Chapter 43 Midnight, Unarmed
Rafael
I paced the hospital waiting room.
Morrison’s voice came through the phone.
"Mr. Valserro, I found something."
"What?"
"The gun from that night is gone. It was destroyed three years ago. Someone with clearance signed off on it."
My jaw clenched.
"Who?"
"The signature is illegible. But there is something else. Before the gun was destroyed, they ran some tests."
"And?"
"Powder burns on Mrs. Valserro’s hands were consistent with firing a weapon. Not being shot from a distance"
My legs went weak. I sat down.
"Boss?" Marco approached.
I waved him off.
"What else, Detective?"
"The bullet trajectory was upward. Self-inflicted. Your wife took her own life."
The phone slipped from my hand.
Flora picked it up.
"Detective Morrison? This is Flora. Can you send the files?"
I couldn’t hear the rest. Everything was muffled.
Eva had killed herself.
Catherine was telling the truth.
"Rafael." Flora’s hand was on my shoulder. "Breathe."
"She killed herself," I whispered. "Because of me."
"You don’t know that."
"Don’t," I cut her off. "Eva chose death over life with me. That’s the truth."
Marco crouched in front of me.
"Boss, listen. Catherine could be manipulating this. The destroyed evidence is convenient."
"The ballistics don’t lie."
"Maybe not," Marco agreed. "But the context could be wrong."
"Stop." I stood up. "Stop making excuses for me."
My phone rang again. It was an unknown number.
I answered.
"What do you want, Catherine?"
"I want you to understand. I want you to feel what Eva felt. Trapped."
"I understand," I said. "I drove your daughter to suicide. I’m a monster. You win."
"Do I?" Catherine asked. "You still have Flora. You still have Marco. Eva had no one."
"That’s not true. She had you. She had Isabella."
"We were on the outside. Helpless. Watching her die inside your prison."
"What do you want from me? You want me dead? Fine. I’ll let you shoot me."
"No. That would give me peace. Knowing you paid."
"Then let’s do this now. Tell me where you are."
"Oh, Rafael. Still so impatient. We do this on my terms."
"Fine. Warehouse twelve. What time?"
"Midnight. Come alone. No weapons. No backup. Just you."
"How do I know you won’t kill Marco or Flora?"
"You don’t. You’ll have to trust me."
"I don’t trust you."
"Then we’re even. Eva didn’t trust you either. Not at the end."
She hung up.
I looked at Marco and Flora.
"I’m going. At midnight. Alone."
"No," Flora said immediately.
"It’s not your decision."
"Like hell it isn’t! I’m not letting you walk into a death trap."
"She’s right, boss. This is suicide."
"Maybe that’s what I deserve."
Flora grabbed my face.
"Don’t you dare give up."
"Eva gave up because of me. How is that different?"
"Because Eva was trapped. You’re not. You have choices. You can choose to live."
"She’s right," Marco added. "Death is the easy way out. Living is the real punishment."
I wanted to argue.
I knew they weren’t wrong.
"Fine. I won’t go alone. But not an army either. Just us three."
"Boss, that’s still…"
"Non-negotiable. We go together."
Flora nodded.
"Okay. But we need a plan."
"We have six hours. Let’s use them."
We went to a private room.
Marco pulled up schematics of the warehouse.
"Three entrances. Main doors. Side door. Roof access."
"Catherine will expect the main entrance."
"So we split up," Flora suggested. "Rafael goes through the front. Marco and I will come through the side."
"No. If Catherine sees you, she might shoot first."
"Then what?"
"The roof. Marco, can you get a vantage point?"
"Easily. I can take a shot if needed."
"And me?" Flora asked.
"You stay in the car. Engine running. If things go south, you drive away."
"No. I’m not running."
"Flora…"
"No! I’m not Eva. I’m not leaving you."
I wanted to argue.
Her determination stopped me.
"Fine. You come with me. But you stay behind me."
"No arguments."
Marco shook his head.
"This is a terrible plan."
"You have a better one?"
"We call a tactical team. Surround the warehouse."
"She’ll see them coming. She’s been planning this for years."
"So we go in blind?"
"We go in prepared. Vests. Weapons. But small. Just us."
Marco sighed.
"You’re going to get us all killed."
"Maybe. But we’ll die on our own terms."
We prepared for hours.
Body armor, guns and ammunition.
Marco left to scout.
Flora and I were alone.
"Are you scared?" she asked.
"Terrified."
"Good. Fear means you still want to live."
"Do I? After everything?"
Flora moved closer.
"What happened to Eva was tragic. But it wasn’t murder. It was suicide."
"Because I drove her to it."
"Maybe. Or maybe Eva was sick. Maybe she needed help you couldn’t give."
"That’s generous."
"It’s realistic. Suicide is complicated. You can’t reduce it to one cause."
"Catherine blames me."
"Catherine lost her daughter. She needs someone to blame. That doesn’t mean she’s right."
I pulled Flora close.
"Thank you." I muttered.
"For what?"
"For not giving up on me."
She looked me in the eyes.
"I see a man who’s trying. That’s worth fighting for. Even though I still hate you for dragging me into this mess from the beginning. But now I see it's not your fault."
Without thinking I kissed her, gently. Not because she looked like Eva, but because she was Flora. And she had been strong.
And surprisingly she didn't pull away either.
Her face flushed. "We’re going to survive this," she said quietly.
"What if we don’t?"
"Then at least we tried."
Marco returned before midnight.
"The warehouse is clear. No obvious lookouts."
"Noted."
We drove to the docks.
The warehouse loomed ahead. Dark. Abandoned.
The night Eva died.
"Ready?" Marco asked.
"No. But let’s do this anyway."
We got out.
Marco headed for the roof.
Flora and I approached the main entrance.
The door was unlocked.
I pushed it open.
The darkness was complete and suffocating.
I clicked on my flashlight.
"Catherine! I’m here! Alone!"
There was no response.
Lights flickered on, revealing the warehouse.
Catherine Rossi stood in the center, surrounded by armed men.
"Welcome, Rafael."
I raised my hands.
"I’m unarmed."
"Are you?" Catherine smiled. "My men will search you."
Two men approached us. They looked deadly.
They patted me down and found my gun and my knife.
They searched Flora.
"I told you to come alone."
"I lied."
Catherine’s smile widened.
"So did I."
She pulled out a detonator.
"Explosives are planted throughout. Enough to bring the whole building down.”