body, they will understand that he simply might not have returned from Austria, and they will search there. This will give us time, but we need your help. “Even if they rush to look for him, it’s unlikely that anything will happen.” They simply will not be able to find and go further. — Alex added. — What help do you need? “Irene was completely attentive. — The first one to go for interrogation will be you. You must say that your husband did not come. For search parties, you didn’t hear or see him. Better yet, say that at the moment when he left, you were not at home, so you don’t know anything. Then Augustine and his adjutant will go. — Alex was turning off the road. “We both think the best option would be for you to tell the truth about your relationship with Arthur—that you were not close.” The main thing is to remain silent about all his mockery and atrocities towards you. That way you won’t have a motive. This will allow you to avoid falling into the circle of suspects,” Augustine said, turning to her. — What will you do, Augustine? — Irene sat closer to the chairs. — Don’t know. Maybe I’ll supposedly go on a business trip to Switzerland, leave a copy of the fake tickets in the apartment — anyway, if they search me, they’ll think of breaking into the apartment, or maybe I’ll ask for leave and falsify documents that I was out of the country at that time. In any case, I need to run — I fall under suspicion. - You are right. The first person they will suspect is you,” the friend says. “You were demoted in rank, and you didn’t immediately get along with him.” “Maybe I’ll run away with you?” “Irene said this so quickly that Augustine did not have time to react. — No. — Alex immediately put her in her place — It would be too suspicious. I will be in touch with Augustine, and you can also contact us. We need you here. — Alex slowed down, and all three arrived at the place. “Besides, my aunt died just in time, and I need to draw up inheritance papers for an apartment in Austria. I think it will be possible to set up a transshipment point there. With our bureaucracy, the police are unlikely to do everything coherently, again somewhere they will fail or miss something. This is to our advantage. — What are you talking about? — Irene misunderstood Alex’s thought. — What I mean is that some will push for permission, others will say that they don’t have documents for this, and others will look for something that doesn’t exist. In the end, they will not even understand when they leave the normal track and go into the jungle of their own delusions. The fire flared up very quickly. Arthur’s body burned in it along with his belongings and bloody underwear. At the small forest edge there was an unpleasant smell of burnt hair. Irene, standing slightly to the side, looked at Alex and Augustine. Her heart sank with pain when she began to think that Augustine was going to take all the blame on himself, and Alex was under attack as an accomplice. All because of her emotions and stupidity. Probably, it was at this moment that she most wanted to turn back time and not kill Arthur. But what’s done is done. The embers went out, and the friends buried Arthur’s remains in the ground. The road back passed in deathly silence. Alex, having disembarked halfway, went to Agnes, Irene decided to go through the wardrobe and look for the remaining evidence, and Augustine went to pack his bags and buy tickets to Austria.