“Well, now, Miss Santillan—”
Elena brought her open hand down on the table with a loud smack. “You summoned Miss Santillan at dawn for this? We’d like to know how the bogus photograph of her reached the tabloids. It was in your possession on Monday and published Tuesday. Is your security here so incredibly lax? Or was it released in an attempt to focus blame on her while you scramble for viable suspects?”
Robles bristled at the attorney’s questions and looked over his shoulder at his partner. “There was more than one copy, and we’ve no idea who released it.”
“You’re admitting this insulting photo of my client was widely circulated in your department?”
“Well, yes, but—”
“That is pathetic,” Elena continued, her voice low and taut. “Publication of the phony photo has cost Miss Santillan work, and we plan to sue for damages for the harm you’ve done her career. Do you have any questions that actually pertain to the case?”
Mesa paused midstride and pressed against the table. “We are near an arrest, Miss Covarrubias, and are being thorough. You cannot sue us for doing our jobs.”
“I most certainly can sue you for the way you’re doing them.” She dropped her card on the table. “Call me if you wish to speak to Miss Santillan in the future.”
Ana restrained the impulse to cheer and silently rose as Elena left her chair. They walked out of the interview room at a stately pace, but Ana longed to run back to Alejandro. He stood when he saw them coming, and Valeria looked very lost and alone remaining on the bench.
“We’re finished,” Elena remarked. “We never discuss anything here.” She handed Ana her card. “Come to my office. We’ve plenty of time before my usual office hours.”
“This is close,” Ana observed. “I’ll take the Metro, and you can go on to your classes, Alejandro.”
“I’m free until this afternoon,” he said. Valeria was looking up at him, her enormous blue eyes shiny with unshed tears. “Did you call your agent? Someone ought to come to be with you.”
The redhead shrugged. “The detectives asked me to stay until they’d spoken to Ana, so if you’re done, I must be too.” She stood and slung her fringed purse over her shoulder. “I hope I didn’t get you in any trouble.”
Elena lowered her voice. “We talk about nothing here.” She handed Valeria her card. “Should you need legal advice, call me.”
“Thank you.” Valeria left the building first and ran right into a wall of paparazzi shouting for her to look their way.
Elena stepped in front of Ana and Alejandro. “It’s important to look ethereal in photographs, not real life,” she cautioned. “Let’s lose this crowd in the Metro.” She marched through the wide doorway with the bravado of a four-star general. Ana and Alejandro followed.
“Don’t you look pretty today, Ana!” one man shouted, while his companions yelled only her name.
Valeria had already pushed her way free and disappeared. Ana gripped Alejandro’s hand, ignored the paparazzi, and followed Elena zigzagging through the stream of people rushing toward the Liceu station. Without a clear shot for a photo, the paparazzi fell back. Elena pulled a transport card from her purse when they reached the bottom of the station stairs.
“I’ll go back to my office on the Metro. What about you two?”
Ana checked with Alejandro. “I have a card. Do you?”
“I ride the Metro, just like everyone else. Let’s go with Elena, and we can come back for my SUV later. If you’ll let go of my hand, I’ll pull my card from my wallet.”
Embarrassed, Ana dropped his hand. “I’m sorry.” People were moving around them to reach their trains, and she stayed close. They waited while one of the sleek silver Metro train cars emptied and pushed in with the other passengers ready to go. Ana grabbed a pole rather than sit with Elena, and Alejandro stood facing her.
“This is a great place to watch people.” He had to nearly shout to be heard.
Ana nodded and leaned against the pole. At first she thought the man standing behind her had been jostled against her, and then realized he was rubbing against her butt. She jam
med her elbow into his stomach so hard he cried out. Infuriated, she swung around to face him. He was a middle-aged man in a shiny suit. He had only a sparse fringe of hair circling his head above his ears, and even in his teens, she doubted he could have been handsome. He blushed deeply and looked as ashamed of himself, as he ought to be.
“What’s the matter with you?” Ana cried. “Buy a blow-up doll if you need female company, but don’t accost women on the Metro.”
Alejandro moved to confront the man. “Are you bothering her? If you so much as touched her, I’m going to pull you off this car at the next stop and make you very sorry.”
“No, no, I did nothing,” the man swore, his lower lip trembling. “The train is crowded, that’s all.” He burrowed through the passengers behind him to put a safe distance between them.
“What was he doing?” Alejandro asked.
“You don’t want to know,” Ana assured him. “Elena’s standing. We must get off here.”