In 24 hours the news will become public, Leticia stayed in the tribute of naval glories, while the three of us went to the residence of the now deceased Octavio Vindicta.
— This is shameful —Samuel claims in the car— we give a public message challenging him and in less than a day one of us is already dead.
— We give? —it's clear that Veronica doesn't want to be involved in that— you stood in front of us without consulting us, now you made a fool of us.
— I didn't know that everything had to have your approval.
— Listen to yourself for a moment, you are unable to recognize that it was a mistake to speak on behalf of the five without consulting us what you were going to say.
— I acted believing that you all trust me —he is clearly making fun of her.
— If it weren't for the fact that we are in the same boat, I swear to you that I ...—she prefers to hold back.
— Would you swear that? —As usual, try to bring out the aggressive side of the other — don't be afraid to speak up. Are we not allies? We should be able to speak honestly to each other.
— I won't fall for your game —that ends the conversation.
By the time we arrived, the police were in charge of closing the crime zone, we see ambulances in the street and in the police cars there are people in what appears to be detention, the neighbors spy from their homes, before going down we are ordered we put on gas masks like the rest of the staff who walk around Octavio's residence, they also give us gloves, any contact with the remains of the sarin gas could lead in the best of cases to a visit to the hospital.
The carabinieri captain of the sector meets with us far from the crime area, so we can talk without the need to wear gas masks.
— I suppose that they are already informed of the cause of death of Mr. Octavio —by our expression it confirms that this is the case— besides him, two employees and one of his three children died from the gas.
— Which of the three? —Samuel notices interest in that subject.
— Roberto Vindicta, the eldest son.
- That means that Jorge will assume the command of the family - I understand that it matters to him, having someone new at our table means dealing with another philosophy of life.
Veronica looks at the house— Do you have a suspect?
— There is no doubt that it must have been someone who worked in the house —says the captain.
— It could have been one of the two employees who died —Samuel warns— when we were dismantling the sarin gas factory, they were murdering their accomplices.
— Are you saying that this is the responsibility of Eusebio's daughter?
The Captain turns his eyes to me, awaits my response to that comment, the best thing in this kind of situation is to keep silence until you have the complete picture or ask for my opinion, I find it hard to believe that my daughter was capable of doing something like that.
Veronica doesn't seem to doubt that option— In the event that it was them, someone must have helped them infiltrate or the other employees had to know at least one of them.
Veronica is ahead of me— I'll be in charge of questioning the staff.
Samuel too— I will talk to the other two children, after all, soon Jorge will be one of us.
— In that case ...
— You will stay out of this —Veronica interrupts me— if your daughter is involved in the murder, we can't risk your emotions getting in the way."
— I agree with her —Samuel clarifies.
Veronica sighs loudly. "Now I have doubts if I'm doing the right thing, but this is the most logical decision." She looks at the police captain.
— In our police forces, anyone emotionally involved in the case is removed from it.
I would like to refute their arguments, but I am aware that they are right, even now I find it difficult to believe that my daughter is behind the attack, at the same time I dislike being excluded from the matter.
Samuel slaps me in the back— You can go home, we'll tell you what we found tomorrow.
Through Verónica, I look for a sign, but I get the opposite, she also considers that it is better that I leave for today.
I get into the car in which we arrived, traveling back to my house I try to understand the purpose of the murder, knowing that we closed their sarin gas factory, to use it is to openly admit that they are the cause of the crime. Do they want us to know? Is this an open challenge? The son who was involved was it also part of your plan or was it a side effect? Unanswered questions keep popping up in my mind.
When I return to the place where, as soon as I enter I can notice that the house is completely alone, which is rare, I hear someone walking down the second floor hall towards the stairs, it could be the terrorists Would my daughter really try to murder me on my own? home? I gulp as I approach the stairs, as soon as I can see the top of these I notice that my wife is the cause of the noise, I am surprised to see her so serious.
— I need you to accompany me to the room, we have to talk about something important.
Something important?— Did something happen? I ask, keeping myself relaxed.
— Let's talk in private.
Sounds like a strange request to me considering we're alone— You make it sound like there are more people with us.
She does not answer, I go up the stairs with my heart in my hand, that the house is so desolate makes me feel uncomfortable, when I finish climbing I look to the right hoping to find someone with a weapon or something like that, but everything is clear, I accompany her to our room, waiting for someone to come out of one of the other doors to ambush me, it doesn't happen either. What is it that worries you so much?
She takes the doorknob. "I ask you to please behave." After saying that, she turns it and pushes it to open the entrance to our room.
Taking the view of our room, I understand the reason for her discomfort, Rosa is sitting on our bed, she looks thinner, with a more leathery look and a firm posture, I can tell that she is no longer the little woman she raised.
— What is this about? I ask without going in.
— Rosa needed to talk to you —she answers as she sits next to our daughter.
— Talk to me? —I have to stand firm, try to see her as the revolutionary leader that she is, not my daughter."
— I came to talk about the death of Octavio Vindicta.
I take a few steps forward to enter the room— Talk about Octavio? Couldn't you bear the guilt of having him killed?
— I wouldn't feel any shame for killing an invader.
— Rosa, a little respect —murmurs Natalia, my wife.
— I would if they at least respected each other.
— You better talk fast —I say threateningly— before I want to call the police and report that I have a terrorist at home."
— We are not terrorists! —she stands up— We have nothing to do with Octavio's death!
— If you have nothing to do with it, how do you know something that is still confidential information?
— We have reliable sources —it seems that you were waiting for me to ask you that— I came to clarify what has happened, we are innocent, you stayed with our sarin gas.
— Then you admit they produced it.
— I have no way to deny that —she does not sound proud— I warned them that we should abandon that business, but from somewhere we must get additional money.
— You don't have to live like this —I say in a fatherly tone— come back to us, we are your family, we don't resent you for what you've done.
— You make it sound like I was a rebellious adolescent —she takes a few steps challenging me - she understands that I am an adult aware of what I do— she is a few steps away from me - my family would not abandon their nation —after saying that she crosses the door— you'd better watch your allies.
Perhaps I could capture her by force, but because of the love Natalia has for our daughter, I find myself unable to commit such an act of violence again, certainly blaming the rebel movement is the simplest and most logical option.
— I know you don't trust her, Eusebio —Natalia tells me, still sitting— but I know my daughter well, and she's not a murderer or the leader of a group of murderers, don't let her be blamed for a crime she didn't commit.
I am only silent at her request, after all, if she is not responsible for the attack then who is behind it?