Chapter 10: Rosa’s Choice
Rosa’s hands shook around the gun.
Sarah stepped forward despite Daniel’s attempt to stop her.
“Why?”
Rosa’s eyes filled with tears.
“You don’t understand.”
“You watched Jason kick me down the stairs.”
“I didn’t know he would do that.”
“But you knew what he did to Mom.”
Rosa looked toward Evelyn.
“I protected you.”
Evelyn’s face was broken with disbelief.
“You warned me about Hale.”
“Because I loved Miriam.”
“Then why are you helping the men who killed her?”
Martin laughed weakly from the floor.
“Tell them.”
Rosa closed her eyes.
“Richard has my son.”
Sarah froze.
Rosa’s son, Mateo, had moved to another state years earlier.
Or so everyone believed.
“He disappeared six months ago,” Rosa said. “Richard showed me photographs. He said Mateo would die if I gave the video to the police.”
Bennett kept her weapon lowered.
“Where is Mateo?”
“I don’t know.”
“Then help us find him.”
“I tried.”
Rosa looked at the will.
“Richard promised to release him if I brought that document.”
Martin’s smile widened.
“He never intended to release anyone.”
Rosa turned toward him.
“What?”
Martin coughed.
“Your son found the offshore accounts. Richard had him killed months ago.”
Rosa’s face emptied.
“No.”
“He was useful until he wasn’t.”
A shot rang out.
Martin jerked as the bullet struck his shoulder.
Rosa had fired.
Officers rushed forward and disarmed her.
She collapsed to the floor, screaming her son’s name.
Martin survived.
Under interrogation, he offered a deal.
He would reveal where Richard had hidden Mateo’s body, explain the offshore accounts and testify about Miriam’s death.
But he wanted immunity from murder charges.
Bennett refused full immunity.
Martin settled for reduced charges.
His story changed everything.
The night Miriam died, Richard forced her into the car.
Jason had damaged the seat belt and brake line.
Richard drove.
They argued near the cliffs.
Miriam tried to escape while the car was moving.
Richard lost control.
The car struck the guardrail and rolled down the embankment.
Richard escaped through the driver’s door.
Miriam remained trapped.
“She was alive,” Martin said.
Sarah went still.
“What?”
“Richard could have called for help.”
“But he didn’t.”
“No.”
Martin looked down.
“He stood beside the wreck and watched the car catch fire.”
Jason arrived minutes later.
Together, they moved Richard’s blood from the driver’s seat and placed Miriam’s purse behind the wheel to support the claim that she had been driving.
Rosa’s video showed the argument before they left.
Martin had additional financial evidence proving Richard paid officials to suppress questions.
But there was one final secret.
Richard had not fled after the stairway assault.
May you like
He was still in the city.
And according to Martin, he was planning to take baby Miriam from the hospital.
