—Because he is four years old and doesn’t understand what happened.
—What exactly happened?
Vanessa opened her mouth.
Not a single word came out.
Mateo took his phone out of his pocket and turned on the flashlight. He tried to look through the small gap between the door and the frame, but saw nothing but darkness.
—I’m going to open this.
Vanessa immediately intervened.
—No.
Matthew looked up.
-Sorry?
—I said no. The basement is full of boxes and tools. It could be dangerous.
—Then you can stay here with Sofia while I go downstairs.
Vanessa grabbed her wrist.
—Mateo, please.
He looked at her hand on his arm.
—Why are you trembling?
Vanessa let it go.
Sofia started crying again.
—Daddy, I’m scared.
Mateo bent down and hugged her.
—I won’t let anything happen to you. I promise.
When he got up, the blows returned.
This time they were stronger.
Three impacts that made the door vibrate.
Then two more.
And from the depths came a barely audible female voice.
—¿Mateo?
He remained motionless.
I knew that voice.
He had heard her whisper in his ear for entire nights, sing to his daughter before she went to sleep, and call him from the garden when he forgot his keys.
It was Elena’s voice.
“Elena?” he murmured.
Vanessa backed up until she hit the wall.
Mateo pulled on the padlock. The wood creaked under his hands.
—Elena! It’s me! Are you okay?
A desperate blow came from below.
Then, a phrase that chilled her blood.
—Matthew, don’t let her in.
He turned slowly towards Vanessa.
She was crying.
“What did you do?” he asked.
“You don’t know what you’re doing,” she replied. “You don’t know what she’s going to tell you.”
Mateo took the keys from the table in the hallway.
—I’m going to call the police.
Vanessa lunged at him, trying to snatch the phone away.
—No! If you call them, it’s all over!
Mateo pulled her aside and dialed the emergency number.
While waiting for a response, Sofia pointed to the padlock.
—Dad, the key isn’t there.
Mateo looked at the keyring he was holding in his hand.
-What do you mean?
The girl pointed to Vanessa’s pants pocket.
—I saw her put it there when she thought I was asleep.
Vanessa stopped crying.
And, for the first time since Mateo had known her, her face showed something that was neither nervousness nor anger.
It was hate.
Mateo didn’t take his eyes off Vanessa.
She stood against the wall, her hands pressed against her abdomen, her breathing ragged. The light from the hallway accentuated the shadows beneath her eyes.
A voice came from the phone.
—Emergencies, what is your situation?
Mateo answered without taking his eyes off his partner.
“I’m Mateo Reyes. I think my wife is locked in the basement of my house. There’s a padlock on the door, and I just heard her calling for help.”
Vanessa shook her head frantically.
—Don’t say that! You don’t know who’s down there!
Mateo brought the phone to his ear.
—I need you to send someone. Now.
The operator began asking him questions. Mateo gave his address and explained that there was a young girl in the house.
Sofia hid behind his leg.
—Daddy, is Mommy hurt?
He bent down and held her face in his hands.
—I don’t know, Princess. But I’ll find out.
Vanessa let out a short, broken laugh.
—Are you going to find out? After all this time? How convenient.
Mateo got up.
-Be quiet.
She blinked, surprised by the tone of his voice.
—You’ve never spoken to me like that before.
—I had never heard my wife asking me for help from a locked basement.
Vanessa looked at the door.
—She is not the woman you remember.
—Then open the door and let him speak.
—¡No!
The scream was so sudden that Sofia began to sob.
Mateo took a deep breath to contain his anger.
—Vanessa, you have two options. You can give me the key or wait for the police to arrive and give it to them.
She put her hand in her pocket, but didn’t take anything out.
-Can’t.
-Because?
Vanessa looked at Sofia.
—Because your daughter shouldn’t hear what’s behind that door.
Mateo was frozen.
—What does that mean?
A bang came from the basement.
Three.
Break.
Of the.
Then a faint voice.
—Mateo, please. Don’t let him deceive you.
Mateo’s throat closed up.
—Elena, is that you?
-Yeah.
He placed both hands on the door.
—How long have you been there?
There was a long silence. Then the voice replied:
—I don’t know. I lost count of the days.
Sofia let out a stifled scream.
—¡Mami!
He knelt in front of the door and pressed his palms against the wood.
