assailant, he would come after them. Anna leaned forward and met Tierra’s eyes.
“Speaking about the Devil is the only way to fight him,” Anna said. “A witness needs to talk about the crime for it to be brought to justice. We need you to tell us about the men who did this.”
Tierra shook her head. “Sometimes evil is not done by men. It’s controlled by something much more powerful.”
“Evil is a result of choices people make,” Anna said. “But people can fight it, too. You start by bearing witness against the person who hurt you.”
“You don’t understand,” Tierra said softly. “He’s not a person. He had scales and sharp teeth.”
“He was wearing a mask?”
“No.” Tierra shook her head. “It was his face. His skin was covered everywhere in black marks. His nose was just holes in his face, like a goat. And he had horns.”
“What do you mean, horns?”
Tierra pointed to her forehead.
“What were they made of? Steel, wood, plastic?”
“They were growing under his skin. Round bumps, each the size of a small plum.”
Anna glanced at Melendez, wondering if he was getting the translation right. “Am I missing something?” she asked him.
“I’m just telling you what she said.” Melendez shrugged. “I don’t know what she actually saw.”
“It was three men, three MS-13 members.” Tierra started crying. “And the Devil.”
“Okay, it’s okay. You’re safe now.” Anna handed her a box of tissues. “What happened when the men—and this ‘Devil’—came into your room?”
Tierra blew her nose. “The Devil was holding our doorman’s head. He threw the head to the man called Psycho. Then the Devil . . .”
“Tell me.”
“He raped me. Then he used the handle of his machete. He wanted to hear me scream; he liked it. And when he was done, the one they called Psycho started to rape me.”
Anna gently asked the details she needed to know for her case. They had violated Tierra vaginally and anally. They used condoms, throwing them in the same garbage can the johns used.
“They hurt me so much.” Tierra’s sobs were growing louder. “They didn’t just want sex. They wanted to tear me up. The Devil said it was to punish Ricardo. For what, I don’t know.”
“You’re safe now,” Anna repeated, putting a hand on Tierra’s arm. “You can rest and get better. This is a good place. The doctors will take care of you.”
“The doctors can’t protect me from the Devil.”
Tierra was heaving now, nose running, face red. Anna rubbed her arm, trying to calm her. A nurse came in and told Anna they needed to go, the patient had to rest. Anna and the officers stood.
“There are no devils in this world,” Anna told Tierra. “This was a man. We’ll do everything we can to find him and make him pay for what he did.”
“You are wrong, Miss Lawyer.” Tierra spoke between sobs. “You are kind, and you mean well. But the Devil is real. You can’t stop him. No person can.”
10
Anna was more concerned with mundane investigative challenges than demonic ones. She wanted to speak to the other two victims, but the timekeeper had been released from the hospital and would have to be tracked down. The brothel owner was both sedated and represented by counsel. Talking to him would be complicated, because he had criminal liability of his own. Anna would have to decide whether to immunize his testimony, and how much of a break to offer him for being a victim of a crime when he was also a perpetrator. For now, her best bet was talking to the officers who’d raided the place—if they would speak to her.
As McGee steered the Crown Vic out of the hospital parking lot, she sat in the passenger seat, scrolling through the contacts in her phone.
“You’re wasting your time,” McGee said.
“You never know till you try.” She dialed a number and put the phone to her ear.
“One of these days, experience is gonna beat that optimism right out of you.”
“Shh,” Anna said,
“Speaking about the Devil is the only way to fight him,” Anna said. “A witness needs to talk about the crime for it to be brought to justice. We need you to tell us about the men who did this.”
Tierra shook her head. “Sometimes evil is not done by men. It’s controlled by something much more powerful.”
“Evil is a result of choices people make,” Anna said. “But people can fight it, too. You start by bearing witness against the person who hurt you.”
“You don’t understand,” Tierra said softly. “He’s not a person. He had scales and sharp teeth.”
“He was wearing a mask?”
“No.” Tierra shook her head. “It was his face. His skin was covered everywhere in black marks. His nose was just holes in his face, like a goat. And he had horns.”
“What do you mean, horns?”
Tierra pointed to her forehead.
“What were they made of? Steel, wood, plastic?”
“They were growing under his skin. Round bumps, each the size of a small plum.”
Anna glanced at Melendez, wondering if he was getting the translation right. “Am I missing something?” she asked him.
“I’m just telling you what she said.” Melendez shrugged. “I don’t know what she actually saw.”
“It was three men, three MS-13 members.” Tierra started crying. “And the Devil.”
“Okay, it’s okay. You’re safe now.” Anna handed her a box of tissues. “What happened when the men—and this ‘Devil’—came into your room?”
Tierra blew her nose. “The Devil was holding our doorman’s head. He threw the head to the man called Psycho. Then the Devil . . .”
“Tell me.”
“He raped me. Then he used the handle of his machete. He wanted to hear me scream; he liked it. And when he was done, the one they called Psycho started to rape me.”
Anna gently asked the details she needed to know for her case. They had violated Tierra vaginally and anally. They used condoms, throwing them in the same garbage can the johns used.
“They hurt me so much.” Tierra’s sobs were growing louder. “They didn’t just want sex. They wanted to tear me up. The Devil said it was to punish Ricardo. For what, I don’t know.”
“You’re safe now,” Anna repeated, putting a hand on Tierra’s arm. “You can rest and get better. This is a good place. The doctors will take care of you.”
“The doctors can’t protect me from the Devil.”
Tierra was heaving now, nose running, face red. Anna rubbed her arm, trying to calm her. A nurse came in and told Anna they needed to go, the patient had to rest. Anna and the officers stood.
“There are no devils in this world,” Anna told Tierra. “This was a man. We’ll do everything we can to find him and make him pay for what he did.”
“You are wrong, Miss Lawyer.” Tierra spoke between sobs. “You are kind, and you mean well. But the Devil is real. You can’t stop him. No person can.”
10
Anna was more concerned with mundane investigative challenges than demonic ones. She wanted to speak to the other two victims, but the timekeeper had been released from the hospital and would have to be tracked down. The brothel owner was both sedated and represented by counsel. Talking to him would be complicated, because he had criminal liability of his own. Anna would have to decide whether to immunize his testimony, and how much of a break to offer him for being a victim of a crime when he was also a perpetrator. For now, her best bet was talking to the officers who’d raided the place—if they would speak to her.
As McGee steered the Crown Vic out of the hospital parking lot, she sat in the passenger seat, scrolling through the contacts in her phone.
“You’re wasting your time,” McGee said.
“You never know till you try.” She dialed a number and put the phone to her ear.
“One of these days, experience is gonna beat that optimism right out of you.”
“Shh,” Anna said,
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