Page 143 of When Lies Unfold

After raking a hand down his face, Santy’s tone turns gentler. “Appreciate your suggestion, but that black book’s just a rumor.”

Juarez’s eyes scrape over me quizzically. Gordo’s the one who told me that the man is with the CIA. I certainly didn’t expect Santy to be partnering with him. Then again, it’s well-known that the United States CIA has been entrenched in the drug trade for years.

The agent poses his question carefully. “What do you know about the black book?”

“That it holds the names of Hidalgo’s contacts and useful blackmail information on them, amongst other things.”

Juarez expels a harsh laugh. “If we had that book, you’d better believe we’d use it to our advantage.”

Santy’s gaze narrows on him. “You’re talkin’ like it exists.”

“There was never any definitive proof”—the man hedges—“but we’re almost certain it does exist.”

Santy’s lips pinch as he levels Juarez with his squinty gaze. “There a reason you didn’t share that before now?”

“Since our undercover agent claimed he’d caught glimpses of Hidalgo with it, but we were never able to get so much as a photo of it or its contents, the agency thought it was best to keep it under wraps.”

He falls silent for a moment. “Especially since we were in contact with Mrs. Carrera, prior to her death, to try and get her to hand over anything useful.”

Santy cocks his head to the side, brows descending. “Prior to his wife’s death? When the fuck were you gonna let me in on that?”

The fingers of his right hand twitch, giving the impression he’s battling the temptation to pull his gun on the agent. “Not only have you been hidin’ info about his book, but I find out you’ve withheld the fact that his wife’s dead? We’ve been workin’ together for years, Juarez.” Tense lines bracket Santy’s mouth as his nostrils flare. “Fuckin’. Years.”

Juarez shifts his weight from one foot to the other. “The agency decided it was best to keep it quiet. Especially after Hidalgo went on without announcing her death.

“We were trying to see how things would play out. Almost immediately afterward, his paranoia kicked up a whole other level. Next thing we know, he’s eliminated his entire staff.”

Eliminated. Juarez isn’t fooling anyone with his semantics. Eliminated is a nice way of saying murdered. Hidalgo murdered them in his sick retaliation for his wife’s death and his famed black book going missing.

Santy grips the back of his neck, that muscle flickering like crazy in his cheek. “All this talk about Hidalgo treatin’ his wife like Rapunzel was a lie, then?”

“Not exactly.” Juarez’s gaze is averted, as if he’s cycling through his thoughts. “Hidalgo was obsessed when it came to her. He thought because she was so beautiful that someone would try to steal her from him, so he kept her hidden.”

He winces. “The few times he permitted her to leave the house, she had to wear clothing that would downplay her appearance.

“She always wore some sort of veil covering her face and loose-fitting clothes. To my knowledge, nobody ever saw her face—not even the agent we had on the inside.”

Silence greets Juarez’s admission before Santy asks, “How’d she die?”

“She was being escorted by our agent who was driving her and Adolfo, Hidalgo’s second-in-command. The car crashed and then it exploded, killing all three of them.”

Juarez cuts Santy a wary glance before he adds quietly, “After that, her death became a favorite conspiracy theory at the agency.”

Santy raises his brows. “How so?”

“Because of the damage the bodies sustained from the explosion and how charred the remains were, they couldn’t get definitive DNA or dental remains.”

“Huh…”

Lifting my chin a notch with empowering bravery, I decide now is the time to interject. “I think I know how to get Alma back safely.” Without pausing, I rush on, “We’ll have leverage he won’t see coming, because I’ll be returning his black book and his wife to him in exchange for Alma.”

A disbelieving laugh bursts from Juarez. “Don’t you think you’re taking the conspiracy about Carrera’s wife’s death too far?”

I refuse to let him rattle me. “No, I don’t.”

He stares at me for a moment. “And why’s that?”

“Because she didn’t die in that accident, and I know where to find her and Hidalgo’s book.”

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