La Llave Que No Existía
(The Key That Did Not Exist)
La inspectora Carmen Delgado llevaba veinte años trabajando en la comisaria de Granada.
Inspector Carmen Delgado had spent twenty years working at the police station in Granada.
Habia visto de todo.
She had seen everything.
Sin embargo, el caso que recibio aquel martes por la mañana era diferente.
However, the case she received that Tuesday morning was different.
Un hombre llamado Ignacio Reyes habia aparecido muerto en su despacho, con la puerta cerrada con llave desde dentro.
A man called Ignacio Reyes had been found dead in his office, with the door locked from the inside.
No habia ventanas abiertas ni senales de violencia.
There were no open windows and no signs of violence.
Además, la llave no estaba en ninguna parte.
Furthermore, the key was nowhere to be found.
Carmen examino la habitación con cuidado.
Carmen examined the room carefully.
El despacho era pequeño y estaba lleno de libros y papeles.
The office was small and full of books and papers.
Sobre el escritorio habia una taza de café a medio terminar y un cuaderno abierto.
On the desk there was a half-finished cup of coffee and an open notebook.
En la ultima página, alguien habia escrito una frase extrana: El que busque la llave, que mire donde no hay cerradura.
On the last page, someone had written a strange sentence: Whoever looks for the key, let them look where there is no lock.
Carmen fruncio el ceno.
Carmen frowned.
Por un lado, parecia una pista clara.
On the one hand, it seemed like a clear clue.
Por otro lado, no tenia ningun sentido.
On the other hand, it made no sense.
Su compañero, el agente Tomas Ruiz, sugirio que tal vez alguien hubiera salido por una puerta secreta.
Her colleague, Officer Tomas Ruiz, suggested that perhaps someone had left through a secret door.
Carmen nego con la cabeza.
Carmen shook her head.
No creo que haya ninguna puerta oculta aquí, dijo mientras golpeaba las paredes con los nudillos.
I do not think there is any hidden door here, she said while knocking on the walls with her knuckles.
De repente, al tocar la estanteria del fondo, escucho un sonido hueco.
Suddenly, when she touched the bookshelf at the back, she heard a hollow sound.
Movio los libros y descubrio una pequeña caja de metal escondida detrás de ellos.
She moved the books and discovered a small metal box hidden behind them.
Dentro de la caja habia una carta y una llave vieja y oxidada.
Inside the box there was a letter and an old, rusty key.
La carta estaba firmada por el propio Ignacio.
The letter was signed by Ignacio himself.
Carmen la leyo en voz alta: Si alguien encuentra esta carta, quiero que sepa la verdad.
Carmen read it aloud: If someone finds this letter, I want them to know the truth.
No fue un accidente.
It was not an accident.
Mi socio, Rafael Mora, me ha estado robando durante años.
My business partner, Rafael Mora, has been stealing from me for years.
Esta llave abre la caja fuerte de su oficina, donde estan todas las pruebas.
This key opens the safe in his office, where all the evidence is.
Espero que la justicia haga su trabajo.
I hope that justice does its job.
Carmen miro a Tomas con los ojos muy abiertos.
Carmen looked at Tomas with wide eyes.
En otras palabras, la victima sabia lo que iba a pasar, dijo el agente.
In other words, the victim knew what was going to happen, said the officer.
Carmen asintio lentamente.
Carmen nodded slowly.
Es posible.
It is possible.
No obstante, todavía necesitamos encontrar a Rafael Mora y abrir esa caja fuerte.
Nevertheless, we still need to find Rafael Mora and open that safe.
Guardo la llave en una bolsa de pruebas y se dirigio hacia la puerta.
She put the key in an evidence bag and headed towards the door.
Por primera vez en veinte años, tenia la sensacion de que una llave que no existia habia resuelto un caso antes de que ella llegara.
For the first time in twenty years, she had the feeling that a key that did not exist had solved a case before she had even arrived.
Key Vocabulary
la comisaria the police station
la cerradura the lock
fruncir el ceno to frown (lit. to wrinkle the frown)
la caja fuerte the safe (lit. the strong box)
las pruebas the evidence / the proof
el socio the business partner
no obstante nevertheless, however
en voz alta aloud (lit. in high voice)