Chapter 2 Trailing the Murder Case

Miguel Colorado's Estate...

Miguel Colorado stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows of his penthouse suite, a satisfied smile playing on his lips. The event tonight was going to be his biggest power move yet. Every influential name in the city would be there politicians, business moguls, crime lords. It was his way of showing them that he was no longer living in his father's shadow.

His assistant, Micah, stepped in. "You have visitors," he announced hesitantly.

Miguel turned, his sharp brown eyes narrowing. "Who?"

Micah glanced at the doorway, and two men in dark suits stepped inside. He recognized them immediately,his father's enforcers.

One of them, a burly man with a scar running down his cheek, spoke first. "Your father sends a warning. Cancel this event, or it'll be the bloodiest night of your life."

Miguel didn't flinch. Instead, he let out a quiet laugh. "Is that so?" He walked toward them, hands in his pockets. "Tell my father I've got enough security to handle whatever he tries. And if he thinks he can intimidate me, he's in for a surprise."

The scar-faced man's expression remained cold. "He doesn't want war with his own son. But if you force his hand, he won't hesitate."

Miguel's smile faded. "Tell him to watch his back."

The men exchanged a glance before turning to leave.

Micah, who had been silent the entire time, finally spoke. "That was reckless."

Miguel smirked. "No, that was a message." He turned back to his event plans. "My father thinks he still controls me. Tonight, I'll prove otherwise."

Micah sighed. "You do realize that Jose Colorado isn't someone to mess with?"

Miguel met his assistant's gaze. "Watch and see, Micah. Watch and see."

___

Miguel sat in his car, staring at his reflection in the rearview mirror. The city lights blurred through the glass, a reminder of the empire he was building.

His phone buzzed.

UNKNOWN CALLER.

He answered.

A voice on the other end spoke in a whisper. "You think you're untouchable, Miguel? You're walking into something bigger than you. Be careful who you challenge."

Miguel smirked. "Is that a threat?"

"It's a warning." The line went dead.

Miguel stared at his phone, his smirk widening.

"Let the games begin."

___

Present Day...

Agent Ryan sat in his office, his fingers tapping against the desk in frustration. The stacks of files before him were nothing but dead ends, but he wasn't ready to give up. The Sanchez family murder had haunted him for a year, and every instinct told him it was no accident. Jose Colorado had orchestrated the killings, yet somehow, the case was being buried under layers of bureaucracy.

His gaze shifted to the crime scene photographs. The wreckage of the Sanchez family's car was mangled beyond recognition. His gut twisted every time he looked at the reports-there was no mention of a driver's body, only that of Santos and Marie Sanchez. It didn't add up. A crash like that should have left all bodies accounted for.

The door creaked open, pulling him from his thoughts.

Captain Emma Rodriguez stepped in, her badge gleaming under the harsh fluorescent light. She was one of the few officers Ryan trusted, someone who didn't flinch at the idea of investigating corruption,even when it put a target on her back.

Ryan stood, motioning for her to take a seat. "I assume you've heard the latest?" he asked, his voice grim.

She nodded, crossing her arms. "Yeah, I heard. The Sanchez case is getting shut down."

Ryan exhaled sharply, leaning back against his desk. "They're calling it reckless driving. They're saying Santos lost control of the car himself."

Emma scoffed. "That's bullshit, and you know it."

Ryan clenched his jaw. "Of course it is. But our superiors are pushing it through. They don't even want us asking questions about the missing driver."

Emma narrowed her eyes. "Let me guess,Jose's pulling the strings again?"

Ryan nodded. "No doubt about it. That bastard owns half the officials in this city. I went back to the Sanchez family's house a year ago, and before I could even dig deeper, they threw me off the case."

Emma raised an eyebrow. "You mean you went there without a warrant?"

Ryan smirked. "You think the people covering for Jose would've let me get one?"

Emma chuckled dryly. "You've got a death wish, Ryan." Then her expression grew serious. "You mentioned Santos had a daughter?"

Ryan nodded. "Yeah. According to the neighbors, she was always with her parents. But her body was never found."

Emma frowned. "So, you think Jose has the girl?"

Ryan rubbed a hand over his face. "I don't know. But if she's alive, she's the only person who could tell us what really happened that night."

Emma leaned forward. "If we push any further, we're going to attract the wrong kind of attention. You ready for that?"

Ryan met her gaze. "I've been ready for a year."

"Come on, we need to get to the headquarters immediately."

__

Back at headquarters, Ryan and Emma were still going through files when an urgent email popped up on Ryan's screen.

He clicked it open, his expression darkening.

"Final Report on the Sanchez Case: Accidental Death Due to Reckless Driving."

Emma muttered a curse. "They're really closing it down."

Ryan scrolled down. "Listen to this,'Due to a lack of evidence suggesting foul play and the missing driver's body, the case will be officially closed by the end of the month.'"

Emma snatched the report from his hands. "They're using the missing driver as an excuse to bury this case?"

Ryan clenched his fists. "Exactly. The body should have been found at the crash site. But it wasn't. Either he escaped, or he was never in the car to begin with."

Emma's eyes widened. "Wait. What if the driver was working for Jose? What if he made the crash happen?"

Ryan nodded slowly. "That's what I've been thinking. But without evidence, we can't prove it."

Emma took a deep breath. "If Jose really has the Sanchez girl, she's our key witness. We need to find her before they make sure she never speaks."

Ryan's jaw tightened. "Then we better move fast."