bully was Raul Cervantes, brother of Hector Cervantes. And I’m assuming you know that Maria was Franco Perez’s younger sister.”
Molly scribbled several notes furiously. “So you’re concerned because you think it’s possible that Hector may have killed her because she tattled?”
“Detective, you need to understand something about Hector Cervantes and Franco Perez. Everything you read in the news about these young men is true. They epitomize what all the songs and movies exploit about gang members. They have killed people over nothing, and they will look for any opportunity to express their hatred. Would it surprise me if this whole incident is about the problem between Maria and Raul? Not at all. And Hector Cervantes is an extremely stubborn man. His mother is dead, and his father abandoned him and his brother when they were young. Hector is Raul’s father and there’s no way he would ever let anyone disrespect Raul. He was suspended over the incident and Hector knows that he’s very close to being expelled from the school district. I don’t know if that’s enough reason for Hector to kill Maria, but I can assure you that there was certainly some type of retaliation that occurred. There always is.”
“We need to interview Maria’s friend Selena Diaz as well as Raul Cervantes,” Molly said.
Ms. Preston nodded. Her secretary stuck her head into the room and she excused herself.
“So, what do you make of this?” Andre asked. “Do you really think a gang-banger would take out a little girl over a suspension?”
Molly rubbed her chin and stared at her notes. She guessed that Maria loved to stir up trouble. She seemed fearless, a necessary South Phoenix survival trait but one that could have been her undoing. She pictured her standing up to Raul Cervantes, those brown eyes blazing, ignoring the consequences. Could it have earned her a bullet in the chest? A wave of admiration and fear simultaneously touched her heart.
The conference room door squeaked open again and the principal’s secretary returned. “I’m sorry. Ms. Preston needs to meet with the superintendent. I’m Mrs. Jones and I’ve called Raul down, but Selena isn’t in school today. I’ve left a message with Hector. I’m sure he’ll be here quickly. If you’ll follow me, I’ll take you to a quieter area.”
They followed Mrs. Jones through the busy hallways filled with students changing classes. As they passed the rows of lockers, a huge banner hanging from the staircase caught Molly’s attention. The large red letters advertised a city-wide science fair and congratulated Mrs. Stimson’s fifth-grade class for placing first in the competition.
Molly gazed skyward and Mrs. Jones pointed at the banner. “That was Maria’s class. They’re an awesome group and totally devastated by her death. It’s such a shame. They just won last week, and we were going to honor them tomorrow. Now I don’t think anyone wants to celebrate.”
Mrs. Jones ushered them into the library and retrieved Raul. Molly was surprised when a scrawny, short boy with a buzz cut stepped into the room. Wearing a simple white T-shirt that drooped well below his saggy shorts, she concluded that he couldn’t carry the gangster image he was trying to convey.
“Raul, this is Detective Nelson and she needs to ask you some questions.”
“I want my brother here,” he said, his gaze avoiding Molly.
“He’s on his way.”
She motioned to a small table and whispered in Molly’s ear. “I’m sure Hector will be here in a few minutes. He doesn’t work that far away. If you want any information, you’d better get it quick. When he gets here, he won’t let him talk.”
She nodded in appreciation and sat down next to him.
“I’ll go wait for your brother in the office, Raul,” Mrs. Jones said before she left.
Molly watched him, his teeth nervously biting into his lower lip as his left leg bopped up and down. He stared at a shelf of books, reading the
Molly scribbled several notes furiously. “So you’re concerned because you think it’s possible that Hector may have killed her because she tattled?”
“Detective, you need to understand something about Hector Cervantes and Franco Perez. Everything you read in the news about these young men is true. They epitomize what all the songs and movies exploit about gang members. They have killed people over nothing, and they will look for any opportunity to express their hatred. Would it surprise me if this whole incident is about the problem between Maria and Raul? Not at all. And Hector Cervantes is an extremely stubborn man. His mother is dead, and his father abandoned him and his brother when they were young. Hector is Raul’s father and there’s no way he would ever let anyone disrespect Raul. He was suspended over the incident and Hector knows that he’s very close to being expelled from the school district. I don’t know if that’s enough reason for Hector to kill Maria, but I can assure you that there was certainly some type of retaliation that occurred. There always is.”
“We need to interview Maria’s friend Selena Diaz as well as Raul Cervantes,” Molly said.
Ms. Preston nodded. Her secretary stuck her head into the room and she excused herself.
“So, what do you make of this?” Andre asked. “Do you really think a gang-banger would take out a little girl over a suspension?”
Molly rubbed her chin and stared at her notes. She guessed that Maria loved to stir up trouble. She seemed fearless, a necessary South Phoenix survival trait but one that could have been her undoing. She pictured her standing up to Raul Cervantes, those brown eyes blazing, ignoring the consequences. Could it have earned her a bullet in the chest? A wave of admiration and fear simultaneously touched her heart.
The conference room door squeaked open again and the principal’s secretary returned. “I’m sorry. Ms. Preston needs to meet with the superintendent. I’m Mrs. Jones and I’ve called Raul down, but Selena isn’t in school today. I’ve left a message with Hector. I’m sure he’ll be here quickly. If you’ll follow me, I’ll take you to a quieter area.”
They followed Mrs. Jones through the busy hallways filled with students changing classes. As they passed the rows of lockers, a huge banner hanging from the staircase caught Molly’s attention. The large red letters advertised a city-wide science fair and congratulated Mrs. Stimson’s fifth-grade class for placing first in the competition.
Molly gazed skyward and Mrs. Jones pointed at the banner. “That was Maria’s class. They’re an awesome group and totally devastated by her death. It’s such a shame. They just won last week, and we were going to honor them tomorrow. Now I don’t think anyone wants to celebrate.”
Mrs. Jones ushered them into the library and retrieved Raul. Molly was surprised when a scrawny, short boy with a buzz cut stepped into the room. Wearing a simple white T-shirt that drooped well below his saggy shorts, she concluded that he couldn’t carry the gangster image he was trying to convey.
“Raul, this is Detective Nelson and she needs to ask you some questions.”
“I want my brother here,” he said, his gaze avoiding Molly.
“He’s on his way.”
She motioned to a small table and whispered in Molly’s ear. “I’m sure Hector will be here in a few minutes. He doesn’t work that far away. If you want any information, you’d better get it quick. When he gets here, he won’t let him talk.”
She nodded in appreciation and sat down next to him.
“I’ll go wait for your brother in the office, Raul,” Mrs. Jones said before she left.
Molly watched him, his teeth nervously biting into his lower lip as his left leg bopped up and down. He stared at a shelf of books, reading the
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