Miguel is looking for me. They might be watching you too. I know that. That’s why I want us to meet somewhere neutral, the National Library of Spain, in the rare books room. It’s hardly ever there, especially in the afternoon. I’ll be there tomorrow at 6. Come if you can. There’s something I need to tell you and show you. Show me something I can’t do over the phone, Elena.
Only come if you want to know the truth. It’s not just about you; it’s about Carmen too. The mention of my daughter made me tense up. What about Carmen? Is she in danger? No, not right now. But just come, and be careful. Don’t tell anyone where you’re going, not even your friends. He hung up, leaving me confused and with my heart pounding.
I looked at Pilar, who was sitting next to me and had overheard the whole conversation. “Are you going?” she asked. “I don’t know,” I answered honestly. On the one hand, I need to know what’s going on. On the other, it could be a trap, but it’s a library, a public place. There will be people, cameras. If it were an ambush, I wouldn’t be very smart. You’re right, but she said she won’t tell anyone, not even you.
Why so much secrecy? Maybe he doesn’t want anyone else involved. If what he knows is dangerous, he might be trying to protect you and those close to you. I was lost in thought. It sounded reasonable, but something still bothered me. Something in my father-in-law’s voice, in his words. He mentioned Carmen.
I said, she said this involved her too. What did she mean by that? I don’t know, but if your daughter really could be in danger, you have to find out, Pilar replied. I nodded. You’re right. I’ll go, but I’ll be very cautious. I can come with you, Pilar offered. I’ll stay back a bit, and if anything strange happens, I’ll intervene. No, I shook my head. My father-in-law said I should go alone.
If he sees you, he might not say what he knows. And I need the truth, the whole truth. We spent the rest of the afternoon organizing every detail of the meeting. I decided to take a taxi so I wouldn’t use my car and could go unnoticed. I would arrive early and check out the place. If I noticed anything strange, I would leave immediately.
Pilar would wait for my call. If I didn’t contact her within an hour of our appointment, she would call the police. The night was restless. I barely slept, tossing and turning, mentally replaying everything that had happened in the last few days. In the morning, we went over the plan again, and I called the hospital to ask about Lucía’s condition, but they told me they could only give information to immediate family members. The day dragged on.
I was too nervous to read or watch television. I tried to help Pilar with the housework, but she noticed how upset I was and told me to rest. Finally, it was time to get ready. I put on some simple clothes Pilar lent me: dark jeans, a gray sweater, and a black jacket. I put my hair up in a bun and put on sunglasses.
Although it was a cloudy day, it wasn’t a great disguise, but it was better than nothing. “Keep in touch,” Pilar said, walking me to the taxi. “And remember, if something doesn’t feel right, leave immediately.” “I promise.” I hugged her and got in the car. During the ride, I kept looking out the window, watching to see if any cars weren’t following.
But the streets were full of the usual afternoon traffic, and I didn’t notice anything suspicious. I asked the taxi driver to drop me off a block from the library. I walked the rest of the way, glancing around. The old National Library building stood at the end of the street. Its stone walls seemed to guard thousands of secrets. One of them might have had something to do with me and my family.
I climbed the wide steps and crossed the main entrance. Inside, it was cool and quiet. A few visitors sat in the main room, engrossed in books or their laptops. The librarian at the counter didn’t notice me as I walked past him toward the stairs.
The rare book room was on the third floor. I climbed slowly, my steps soft. There was no one in the hallway. I approached the door and peered inside cautiously. It was a large room with high ceilings and west-facing windows. The sun was just beginning to set, bathing everything in a golden light. The bookshelves formed a labyrinth in which it was easy to get lost.
In the far corner, I saw my father-in-law. He was sitting at a table with his back to the window, so his face was in shadow. In front of him was a folder of documents. I took a deep breath and entered the room. He looked up at the sound of my footsteps. His expression was a mixture of relief and concern.
Elena, he said quietly, you came. Yes, I replied, sitting down across from him. I want to know the truth, the whole truth. He looked around, as if making sure no one was nearby, and pushed the folder toward me. Look at this. I opened the folder and saw photographs. Many photographs. In all of them, Miguel appeared with a woman, having lunch at a restaurant, strolling through the park, entering a hotel.
In some photos they were holding hands, in others they were kissing. “What is this?” I asked, even though I already knew. “Miguel is cheating on you,” he’s said for over a year. “Her name is Alejandra Ríos. She works at one of his nightclubs.” But that’s not all. I turned the page and there were documents, balance sheets, bank statements, contracts. “Miguel’s business is in ruins,” I continued.
Over the past two years, he’s suffered heavy losses. He’s already closed three restaurants, and two clubs are on the verge of bankruptcy. He has debts, huge debts, and some of his creditors aren’t exactly patient or kind. He flipped through the pages, trying to absorb the information, the figures, the graphs—everything pointed to the same thing.
Miguel was on the verge of financial collapse. But what do I have to do with all this? And Carmen. My father-in-law sighed and pulled another document from his inside jacket pocket. Here’s your life insurance policy. Miguel increased the coverage six months ago to three million euros. And he’s the sole beneficiary. I took the document with trembling hands.
Indeed, the amount had been increased, and I remembered signing those papers. Miguel told me then that it was routine, an inflation adjustment. I didn’t think much of it. He wanted to kill me for the insurance. My voice trembled, but three million wouldn’t be enough to save his business if his debts were so large. “It’s not just about the business,” my father-in-law replied quietly.
Is there anything else? The house you live in. According to the documents, it’s in both your names. But there’s a catch. If something happens to you, your share doesn’t go to Miguel, but to Carmen. Miguel asked you several times to change the will. Do you remember? I nodded. Yes, he mentioned it several times in the last year. He said the papers needed updating, that it was normal, but I kept putting it off because I didn’t have the time.
And two weeks ago, he continued, he managed to convince Carmen to sign a power of attorney to manage her assets, including what she might inherit. What? I couldn’t believe it. He did tell her it was to protect her estate from taxes and other problems, that it was for her own good. She believed him. She always trusted her father. I felt a lump rise in my throat. So, if I had died, my share of the house would pass to Carmen, and with that power of attorney, Miguel could do whatever he wanted with it. Sell it, mortgage it. Exactly. She nodded.
Plus the insurance, plus your personal savings, which would also go to Carmen, and therefore to him. Enough to pay off his most dangerous debts and start over with another woman, without a wife in his way. I looked at the documents in front of me and could only think one thing. He wanted to kill me. My husband wanted to kill me.
“But why are you helping me?” I asked, looking up at my father-in-law. “You were always on his side.” He smiled sadly. “I love my son Elena, but I can’t let him become a murderer, and I can’t let him destroy Carmen’s life. She’s my granddaughter, and I love her as much as my son. And Lucía, she knew all of this.” My father-in-law nodded.
Yes, she always knew all his secrets and supported him. She never loved you. She thought you weren’t worthy of this family. When Miguel told her about his problems, she was the one who gave him the idea: get rid of you and collect the money. I remembered that conversation I overheard months ago. You have to fix this problem, Miguel.
How long are you going to wait? At that moment I thought they were talking about business. Now I understood they were talking about me. I was the problem that needed solving, and my mother-in-law knew it too. No, she shook her head. Isabel knows nothing about either the financial problems or Miguel’s plans. She thinks they’re simply going through a marital crisis. So what now? I asked.
What do I do about all this? You have to protect yourself,” he said firmly, “and protect Carmen. I have a lawyer I trust. He can help you with the paperwork. Revoke the power of attorney Carmen gave Miguel. Protect your assets. You have to go to the police. But I don’t have proof that he put anything in my drink. Yes, you do. There’s a recording from the restaurant’s security camera. I saw it.”
You can clearly see Miguel adding something to your drink. Did you see the recording? How? I have contacts at the restaurant. I asked for the video under the pretext of wanting to check if any waiter had taken a pair of cufflinks I supposedly lost that night. They gave it to me, and I watched it. And what exactly does it show? Miguel adding something to your drink while you’re getting up to go to the bathroom.
Then you come back, sit down, and shortly after, you switch the glasses. Yours and Lucia’s. I froze. Did you see it? And you didn’t give it to the police? No. I made a copy, but I haven’t handed it in yet. I wanted to talk to you first. Why? Because I wanted to understand what had happened. Why did you switch the glasses? Did you know Miguel had slipped something into them? I nodded. Yes, I saw it.
I was standing next to a column and I saw it clearly. I didn’t know what to do. I panicked and decided to switch the glasses. I didn’t want to hurt Lucía, I swear. I just wanted to protect myself. My father-in-law looked at me for a long time, then nodded slowly. I believe you. And I think the police will believe you too, especially when they see the video. But they can accuse me of trying to poison Lucía.
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