Chapter 3 - The Cup on the Silver Tray
Alejandro crossed the room so quickly that Rafael moved out of his way.
He entered the dining room and found the silver tray still sitting on the sideboard.
A porcelain cup rested on it.
Half an inch of pale amber liquid remained at the bottom.
Valeria had stopped drinking it because the taste seemed unusually bitter.
At the time, she had blamed pregnancy.
Now the sight of that cup made Alejandro’s hands shake.
“Don’t touch it.”
Mateo’s voice came from behind him.
Alejandro stopped.
Mateo pulled two gloves from his bag.
“We preserve everything.”
Esther appeared in the doorway.
“This is becoming theatrical.”
Alejandro looked at her.
“You brought Valeria this tea?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because she complained about nausea.”
“What was in it?”
“Tea.”
Mateo carefully lifted the cup.
Esther scoffed.
“You plan to test my china now?”
“Yes,” Alejandro said.
His mother stared at him.
Something had changed between them.
She seemed to realize it too.
For decades, Esther’s greatest power had been certainty.
She never needed to raise her voice.
Never needed to make threats.
Everyone already knew what she expected.
Alejandro had spent his childhood watching employees stand straighter when she entered a room.
He had watched relatives change vacation plans because Esther disapproved.
He had watched his father abandon arguments before they began.
Until tonight, Alejandro had called that strength.
Now he saw something else.
Control.
Mateo sealed the cup inside an evidence bag.
“You should call the police.”
Rafael immediately said, “Not yet.”
Alejandro turned.
His father looked terrified.
“Why not?”
Rafael rubbed his forehead.
“There are things you don’t understand.”
“Then explain them.”
“It isn’t that simple.”
“My pregnant wife may have been drugged in my own home.”
Alejandro stepped closer.
“It has become very simple.”
Rafael looked at Esther.
She said nothing.
Alejandro noticed.
His father was waiting for permission.
Even now.
Alejandro felt a wave of disgust.
“Stop looking at her.”
Rafael’s eyes returned to him.
“For once in your life, Dad, stop looking at her before you speak.”
The words hurt Rafael.
Alejandro saw it.
He did not take them back.
Rafael sat heavily in a chair.
“There is another person involved.”
Valeria looked at him.
“Who?”
Rafael hesitated.
Esther spoke.
“Rafael is confused.”
“I’m not confused.”
“Your heart medication makes you forgetful.”
Rafael looked at her with quiet disbelief.
“You’re doing it again.”
Esther’s expression sharpened.
“Doing what?”
“Making everyone doubt themselves.”
For the first time, fear appeared openly on Esther’s face.
Rafael continued.
“You did it to Valeria.”
Alejandro waited.
“You did it to me.”
Esther’s voice dropped.
“Be careful.”
Rafael laughed weakly.
“I have been careful for twenty-seven years.”
He looked at Alejandro.
“There was a nurse.”
Valeria stiffened.
“Nurse Teresa?”
Rafael nodded.
Alejandro had seen Teresa Mendoza dozens of times.
She worked for the private medical service the family used.
She had come to the mansion after Valeria became pregnant.
Esther had introduced her as an experienced prenatal nurse.
“She gave the injections,” Valeria said.
Rafael looked down.
“Yes.”
Alejandro’s voice became cold.
“Who hired her?”
Rafael didn’t answer.
Alejandro already knew.
“Mother.”
Esther folded her arms.
“I hired a trained nurse for my pregnant daughter-in-law.”
Mateo asked, “Where is she now?”
No one knew.
Alejandro pulled out his phone and called the head of mansion security.
“Find Teresa Mendoza.”
Esther interrupted.
“You cannot order people to hunt down an employee.”
Alejandro ignored her.
“Check gate records.”
The security chief answered through the phone.
“Sir, Nurse Teresa left yesterday afternoon.”
“Did she come back?”
“No, sir.”
“Where did she go?”
“We don’t know.”
Alejandro glanced at Esther.
“Did she take her car?”
A pause.
“No.”
“What did she take?”
“Two suitcases.”
Valeria whispered, “She ran.”
Alejandro asked, “Who drove her?”
Another pause.
The security chief sounded uncomfortable.
“Mrs. Aranda’s driver.”
Every eye went to Esther.
She did not blink.
Alejandro ended the call.
“You helped her leave.”
“I gave an employee transportation.”
“To where?”
“I don’t remember.”
Mateo said quietly, “You should start remembering.”
Esther glared at him.
“You have no authority here.”
Mateo looked at Valeria.
“My authority is keeping my patient alive.”
Alejandro’s phone vibrated.
A new message had arrived from the security chief.
It contained a still image from the gate camera.
Teresa sat in the back of a black sedan.
Two suitcases were beside her.
A second person was visible through the windshield.
Alejandro enlarged the photograph.
He expected Esther’s driver.
It was not Esther’s driver.
It was his father.
Alejandro slowly raised his eyes toward Rafael.
“You drove her.”
Rafael’s face crumbled.
Esther whispered, “Say nothing.”
Alejandro stared at his father.
“Where did you take her?”
Rafael’s breathing became uneven.
“Dad.”
Rafael finally answered.
“The bus terminal.”
“When?”
“Yesterday.”
“Where was she going?”
“I don’t know.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
“She wouldn’t tell me.”
“Why did you help her?”
Rafael’s eyes filled with tears.
“Because she came to me crying.”
Alejandro said nothing.
“She said Esther told her that if anything went wrong, she would be blamed.”
Valeria covered her mouth.
Rafael continued.
“She said she had done things she regretted.”
“What things?”
“She wouldn’t say.”
Alejandro leaned closer.
“Where is she going?”
“I truly don’t know.”
Then Rafael remembered something.
His expression changed.
“She asked me for one thing.”
“What?”
“My old phone.”
Alejandro frowned.
“Why?”
“She said her phone wasn’t safe.”
“Did you give it to her?”
“Yes.”
Alejandro held out his hand.
“What number?”
Rafael recited it.
Alejandro immediately called.
The first call went unanswered.
The second did too.
On the third call, somebody picked up.
No one spoke.
Alejandro heard traffic in the background.
Then a frightened woman whispered.
“Mr. Aranda?”
“Teresa?”
A sob came through the phone.
“Yes.”
Alejandro looked directly at his mother.
“Tell me what happened to my wife.”
Teresa began crying.
“I’m sorry.”
“What did you give her?”
“I didn’t know at first.”
Esther moved toward the phone.
Alejandro stepped away.
Teresa whispered, “She told me it was approved by the doctor.”
“Who told you?”
The line went silent.
Alejandro closed his eyes.
“Teresa.”
May you like
Then the nurse said the name.
“Doña Esther.”
