“An enemy action,” Abundio said, standing.“Get printouts of her in several views.I want everyone in the lobby yesterday morning to be questioned.”
“Everyone, sir?”
“Workers,” Abundio amended as he headed for the door.“Talk to everyone, show them her pictures.Find out what you can.And I want Jacinta’s work and personal laptops brought to me at the house.”He stopped and turned.“I want a full DNA screen of everyone in this office, and I want you to swab every door handle, the elevator buttons—everything—to see if you can identify DNA of someone who isn’t an employee here.I want that done immediately.”
“Yes, sir.”He pulled out his phone to make a call.
Abundio went to the break room, where Emilita sat at one of the tables, a cup of hot tea in her trembling hands, while the computer tech sat next to her.
Abundio propped his hands on the table and leaned in.“Love, are you still single?”he gently said.
She sniffled as she looked up.“Sir?”
“Are you single?Dating?”
She shook her head.“There is my ex-husband, but I am not dating.”
“Can you still have children?”
Her brow deeply furrowed in confusion.“Sir?”
“Can you or not?”
“I-I…” Her jaw snapped closed.“I am 39 and my son is in university now.”
“That didn’t answer my question.”
“I… I think so?I still get my periods.”Her cheeks deeply flushed.“Why?”
“I want to talk to you about a very lucrative IVF deal, my dear.One that will ensure you, your son, and the rest of your family are set for life.Are you perhaps interested?”
Understandably, she looked confused.“I don’t understand.You want me to… have ababy?”
“Mybaby, specifically,” he said.“I will have my attorney draw up a contract.I will pay for testing to see if you can get pregnant—everything about this at my expense, of course—and if you can have a baby, we will legally get married and engage in IVF.Is that something you’d be interested in?”
She stared at him, jaw agape.“I… I don’t know?”
“Would you perhaps be interested in discussing the terms to see what the financial benefit to yourself would be?”
She finally nodded.
He offered her what she hoped was a kind smile.“If you hadn’t guessed, Jacinta and I had a legal arrangement,” he said.“Yes, she wanted to be married to me, but it started as a business transaction, because I wish to have an heir.I am willing to offer you that same type of deal, without pretending to be my wife except for the legal marriage.If you decline, or cannot have children, I swear that there will be no repercussions—you will still keep your job here.”
She slowly nodded.“I would be willing to talk about it.”
“Excellent.”He turned to the security tech, who’d followed him.“I want the two of you to drive her home; one of you drive her car.Make sure she gets there safely.Then come to my home as soon as possible.Yes, I realize it’s late, but we have much to discuss.”
He offered his hand to Emilita, who finally took it.Despite the mug of tea, her hands were so, so cold.He leaned in and kissed her hand, meeting her gaze.“Whatever that woman is, I will get answers.You did not deserve for her to do what she did to you.”
“I-I don’t even know what she did?”
“Neither do I.But when I find her, we will get answers.I promise.”
Two days later,Abundio sat alone in the church, Armando standing at the front doors to keep anyone out.
It was just Abundio and the priest, whom he’d bribed to perform a brief funeral mass for Jacinta and their baby.
Abundio’s main argument was that his baby, at least, deserved a mass, and that he was convinced she was not in her right mind when she did it, a murder by proxy.
