Robert sprinted to the shore, grabbed the lifebuoy, and leaped into the water.
The winter river was so cold it felt like needles on his skin, chilling him to the bone.
Fighting off the cramps, he dove into the dark water. He couldn't see a thing and came up empty-handed after a bit.
He surfaced for air and heard a faint noise from the water.
Looking around, he suddenly heard a gurgling sound nearby. Two people emerged from the water.
They were clinging to each other. One turned, and the dim light revealed her pale face.
Robert's heart skipped a beat. It was Sophia.
Sophia was holding someone and swimming towards the pavilion. The woman's head was lowered and her hair floating, making it difficult to ascertain the status of the person Sophia was holding.
Ignoring the cramps in his legs, Robert swam to the shore as fast as he could.
He called Ethan. "Everything good over there? Is Kurt okay?"
Ethan replied, "All good, Kurt's fine."
Robert headed to the pavilion, where Sophia was giving CPR to Kurt's wife.
Water dripped from her hair, forming a small puddle at her feet.
Suddenly, the crowd in the pavilion cheered. "She's breathing!"
A police officer approached Robert to discuss the investigation results.
Kurt's son told the police his mom went to the vending machine to get him water. When he was high on the trampoline, he saw someone push his mom into the water, but it was too dark to see who.
They often visited Kurt at work, ate at the Mexican place downstairs, and played at the playground by the river.
Robert asked the police about Sophia, and they said she sat in the pavilion the whole time. She only jumped in to save Kurt's wife after she fell in.
Sophia seemed uninvolved, but it was all too coincidental.
She was there when Kurt's wife was pushed, even though she saved her.
Robert called Ethan. "Ethan, pair up and search along the riverbank. See if you find anything."
He pushed through the crowd and wrapped his jacket around the soaked Sophia, whispering, "Sophia, since you witnessed a murder, you need to come to the station and help with our investigation."
Sophia looked up at him, calmly took off his jacket and covered Kurt's wife, then put on her own jacket from the pavilion, saying, "Okay, after the ambulance arrives, I'll go with you."
The ambulance arrived, and Kurt's wife was still in critical condition. She was taken to the hospital, accompanied by police officers and Kurt and his children.
Sophia followed Robert into the car. He closed the door and handed Sophia his spare clothes from the car. "Don't mind, change quickly. It's freezing."
He turned the car heater to the maximum. Once they were both settled, Robert showed her a photo of Kurt's wife and asked, "Do you know her?"
Sophia shook her head. "I didn't know her before saving her."
Robert sighed. "It's a good thing you were there, or a six-year-old boy would have had to watch his mom get killed."
Sophia lowered her head, her hand clenching momentarily.
Robert pretended not to notice and continued, "Did you see who pushed her?"
Sophia shook her head.
"Did you notice anything suspicious? Tell us everything you know. We need your help," Robert said, looking into Sophia's calm eyes. "Because next time, the child might not be so lucky to have someone save his mom."
Sophia's emotions quickly stabilized, and she even looked directly at Robert.
"I'm sorry, I didn't see anything," Sophia said. "I just heard a sound and vaguely saw someone struggling in the water. I didn't think much and jumped in."
"You did well, so they won't lose their mother at a young age," Robert said. "Losing a mother at a young age is terrible, right?"
Sophia's eyes twitched slightly but she remained silent. Robert watched her reaction and continued, "The woman you saved is Kurt's wife."
Sophia didn't speak, but her expression looked shocked.
Robert asked, "Why were you there?"
Robert saw Sophia smile and said, "Are you so defensive because you've been secretly observing Kurt? You've not only seen him but also his wife, and you knew something would happen here tonight, right?"
Sophia looked directly at Robert. "Officer Davis, this is all just your assumption."
"All these years, you've been inquiring about Tony and his associates, how come you don't know Kurt's wife?" Robert's tone became stern. "Answer me directly, do you know her or not?"
"No," Sophia said.
He continued, "Then why did you take a thirty-minute drive to eat nearby and appear at the crime scene?"
Suddenly, Robert's phone rang. The officer said, "Sir, we found the suspect who pushed Kurt's wife into the river. She's dead."