CHAPTER 2 — The Evidence They Tried to Throw Away
The birthday music stopped.
Even the candles on the cake seemed to burn more quietly.
No one spoke.
Everyone watched Ofelia kneeling on the kitchen floor, desperately clawing at the black trash bag hidden behind the recycling bins.
The lead investigator stepped forward.
"Ma'am..."
"Please move away from the bag."
"It's only garbage!" Ofelia cried.
The forensic examiner slipped on a fresh pair of latex gloves.
"We'll decide that."
He carefully opened the bag.
Inside was a torn manila envelope.
Several shredded contracts.
A USB flash drive.
And a folder stamped with the logo of a private bank.
Valeria felt her stomach tighten.
She recognized it immediately.
The documents she had accidentally seen the night before.
The investigator spread the papers across the dining table.
A forged power of attorney.
A mortgage application carrying Valeria's forged signature.
Transfer documents for Ernesto's lakeside property.
Every page had already been signed.
Everything except the final witness line.
Julián slowly backed away.
"I don't know anything about those papers."
The forensic examiner looked up.
"Interesting."
"Your fingerprints are on every page."
Silence.
Then Ernesto calmly placed another envelope beside the first one.
"This is why I came today."
Inside were certified copies from the land registry.
Bank surveillance photographs.
And an affidavit from the notary whose signature had been forged.
Julián stared at his mother.
"You said no one would ever find out."
May you like
Ofelia closed her eyes.
She had just answered the question no investigator needed to ask.
