Chapter 3 - THE WOMAN WITH THE KEY
The woman in the photograph was not Valeria.
That was my first stupid thought.
My second was worse.
She looked familiar.
I had seen her in our building.
Maybe twice.
Tall.
Dark hair.
Always carrying a leather laptop bag.
Daniel sat at the kitchen table while the court officer waited by the door.
I placed the photograph in front of him.
He didn't touch it.
“Who is she?”
“No one.”
I almost laughed.
“Try again.”
Carmen interrupted.
“This has nothing to do with Camila.”
I turned.
“You knew?”
She looked away.
That was enough.
Daniel stood.
“Mariana, we have been unhappy for a long time.”
“We?”
“You're never here.”
“I work.”
“Exactly.”
I stared at him.
The old version of me would have started defending my schedule.
Explaining deadlines.
Flights.
Clients.
The mortgage I had already paid.
The bills.
The money.
I didn't.
“What's her name?”
Daniel looked at the floor.
“Sofía.”
“How long?”
He hesitated.
That hurt more than the answer.
“Eight months.”
My stomach rolled.
Camila was in the hallway with Elena.
Thank God.
“Does she have a key?”
Daniel didn't answer.
I walked to the entry cabinet.
We kept spare keys in a small wooden box.
One was missing.
I looked at Carmen.
She shrugged.
“Daniel lives here too.”
“Not for much longer.”
His face hardened.
“Don't threaten me.”
“I'm not.”
The intercom buzzed.
The doorman's voice came through.
“Señora Mariana? There is a woman downstairs asking for Daniel.”
Nobody moved.
I pressed the button.
“Name?”
“Sofía Navarro.”
Daniel whispered, “Don't.”
I looked directly at him.
“Send her up.”
Carmen swore.
Daniel grabbed my arm.
I pulled free.
“Do that again and the officer becomes very interested.”
He released me.
Sofía arrived five minutes later.
She walked in smiling.
Then saw me.
Then the officer.
Then Daniel.
Her smile vanished.
“Oh.”
I held up the photograph.
“Hi, Sofía.”
She looked at Daniel.
“You said she knew.”
I almost admired the efficiency of that sentence.
Daniel closed his eyes.
Sofía's face changed.
“You didn't tell her?”
“No.”
She slapped him.
Valeria woke on the sofa.
“What the hell?”
Nobody answered.
Sofía looked at me.
“I am so sorry.”
“Do you have a key to my apartment?”
She reached into her purse.
Placed it on the table.
“Yes.”
“How long?”
“Four months.”
“Have you been here when Camila was here?”
She hesitated.
My skin went cold.
“Answer me.”
“Yes.”
Daniel stepped in.
“Nothing happened around Camila.”
Sofía snapped toward him.
“Nothing?”
He went pale.
She looked at me again.
“Last month, I came over and your daughter was locked in her bedroom.”
Carmen shouted, “She was napping!”
“She was crying.”
The room went silent.
Sofía swallowed.
“I told Daniel I was done after that.”
I stared at him.
“Is that why you planned to take Camila to Spain?”
He said nothing.
Sofía looked confused.
“Spain?”
Then she opened her laptop bag.
“I didn't come here because of Daniel.”
She pulled out a folder.
“I came because someone has been using your company expense account.”
My pulse slowed.
“What?”
She placed six invoices on the table.
Hotels.
Restaurants.
Luxury stores.
All billed under a vendor code belonging to my marketing firm.
Authorized by a digital signature.
Mine.
Except I had never seen any of them.
Sofía pointed to the bottom.
“I work in compliance for your largest client.”
I looked at Daniel.
He backed away.
Sofía said, “Mariana, somebody hasn't just been spending your money.”
She tapped my forged signature.
May you like
“They've been spending your name.”
