UNANSWERED QUESTIONS
1140 Words
Mariana sat on the edge of the bed, her laptop perched on her knees. The soft glow of the screen illuminated her face as she sifted through endless pages of search results. She typed Eduardo’s name again and again, trying different combinations: Eduardo Fernandez. Eduardo F. Fernandez. Eduardo with their old neighborhood or workplace attached. But the man she once knew might as well have vanished into thin air.
Her frustration boiled over. It wasn’t just the lack of information—it was the nagging feeling that Eduardo didn’t want to be found. Still, she couldn’t stop.
The children were asleep, their quiet breaths filling the room. Every so often, Mariana glanced at them, her heart aching. Tomas, Mia, and Marco deserved better than the lies and shadows that surrounded their father. She wasn’t just searching for herself—she was searching for them.
A soft chime interrupted her thoughts. An email.
She opened it quickly, her pulse quickening when she saw the sender: Carlos Rivera. He was a private investigator she had worked with briefly after Eduardo’s disappearance.
Subject: RE: Follow-Up on Eduardo Fernandez
Message:
*Mariana,
Good to hear from you after all these years. I’ll need more details about what’s happened recently to dig deeper, but here’s what I remember from the initial investigation: Eduardo didn’t leave much of a trail. What little I found suggested he might’ve been caught up with some dangerous people—a group that deals in money laundering and illegal trade. At the time, there wasn’t enough evidence to dig further, but if he’s back in the city, there might be new leads.
Let me know if you want me to reopen the case. Be careful, though. These people don’t play around.*
Mariana stared at the screen, her hands trembling. The words dangerous people and illegal trade blurred in her mind. Was that why Eduardo had vanished? To protect her and the children from something bigger than she could imagine? Or had he been complicit in something she never knew about?
---
The Call
Without hesitation, Mariana grabbed her phone and dialed Carlos’s number. The phone rang twice before he picked up.
“Mariana,” Carlos said, his voice warm but cautious. “It’s been a long time.”
“I got your email,” she said, skipping pleasantries. “What do you mean by dangerous people?”
Carlos sighed on the other end. “I didn’t want to worry you back then, but since you’ve found him… I’ll be honest. The group Eduardo might’ve been involved with isn’t just a small-time operation. These are high-level criminals—smuggling, laundering, you name it. When I tried digging, I hit walls. People didn’t want to talk, and the ones who did said Eduardo got in too deep.”
Mariana’s stomach churned. “Why would he get involved with people like that? He wasn’t…” She trailed off, memories of the man she had loved flooding her mind. Eduardo had been ambitious, but he’d always seemed moral, grounded.
“I can’t say for sure,” Carlos admitted. “But sometimes good people make bad choices when they’re desperate. Maybe he owed someone. Maybe he thought he didn’t have a choice.”
Mariana closed her eyes, her grip tightening on the phone. “What do I do, Carlos? He’s back, but he’s not the same. He pretended not to know me, denied the children. And then, last night…”
She hesitated, unsure if she should share the encounter on the street. But Carlos picked up on her unease.
“What happened?” he asked sharply.
“I saw him again. He told me to leave the city. Said it wasn’t safe. And then two men showed up. I didn’t stay long enough to see what happened, but Eduardo… he seemed scared. He was trying to protect me, but I don’t know from what.”
There was a pause. “That’s serious, Mariana. If they know who you are, you might already be on their radar.”
“What do I do?” she whispered, her voice breaking.
“I’ll start digging,” Carlos said firmly. “In the meantime, stay low. Don’t contact Eduardo unless absolutely necessary. And if you can, consider leaving the city until we know more.”
Mariana nodded, though her stomach clenched at the thought of uprooting her children again. “Thank you, Carlos.”
“Be careful,” he said before the call ended.
---
Pieces of the Puzzle
The next day, Mariana found herself drawn back to the apartment building where she and Eduardo had once lived. It was a modest structure with peeling paint and a sagging balcony, but it had been their first home together.
As she stood outside, memories flooded back: late-night talks on the balcony, Eduardo’s laughter echoing in the stairwell, the plans they had made for their future.
“Excuse me, ma’am. Can I help you?”
Mariana turned to see the building’s landlord, Mr. Vargas, approaching with a broom in hand. His face was older, more weathered, but his kind eyes were the same.
“Mr. Vargas,” she said, managing a small smile. “It’s me—Mariana.”
The old man squinted, then his face lit up with recognition. “Mariana! It’s been years! What brings you back here?”
“I’m… visiting,” she said hesitantly. “I wanted to see the old place. Do you still rent the apartment?”
“Oh, no,” Mr. Vargas replied, shaking his head. “A young couple’s living there now. But I remember when you and Eduardo were here. You two were such a happy pair.”
Mariana forced a smile. “Do you… remember anything about when he left? Did he say anything to you?”
Mr. Vargas’s expression darkened. He leaned on his broom, glancing around as though to ensure no one else was listening. “I remember he was acting strange before he left. Nervous. Looking over his shoulder all the time. One night, he came back with a cut on his face and told me he was moving out. Didn’t even take all his things. Just vanished.”
Mariana’s heart sank. “Did he say why?”
“No,” Mr. Vargas said. “But he left this behind.”
The landlord disappeared into his office and returned a moment later with a small box. Inside were a few old photographs, a watch she recognized as Eduardo’s, and a crumpled envelope addressed to her.
Her hands trembled as she opened the envelope. Inside was a note, scrawled in Eduardo’s handwriting:
“I’m sorry. I love you. Protect the kids.”
Mariana stared at the words, tears streaming down her face. Whatever Eduardo had gotten himself into, he had been trying to shield her from it. But at what cost?
- Writer
