Chapter 12 — Husband's Death Certificate

I looked at him. “Then tell him to come home quickly.” I folded up the death certificate. “I'm waiting to do his resurrection procedure.” The contact point in Nam Cang was investigated for three days. On the morning of the third day, I was called to the Investigation Team for identification through photos. In the meeting room there is a row of printed photos. Hotels, wharves, motels, bus stations. Co Thua An pushed a photo in front of me. “Do you know this person?” In the photo is a man wearing a hat, standing and buying water in front of a convenience store at Nam Cang wharf. He was much thinner, had a shaggy beard, and wore a gray coat. But Tham Nghien and I have slept in the same bed for five years. Even if he burned to ashes, I still recognized his shoulders. “Tham Nghien.” Co Thua An asked: "Are you sure?" "Sure." Chief Chu sat in the chair, looking at me. “He's still alive.” The meeting room was silent. I picked up the pen and signed my name under the photo. “Um.” Co Thua An looked at me. Maybe he thought I would cry, or get angry. I don't. Chief Chu said: "We have determined that he appeared near the old Nam Cang wharf. Last night when we rounded up, he ran away first." “Who broke the news?” Chief Chu looked at Co Thua An. “There are still their people inside the squad.” Co Thua An showed another photo. In the photo is Tham Dao. She stood at the exit of Nam Cang bus station, carrying a black bag in her hand. I asked: "She has been to Nam Cang?" Co Thua An said: "Yesterday afternoon." I took out my phone. Tham Dao just texted me half an hour ago. 【7 o'clock tonight, meet at the old house. My brother has something he asked me to pass on to you. She came alone.】 I put the phone on the table. After looking at it, Chief Chu immediately said: "This is a trap." I said: “I'll go.” "Impossible." Co Thua An refused very firmly. “Tham Nghien already knows that you are investigating him, he may take action against you.” “He won't.” “How can you be sure?” I looked at the man in the photo, Tham Nghien. "He's regretful and doesn't want me to die so quickly. He still hasn't gotten what he wants back." Chief Chu asked: "What?" I don't answer. I just said: "At 7 p.m., I will go to my old house. You guys follow behind, don't break the cord and stir up trouble." Co Thua An frowned. “You still have something to hide.” “Team leader Co, everyone has secrets.” “In this case, secrets will kill people.” I picked up my bag. “Then let's see who dies first.” At 7 p.m., I arrived at the Tham family's old house. It's an old dormitory on the sixth floor, with no elevator. When I climbed up, two of the hallway lights were broken, and the walls were covered with pale advertisements. The door does not close tightly. I pushed the door and walked in. In the living room, only one table lamp was turned on. Tham Dao sat on the sofa, her face was haggard, and there were dark circles under her eyes. On the table lay a black bag. “I'm here.” I closed the door. “Where is Tham Nghien?” She felt like she was pricked by a needle. "I do not know." “So why did you call me here?” Tham Dao pushed the black bag over. “My brother told me to give this to you.” I don't touch. “What's inside?” "Money." "How much?" “Five hundred thousand.” I laughed. “Does Tham Nghien intend to use five hundred thousand to chase me away?” Tham Dao stood up suddenly. "Lam Thinh, don't be too harsh! My brother has been pressured by you to the point where he can't return home, so what else do you want?" “Did I force him to fake his death?” “If it weren't for your refusal to divorce, would he be in this situation?” I looked at her. "Tham Dao, your brother committed adultery, cheated, faked his death, defrauded his parents, defrauded the agency. When it comes to you, the wrong person is still me." She shouted: “He is my brother!” “So what?” “So I can't stand by and watch him go to jail!” Tears fell from her eyes. "Since I was young, he treated me the best. My parents beat me, he protected me. I didn't have money to go to school, so he supported me. He made mistakes, but he's not a bad person." I asked: “What about me?” Tham Dao was stunned. "What?" “In your last year of college, who did you send your tuition money to?” She dodged her forehead

h my eyes. “It's my brother.” "That year I kept Tham Nghien's salary card, where did he get the money?" Tham Dao's mouth was stiff. “Anyway, he told me to go get it.” “When you gave birth and had a hemorrhage, who was running around to find blood for you?” She said nothing. "Your husband gambled and got into debt. Who paid the debt first for you?" Tham Dao gritted his teeth. “It was all of your own free will.” This sentence is even harder to hear than cursing. I nodded. "Yes, I volunteered. So I deserve it." She cried harder. “I didn't mean that.” “That's exactly what you meant.” The door in the house suddenly made a clicking sound. Tham Nghien walked out of the bedroom. He was wearing a black coat, his face had become thinner, and there was a new scar on his forehead. I looked at him. Couple of five years. I've thought countless times what my reaction would be when he reappears. When actually seen, there is only one thought. Why hasn't this guy died yet?