Chapter 3 - THE WAKE-UP CALL IN THE INTERROGATION ROOMThe interrogation room at the Federal District Attorney’s office was windowless, smelling of stale coffee, old paper, and institutional despair. Under the harsh glare of a single overhead fluorescent bulb, Valeria sat with her hands cuffed to the metal table. Her hair was messy, her designer dress wrinkled, and the haughty defiance she wore earlier had completely evaporated.
The heavy steel door swung open. It wasn't Detective Morales who walked in, but a high-powered defense attorney named Roberto Garza—whom Valeria had hurriedly called from her one phone call.
Garza dropped a thick folder onto the metal table with a heavy thud, pulling out a chair and sitting down opposite her. He looked disgusted.
"Valeria, you lied to me," Garza said flatly. "You told me your husband died of natural causes and that you were the grieving widow targeted by an opportunistic employee."
"I am targeted!" Valeria shrieked, leaning forward so violently the handcuffs rattled. "Ernesto is manipulating the system! He's a vindictive old man who couldn't accept that I wanted a divorce! The police have no proof—it's just hearsay!"
Garza slid a single document across the table. It was a forensic lab report stamped with the seal of the National Autonomous University of Mexico's toxicology division.
"Read it, Valeria," Garza said quietly.
Her eyes scanned the lines. Gastric residue analysis: High concentrations of Digoxin found in patient Ernesto Salgado, matching chemical signatures from the seized bedside vial provided by hospital orderly Mateo Hernández. Furthermore, attached were bank statements showing regular cash withdrawals made by Valeria over the past six months, funneled directly into a secret account held by... Iván.
Valeria felt the breath rush out of her lungs. "Iván... he didn't... he wouldn't turn on me."
"Iván is currently in the next room cutting a deal with the prosecutor," Garza said brutally. "He gave up the password to your shared offshore accounts, and he signed a sworn statement saying you planned the whole thing, sourced the drug, and administered it."
Valeria stared at the paper, the betrayal hitting her harder than the handcuffs. Iván, the man she was supposed to share eighty-two million pesos with, had sold her out the second the cuffs touched his wrists.
"No," she whispered, tears finally spilling over her cheeks. "No, he promised me..."
"Promises don't survive federal conspiracy charges, Valeria," Garza said, standing up and buttoning his jacket. "Unless you have a miracle, you are looking at forty years in Santa Martha Acatitla prison. And the worst part? Your husband didn't even die."
May you like
Valeria froze. "What?"
"Ernesto walked out of San Gabriel Hospital this morning," Garza replied at the door. "He went straight to his lawyer's office to finalize the execution of his new will. You get nothing. Not a peso. Not even your clothes."
