I copied the audio into a hidden folder, sent it to my best friend Sofia, and wrote:
“Keep this for me. It’s urgent. Don’t ask questions. I’ll call you later.”
She replied immediately:
“Okay. I’ve got it. Are you alright?”
I stared at the message before answering:
“For now.”
I washed my face, put on a cream turtleneck sweater Javier once said made me look twenty, and went downstairs. At breakfast, I barely touched my food. Javier placed a plate in front of me and smiled.
“Eat well. We have a long drive ahead.”
All I could think was: What did you prepare for me today?
I didn’t know where he had hidden the sedatives, but I promised myself I would swallow nothing he gave me.
Sure enough, later in the car, he offered me two unmarked pills.
“For motion sickness,” he said. “A doctor friend gave them to me.”
I pretended to hesitate.
“I’ll take them when we’re closer to the mountains.”
He smiled, but for a moment I saw something flash in his eyes—annoyance, maybe suspicion.
The drive continued. The sun rose. The road began to climb. The mountain signs appeared in the distance.
Then my phone rang.
My mother-in-law.
I answered and put it on speaker.
On the other end, Carmen was sobbing.
