—It’s me! It’s Sofi!
A sob was heard from the other side.
—My little girl… my little one…
Sofia started crying so hard that Mateo had to pick her up in his arms.
—Mommy, I have your doll. I still sleep with your blanket!
—I know, sweetheart. I know.
Matthew felt like the world was bowing down beneath his feet.
For months he had explained Elena’s absence with carefully chosen words. He had told Sofia that her mother was working, that she needed time, that perhaps she would call next weekend.
Vanessa had always been there to reinforce that story.
And he had allowed his daughter to grow up thinking that her mother had abandoned her.
“Elena,” he said, approaching the door again, “I’m going to get you out of there. I promise.”
—Mateo, listen. Vanessa has the key, but she’s not the only one who knows what happened.
He looked at the woman.
—What are you talking about?
Vanessa began to shake her head.
—Don’t listen to her.
“Shut up!” Mateo shouted.
The house fell silent.
The phone remained connected to emergency services. The operator advised her to keep her distance if someone posed a threat and not to attempt to enter a potentially dangerous area without assistance.
Mateo clenched his jaw.
—Elena, I need you to tell me something. Why did Vanessa lock you up?
A trembling breath came from below.
—Because I discovered what he did with your documents.
Mateo frowned.
—What documents?
—The house papers. The insurance. The papers you signed when you were sick last year.
He felt a void in his stomach.
The previous year he had spent several days in the hospital with a serious infection. Vanessa had taken care of the payments and some of the paperwork while he tried to recover.
“What do those documents contain?” he asked.
Vanessa moved towards him.
—She’s lying! She’s always been a manipulator!
Elena’s voice sounded again.
—Mateo, check the red folder you keep on your desk. You didn’t sign what she told you to sign.
Mateo looked at Vanessa.
Her lips were slightly parted and her eyes were fixed on him.
“Did you change my documents?” he asked.
—I did what I had to do.
—What did you do?
“You were never here!” Vanessa burst out. “I was the one taking care of Sofia!”
I was the one who was waiting for you! I was the one who had to endure your questions about a woman who had abandoned you!
Matthew took a step back.
—Did you lock her up because of some papers?
Vanessa ran both hands through her hair.
—You don’t understand anything. Elena was going to destroy our lives.
—Our life? Or yours?
The woman looked at him with an expression he had never seen before.
—She was going to take Sofia away. She was going to tell you everything. And you would have believed her.
—What were you so afraid I would tell you?
Vanessa did not respond.
Then there was a loud bang on the front door.
Someone was calling from outside.
—Police! Open the door!
Mateo felt a wave of relief.
Vanessa, on the other hand, ran towards the kitchen.
“Vanessa!” he shouted.
She opened a drawer and took out a large pair of kitchen scissors.
Mateo remained motionless, hugging Sofia to his chest.
“Leave that on the table,” he ordered.
Vanessa raised the scissors with a trembling hand.
—I’m not going to jail because of her.
—Vanessa, put them down.
—You don’t know what she did!
The knocking on the front door grew louder.
—Madam, put down whatever you are holding and step away!
Vanessa looked toward the entrance. Then, toward the basement door.
For a second, Mateo thought he was going to run towards the police.
But she turned towards him.
—If you open that door, you’ll discover that Elena hasn’t told you the whole truth either.
Matthew did not answer.
Vanessa dropped the scissors on the counter and raised her hands. Two officers entered the house and led her away from the kitchen while a third approached Mateo.
He pointed to the basement door.
—My wife is downstairs. We need to open it.
An officer examined the padlock.
—Do you have a key?
“She has it,” Mateo replied, pointing at Vanessa.
One of the police officers retrieved the keys from his sweater pocket and tried several until he found the correct one.
The padlock opened with a metallic click.
Mateo lowered Sofia to the ground, but the girl clung to his hand.
—I don’t want you to leave, daddy.
—I’m not leaving.
The agent opened the door.
A smell of dampness and old clothes rose from the darkness. The wooden staircase descended to a basement lit by a yellowish light bulb.
