far field away from the main building. No one ever bothered the kids, at least not until now.” She started to sob quietly while they waited patiently. Finally she raised her blurry eyes and nodded. “Go on.”
“Why don’t you tell us about that day,” Molly suggested. “Start with when you last saw your daughter.”
“She left about eleven. Since it was Sunday she didn’t have many chores after church so when she asked if she could go to the playground, I let her.”
“And that was around eleven?” Andre confirmed.
“Yes.” Her eyes flooded with tears that she willed away. “I never saw her again. All I remember was that little voice saying, ‘Adios, Mama, see you in an hour.’”
Molly touched her arm. “I only have a few more questions. I just need to know if you can think of anyone who might want to harm Maria or if she’d talked about having problems with anybody.”
She shook her head, a slight smile on her lips. “She was stubborn, always questioning authority. If she didn’t like the explanation then she’d do what she pleased. I’ve got two other children, but Maria gave me all of my gray hair.”
She sighed deeply and melted into the sofa. Molly was looking at a broken woman.
Andre coughed. “Ma’am, you mentioned two other children but don’t you have three?”
Color rose in her cheeks and she sat straight up on the couch. “That boy, Franco, I don’t claim him. He’s muerto! Selling drugs, hurting people. I threw him out two years ago, and I haven’t seen him since. He’s not welcomed here.”
“Did Maria still have contact with him?” Molly asked.
She shook her head adamantly. “Not at all. She knows she would be in trouble.” She paused and winced at her choice of words. “She knew how I felt about gangs and drugs. She was a great girl. The leader of her class. She was the one who stopped the fights on the playground. She was always organizing the students to do charity things like bring pennies to school to help the homeless. Imagine that! The girl had hardly nothing herself, but she never thought she was poor.”
“That’s because of you,” Molly said. “You gave her love and that’s all she needed.”
Mrs. Perez processed the comment, squared her jaw and faced her. Molly saw the fierce determination in her eyes. They were the eyes Maria had inherited.
“I want you to find her killer. Promise me you’ll do that.”
“We’ll do our best,” Molly assured her.
They returned to the playground and noticed the crime scene tape had been ripped apart. Molly gazed at the bloodstain on the ground and thought she might throw up. She craved a scotch so much that she could taste it in her mouth.
Andre flipped open the file and his notebook. “Well, from what Mom added we know she left home in the late morning. Her best friend Selena Diaz, who was supposed to meet her here, never left her house, so it’s likely Maria was playing alone. According to the coroner she was killed between eleven and one but I’m guessing it was before noon.”
“Why do you think that?” Molly quizzed, already knowing the answer but well aware that Andre continued to hone his thinking skills. The last big mistake he’d made almost cost them an investigation and Ari’s life.
“Mom wanted her to go home in an hour, and I’m sure she was going to listen to Mama.”
Molly shrugged her shoulders. “That little girl was willful, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she ignored rules. I’m also willing to bet she still had contact with her older brother. They looked very close in that family photo.”
“Possible,” Andre conceded.
Molly glanced at the school, noticing that the sun was quite bright. She said nothing but started toward the building.
“Did you get the key?”
Andre chuckled. “Check this out.” He withdrew an old skeleton key from his pocket.
It took a few tries before they could open the creaky door. A slant of light showered the decrepit
“Why don’t you tell us about that day,” Molly suggested. “Start with when you last saw your daughter.”
“She left about eleven. Since it was Sunday she didn’t have many chores after church so when she asked if she could go to the playground, I let her.”
“And that was around eleven?” Andre confirmed.
“Yes.” Her eyes flooded with tears that she willed away. “I never saw her again. All I remember was that little voice saying, ‘Adios, Mama, see you in an hour.’”
Molly touched her arm. “I only have a few more questions. I just need to know if you can think of anyone who might want to harm Maria or if she’d talked about having problems with anybody.”
She shook her head, a slight smile on her lips. “She was stubborn, always questioning authority. If she didn’t like the explanation then she’d do what she pleased. I’ve got two other children, but Maria gave me all of my gray hair.”
She sighed deeply and melted into the sofa. Molly was looking at a broken woman.
Andre coughed. “Ma’am, you mentioned two other children but don’t you have three?”
Color rose in her cheeks and she sat straight up on the couch. “That boy, Franco, I don’t claim him. He’s muerto! Selling drugs, hurting people. I threw him out two years ago, and I haven’t seen him since. He’s not welcomed here.”
“Did Maria still have contact with him?” Molly asked.
She shook her head adamantly. “Not at all. She knows she would be in trouble.” She paused and winced at her choice of words. “She knew how I felt about gangs and drugs. She was a great girl. The leader of her class. She was the one who stopped the fights on the playground. She was always organizing the students to do charity things like bring pennies to school to help the homeless. Imagine that! The girl had hardly nothing herself, but she never thought she was poor.”
“That’s because of you,” Molly said. “You gave her love and that’s all she needed.”
Mrs. Perez processed the comment, squared her jaw and faced her. Molly saw the fierce determination in her eyes. They were the eyes Maria had inherited.
“I want you to find her killer. Promise me you’ll do that.”
“We’ll do our best,” Molly assured her.
They returned to the playground and noticed the crime scene tape had been ripped apart. Molly gazed at the bloodstain on the ground and thought she might throw up. She craved a scotch so much that she could taste it in her mouth.
Andre flipped open the file and his notebook. “Well, from what Mom added we know she left home in the late morning. Her best friend Selena Diaz, who was supposed to meet her here, never left her house, so it’s likely Maria was playing alone. According to the coroner she was killed between eleven and one but I’m guessing it was before noon.”
“Why do you think that?” Molly quizzed, already knowing the answer but well aware that Andre continued to hone his thinking skills. The last big mistake he’d made almost cost them an investigation and Ari’s life.
“Mom wanted her to go home in an hour, and I’m sure she was going to listen to Mama.”
Molly shrugged her shoulders. “That little girl was willful, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she ignored rules. I’m also willing to bet she still had contact with her older brother. They looked very close in that family photo.”
“Possible,” Andre conceded.
Molly glanced at the school, noticing that the sun was quite bright. She said nothing but started toward the building.
“Did you get the key?”
Andre chuckled. “Check this out.” He withdrew an old skeleton key from his pocket.
It took a few tries before they could open the creaky door. A slant of light showered the decrepit
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