Chapter 1 - The Disposal|
Ricardo stood on the corner of 4th and Elm, the cold autumn wind biting through his jacket. In his gloved hand, the cracked, lifeless smartphone felt heavier than it had any right to be. It was just plastic, glass, and dead circuits now, but to him, it was a tombstone.
He stared at the electronic waste bin securely bolted to the concrete sidewalk.
“Are you sure about this?” Ricardo murmured into his Bluetooth earpiece.
Bia’s voice came through crisp and clear from the apartment three blocks away.
“I’m sure, Uncle Rick. Throw it away. We don’t need it anymore.”
“It feels wrong. Like erasing her again.”
“Mom is in my head. She’s in the archives. She isn't in that broken piece of glass.”
Ricardo took a deep breath, letting the icy air fill his lungs. He stepped forward and dropped the phone into the narrow slot of the recycling bin. It hit the bottom with a dull, hollow thud. It was done. Five years of holding onto the physical anchor of Camila’s death, gone in a single second.
“It’s done,” Ricardo said.
“Good. Can we order pizza now?”
Ricardo chuckled, the tension leaving his shoulders.
“Pepperoni and jalapeño. Give me ten minutes.”
He ended the call and turned his collar up against the wind, walking away from the bin. The city felt different tonight—lighter, somehow. But as he crossed the street and glanced at the reflection in a darkened storefront window, his blood ran cold.
A man in a heavy gray overcoat had stopped exactly where Ricardo just stood. The man wasn't just walking past; he was shining a high-powered tactical flashlight into the electronic waste bin.
Ricardo stopped in his tracks, his heart hammering against his ribs.
The man pulled a small crowbar from his coat, wedged it into the bin’s security lock, and pushed. With a sharp crack, the metal gave way.
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Ricardo reached into his pocket, his hand closing around his own phone.
Who the hell was still looking for Camila’s device?
