Chapter 4: The Phone Behind the Shoes
I stared at the security feed until the screen dimmed in my hand.
*HE'S HOME. DID YOU GET RID OF THE OTHER ONE?*
The message had been sent from Bianca's number to a device inside my wife's bedroom.
I read it again, hoping I had misunderstood something.
I hadn't.
"What's wrong, Dad?""
Sofia stood in the kitchen doorway, holding a glass of water. Her face had gone pale when she saw my expression.
I turned the phone toward her.
"Do you recognize this?""
She leaned closer, studying the image.
Then she took a step backward.
"That's the phone.""
"What phone?""
"The one I heard them arguing about.""
I swallowed.
"Are you sure?""
Sofia nodded quickly.
"It's black. Patricia always kept it in the drawer beside her bed. I saw it once when I was putting away her laundry.""
"And the other phone?""
"I don't know where it is.""
I locked my screen.
For the first time since discovering her bruises, I felt something more dangerous than anger.
I felt watched.
If Patricia had installed an indoor camera without telling me, she might have been monitoring the house while she was away. If she had access to our home network, she might also have known I had returned, even before I called her.
I looked toward the ceiling.
There were no visible cameras in the kitchen, but that meant very little now.
"Sofia, I need you to do something for me.""
She stiffened.
"What?""
"Stay with me. Don't go upstairs alone, and don't touch anything in Patricia's room.""
"Okay.""
"And if anyone calls you or sends you a message, show it to me before responding.""
She nodded.
I wanted to tell her that everything would be fine, but I had made enough promises without understanding the danger.
Instead, I said, "We're going to find out what's happening.""
I called Rafael.
He answered immediately.
"Tell me you haven't opened anything.""
"I haven't. But the security system just showed me a camera in Patricia's bedroom. There's a second phone in the room, and Bianca sent a message asking whether they'd gotten rid of another one.""
Rafael was silent for a moment.
"Did you capture the message?""
"Yes. I took a screenshot.""
"Preserve the original notification and the security system's event history. Don't try to access the phone remotely or bypass any locks. The camera may have recorded private material, and we need to handle that carefully.""
"Someone could erase it.""
"Then disconnecting or interfering with the device might be a mistake. We need to establish what it is, who controls it, and whether there is evidence of a crime. I'm contacting the appropriate authorities now.""
"What about the documents I found?""
"Keep them exactly as they are. We'll deal with them together.""
I looked toward the staircase.
"Rafael, I think my wife has been planning something for a long time.""
"That may be true. But suspicion isn't proof. Let the records speak.""
After we ended the call, I moved Sofia into the living room and sat beside her.
For twenty minutes, neither of us spoke.
She watched a patch of sunlight move across the carpet.
I watched the front door.
Then she asked, "Do you think Patricia knows about the bruises?""
"She knows what she did.""
"No. I mean, do you think she knows you saw them?""
"I told her.""
Sofia's fingers tightened around the blanket.
"What did she say?""
"She denied everything.""
My daughter nodded as though she had expected that answer.
"She always does.""
I turned toward her.
"Has she ever threatened you with something other than sending you away?""
Sofia hesitated.
"She said nobody would believe me if I told them about the house.""
"What did she mean?""
"She said she had papers proving you wanted me gone.""
My stomach tightened.
"What papers?""
"I don't know. She told me once that you'd signed something. She said when you came home, everything would change.""
I thought of the document in my office.
A property transfer bearing my signature.
"Did she ever show you anything?""
Sofia shook her head.
"She said I shouldn't worry because I wouldn't be living here much longer anyway.""
The words landed heavily between us.
I stood and walked to the office, where I had placed the suspicious document in a folder. I checked that the folder remained undisturbed, then returned to the living room.
At 3:06 p.m., my phone rang.
The number was unfamiliar.
I answered without giving my name.
"Mr. Torres?""
"Yes.""
"My name is Detective Laura Méndez. Your attorney contacted our office regarding concerns about your daughter. He mentioned that you may have evidence requiring preservation.""
"Yes.""
"Is your daughter safe right now?""
"She's with me.""
"Has anyone threatened to return to the house?""
"My wife knows I'm home, but she hasn't told me when she'll be back.""
"Please don't confront her or attempt to search for evidence in a way that could put either of you at risk. We'll arrange to speak with you and your daughter. If you believe anyone is coming to the house to harm her, call emergency services immediately.""
I agreed.
When I ended the call, I felt the first small measure of relief I'd experienced all day.
Someone else knew what was happening.
Someone else could help us.
Then my phone rang again.
This time, it was Patricia.
I let it ring twice before answering.
"Gabriel, we need to talk.""
Her voice had changed. The bright, irritated tone she'd used earlier was gone.
Now she sounded controlled.
Almost gentle.
"About what?""
"About Sofia. I think you've misunderstood the situation.""
"Then explain it.""
"I've been under a tremendous amount of stress. Bianca has been difficult, and your daughter has been acting out. I may have been too strict.""
"Too strict?""
"Yes. I shouldn't have let things get so heated.""
I looked at Sofia.
She had gone rigid.
"Did you hurt her?"" I asked.
Patricia exhaled sharply.
"Not intentionally.""
The answer made my blood run cold.
"What does that mean?""
"It means I never wanted to hurt her. She's a sensitive girl, Gabriel. She exaggerates everything.""
"She has bruises.""
"I already explained that.""
"No. You blamed Bianca, then blamed Sofia.""
"Please don't turn this into something it isn't.""
I lowered my voice.
"Why is there a camera in your bedroom?""
The silence was immediate.
I could hear wind rushing against her phone, followed by the faint sound of someone speaking in the background.
Finally, Patricia asked, "What camera?""
"The one connected to our security system.""
"You went into my bedroom?""
"I haven't entered your bedroom.""
"Then how would you know about a camera?""
"Your device connected to the system.""
She said nothing.
I waited.
Then she spoke so quietly that I almost didn't hear her.
"Gabriel, you need to stop looking at things you don't understand.""
"Is that a threat?""
"It's advice.""
"Then here's some advice for you. Don't contact Sofia. Don't delete anything from our accounts or security system. And don't come home until the authorities have arranged how this will be handled.""
Her voice hardened.
"You can't keep me out of my own house.""
"That's something the lawyers can discuss.""
"You arrogant—"
She stopped herself.
Then she said, "You have no idea what Sofia has done.""
"Tell me.""
"I can't explain over the phone.""
"Try.""
"She stole something from me.""
"What?""
"My personal property.""
"Which property?""
Patricia hesitated.
Then she whispered, "The phone.""
I looked at the screenshot.
The phone was still visible in the bedroom, behind the shoes.
"Which phone, Patricia?""
She hung up.
I stood there for several seconds, listening to the dead line.
Sofia approached slowly.
"Was it her?""
"Yes.""
"What did she say?""
I told her.
When I mentioned the phone, Sofia's eyes widened.
"She thinks I took it?""
"Apparently.""
"But I didn't!""
"I know.""
She shook her head, breathing faster.
"She accused me of stealing a phone last month. She searched my schoolbag and made Bianca search my room. She said if she found it, I'd be sorry.""
I sat beside her.
"Did she find anything?""
"No.""
"Did you ever see that phone again?""
Sofia shook her head.
Then she stopped.
"Wait.""
"What?""
"One night, I heard something vibrating inside the wall.""
I frowned.
"Which wall?""
"The wall behind Patricia's bedroom closet.""
I stared at her.
"What did you hear?""
"A phone. It kept buzzing. Patricia opened the closet and moved her shoes. Then it stopped.""
My eyes went to the screenshot again.
The black phone sat behind the shoes.
If that was the device we'd seen, what had been hidden inside the wall?
Before I could ask another question, the security system sent another alert.
The camera feed had gone offline.
A second later, my phone rang.
It was a number from Cancún.
I answered.
"Gabriel Torres?""
A woman's voice sounded strained.
It took me a moment to recognize it.
Patricia's sister, Mariana.
"Yes.""
"Listen to me carefully. Patricia told us you were confused and that Sofia was making accusations because she wanted attention.""
I said nothing.
Mariana continued.
"But I saw something in her suitcase.""
"What did you see?""
"Documents with your name on them. A lot of them. She told me they were routine financial papers.""
My heart began to pound.
"Why are you calling me?""
"Because I heard her talking to Bianca, and I don't think the documents are routine.""
"What did you hear?""
Mariana lowered her voice.
"She said that once you signed the final papers, you wouldn't be able to stop her.""
I gripped the phone.
"Mariana, what papers?""
"I don't know. But Gabriel, there's something else.""
"What?""
May you like
She took a shaky breath.
"Patricia isn't coming home alone.""
