Part 25 (1/2)
”And just as they were about to catch him, he killed himself,” one of them was saying.
Out of curiosity Manuel hastened his step, and approached a group that was discussing the event at the entrance to the Corralon.
”Where did this fellow come from that killed himself?” asked Manuel of Aristas.
”Why! It was Leandro!”
”Leandro!”
”Yes, Leandro, who killed Milagros and then killed himself.”
”But ... is this really so?”
”Yes, man. Just a moment ago,”
”Here? In the house?”
”On this very spot.”
Manuel, quaking with fear, ran up the stairs to the gallery. The floor was still stained with the pool of blood. Senor Zurro, the only witness to the drama, was telling the story to a group of neighbours.
”I was here, reading the paper,” said the old-clothes man, ”and Milagros and her mother were talking to Lechuguino. The engaged couple were enjoying themselves, when up comes Leandro to the gallery; he was about to open the door to his rooms when, before he went in, he suddenly turned to Milagros. 'Is that your sweetheart?' he said to her. It seemed to me that he was as pale as a corpse. 'Yes,' she answered. 'All right. Then I've come here to end things once and for all,' he shouted. 'Which of the two do you prefer, him or me?' 'Him,'
shrieks Milagros. 'Then it's all up,' cried Leandro in a hoa.r.s.e voice.
'I'm going to kill you.' After that I can't recall anything clearly; it was all as swift as a thunderbolt; when I ran over to them, the girl was gus.h.i.+ng blood from her mouth; the proof-reader's wife was screaming and Leandro was chasing Lechuguino with his knife opened.”
”I saw him leave the house,” added an old woman. ”He was waving his blood-stained knife in the air; my husband tried to stop him; but he backed like a bull, lunged for him and came near killing him.”
”And where are my uncle and aunt?” asked Manuel.
”Over at the Emergency Hospital. They followed the stretcher.”
Manuel went down into the patio.
”Where are you going?” asked Ariston.
”To the Emergency Hospital.”
”I'll go along with you.”
The two boys were joined by a machine shop apprentice who lived in the Corrala.
”I saw him kill himself,” said the apprentice. ”We were all running after him, hollering, 'Catch him! Stop him!' when two guards appeared on Amparo Street, drew their swords and blocked his way. Then Leandro bounded back, made his way through the people and landed here again; he was going to escape through the Paseo de las Acacias when he stumbled against La Muerte, who began to call him names. Leandro stopped, looked in every direction; n.o.body dared to get near him; his eyes were blazing. Suddenly he jabbed the knife into his left side I don't know how many times. When one of the guards seized him by the arm he collapsed like an empty sack.”
The commentary of Ariston and the apprentice proved endless; the boys arrived at the Emergency Hospital and were told that the corpses, those of Milagros and Leandro, had been taken to the Morgue. The three gamins walked down to the Ca.n.a.l, to the little house near the river's edge, which Manuel and the urchins of his gang had so often visited, trying to peep into the windows. A knot of people had gathered about the door.
”Let's have a look,” said Ariston.