Chapter 4 - Their Version of the Truth
By sunrise, Daniel was sitting in a police interview room.
His shoulder was fractured.
His lip needed four stitches.
Ricardo had a bruise on his chest.
Mariela had scratches on her arm.
Teresa claimed she had seen Daniel force his way inside, destroy the security equipment, and attack his sister.
Ricardo repeated the story almost word for word.
Mariela cried.
She was surprisingly good at it.
“I was terrified,” she told the officer. “He kept saying he would destroy us.”
Daniel stared through the one-way glass.
“They rehearsed this.”
The detective, Lucía Herrera, closed the file.
“You entered the property without permission.”
“I had an access code.”
“Your father says you were told not to come.”
“My daughter was assaulted.”
“And we are investigating that separately.”
“Separately?”
Lucía leaned forward.
“I didn’t say I believed them.”
Daniel stopped.
The detective slid a printed photograph across the table.
It showed the security system log Daniel had sent to me before entering the house.
“You sent this to your wife at 11:47 p.m.”
“Yes.”
“The deletion happened at 4:18.”
“Yes.”
“Your father says the system failed.”
“He’s lying.”
Lucía nodded once.
“Probably.”
She stood.
“But the backup drive wasn’t found.”
“My mother took it.”
“Your mother allowed us to search her robe.”
Daniel looked up.
“It wasn’t there.”
Lucía opened the door.
“You’re free to go for now.”
“For now?”
“Your family filed assault complaints.”
Daniel gave a short laugh.
“My two-year-old is covered in burns.”
“I know.”
“Then arrest Mariela.”
“I need evidence.”
“She admitted it.”
“To you. Inside a house where everyone else denies hearing it.”
Daniel’s jaw tightened.
Lucía lowered her voice.
“Find the drive.”
At the hospital, Sofia woke crying for water.
She wouldn’t let anyone touch her bandages except me.
When Daniel entered with his arm in a sling, I stared at him.
“What happened?”
“My family happened.”
I helped him sit.
He told me everything.
The deleted footage.
The attack.
Teresa hiding the drive.
The accusations.
For a while, neither of us spoke.
Sofia slept between us.
Daniel stared at the floor.
“I should’ve stopped this years ago.”
I didn’t comfort him.
He looked at me.
“I kept asking you to be patient.”
“Yes.”
“I said Mariela was jealous.”
“Yes.”
“I said my mother didn’t mean it.”
“Yes.”
His eyes reddened.
“I was wrong.”
“You were.”
He flinched.
But he nodded.
“I know.”
That evening, a social worker arrived.
Her name was Paulina.
She carried a clipboard and wore an expression so careful that I immediately distrusted it.
“We received a report,” she said.
“About what?”
“Possible neglect.”
I stared at her.
“Neglect?”
“The caller claims Sofia was injured because she was left unsupervised near a hot drink.”
Daniel stood.
“Who called?”
Paulina avoided his eyes.
“The report is anonymous.”
My phone vibrated.
A message from an unknown number appeared.
May you like
Drop the charges, or Sofia won’t be coming home with you.
---
