Chapter 7: The Structure He Built to Hide In
Alejandro spent the next forty-eight hours making calls he didn't tell Camila about.
He contacted a forensic accountant named Dr.
Miriam Castillo, who had worked with his firm on two previous cases and who had a reputation for finding things that had been carefully buried.
He sent her the photographs from Camila's phone — twenty-three images of financial documents spanning three years of transfers, shell accounts, and payments to companies that did not appear to exist.
Dr.
Castillo called him back in less than a day.
"Where did you get these?" she asked.
"From someone who had access to the source documents."
"These are not amateur transfers, Alejandro.
Whoever structured this knew what they were doing.
The shell companies are registered in three different states.
The timing of the transfers is staggered to stay below reporting thresholds." A pause.
"But they made a mistake."
"What kind of mistake?"
"One of the receiving accounts traces back to a holding company that also appears in a public filing from four years ago.
A real estate development in Saltillo.
The holding company is listed as a minority investor." She paused again.
"The primary investor in that development is a woman named Valeria Rios."
Alejandro was quiet for a moment.
"He was moving money to her."
"For at least three years.
Consistently.
The total I can confirm from these documents alone is just over eight million pesos." A pause.
"There may be more.
This is only what's in the photographs."
"Is it enough?"
"For a fraud case?
Possibly, with the originals.
For a divorce proceeding?" He could hear her setting something down on her desk.
"More than enough."
Alejandro thanked her and ended the call.
He sat in his office for a moment.
Through the glass wall, his assistant was on the phone.
The city moved below the window, the same as always.
He picked up his phone and called Mateo.
It rang three times.
Then Mateo answered, and his voice was already guarded.
"Alejandro."
"We need to meet."
"I don't think that's a good idea."
"I think it's a very good idea.
I think you'll agree once I tell you what I'm looking at." A pause.
"Dr.
Miriam Castillo sends her regards, by the way."
Silence on the line.
"Where?" Mateo said finally.
"My office.
Tomorrow morning.
Nine o'clock.
Come alone."
The call ended.
Mateo arrived at eight fifty-five.
He was dressed well — dark jacket, no tie, the kind of careful casual that was meant to signal he wasn't worried.
He sat across from Alejandro's desk and looked around the office with the expression of a man trying not to be impressed.
"Say what you have to say," Mateo said.
Alejandro slid a folder across the desk.
"Take a look."
Mateo opened it.
He looked at the first page.
Then the second.
His expression didn't change, but his hand went flat on the desk.
"Where did you get these?"
"Camila photographed them two weeks before the fall.
The night you told her she was confused and didn't understand business finance."
Mateo closed the folder.
"These are internal company documents.
Taking them is—"
"She didn't take them.
She photographed them on her own phone in her own home." Alejandro leaned back.
"Eight million pesos, Mateo.
To a holding company connected to Valeria Rios.
Three years of transfers, structured to avoid detection." He paused.
"The journalist from Monterrey Negocios already has the story about last night.
She doesn't have this yet.
That's the only reason I called you here instead of sending it directly to her."
Mateo looked at him.
"What do you want?"
"I don't want anything.
Camila does."
"Then why are you here instead of her lawyer?"
"Because her lawyer will be here tomorrow.
I'm here today as a courtesy." Alejandro's voice stayed even.
"She wants a full divorce.
She wants the prenuptial fidelity clause enforced.
She wants the financial fraud documented and submitted to her legal team.
And she wants you to sign without a fight."
Mateo was quiet for a long moment.
Then he leaned forward.
"You think you've won something," he said.
"You think this is the part where I collapse.
But you're forgetting something, Alejandro.
I know things about your firm.
About the Saltillo project.
About how that contract was really awarded." His voice dropped.
"I kept records too."
Alejandro looked at him steadily.
"I know you did," he said.
"I've had my lawyers reviewing them for the past eighteen months.
Every claim you have is either fabricated or unverifiable." He paused.
"But go ahead.
File whatever you want to file.
It will give the journalist two stories instead of one."
Mateo's jaw tightened.
May you like
"Sign the papers, Mateo," Alejandro said quietly.
"It's over."
