Part 2
I didn’t rush downstairs.
I stayed with Elena until her trembling subsided.
« Do you trust me? » I asked.
She looked at me as if trust meant nothing but pain.
« I tried to call you. »
« I know. »
« They said if I interfered with your investment, you would lose everything. And if I didn’t sign, they would accuse me of fraud. Your mother said no one would believe a lonely wife more than their own family. »
My mother was always elegant in public and cruel behind closed doors. Ricardo mistook my reserve for weakness.
I made three phone calls before sunrise.
The first one went to Lieutenant Harris, my superior officer.
The second one is to Grace Lin, a federal prosecutor whom I once helped in a financial crime case.
The third went to Dr. Patel, a forensic pathologist who documented Elena’s injuries.
At breakfast I was quiet enough to sit opposite my mother.
« Elena seems very unwell, » she said. « Perhaps she should be examined. »
“Or get a divorce,” Ricardo added. “I know some good lawyers.”
Elena held my hand tightly under the table.
« How thoughtful of you, » I said.
Ricardo leaned back.
« While you played the hero, we held everything together here. The company needed leadership. Mother needed security. Elena needed guidance. »
« Instructions? » I repeated.
« She signed voluntarily, » my mother said.
« Really? »
« The documents are legally valid, » Ricardo replied.
