CHAPTER 2 – THE WAITRESS WHO VANISHED
Alejandro's fingers tightened around the tiny piece of paper until it nearly tore.
"If you're reading this... you're already in danger."
The words echoed in his mind.
He carefully folded the note and slipped it inside his work boot, refusing to leave a single trace on the table.
Across the dining room, Efraín had stopped laughing.
For several long seconds, he stared directly at Alejandro.
Then...
A smile slowly spread across his face.
Not a friendly smile.
The kind a hunter gives when he thinks his prey has nowhere left to run.
Alejandro lowered his head and forced himself to continue eating.
His grandmother had taught him another lesson long ago.
"Never show fear to someone who feeds on it."
He took another bite of the enchiladas.
They tasted exactly as he remembered from childhood.
The recipe hadn't changed.
Only the people had.
A loud crash suddenly erupted behind the kitchen.
Plates shattered.
Someone screamed.
Several customers turned toward the noise.
Efraín's expression instantly hardened.
"You two!" he barked at the kitchen staff.
"Clean that mess up before the customers complain!"
Without another word, he disappeared through the swinging kitchen doors.
Alejandro seized the opportunity.
He quietly stood and walked toward the hallway leading to the restrooms.
Instead of entering the men's room, he continued farther down the narrow corridor.
At the end stood a gray metal door marked:
EMPLOYEES ONLY
It was slightly open.
Inside...
The staff break room was almost empty.
A half-finished cup of coffee sat on a small table.
A worn backpack rested on a chair.
A faded family photograph lay beside it.
But there was no sign of Valeria.
Only an elderly dishwasher looked up from the sink.
His weathered face instantly changed when he saw Alejandro.
"You shouldn't be here," the old man whispered nervously.
"I'm looking for the waitress who served me."
The man froze.
"What waitress?"
"The young woman with the braid."
Silence.
Then the dishwasher quietly looked toward the security camera mounted in the corner.
His voice dropped even lower.
"Please..."
"You need to leave."
"Before he sees you."
Alejandro noticed the man's hands shaking violently.
"What are you afraid of?"
The dishwasher swallowed hard.
"I'm afraid of ending up like Miguel."
Alejandro's heartbeat quickened.
"Miguel?"
The old man immediately regretted speaking.
"I said nothing."
He grabbed the coffee cup and hurried away before another word could escape.
Miguel.
The name matched the note.
"...just like the others."
Others.
More than one.
Alejandro stepped back into the hallway.
As he passed the manager's office, he heard raised voices behind the closed wooden door.
"...I don't care what she knows!"
It was Efraín.
"If she talks..."
"We'll have another problem."
Another man answered, but his voice was too muffled to recognize.
Alejandro carefully moved closer.
"...the payroll..."
"...auditors..."
"...move the money tonight..."
Every instinct told him to keep listening.
Then his phone vibrated inside his pocket.
He had forgotten to silence it.
The buzzing lasted only two seconds.
But inside the office...
Everything went quiet.
Footsteps approached.
Fast.
Alejandro immediately continued walking toward the dining room just as the office door swung open.
Efraín stepped outside.
His cold eyes locked onto Alejandro.
"What are you doing back here?"
Alejandro scratched his beard like an embarrassed laborer.
"I got lost looking for the restroom."
Several seconds passed.
Efraín didn't blink.
Then he forced another fake smile.
"The restroom is the other way."
"I'll remember that."
Alejandro nodded awkwardly before returning to Table Fourteen.
But now he knew something.
Efraín wasn't just arrogant.
He was hiding something serious.
Minutes later, Valeria finally reappeared.
She was carrying a tray of fresh drinks.
Her face had lost all color.
One side of her cheek was slightly red, as though someone had slapped her.
She avoided looking at Alejandro.
As she walked past his table, she accidentally dropped a spoon onto the floor.
She bent to pick it up.
For less than two seconds, she whispered without moving her lips.
"Don't ask about me."
"They're watching."
Then she stood and continued serving customers as if nothing had happened.
Alejandro looked around.
Only then did he notice something he had completely missed before.
Tiny black security cameras.
One above the cash register.
One near the kitchen.
One pointed directly toward Table Fourteen.
Far more cameras than any restaurant would normally need.
Who were they really watching?
The customers...
Or the employees?
He finished his meal and walked to the register.
The cashier demanded payment without even thanking him.
As Alejandro counted out cash, he deliberately glanced at the employee schedule hanging on the wall behind her.
One name immediately caught his attention.
Valeria Morales — Morning Shift.
But another line had been crossed out with a thick black marker.
Miguel Herrera.
Next to the name, someone had written only one word.
"TERMINATED."
Alejandro pointed casually toward the schedule.
"That Miguel fellow quit?"
The cashier's smile vanished.
"We don't talk about him."
Before Alejandro could ask another question, Efraín stepped beside the register.
His expensive cologne barely masked the scent of whiskey on his breath.
He looked Alejandro up and down.
"You've been asking a lot of questions for a construction worker."
Alejandro shrugged.
"My brother was looking for work."
"I wondered if you were hiring."
Efraín laughed loudly enough for nearby customers to hear.
"We don't hire people who look like they sleep under bridges."
Several customers chuckled.
Alejandro smiled politely.
Inside...
His anger burned hotter than ever.
As he turned toward the exit, a soft voice called after him.
"Sir..."
It was the elderly dishwasher.
The old man pretended to hand Alejandro a forgotten receipt.
Instead...
He quietly slipped a small brass key into his hand.
"There are answers," he whispered.
"Locker... twenty-seven."
"But if you open it..."
"They'll know someone helped you."
Before Alejandro could respond, the old man hurried back into the kitchen.
Alejandro stared at the old brass key hidden in his palm.
Stamped into the metal were three tiny numbers.
27.
He had no idea where the locker was.
He had no idea what was inside.
But deep in his heart...
He already knew one thing.
He wasn't investigating rude customer service anymore.
He had just stumbled into a secret someone was willing to silence people to protect.
And somewhere inside that restaurant...
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Someone was desperately hoping he would uncover the truth before it was too late.
End of Chapter 2...
