Chapter 3 - RENATA CALLED FROM ARIZONA
Three days after birthday, Renata contacted Detective Torres.
Not Dante.
Smart.
She had seen news that Javier was arrested after incident involving Leo.
She had been waiting.
Her first words on recorded call:
“Are the children safe?”
That mattered.
Then:
“Is Javier in custody?”
“Yes.”
“Then I will come.”
She arrived with an attorney.
Forty-six.
Dark hair with gray at temples.
She looked like Sofia older.
Dante almost could not speak.
Renata did not hug him.
Good.
She sat.
“You believed I stole from her.”
Dante nodded.
“I did.”
“Why?”
“Javier showed me records.”
“Did you ever ask me?”
“No.”
There.
Then Renata said:
“Sofia loved you. She also complained that you trusted confident men with folders.”
Dante almost laughed.
That sounded exactly like her.
Then she explained.
Sofia discovered fees.
Renata helped.
Victor Hale learned.
He threatened to report Renata for unauthorized access to trust files.
Some access had indeed been technically improper.
She had reviewed papers Sofia gave her, but not every copied bank statement was hers to access.
Then Sofia transferred $240,000 to Renata for legal retainers, storage, forensic accounting.
Documented.
After Sofia died, Javier reframed as theft.
Renata received threatening letter:
Repay immediately or be referred for prosecution.
Her mother was ill.
She panicked.
She left.
Not heroic.
Then:
“I should have called you.”
“Yes.”
“I thought you were with them.”
Dante flinched.
“Why?”
She opened phone archive.
Javier to Victor:
Dante will sign if we tell him Sofia already approved.
Then Victor:
He doesn’t read the back half of estate packages.
Dante’s face burned.
Had he signed things without reading?
Yes.
After funeral.
Stacks.
Insurance.
Tax.
Trust acknowledgments.
He signed.
Then Renata saw his signatures appearing.
She believed complicit.
Incorrectly.
But understandable.
Then Sofia’s locked drawer.
Renata had duplicated records.
She mailed brass key to Sofia before death? Hmm key was in blue box later. Let's make Sofia hid.
Then why message “woman who hid papers is alive”?
Because Javier assumed Renata physically placed papers in drawer.
She had helped organize.
Yes.
Then who sent message?
Not yet revealed.
Javier’s phone sender “R. Maren” earlier? Wait we named R. Maren at Chapter 1 as sender. That suggested Renata herself sent. But message says "The woman who hid the papers is alive" from R. Maren impossible if Renata says herself. Need adjust: Could have contact name R. Maren meaning Rafael Maren, Sofia/Javier family member. We need clarify. Let's set in this chapter.
Detective Torres asked Renata:
“Do you know R. Maren?”
“Yes.”
“Who?”
“Rafael Maren.”
Sofia’s uncle.
Javier’s father.
Dante stared.
Rafael was supposedly retired in Spain.
He had attended Sofia’s funeral.
Then Renata said:
“He’s the one who originally told Javier I was alive.”
Why?
Because Rafael had seen her six months earlier in Phoenix? He followed family contact.
Then why message now?
Rafael wanted Javier to recover papers before Renata resurfaced publicly.
There.
Bigger conspiracy.
But careful not endless villain expansion.
Rafael had motive: he held minority family advisory business and benefited from altered fee structure.
He was senior architect, Javier executor.
Then Renata said:
“Javier isn’t the person Sofia was most afraid of.”
Dante looked.
“Who was?”
“Rafael.”
Javier’s father.
The respected uncle who had given eulogy at Sofia’s funeral.
Then Detective Torres pulled old estate records.
Rafael Maren sat as “family protector” in draft amendment.
If Dante removed/incapacitated, Rafael appointed advisory committee.
Then fees.
So Rafael was root.
Javier was carrying plan forward.
Then Dante asked:
“Is Rafael in country?”
Renata looked at detective.
“He arrived yesterday.”
And had been at birthday?
No.
Maybe he was nearby, not party.
Then he could be the next suspense.
May you like
But avoid action thriller. Police locate through hotel.
Good.
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