Read Online No One Heard Her Scream by Jordan Dane - Free Book Online
Authors: Jordan Dane
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surprise.
He reached for her hand, his fingers clutching hers. Becca flinched at his gesture. She hadn't been touched in a very long time.
"But if you never found her body, how could you know for sure?" he asked.
How could you know? His words brought back a flood of doubts. Her acceptance of Dani's death had never felt real. She gave it lip service, but in the end, she didn't believe it herself. Not without a body. Becca felt an old familiar wall erecting. The tiny living room closed in on her. She gritted her teeth and pulled her hand away. Becca couldn't deal with his pity.
"We ... I know, Father."
She squeezed the casebook in her hand. Although closure for the Marquez family had its inescapable merits, she didn't want to be the one to rob this family of hope. Still, she had a job to do. Her usual mantra.
But as the flickering red votive candles of Isabel's shrine taunted her, a disturbing thought took hold. Had she really given up on Dani so easily? An empty casket. The headstone. Becca believed she'd done the right thing to give her mother closure, but now it all felt like such a betrayal. She avoided the priest's stare and took a deep breath.
"Are you all right, Detective?"
"Yes, I'm fine." She cleared her throat to shake off the emotion. No sense in prolonging this. "We've found some remains that may be your sister's. I'll need a sample of the family's DNA to help with the identification."
Father Victor shut his eyes and lowered his head, a quiet prayer. At least the man had his faith to give him strength. She gave him a moment, gazing around the room. Her eyes found a Marquez family photo hung on a nearby wall. In his priest garb, Victor stood behind his mother with Rudy and Isabel at her side, a picture taken at a happier time. It reminded Becca of another photograph. The one she'd brought with her from evidence.
"I'm so sorry for what your family has gone through," she added in a quiet tone. "Father Victor, can you tell me anything about the necklace your sister is wearing here?"
Becca showed him a photograph from her casebook, evidence from the archived box on the Marquez missing person case. Earlier, she had recognized the gold jewelry in the photo as being the same item recovered from the bones at the theater.
"I remember this. The Isabel I knew never could have afforded such a necklace." He clenched his jaw and held the picture in his hand, his eyes glazed over by the past. "She told me she bought it for herself, but I never believed that. At the time, I heard she was dating an older man, someone with money. But she would never talk about it. Not with me."
"If she didn't talk to you about it, Father, who did she talk to? How could you know about the older man if she wasn't the one who told you?"
"It's been so long ago. I forgot."
By his expression, Becca could tell she'd surprised him by her question. And his answer had been too abrupt. Coupled with the shift in his eyes, he looked like a man concocting a story. After the priest handed back the school photo, he shifted in his chair, a guarded posture. Another sign of his reluctance. Becca tried a different approach.
"The piece looks like a unique design. Can you tell me anything more about the heart charm?"
"I'm afraid I can't help you with that." With a fingernail, Father Victor picked at a chip in the armrest of his chair, avoiding her eyes. Another stall and another dead end.
"Well, who could help me?" When he didn't answer right away, she tried another avenue. Becca had to get him talking again. "Did you all grow up in this house, Father?"
"Yes, we did." A faint smile. "My mother did the best she could raising us after my father died."
"Tight quarters. And only one bathroom?" After he nodded, Becca smiled. "That could test the strength of a family, for sure."
"It wasn't so bad after I moved out. St. Mary's Seminary in Houston. The archdiocese gave me a scholarship."
"Good opportunity for you, but I bet Isabel and Rudy still fought over
He reached for her hand, his fingers clutching hers. Becca flinched at his gesture. She hadn't been touched in a very long time.
"But if you never found her body, how could you know for sure?" he asked.
How could you know? His words brought back a flood of doubts. Her acceptance of Dani's death had never felt real. She gave it lip service, but in the end, she didn't believe it herself. Not without a body. Becca felt an old familiar wall erecting. The tiny living room closed in on her. She gritted her teeth and pulled her hand away. Becca couldn't deal with his pity.
"We ... I know, Father."
She squeezed the casebook in her hand. Although closure for the Marquez family had its inescapable merits, she didn't want to be the one to rob this family of hope. Still, she had a job to do. Her usual mantra.
But as the flickering red votive candles of Isabel's shrine taunted her, a disturbing thought took hold. Had she really given up on Dani so easily? An empty casket. The headstone. Becca believed she'd done the right thing to give her mother closure, but now it all felt like such a betrayal. She avoided the priest's stare and took a deep breath.
"Are you all right, Detective?"
"Yes, I'm fine." She cleared her throat to shake off the emotion. No sense in prolonging this. "We've found some remains that may be your sister's. I'll need a sample of the family's DNA to help with the identification."
Father Victor shut his eyes and lowered his head, a quiet prayer. At least the man had his faith to give him strength. She gave him a moment, gazing around the room. Her eyes found a Marquez family photo hung on a nearby wall. In his priest garb, Victor stood behind his mother with Rudy and Isabel at her side, a picture taken at a happier time. It reminded Becca of another photograph. The one she'd brought with her from evidence.
"I'm so sorry for what your family has gone through," she added in a quiet tone. "Father Victor, can you tell me anything about the necklace your sister is wearing here?"
Becca showed him a photograph from her casebook, evidence from the archived box on the Marquez missing person case. Earlier, she had recognized the gold jewelry in the photo as being the same item recovered from the bones at the theater.
"I remember this. The Isabel I knew never could have afforded such a necklace." He clenched his jaw and held the picture in his hand, his eyes glazed over by the past. "She told me she bought it for herself, but I never believed that. At the time, I heard she was dating an older man, someone with money. But she would never talk about it. Not with me."
"If she didn't talk to you about it, Father, who did she talk to? How could you know about the older man if she wasn't the one who told you?"
"It's been so long ago. I forgot."
By his expression, Becca could tell she'd surprised him by her question. And his answer had been too abrupt. Coupled with the shift in his eyes, he looked like a man concocting a story. After the priest handed back the school photo, he shifted in his chair, a guarded posture. Another sign of his reluctance. Becca tried a different approach.
"The piece looks like a unique design. Can you tell me anything more about the heart charm?"
"I'm afraid I can't help you with that." With a fingernail, Father Victor picked at a chip in the armrest of his chair, avoiding her eyes. Another stall and another dead end.
"Well, who could help me?" When he didn't answer right away, she tried another avenue. Becca had to get him talking again. "Did you all grow up in this house, Father?"
"Yes, we did." A faint smile. "My mother did the best she could raising us after my father died."
"Tight quarters. And only one bathroom?" After he nodded, Becca smiled. "That could test the strength of a family, for sure."
"It wasn't so bad after I moved out. St. Mary's Seminary in Houston. The archdiocese gave me a scholarship."
"Good opportunity for you, but I bet Isabel and Rudy still fought over
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