—Did you set a trap for us?
—I didn’t know you would let me down. I was just prepared in case you tried to rob me.
—All of this should belong to us!
—An inheritance is received after death. You already started dividing it while your father was still alive.
Verónica began to cry and accused Mauricio. She claimed he had suggested abandoning Elena on the street to intimidate her and force her to sign. Mauricio countered that Verónica had sold her mother’s jewelry and used some of the money meant for Arturo’s medication to do so.
Elena felt as if her husband’s death was repeating itself, but this time in her own home.
Barragán led them to the factory. The 26 workers waited silently. In the meeting room stood a screen and three envelopes: one for Elena, one for Mauricio, and one for Verónica.
Before his death, Arturo had established a foundation. His 49% share was not to automatically pass to his children. 24% was to be distributed among the employees, and the remaining 25% was to be reserved for Mauricio and Verónica, provided they respected Elena’s house, returned the embezzled funds, and retained their jobs for five years.
According to clause 9, this claim expires if the affected parties attempt to abandon, incapacitate, or dispossess their mother.
« That proves absolutely nothing, » said Mauricio. « Mom can make up the story that we abandoned her. »
Elena placed the security key on the table. It belonged to the truck’s recording system. Arturo had installed the camera months earlier, after Mauricio had used the vehicle and denied responsibility for the accident. The system automatically transmitted the audio recordings to an external server.
Mauricio’s voice filled the room:
—We took her phone, drove her far away, and returned with the prepared document. She signed everything without receiving any money.
Then Veronica asked:
—What if something happens to him?
—We will say he left voluntarily.
Nobody moved. Veronica covered her mouth. Ofelia wept softly. Mauricio tried to tear the device away, but the police officers held him back.
Then Barragán turned on the screen. On it was Arturo sitting in his room, emaciated, with a blanket over his legs. He had recorded the video six days before his death.
« If they see this, it means my children have preferred their mother’s money. But before I punish them, Elena needs to know the whole truth. I’ve let her down too. For years I’ve hidden her debts, her lies, and something even worse: Mauricio didn’t just empty the accounts. He manipulated my treatment to make it look like I’d lost my mind. »
Elena stood up abruptly. On the screen, Arturo showed a package of medication and a medical report.
—The day I realized what I was doing, I knew that my death was not the only thing we should be preparing for.
PART 3
The video showed Mauricio struggling with the police and Veronica apparently unable to breathe.
Arturo explained that four months prior, he had noticed confusion, drowsiness, and memory loss. Mauricio convinced the family that the cancer was affecting his mental faculties. Using this argument, he brought documents to the house and attempted to obtain power of attorney for the factory.
Dr. Rebeca Torres discovered, however, that Arturo had received an excessive dose of a sedative that was not part of his treatment plan. Someone had switched the pills in his weekly schedule. Elena cared for her husband during the day, but Mauricio insisted on staying with him every Tuesday evening.
Arturo didn’t want to accuse him without proof. He had a camera installed in the hallway and demanded private blood tests. The footage showed Mauricio switching the medications. He hadn’t intended to kill his father, as he later confessed to Verónica in a message, but he wanted to confuse him long enough to get his signature.
« I was just trying to save the company! » Mauricio exclaimed. « Dad couldn’t make any decisions anymore. »
The doctor, who joined via video call, responded decisively:
Mr. Arturo was fully conscious until the very end. You caused several incidents that could have hastened his death.
Elena closed her eyes. She remembered the moments when Arturo had looked at her without recognizing her, the nights when he gasped for air, and the guilt that plagued her for not having taken better care of him. Now she understood that her son had turned that guilt into a weapon.
Veronica fell to her knees in front of her.
—Mom, I didn’t know anything about the pills.
—But you knew they would leave me alone on the street.
—Mauricio said we would come back to get you if you signed.
—What if I got hit by a car? What if I passed out? How long were you going to wait?
Veronica was unable to reply.
Barragán reported that Arturo had handed over the evidence to the public prosecutor’s office, but had left the decision on whether to confirm the charges to Elena. He had also prepared two alternatives: If the children admitted to the incident, returned the money, and cooperated with the investigation, the trust fund would finance their grandchildren’s education without Mauricio or Verónica being allowed to touch a single peso. However, if they attempted to destroy evidence or misappropriate further assets, all documents would be immediately handed over to the authorities.
Mauricio let out a bitter laugh.
