The silence became heavy in the visiting room.

Everyone looked towards the door.

The man who had just entered was tall, wore a dark suit, and had a tense expression. He was accompanied by two police officers.

Colonel Mendez frowned.

—What does this mean?

One of the officers replied in a low voice:

—Colonel… the girl asked for you to be present.

The man in the suit looked up.

Ramiro recognized him immediately.

Her breathing stopped.

—…Victor.

Victor Salgado.

The same man who had testified against him five years earlier.

The main witness.

The man who had assured the court that he saw Ramiro leaving the house where the murder occurred.

The victim had been a local businessman.

A powerful man.

And Victor Salgado was his partner.

Salome slowly separated from her father.

Her small eyes were fixed on the man.

—Hello, Mr. Salgado.

The man forced an awkward smile.

—Hello… Salome.

But the girl did not smile.

Colonel Mendez crossed his arms.

—Is someone going to explain to me what’s going on?

Salome took a deep breath.

—Two weeks ago I went to Mr. Salgado’s house.

Everyone looked at her in surprise.

The social worker turned around abruptly.

—Salome… you never told me that.

—I couldn’t.

The girl looked at Victor again.

—Because he didn’t know I was listening.

The man began to sweat.

Ramiro felt his heart pounding in his chest.

—Listening to what, my love?

Salome pressed her lips together.

-The truth.

Colonel Mendez stepped forward.

—Continue.

The girl spoke calmly.

—That day I went to look for my ball in Mr. Salgado’s garden. The ball had fallen on the other side of the fence.

Nobody interrupted her.

The door was open. I went in.

Salome lowered her gaze for a few seconds.

—Then I heard voices.

Victor swallowed hard.

—Mr. Salgado was talking to another man.

“What were they saying?” Méndez asked.

Salome looked up.

—They said that everything had gone perfectly.

Ramiro felt the air disappearing from his lungs.

—They said that no one would suspect them.

The room fell silent.

—And they said something else—the girl continued.

Her eyes filled with tears.

—They said that Dad had been the perfect scapegoat.

The guards looked at each other.

Victor took a step back.

“That’s absurd,” he muttered.

But Salome was not finished.

—They also said… that the weapon was never found.

Colonel Mendez narrowed his eyes.

—But there was a weapon at the trial.

Salome shook her head.

—It wasn’t the real one.

Ramiro felt like the world was spinning.

—The real one is buried behind the old oak tree in Mr. Salgado’s garden.

The silence was absolute.

Victor turned pale.

—That’s a lie!

But her voice was trembling.

Colonel Méndez did not take his eyes off him.

—Do you want us to check that tree, Mr. Salgado?

No one answered.

Twenty-four hours later, the police dug behind the old oak tree.

They found a metal box one meter underground.

The weapon was inside.

And evidence that linked Víctor Salgado to the murder.

It had been him.

He had killed his partner to take over the entire business.

And then he had blamed Ramiro.

Three days later, Ramiro’s sentence was overturned.

The handcuffs opened.

When he left the prison, the sun blinded him for a moment.

Five years lost.

Five stolen years.

Salome ran towards him.

This time he did run.

And he lifted her in his arms.

“I knew it,” Ramiro whispered through tears. “I always knew the truth would come out someday.”

The girl smiled.

—Mom says the truth always finds a way.

Ramiro looked at her in surprise.

-Mother?

Salome pointed to the sky.

—Sometimes I hear her in my dreams.

Ramiro hugged his daughter tightly.

And at that moment he understood something he would never forget:

Sometimes hope comes from the smallest place.

With a tiny voice.

About a girl who refused to let the world forget the truth.