Diego, while continuing his performance, responded in a faint and trembling voice:
"I don't know, really, I don't know."
Diego's mind already had a script prepared for this scene, as he had experienced it many times. Gallardo listened to Diego's words without moving half a centimeter away. He smiled, leaned back in his chair, and, with calm movements, took a notebook from the inner pocket of his jacket. He looked at his notes and reviewed them aloud:
"383 people boarded train 4 at Florida station, heading to the capital, Montevideo. The train departed at 6 PM without incident, and for 3 hours and 22 minutes maintained a perfect journey in both time and distance traveled."
Gallardo paused and observed Diego for a moment before resuming the review of his notes.
"At 9:23 PM on Thursday, May 18, an attack occurred on train 4, about 12 kilometers from its destination, at the city limits. Train 4 suffered severe detonations, causing massive destruction and the derailment of the train. 382 victims were reported and confirmed by both the police force and the investigation department of the white army."
Gallardo closed his notebook, put it back in his pocket, and focused his gaze on Diego again.
"These are the general facts of the attack, which, due to the number of victims, makes it the largest attack since the regime took power 13 years ago. Additionally," Gallardo explained while adjusting his posture to a more threatening one, "one of the victims was a high-ranking public official, Juan Domingo to be precise, the secretary of the Minister of Defense, the esteemed Mr. Pietro. Therefore, it's not only the largest attack recorded against the regime in terms of victims, but also in the type of victims; a very influential person perished in that attack," Gallardo continued explaining while his face distorted.
"Causing the high ranks to issue a national emergency order, the nation entered emergency protocol. This case, this attack, has been ordered to be clarified urgently, for which all necessary resources have been enabled. In other words, all the nation's resources are at disposal to find the perpetrators. If you have anything to say, now is the time, Mr. Crosa."
Diego kept his gaze fixed on Gallardo, feigning confusion and fear, though internally he calculated every word he was going to say.
"I... don't know anything else, sir. I just remember the explosion, the chaos... everything happened so fast. I woke up among the debris, injured and disoriented. I don't know why I survived, I don't know why I'm here and the others aren't..." Diego said, letting his voice tremble and his eyes fill with feigned tears.
Gallardo observed him closely, looking for any sign of falsehood in his face.
"We're going to find out the truth, Mr. Crosa. You can be sure of that. And if at any moment you remember anything else, any detail, no matter how small, don't hesitate to let us know. This doesn't end here," Gallardo said, standing up from the chair and adjusting his jacket.
"Yes, sir, I will," Diego responded in a submissive tone.
Gallardo headed towards the door, pausing for a moment before leaving.
"Remember, Mr. Crosa, we are watching you very closely," he said firmly before leaving the room.
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Outside the room, Gallardo turned to his right, where Ariel was leaning against the wall, waiting for him to finish the questioning.
"Let's go, Ariel," Gallardo commented as he began walking down the hallway.
"Sir, did you find anything?" Ariel asked as he matched Gallardo's pace.
"He seems to know nothing, at first glance he's just a lucky victim who survived," Gallardo commented lightly. "But I don't believe it, the numbers are too irrational for it to be mere luck," Gallardo concluded, his voice deepening.
"I see, I think the same. It's irrational that only he survived with such minor injuries. What explanation did he give about the reason for his trip and what business he had in Montevideo?" Ariel asked with curiosity.
"I didn't ask him," Gallardo responded dryly, clearly in a bad mood.
"Why didn't you ask him, sir?" Ariel asked with even more curiosity.
Gallardo stopped walking and looked Ariel in the eyes.
"If he is, as I suspect, part of the organization behind the attack, he will have a prepared answer for that question. Therefore, it's better to leave it as is and observe him from a distance," Gallardo explained slowly and resumed walking.
"Ah, very well, sir. It's a good plan," Ariel commented cheerfully as he caught up with Gallardo.