CHAPTER 4: THE SECRET RECORDING
The flashing red and blue lights reflected across the houses on the street.
Lucía started crying.
“Dad… are they taking me away?”
Javier held her tightly.
“No, sweetheart. Nobody is taking you anywhere.”
But even he wasn't sure anymore.
A police car and a vehicle from Child Protective Services stopped in front of the house.
Two officers stepped out, followed by a woman carrying a folder.
The woman approached carefully.
“Mr. Javier Murillo?”
“Yes.”
“We received an anonymous report regarding a possible case of child abuse.”
Javier's jaw tightened.
He already knew who had made the call.
Ricardo smiled from the sidewalk.
“Perfect timing.”
Mariana looked as if she wanted to slap him.
The social worker crouched down to Lucía's level.
“Hello, sweetheart. My name is Ana. Are you hurt?”
Lucía looked at her father before answering.
Then she nodded.
“Does your back hurt?”
Another nod.
Ana's expression changed.
“May I take a look?”
Javier hesitated for only a second.
Then he carefully lifted the back of Lucía's sweatshirt.
The woman gasped.
One of the police officers frowned.
“That bruise is serious.”
Immediately, Ricardo spoke.
“Terrible, isn't it?”
Everyone turned toward him.
He folded his arms.
“Poor child.”
Mariana stared at him in disbelief.
“You are unbelievable.”
The officer looked at Javier and Mariana.
“We need to understand exactly what happened.”
Before anyone could answer, a voice interrupted.
“I know what happened.”
Everyone turned.
It was Doña Elvira.
She was still holding her phone.
Her hands were shaking.
“I recorded part of it.”
The officer approached her.
“May we see the video?”
The elderly woman hesitated.
Then she nodded.
“Yes… but there is something I haven't shown anyone.”
Mariana looked confused.
“What do you mean?”
Tears filled the old woman's eyes.
“I stopped the video too soon.”
Silence.
“What?” Javier asked.
“There is more.”
Ricardo's smile disappeared.
The old woman swallowed hard.
“I was scared. I didn't know what to do.”
“Show us,” the officer said.
With trembling fingers, she opened the video.
Everyone gathered around.
The recording began.
The same shouting.
The sound of something breaking.
Lucía crying.
Mariana yelling.
Then—
the image changed.
The camera had shifted slightly.
And for the first time, everyone could see inside the dining room through the window.
Lucía was on the floor, crying.
Mariana looked furious.
Then the little girl tried to stand.
At that exact moment—
a man walked into the room.
Ricardo.
Everyone looked at him.
His face turned pale.
The video continued.
“Leave her alone,” Mariana said.
Ricardo ignored her.
He bent down toward Lucía.
The little girl looked terrified.
Then—
he grabbed her arm.
“Hey!” Javier shouted.
Nobody moved.
They kept watching.
Lucía tried to pull away.
She was crying harder now.
Then Ricardo suddenly yanked her.
The child lost her balance.
And—
CRASH!
She slammed directly into the corner of the dining table.
A scream filled the video.
Lucía's scream.
Everyone froze.
The bruise.
The injury.
The pain.
It hadn't happened because Mariana pushed her.
It had happened because of Ricardo.
“No…” Mariana whispered.
Javier couldn't breathe.
The video kept playing.
Mariana rushed to Lucía.
She looked horrified.
Then she shouted:
“Look what you've done!”
Ricardo answered with a cold voice.
“She'll be fine.”
“You hurt her!”
“It was an accident.”
“Get out of my house!”
Then something happened that nobody expected.
Ricardo stepped closer to Mariana and whispered something.
The video barely captured it.
But it was enough.
“If you call the police… I'll tell everyone where your sister is.”
The video ended.
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Even the street seemed to stop breathing.
The social worker slowly lowered the phone.
One of the officers looked directly at Ricardo.
“Sir… is that you in the video?”
No answer.
Ricardo's face had lost all color.
The officer repeated:
“Did you injure this child?”
Still no answer.
Then Lucía whispered:
“He's the man who scared Mommy.”
The little girl's words shattered the silence.
Mariana burst into tears.
“Oh my God…”
Javier slowly turned toward his wife.
“You didn't hurt her?”
She looked at him, devastated.
“No.”
“Then why didn't you tell me?”
Her voice broke.
“Because he threatened me.”
“What did he mean… about your sister?”
Mariana closed her eyes.
A single tear rolled down her cheek.
“I thought I buried that part of my life.”
The police officer stepped toward Ricardo.
“Sir, I need you to come with us.”
Ricardo suddenly laughed.
A strange, chilling laugh.
“You people really think this changes anything?”
“You're under investigation.”
“No,” he said calmly. “You still don't understand.”
Then he looked directly at Mariana.
And smiled.
“Tell them.”
She shook her head.
“Tell them where your sister is.”
“No…”
“Because if you don't…”
His smile widened.
“…I'll tell them myself.”
Javier frowned.
“What is he talking about?”
Mariana looked like she couldn't breathe.
“Mariana?” he asked softly.
She started crying.
Then she whispered:
“My sister isn't missing.”
Silence.
Everyone stared at her.
“She isn't dead either.”
Another silence.
Then she looked at Javier with tears streaming down her face.
“She has been hiding for twenty years…”
“Why?”
Mariana's lips trembled.
“Because she's the one who tried to kill Ricardo.”
The entire street froze.
“What?”
“And she's been living under another identity ever since.”
Nobody said a word.
Then Ricardo smiled.
“There it is.”
Javier looked at his wife as if he had never seen her before.
“How many secrets do you have?”
Mariana's voice broke.
“I did everything to protect my family.”
At that exact moment—
one of the police officers received a radio call.
He listened.
Then his face changed completely.
“What?” he said into the radio.
Everyone looked at him.
The officer slowly lowered the device.
Then he turned toward Mariana.
“Ma'am…”
“What?”
“We've just received information…”
He swallowed hard.
“Your sister has been found.”
Mariana's eyes widened.
“Where?”
The officer looked toward the end of the street.
Then he pointed.
Everyone turned.
A taxi had just stopped in front of the house.
The back door slowly opened.
A woman stepped out.
She looked exhausted.
Terrified.
And when Mariana saw her…
she screamed.
Because the woman walking toward them…
May you like
had been dead for twenty years.
TO BE CONTINUED…
