Leticia, who worked at a hotel reception desk, was normally loud and cheerful, always laughing and wearing bright red lipstick. The woman entering the apartment now moved quietly, almost like a shadow. She was dressed entirely in black and kept glancing nervously around the room.
She peeked into the living room. Seeing Valeria wrapped in blankets and breathing slowly, she assumed the girl was asleep.
Moving quickly, Leticia pulled a small velvet pouch from her purse.
She tiptoed toward the coat rack near the door, where Carmen’s beige coat hung—the same coat she wore every day but had left behind because of the afternoon heat. Carefully, Leticia slipped the velvet bundle into the coat’s right pocket and patted it flat so it wouldn’t be noticeable.
Then she took out her phone and dialed a number.
“It’s done,” she whispered coldly. “You can call the police tonight. My foolish sister will never suspect anything, and we’ll be safe.”
She ended the call, quietly exited the apartment, and closed the door behind her.
Under the blanket, Valeria felt her blood turn to ice.
Her own aunt—the woman she had always liked—had just hidden something in her mother’s coat to send her to prison.
For two days the news had been reporting about a spectacular robbery at El Resplandor Jewelry Store, located in the same mall where Carmen worked. Millions of dollars in diamonds had been stolen, and the police were searching desperately for the culprits.
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