Chapter 3 - The Boy in the PhotographThe photograph was grainy.
But Elena could see enough.
A teenager.
Hands tied.
A frightened face.
A bare concrete wall behind him.
Mateo.
Elena's heart hammered.
“Call the police.”
Daniel shook his head.
“They said not to.”
“Who?”
“The person who sent this.”
Rafael took the phone.
“We call anyway.”
Daniel nodded.
But Alejandro suddenly spoke.
“No.”
Everyone looked at him.
“You can't.”
Rafael stared.
“Why?”
Alejandro looked at the photograph.
“I know where that room is.”
Silence.
Elena's stomach dropped.
“You've been there?”
Alejandro shook his head.
“Not exactly.”
“Then explain.”
He rubbed his face.
“There was a property.”
“What property?”
“An old warehouse.”
“Where?”
“Outside the city.”
Rafael's expression hardened.
“Take us there.”
Alejandro hesitated.
“It's dangerous.”
Elena stepped forward.
“My son is there.”
The words came naturally.
My son.
Even though she had never met Mateo.
Even though he wasn't biologically hers.
He was still a child.
And someone had taken him.
“We're going.”
They drove through the night.
Detective officers followed behind them.
Daniel sat beside Elena.
He barely spoke.
Finally, he said:
“My mother loved him.”
“Mateo?”
“Yes.”
“She found him after years.”
“Why did she never tell you?”
“She tried.”
Daniel looked down.
“She said Alejandro had people watching her.”
Elena looked toward the road.
“Why would he do that?”
Daniel was silent.
Then he answered:
“Because Mateo wasn't just his son.”
“What do you mean?”
“He was proof.”
“Proof of what?”
Daniel handed her another document.
It was an old company record.
Alejandro's name appeared beside several suspicious transfers.
Elena frowned.
“What am I looking at?”
“Money.”
“Whose?”
“Rafael's company.”
Elena looked at her father.
“What?”
Daniel continued.
“Before you married Alejandro, he worked for your father's company.”
Rafael's expression changed.
“I know.”
“He wasn't just an employee.”
Rafael looked at him.
“What are you saying?”
“He was involved in a financial scheme.”
Elena stared at Alejandro.
“Is this true?”
Alejandro didn't answer.
Rafael's voice became cold.
“How much did you steal?”
“I didn't steal anything.”
Daniel interrupted.
“You transferred money into shell companies.”
Alejandro looked at him.
“You have no idea what happened.”
“Then tell us.”
Alejandro gripped the steering wheel.
“I was ordered to do it.”
“By whom?”
Silence.
Then Rafael spoke.
“By me?”
Alejandro looked at him.
“No.”
Rafael frowned.
“Then who?”
Alejandro whispered:
“Your former CFO.”
Elena remembered the name.
Mr. Vargas.
He had died years ago.
Daniel said:
“Vargas was working with someone.”
“Who?”
Alejandro looked toward the rearview mirror.
“Evelyn.”
Elena froze.
“Who is Evelyn?”
Alejandro didn't answer.
Rafael did.
“My former business partner.”
Elena looked at him.
“You never told me about her.”
“Because I thought she was gone.”
Daniel shook his head.
“She isn't.”
The car suddenly slowed.
Ahead stood the warehouse.
Lights were visible inside.
Police surrounded the area.
Elena's heart raced.
They got out.
Detective Collins approached.
“Stay behind us.”
They entered.
The building was empty.
Except for a chair.
A rope.
And a small recorder.
No Mateo.
Daniel rushed forward.
“No!”
Detective Collins stopped him.
“Don't touch anything.”
She picked up the recorder.
Pressed play.
Alejandro's own voice filled the warehouse.
“Mateo doesn't exist.”
Then another voice.
A woman's.
“He knows too much.”
Alejandro answered:
“Then make him disappear.”
Elena stared at her husband.
“No.”
Alejandro's face drained of color.
“That isn't me.”
The recording continued.
The woman said:
“Just like Mariana.”
Elena's knees weakened.
Detective Collins looked at Alejandro.
“You're going to explain that.”
“I swear that's not what it sounds like.”
The recording ended.
Then a phone rang.
Everyone looked around.
It was coming from a table.
Daniel picked it up.
A message appeared.
YOU BROUGHT THE WRONG MAN.
Then another.
LOOK UNDER THE CHAIR.
Detective Collins crouched.
Beneath the chair was a small envelope.
Inside was a photograph.
Mateo.
Alive.
And beside him stood a woman.
Elena stared at the face.
She recognized her.
She had seen her once.
At Alejandro's office.
A quiet assistant.
Someone who had worked there for years.
Victoria whispered:
“Isabel.”
Elena turned.
“Who is Isabel?”
Victoria looked terrified.
“Alejandro's former secretary.”
Daniel stared at the photograph.
“She worked for my mother.”
Elena frowned.
“What?”
“She was the person who helped Mariana.”
Alejandro's expression changed.
“No.”
Then Daniel saw something in the photograph.
A ring on Isabel's finger.
His mother's ring.
Daniel whispered:
“She has my mother's ring.”
Elena felt a chill.
Maybe Isabel wasn't the kidnapper.
Maybe she was the person protecting Mateo.
Then the warehouse lights suddenly turned off.
A gunshot echoed.
Everyone ducked.
When the lights came back, Alejandro was gone.
May you like
And on the floor was a single note.
YOU SHOULD HAVE ASKED HIM ABOUT THE NIGHT MARIANA DISAPPEARED.
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