“Papa is not dead, he is underground,” the child said. The police began to dig.
Chief Luis Ramos reviewed the report. Name: Marta Gómez. Content: missing wife, no trace. But the report was made by a neighbor, Francisca Díaz, who was with a four-year-old girl holding a teddy bear.
“I don’t want you to take her anywhere,” Francisca said. “But she said something strange. You should listen to her.”
Luis leaned closer to the girl.
— What is your name?
— Victoria, she answered weakly.
— Do you know where your papa went?
Victoria raised her eyes and whispered:
— Papa is under the kitchen floor.
The air became stiff. Luis repeated the question.
— Papa is under the kitchen floor, in the areas where the tiles are paler. Papa is cold.
Luis ordered Lieutenant Ricardo:
— Call Marta Gómez and prepare the investigation. We will be there in an hour.
Thirty minutes later, Marta arrived, calm and seemingly emotionless.
— My husband, Julián, is used to leaving without saying goodbye. This is not the first time, he said.
— The neighbors heard a scream that night, Ricardo added.
— We had a fight, but who doesn’t fight between husband and wife? Marta replied.
Luis noticed:
— The kitchen floor was recently repaired.
— I replaced it because there was mold. I did it myself, Marta returned.
Ricardo showed a USB:
— The neighbors have a video. They saw you leave with Victoria at three in the morning and you came back alone with construction materials. How do you explain that?
— I don’t want the house to get moldy. I took Victoria to my friend’s and bought some things to fix the house.
Luis raised his eyebrows:
— You don’t have a receipt and no worker? And the child said, her father is under the floor. What a perfect opportunity!
Marta clenched her fist.
— They say I killed my husband.
— We didn’t say that. We were just asking questions, and your answers don’t match, Luis replied.
Marta shouted at Ricardo:
— Do you know what a miserable marriage feels like? Do you know that Julián is hurting me?
Luis interrupted:
— Do you have any evidence? Medical records or a complaint filed?
Marta was silent for a few seconds, then took a deep breath

Luis Ramos stared at Marta. His eyes, sharp but full of curiosity, seemed to be examining every word.

— If you don’t have evidence, we have to follow your daughter’s testimony, Luis said.

Marta’s voice was struggling:
— She doesn’t know what she’s talking about! She’s just a child, Francisca fills her head with stories!

But Victoria remained standing, hugging her teddy bear, her eyes dim.

— That’s not a story, the child whispered. — I heard Papa last night.

The room grew cold. Even Ricardo, who was used to cases, blinked.

Luis ordered:
— Ricardo, get a forensic team. Don’t move until the experts arrive.

In the Kitchen

An hour later, the forensic unit arrived. They looked at the kitchen floor — shiny, as if it had just been installed. They observed the color of the tiles. It’s true, there was a part that was paler than the rest.

— Chief, there’s a crack in the cement underneath, the forensic chief whispered.

They began to dig. The sound of hammers and chisels filled the house.

Marta, sitting on the edge, trembled. With each blow, it felt like she was being cut up from the inside.

Suddenly, a part of the floor opened up — and a heavy smell wafted out. The policemen covered their noses.

— My God, one whispered.

Under the pieces of tiles, a plastic sheet appeared. And there, wrapped up, was a man’s body, almost unrecognizable.

Ricardo shouted:
— There’s a body here!

The Denial

Luis immediately looked at Marta. His once courageous expression collapsed. But he quickly said:
— It wasn’t me! I didn’t kill him! I only did it because… because I was scared!

— Scared of what? Luis asked.

Marta’s tears flowed.
— Because of the punches, the nights of screaming, the bruises that I covered with make-up. I was afraid that if I left, he would kill me. And that night… he fell after pushing me. I was scared. I didn’t know what to do.

Everything was silent. Only Victoria’s sobbing could be heard.

— Mom… why didn’t you tell us? the child whispered, barely able to look at her mother.

Luis’s Decision

Luis took a deep breath.
— Marta Gómez, we are arresting you on suspicion of murder. But the investigation will also include the possibility of self-defense.

He looked away from Victoria.
— Social services will take the child for her safety.

Marta, while being handcuffed, shouted:
— I’m not a monster! I only did what I could to survive!

But no one answered.

And in that kitchen, where secrets lie buried beneath the tiles, a new chapter of investigation begins — not just about a dead body, but also about the story of a woman imprisoned by fear and desperation.