Chapter 10 - The Visitor Who Wasn't Family
The man from Thursday had signed the visitor register as Andrés Vidal. The hospital confirmed the entry to investigators, not to me, and Teresa helped us make a formal request for preservation of camera footage.
Andrés worked for a document-services company that regularly handled property transactions. He wasn't a notary, Teresa explained, though he had presented himself as someone who could speak with a notary's authority.
"That distinction matters," she said. "So does whether anybody checked Sara's understanding before these papers were signed."
Inés met us outside a neighborhood café. "I saw Andrés carry a square wooden box to his car," she said. "Claudia laughed when Sara asked for it back."
"A music box?"
"Blue flowers painted on the lid."
I could picture it. My grandfather had given it to Sara on their wedding anniversary, and my mother had once recorded a birthday message on the tiny machine hidden inside. I had been too young to appreciate it then.
Inés had another piece of information. Valverde Urban planned to replace our courtyard and five adjoining lots with apartments. Several elderly owners had signed preliminary agreements after being told their homes needed urgent safety repairs.
"My grandmother wasn't the only one they frightened," I said.
Teresa requested meetings with those owners. By evening we had two witnesses describing nearly identical promises, made by a man with the same gray car.
Then Julia called. An unauthorized transport team had arrived to collect Sara for transfer to the distant residential facility, relying on papers that the hospital had already flagged as disputed. Staff refused the transfer and called security.
"Sara is safe," Julia said. "But someone submitted a new authorization this afternoon."
Teresa asked her to read one detail from the application once it could be disclosed through the proper process.
May you like
The request identified the responsible family representative as Mateo Martínez.
My brother was standing beside me when I heard his name.
