CHAPTER 7 — The Betrayal Was Already Inside the Family
The call ended.
Silence swallowed the dark condominium.
Only the flashing red emergency lights reflected across the walls.
No one moved.
Alexander slowly lowered the phone.
"They know every step we're taking."
The lead investigator frowned.
"How?"
Alexander looked around the room.
"Because someone keeps telling them."
...
Two hours later, everyone gathered inside a secure conference room at the district attorney's office.
Every person who had entered the investigation during the previous forty-eight hours appeared on a large screen.
Police officers.
Forensic technicians.
Hotel employees.
Wedding guests.
Family members.
Alexander studied every face.
Then his eyes stopped.
Mateo.
Javier's younger cousin.
The same frightened young man who had brought them the recorder.
Elena noticed.
"You don't trust him?"
"I trust fear."
Alexander replied quietly.
"But I never trust coincidence."
Just then, another detective rushed into the room.
"We traced the anonymous calls."
"Where did they come from?"
The detective hesitated.
"Inside this building."
Every head turned.
Someone inside the prosecutor's office had been leaking information.
Within seconds the building was locked down.
Phones were confiscated.
Computers seized.
Nobody was allowed to leave.
An hour later the internal security team uncovered encrypted messages being sent from a government computer.
The account belonged to Assistant District Attorney Leonard Price.
Everyone stared in disbelief.
Price had personally volunteered to prosecute Carmen Robles.
When confronted, he smiled instead of denying it.
"You think Carmen is the mastermind?"
He laughed softly.
"She's just a pawn."
Before anyone could question him further, he suddenly collapsed.
Foam gathered at the corner of his mouth.
The ambulance arrived within minutes.
But he never regained consciousness.
Whoever had orchestrated the conspiracy had made sure he would never testify.
Alexander whispered,
"They're erasing witnesses."
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And somewhere outside the courthouse...
Someone was already choosing the next target.
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