Chapter 3 - The Deposition
Two weeks later.
The 14th Family Court of Mexico City was located in a gray, imposing stone building near the historic center. The air inside the deposition room was thick with the smell of old paper, floor wax, and dry air conditioning.
Judge Gabriel Mendez, a stern, middle-aged magistrate with a reputation for zero tolerance toward legal games, sat at the head of a long mahogany table.
On the left side of the table sat Rodrigo Alcázar and his mother, Beatriz, accompanied by two senior partners from Garza & Associates, one of the most expensive corporate law firms in the country. Rodrigo wore an immaculate blue suit, looking confident, almost bored. Beatriz sat erect beside him, draped in a mink coat despite the indoor temperature.
On the right side sat Mariana and Claudia.
Mariana was dressed in a simple, elegant dark suit. She wore a silk scarf wrapped carefully around her neck, but she made no effort to hide the bandages peeking out from beneath her left sleeve. Beside her sat a small, portable monitor resting inside a closed leather case.
"We are here today," Judge Mendez began, tapping his pen against a legal tablet, "to record the sworn depositions regarding the petition for uncontested divorce and property settlement filed by Mr. Rodrigo Alcázar against Mrs. Mariana Alcázar."
Rodrigo’s lead attorney, a slick man named Licenciado Morales, stood up smoothly.
"Your Honor," Morales declared, his voice echoing in the small room. "My client seeks a clean, amicable dissolution of the marriage. Mrs. Alcázar has sadly suffered a tragic domestic accident resulting in physical trauma, which has unfortunately rendered her emotional state unstable. However, prior to this accident, Mrs. Alcázar voluntarily executed a deed transfer of the property located in Coyoacán to Alcázar Holdings, in exchange for financial support provided during her high-risk pregnancy."
Judge Mendez turned his sharp eyes toward Rodrigo. "Mr. Alcázar, I must remind you that you are currently under oath. Any statement you make here today carries the full weight of federal perjury laws."
"I understand entirely, Your Honor," Rodrigo said smoothly, placing his hand over his heart with a practice expression of sincere solemnity.
"Let us address the night of October 12th," Judge Mendez said, reviewing the files. "The police report contains a statement from you claiming Mrs. Alcázar slipped on a wet floor and accidentally tipped a pot of hot soup over herself."
"That is correct, Your Honor," Rodrigo lied without a single twitch in his face. "It was a horrific, heartbreaking accident. I was across the room preparing tea. I rushed forward to save her, but I was too late. I immediately called emergency services and did everything in my power to preserve the health of my wife and my unborn child."
Beside him, Beatriz chimed in, her voice dripping with artificial sympathy. "I was an eyewitness, Your Honor. My son behaved heroically. Mariana has unfortunately suffered from post-partum depression and paranoia, leading her to make absurd accusations against my son out of grief for her premature infant."
Judge Mendez noted the statements down. "And regarding the deed transfer of the Coyoacán estate? Mrs. Alcázar’s legal team alleges that the signature on the notarized transfer document dated October 14th—two days after her hospital admission—was forged while she was under heavy sedation."
Rodrigo let out a soft, exasperated sigh. "Your Honor, that is patently false. Mariana signed those documents weeks before the accident in the presence of my corporate notary. She gave her full, uncoerced consent. She is simply attempting to use this tragedy to extract money from my family."
Licenciado Morales smiled smugly, sliding a heavy stack of papers toward the judge. "We have submitted the notarized transfer deed, signed under penalty of law by Notary Public #104 of Naucalpan, validating the transaction."
Judge Mendez looked across the table. "Mrs. Montes, does the defense have any response before I rule on the validity of the property transfer?"
Claudia stood up slowly. She didn't look at Rodrigo’s attorneys. She looked directly at Judge Mendez.
"Yes, Your Honor," Claudia said softly. "We have three distinct responses."
Claudia pulled a silver flash drive from her pocket and handed it to the bailiff.
"First," Claudia announced, "we submit a certified digital record from the Intensive Care Unit of Hospital Ángeles, proving that on October 14th at 10:00 AM—the exact time Notary #104 claims Mariana signed the deed in Naucalpan—Mrs. Alcázar was in a medically induced coma with a fentanyl drip, completely unconscious."
Licenciado Morales’s smile faltered. He looked quickly at Rodrigo, who suddenly shifted in his seat.
"Second," Claudia continued, her voice rising in power and authority, "we submit a arrest warrant executed fifteen minutes ago by the Federal Attorney General's Office against Notary Public #104, who has just confessed under interrogation that he received a five-hundred-thousand-peso bribe from Rodrigo Alcázar to forge Mrs. Alcázar’s signature."
Rodrigo went dead pale. "That's... that's a lie! That's absolute slander!"
"Silence, Mr. Alcázar!" Judge Mendez barked, slamming his gavel down. "Mrs. Montes, continue!"
"And third, Your Honor," Claudia said, opening the leather case on the table to reveal the glowing screen, "we present the video footage recorded from the secondary security camera on October 12th at 14:02 PM—forty-seven minutes before the assault."
Claudia hit play.
The audio filled the quiet court chamber.
"If she doesn't sign over the house, we’ll have to make it look like a pregnancy-related accident..."
Beatriz’s face drained of all color. She gasped, grabbing the edge of the mahogany table, her eyes wide with sheer, unadulterated terror.
Rodrigo shot out of his chair. "Where did you get that?! That’s illegal! That camera was deleted!"
"Sit down, Mr. Alcázar!" Judge Mendez roared, his face flushing dark red with anger.
The video continued to play, showing the violent shove, the scalding soup pouring over Mariana’s body, her bloodcurdling screams for help, and Beatriz calmly taking the cell phone to prevent her from calling 911.
Mariana didn't look at the screen. She kept her eyes fixed entirely on Rodrigo. She watched as the arrogant, smug man who had tried to ruin her life shattered into a trembling, terrified wreck right before her eyes.
The door at the back of the courtroom burst open.
Commander Hector Vargas walked inside, flanked by six armed federal police officers in full tactical gear.
"Judge Mendez," Vargas announced, stepping forward with a red folder. "I have a federal arrest warrant issued by the 1st District Criminal Court for Rodrigo Alcázar and Beatriz Alcázar."
"On what charges?" Morales gasped, his legal composure entirely evaporated.
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"Attempted aggravated femicide, conspiracy to commit murder, felony fraud, tax evasion, money laundering, and grand perjury before a judicial magistrate," Vargas declared coldly.
Vargas looked at the officers. "Arrest them."
