Chapter 14 - THE DOCTOR WHO LIED
Dr. Aaron Feld tried to leave the country that night.
Police intercepted him at JFK.
By morning, he had an attorney.
By afternoon, he wanted a deal.
Roberto watched the recorded interview from another room.
Feld looked smaller than Roberto remembered.
Five years earlier, the psychiatrist had helped him survive the worst period of his life.
Now Roberto learned that the same man had sold pieces of that grief to Vanessa.
“I never agreed to murder anyone.”
Feld repeated the sentence several times.
Detectives asked the obvious question.
“What did Vanessa mean by finishing what you started five years ago?”
Feld wiped sweat from his forehead.
“She was talking about Roberto’s guardianship plan.”
“You expect us to believe that?”
“Yes.”
A detective placed the recording device on the table.
“Then explain the rest.”
Feld’s resistance lasted another hour.
Finally he broke.
Vanessa had contacted him months after Elena’s death.
She already knew about Roberto’s grief treatment.
She paid Feld for confidential information.
Travel dates.
Medication history.
Therapy notes.
Anything she could use to understand Roberto emotionally.
Years later, after marrying him, she returned.
This time she wanted medical leverage.
“She wanted him declared unstable.”
Feld whispered.
“She said it only needed to look credible for forty-eight hours.”
“Why forty-eight?”
“So she could trigger financial control before anyone reversed it.”
The detectives continued.
“Did she admit killing Elena?”
“No.”
“Did she ever discuss the crash?”
Feld looked toward the observation glass.
He knew Roberto was there.
“She said Elena was easier than expected.”
Roberto’s hands clenched.
The detective leaned forward.
“What exactly did she say?”
Feld closed his eyes.
“She said one damaged line changed her entire future.”
That was enough to deepen the homicide investigation.
But Vanessa was still missing.
Then Feld gave them something unexpected.
“She has another passport.”
“Name?”
“Victoria Lane.”
Marcus ran the identity.
A flight reservation appeared.
New York to Lisbon.
Departure the following evening.
Police prepared to intercept her.
But Roberto felt uneasy.
Vanessa had been too careful.
Too deliberate.
Would she really leave a trace that simple?
Sofía answered the question without realizing it.
That night she heard Roberto discussing Portugal.
“Vanessa hates airplanes.”
Roberto turned.
“What?”
“She told me she hates flying over water.”
María frowned.
“She traveled to Paris last year.”
“She took a ship after London.”
Sofía said.
Roberto remembered.
Vanessa had claimed it was romantic.
Marcus immediately searched cruise manifests and private maritime bookings.
Nothing.
Then harbor records showed a yacht registered to a company connected to Sebastian.
Scheduled to depart the next afternoon.
Destination listed as Bermuda.
Sebastian denied knowing anything about it.
But the yacht’s guest manifest contained one name.
Victoria Lane.
Police moved in.
At the marina, they found luggage.
A passport.
Cash.
Vanessa was not there.
Instead, inside one suitcase, investigators found a photograph of Sofía.
Written across the back were three words.
HE STILL CHOOSES HER.
Roberto stared at the message.
Vanessa was no longer running only from the police.
She was watching them.
May you like
And Sofía had become the center of her rage.
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