It’s best to stay out of the spotlight for now. We need to understand what’s going on before we talk to him. I agreed, although part of me longed to hear his voice, to ask him directly, “Why? Why did you do it?” But Pilar was right; we had to understand the situation first. We decided I would stay with her for a few days. Pilar lived alone.
I worked from home as an interior designer, so my presence wouldn’t be a problem. After breakfast, which neither of us could finish, I lay down in the guest room. Exhaustion and stress overcame me, and I fell into a deep, restless sleep. Pilar woke me by shaking my shoulder.
Elena, wake up. There’s news. I sat up in bed, still half asleep. It was already night outside. What time is it? Almost 8 p.m. You slept all day. But that doesn’t matter. Turn on your phone. I took the phone Pilar handed me and turned it on.
Immediately, notifications of missed calls and messages started arriving. Most were from Miguel, some from Antonio, one from Carmen. I opened my daughter’s message. “Mom, where are you? Dad can’t get through to you. He says something happened to Aunt Lucía. Call me as soon as you can.” I felt a chill. “Pilar, what happened to Lucía?” “I don’t know for sure.”
I turned on your phone an hour ago, saw all those messages, and decided to look for news and found this. She handed me her tablet with a page from a local news site. The headline read, “Sister of well-known businessman in critical condition after poisoning.” I started reading the article.
She said that Lucía Martínez, sister of the well-known businessman and restaurant chain owner Miguel Martínez, was in intensive care after being poisoned during a family dinner. Her condition was critical. The police had opened an investigation considering the possibility of intentional poisoning. “Oh my God,” I whispered. “She’s in critical condition.” And yes, she was. I couldn’t finish the sentence.
“What have I done, Pilar? You didn’t mean to hurt him,” Pilar said firmly. “You were defending yourself. If anyone’s to blame, it’s Miguel, who put something in your drink. What if I was wrong? What if I misunderstood? What if it was something harmless, like vitamins or medicine? And I thought it was. I kept quiet. It sounded ridiculous, even to me. No, that doesn’t make any sense.”
Nobody slips vitamins into someone else’s drink. Exactly, Pilar agreed. But the big question was, what to do now? Stay here? Go to the hospital? Call Miguel? I was lost in thought. I have to know how Lucía is, and I have to confess. I can’t live with this. If something happens to her, I’ll never forgive myself. Wait, Pilar stopped me. Don’t rush into anything.
First, we need to know what was really in that cup. And if it was poison, you could be next. But how are we going to find out? I have a friend in the police, an old schoolmate. I can call him and ask him to look into it unofficially. Sure. Do you think he’ll agree? I did him a big favor once. I don’t think he’ll refuse.
Pilar took her phone and left the room. I sat on the bed, staring blankly at the wall in front of me. My head was spinning. What should I do? What was the right decision? Ten minutes later, Pilar came back. She’ll call me as soon as she knows something, but it might take a while. Thanks. I squeezed her hand. You’re a true friend. I don’t know what I’d do without you.
I’m here for whatever you need. She smiled at me. Now let’s think about what else we can do. I have to call Carmen, I said. She’s worried. Pilar nodded. Yes, but carefully. Don’t tell her where you are or what happened. Tell her you had to go out for work or that you forgot your phone at home. Something like that. I dialed my daughter’s number.
Carmen answered instantly, as if she’d been waiting for it. “Mom, finally. Where are you? Why aren’t you answering? Dad’s desperate.” “I’m sorry, honey,” I said, trying to sound calm. “My phone died, and I left the charger at home. I’m with a friend. I needed to clear my head for a bit.”
Which friend? Why didn’t you tell Dad? Do you know what happened to Aunt Lucia? Yes, I heard. It’s awful. How is she? She’s still unconscious. The doctors say she was poisoned with a very strong substance. They’re doing everything they can, but her voice broke. Mom, she’s very strong. Who could do something like that to her? I don’t know, honey. The police will find out.
And Dad hasn’t left Aunt Lucia’s side. Grandma’s in the hospital too. They’re all waiting for her to wake up. Dad’s called you a lot. He’s really worried. Tell him I’m fine. I just needed to be alone for a while. After the restaurant incident, I stayed in Soc. Okay, I’ll tell him. But are you coming home soon? Soon, I lied. I just need a little time.
“Okay,” Carmen said, and I noticed the doubt in her voice. “But call Dad. Yes, he’s really worried sick.” “I will. I love you, sweetheart.” “And I love you too, Mom.” I hung up and looked at Pilar. She didn’t believe me, and I don’t blame her. I sounded unconvincing, even to me. “The important thing is that you bought yourself some time,” Pilar replied. “Now let’s think about what to do.”
“We sat down again in the kitchen. We made tea, even though neither of us was hungry or thirsty. We just needed something to hold our hands. “If Miguel really tried to poison you,” Pilar said thoughtfully, “he must have had a strong motive. Money, another woman, or something else we don’t know about. I’ve been thinking about it all day,” I replied.
And I can’t find an explanation. Yes, our marriage wasn’t perfect in recent years. Yes, we drifted apart, but this? What if it has something to do with his business? Pilar suggested. What if he has problems you don’t know about, debts, threats, something illegal? I was left thinking. Miguel was always ambitious.
His business grew quickly, especially at the beginning. I never questioned how he managed to grow so fast. I thought it was due to talent and luck. And if there was something more behind it, I don’t know. I answered honestly. He never told me the details. He said he didn’t want to worry me, that those were things men did. And your father-in-law was involved in Miguel’s business. He used to be. He helped him get started.
He lent him money to open his first restaurant, but when the business took off, Miguel bought out his share. Now he’s retired. At least officially, and unofficially. I don’t know. Sometimes they’d lock themselves in the office and talk for hours. I never asked what about. And why did he warn you? Why did he tell you to leave the house? That’s the strangest thing of all.
We were never particularly close. He was always polite to me, unlike my mother-in-law or Lucía, but that’s all. Why has he decided to protect me now? Maybe he knows something you can’t. But what? And why can’t he just tell me? Our conversation was interrupted by the sound of Pilar’s cell phone. She looked at the screen.
It’s Marco, my contact at the police station. I’ll answer. He left the kitchen, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I thought about Miguel, how we met, how we fell in love, how happy I was during the first years of our marriage. When did everything go wrong? When did he go from being a loving husband to the man who might slip something into my drink? Pilar returned a few minutes later, and her expression told me the news wasn’t good.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, feeling my heart race. “They found a very powerful tranquilizer in Lucía’s blood. In a very high dose, combined with alcohol, it could have been fatal. If she hadn’t received treatment so quickly, she would have died.” I felt my blood run cold. “So, Miguel really wanted to kill me?” “It seems so,” Pilar replied in a low voice.
Marco said the police are already working on the theory of premeditated poisoning. They’re interviewing everyone who was in the restaurant. Waiters, customers, they’re looking for witnesses. They’re also reviewing the security camera footage. The cameras, I whispered. If they see that I switched the glasses, yes, that’s a problem, but for now, as far as Marco understands, they don’t have a clear suspect. They’re checking everyone, including Miguel and you. Me.
Yes, you were there. You had access to Lucia’s drink, and to be honest, you had reasons not to get along with her. I shook my head. But I would never, ever do something like that. Not on my own. I know that, but the police don’t. They have to consider all the possibilities. I put my hands to my head.
What should I do, Pilar? If they find proof that I switched the glasses, they’ll arrest me. But if I say I saw Miguel putting something in mine and that’s why I switched them, no one will believe me. I have no proof. Is there anything else? Pilar asked, her tone even more serious. Marco said your husband has been very curious to know if you went to the police.
He’s been to the police station several times asking if anyone has seen you. He says he’s very worried because you disappeared after the incident with his sister. “He’s looking for me,” I said. Not as a question, but as a certainty. Yes, and from what it seems, quite persistently.
Marco commented that he seemed more concerned about your whereabouts and the possibility that you might have told the police than about your well-being. We remained silent, processing all the information. I felt a chill run down my spine. Miguel was looking for me, and it wasn’t out of concern. He was afraid I would tell the police. Marco also said that the police had requested the security camera footage from the restaurant. Pilar continued.
They’ll check them soon. If they show you switched the glasses, then I’ll be in serious trouble. I understand. But what am I supposed to do? Go to the police station. Say I saw Miguel put something in my glass and that’s why I switched it. Without proof. It’ll sound like a desperate excuse to protect myself.
“And your father-in-law?” Pilar asked suddenly. “She warned you, ‘What if he knows something? What if he could back up what you’re saying?’” I was lost in thought. Maybe, but I don’t know if I can trust him. What if it’s a trap? What if he warned me on Miguel’s orders to find out where I was going? Then why tell you to leave? If they wanted to find you, it would have been easier if you’d stayed home.
You’re right, I agreed. But then, why wasn’t he clear? Why so much ambiguity and so many warnings? Maybe he doesn’t know everything himself. Or perhaps he’s afraid to talk on the phone. What if you met him in person somewhere public? I shook my head; too risky.
If Miguel is looking for me, he might also be watching his father. I can’t take any chances. So, what? Are you going to hide here until it’s all over? No, I answered firmly. I can’t live like this, running away in fear. I have to face this, find out what’s going on. Just then, my phone rang. My father-in-law’s name appeared on the screen. It’s him, I told Pilar.
“Answer me,” he said after a brief pause. “But be careful. Don’t say where you are.” I took a deep breath and replied, “Hello, Elena.” My father-in-law’s voice sounded tense. “Are you safe?” “Yes,” I replied. “I’m with some friends.” “Good, listen to me. I need to talk to you in person. It’s very important.” “I’m not sure this is a good idea,” I answered cautiously.
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