“She’s not exaggerating the bruises,” I said. “And she didn’t open a credit line against my house with my signature.”
Elvira stood up. “We’re leaving. You can’t prove any of this was us.”
The doorbell rang.
I didn’t move. “That might be someone who can.”
Javier walked in first. Behind him was a woman in her forties with a folder pressed to her chest. She looked straight at Elvira, and her chin trembled.
“Hello, Elvira,” she said. “Or is it Montes this time? You were Montes when you married your daughter to my father.”
Elvira sat back down very slowly.
“Hortensia Delgado,” Javier said to the table. “She’s given a sworn statement to the state prosecutor. So has Mr. Torres. So has Sofia.”
Patricia looked at her mother. Her mother wouldn’t look at her.
Then Lorena broke.
“I told you,” she said to Elvira, her voice cracking. “I told you after Guadalajara we had to stop. You said this one would be easy because he’s never home.” She turned to me, tears running down her face. “I didn’t touch the money. I swear I didn’t. But I knew. I knew about the list, and I knew what they were doing to the girl, and I didn’t say anything.”
