By the time she had arrived in Las Encinas, her heart rate was off the charts. If a doctor had been monitoring it, they would have declared she were near a heart attack.
"Carla!" She spat as she cornered into their usual classroom, "¡Que mierda! Why didn't you answer my calls?"
"I didn't want to worry you." The blonde whispered, shaking her head as she realised her intentions probably had the adverse effect. "I think something bad has happened to Samuel."
"No." Inés muttered as she too began to frantically shake her head, "No, Carla. You promised he wouldn't get involved. You swore to me your dad would leave him alone."
"Inés, please." Carla mumbled back, trying to calm her friend and get her to sit down. "I didn't mean for this to happen."
"All you do is lie, Carla!" Inés spat. It was hypocritical of her, she knew, but she needed her friend to understand how she felt.
"¡Por favor!" Carla sighed, eyes glassed with tears.
Inés walked out of the classroom before the blonde could protest, grateful that everyone seemed more preoccupied with something on their phones that the conversation she had had with her friend. Her legs took her to Azucena's office without having to process it, and she burst through the door without knocking.
"Inés?" The woman asked from her desk, lifting her glasses off the top of her head and folding them onto her lap. "I haven't emailed the Academy if that's what you're here to ask."
"I need you to phone Samuel's mother. Ms García. I need you to ask if he is home."
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──── T H I R T Y - S I X HOURS MISSING
"You need to chill the fuck out, Inés" Lu sighed, holding their shared desk to the floor as Inés' bouncing knee caused it to shake. "He could be fine. At least it isn't your boyfriend who's sex tape is currently being sent to every group chat in Las Encinas."
"No, you're right! That would be so much better." Inés snapped, suddenly slamming hr hands on the desk and steadying it herself. "Guzman isn't even your boyfriend, Lu."
"And Samuel isn't yours." Lu rolled her eyes.
Inés was ready to snap back at the unsympathetic Lu, but their classroom door swung upon, and the person Inés least wanted to see walked in.
"Afternoon, all." The Inspector smiled, scanning her eyes across the room. Her gaze lingered a little longer on the familiar faces of the teenagers involved in her investigation last year.
Inés felt her stomach drop, watching as Carla slowly turned her head to lock eyes with her, tears already threatening to fall. What had she done?
"As you may already be aware, Samuel Garcia has been reported missing."
"Joder." Lu mumbled under her breath, reaching her hand over to clutch Inés'. The girl in question looked stoically at the Inspector, her eyes glossed over in a confused state of disbelief and acceptance.
