Chapter 5 - The Hotel Surveillance
"You think you've won because you have money?" Carmen spat, her face contorted with an ugly, desperate rage. "It’s our word against hers! Sofia was clumsy. She fell down the stairs at the hotel. There are no cameras in the suite!"
"You're right, Carmen," I said, stepping into the room from the foyer behind Alexander's security guards. "There are no cameras in the suite."
I held up a digital tablet, pressing play.
The audio quality was pristine. The microphone on Sofia’s phone, which she had quietly slipped into the cushions of the hotel sofa before Carmen locked the door, had captured every single second of the assault.
“When are you signing the Uptown condo over, Sofia?” Carmen’s recorded voice demanded, followed by the sickening, sharp sound of a slap.
“Please, Carmen! Stop!” Sofia’s weeping voice begged.
“You disobedient little brat,” another woman laughed in the background. “You need to be trained early.”
Then, Javier’s voice, muffled but unmistakable from outside the door: “Mom, don’t hit her too much in the face. People will notice tomorrow.”
Javier sank into the sofa, his hands sliding over his face as his entire future evaporated in the quiet room.
"That recording is fully admissible under Texas one-party consent laws," Alexander stated, standing up and buttoning his jacket. "And the United States Attorney’s Office is particularly interested in the fact that you held her against her will for over two hours. That is federal kidnapping, Javier."
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The heavy doors of the penthouse opened again, and this time, it was the Dallas Police Department. Detective Martinez walked in, backed by four uniform officers, their handcuffs already unclipped.
"Javier Robles, Carmen Robles," Detective Martinez said, his voice flat. "You are under arrest for felony aggravated assault, conspiracy, and unlawful restraint."
