Inside the folder were satellite images from the day of the disappearance. María had seen official versions before, but these were different—these were unedited. In the sequence, El Albatros sailed calmly… until a nondescript speedboat suddenly approached.
Subsequent images showed movement on the deck—several figures, indistinct, involved in what appeared to be a struggle. Minutes later, the speedboat sped away, leaving the sailboat barely moving. It was the last image captured before the vessel drifted off.
A shiver ran through María.
“Why wasn’t I shown these?” she asked, her voice trembling.
The captain exhaled slowly.
“The satellite company wanted payment to release the full images. The Coast Guard refused. And when I pressed the issue… I was taken off the case. Only recently did the company make its old archives public, and the images resurfaced. No one bothered to inform you.”
María’s hands tightened into fists. At last, there was a real lead.
“Whose speedboat was it?” she asked.