Catalina spent the next hour consumed by her desperate attempt to unravel the mystery and assess the slim possibility that her parents had miraculously survived the horrific incident that had unfolded that fateful night.
Disheveled documents from Manuel's house were scattered across the floor of her temporary room, creating a chaotic backdrop for her growing confusion and disbelief. She found herself repeatedly scrutinizing the note and the forlorn papers, causing her mind to spin with an overwhelming onslaught of emotions.
Clutching the note tightly in her trembling hand, Catalina leaned back against the wall, desperately needing its support. The notion of her father surviving a brutal assault that left him with a knife plunged into his throat and stomach seemed utterly implausible, ev
