As soon as Diego’s car disappeared down the driveway, Esmeralda’s phone beeped, drawing her attention back to the present. The screen illuminated with a new message from an unknown number, but she didn’t need to guess who it was from. Her heart raced as she read Santiago’s brief but direct message: Come outside, through the back door.
A chill ran through her. How was it that Santiago was already in position, as if waiting for the moment Diego would leave? Was it coincidence, or had he been monitoring Diego’s movements? The thought left her unsettled, but her curiosity and the urgency of his message pushed her forward.
Moving quietly, she made her way to the back of the house, slipping on a light jacket as she went. She peered out the back door into the darkened yard. Far off, just barely
