Chapter 3 - The Seven Women
By morning, police had identified everyone inside the suite.
Carmen Robles.
Rosa Robles, her younger sister.
Pilar Robles, Javier’s aunt.
Daniela Mendez, a cousin.
Teresa Robles, another cousin.
Marisol Vega, a family friend.
Ana Robles, Javier’s twenty three year old cousin.
Then Jessica Robles entered later.
Eight women total at different times.
Sofia had not exaggerated.
But their roles were not equal.
That mattered.
Ana called police herself at 5:12 a.m.
Before officers located her.
She said:
“I need to tell you what happened.”
Marisol did too.
Their statements began separating the room.
Carmen planned the confrontation.
Rosa physically restrained Sofia.
Pilar locked the main door.
Daniela slapped Sofia twice.
Teresa shouted at her and blocked the bedroom exit but claimed she never struck.
Jessica took Sofia’s phone and purse.
Marisol entered believing the family was going to discuss a wedding gift dispute.
When Carmen started hitting Sofia, Marisol told her to stop.
She tried opening the door.
Pilar blocked her.
Ana had been told Sofia planned to “steal Javier’s future.”
She believed the meeting was an intervention.
Then she saw blood.
She unlocked the bathroom route.
No simple group of seven monsters.
Different choices.
Different responsibility.
Then Carmen.
Police found her in another hotel room at 5:40 a.m.
Still wearing the burgundy dress from the reception.
She immediately said:
“Sofia attacked me.”
Photographs showed a scratch on Carmen’s forearm.
Consistent with Sofia defending herself.
Carmen claimed:
“Sofia became hysterical when we discussed combining marital assets.”
The unsigned deed made that explanation difficult.
Then the suite.
Officers recovered:
Three copies of the quitclaim deed.
A blue ink pen.
A portable fingerprint pad.
A notary acknowledgment sheet.
A bottle of champagne.
And a small medication vial inside Jessica’s handbag.
I stopped.
“What medication?”
Detective Ellison refused to speculate until tested.
Jessica claimed it was prescribed for anxiety.
The label had been removed.
That mattered.
Sofia went pale.
“They told me to drink.”
“What?”
“After they started hitting me, Carmen poured champagne.”
She looked at me.
“She said, ‘Drink this and calm down.’”
“Did you?”
“No.”
Then Marisol’s statement.
Carmen told Jessica:
“If she keeps fighting, we’ll calm her another way.”
That sentence changed the investigation.
Was there a plan to drug Sofia?
Possible.
Not proven yet.
Then Javier.
Police found him sitting alone in the hotel bar.
He said:
“I had no idea they would attack her.”
Detective Ellison asked:
“Why were you outside the room?”
“My mother told me women needed privacy.”
“Did you hear Sofia scream?”
“Yes.”
“Why not enter?”
“I thought they were arguing.”
“What did you say about her face?”
Javier denied it.
Then officers showed him hallway footage with partial audio from a housekeeping cart camera.
His own voice:
“Just don’t hit her face too much. People will notice tomorrow.”
Javier stopped talking.
Lawyer requested.
Good.
Then Alexander asked me:
“What happened between Sofia and Javier before tonight?”
I thought.
“Nothing that looked like this.”
Controlling?
Sometimes.
Javier wanted Sofia to merge bank accounts.
She refused.
He wanted his name added to condo insurance.
She said maybe after marriage.
He complained she trusted Alexander’s money more than him.
Then three weeks before wedding, Javier said:
“My mother thinks a wife who keeps property separate is planning to leave.”
Sofia laughed.
I dismissed it.
Now every sentence had teeth.
Then Detective Ellison said:
“We found a text from Carmen to Javier.”
Date:
Three months earlier.
CARMEN:
THE CONDO IS THE ONLY CLEAN ASSET LEFT.
JAVIER:
SHE WON’T SIGN.
CARMEN:
SHE WILL AFTER THE WEDDING.
Sofia read it.
Her face emptied.
“What does ‘only clean asset left’ mean?”
Nobody knew yet.
May you like
But Alexander did not look surprised.
He looked furious.
