He stood up slowly and looked all around. The idea of bringing Josie to his house was maddening. What if she was the killer? She looked innocent and small, but could she have killed her own mother? He pictured her and could not see her killing anyone with a knife. Appearances were sometimes deceiving, but his gut feeling told him she was innocent. Regardless of her guilt or innocence, this was going to be one long night.
Were the clothes on the bed a clue? Were those clothes Ivonne's or Josie’s? He did not picture Ivonne wearing those short shorts nor the tank top. If those clothes belonged to Josie and she moved out last Thursday, why were her clothes on what he believed to be her mother's bed? Was she planning on changing her clothes after killing her mother? The shower was taken by the body and there was no other bathroom in the house. The whole thing did not fit.
Josie was his only suspect at the moment, but his gut told him that he needed to look elsewhere. The body looked to be Ivonne’s, but the clothes on the body were also wrong. Did Ivonne live a secret life? That woman was always in mourning, impossible. Assuming it was not Ivonne, then who was in that bathtub, and could this petite girl have the strength to do this much damage? Cutting a head and hands off took strength that he did not believe she had. Josie would need to have an accomplice, and a strong one at that. Who did she say had her child?
Nothing was making sense to him. He needed to trust his gut, but if he got it wrong he could lose his job; even worse, if he got it wrong he would be letting a cold blooded killer, a serial killer at that, go free. Agent Jerome Parker walked inside and signaled for the forensic team to go outside before he headed toward Detective Tom Kincaid.
“Excuse me. Excuse me!” Called Josie.
“Ma'am please do not shout.”
“I was not shouting! How long are you going to keep me here?”
“You were shouting, and you will stay here until I am done!”
“How long are you going to take?”
“Until I feel satisfied.”
“I have a question.”
There was silence in response.
“Listen, I am speaking to you.” She continued.
“I'm listening”
“I told you I have a question.”
“I am waiting for you to ask your question.”
“You could've said something. Anyhow, if I don't want your protection, can I just go home, right?”
“No.”
“No! But if you have not arrested me, I think I can go. What right do you have to keep me against my will?”
“Your wish is my command lady. You have the right to remain silent. You…”
“Stop! Stop! Stop! What is wrong with you? Didn't I tell you I have a child to take care of? And what are you charging me with?”
“You did tell me you have a child, but you also told me that you wanted to be charged. I need some answers and if I have to arrest you to get them, then I will. Understand?”
“But I don't know anything.”
“What makes you believe that you don't know anything?
“I have not seen my mother since I moved out and she was fine when I did. She was mean and ornery, nothing unusual for her.”
“I want you to describe the fight.”
“It was not fight. It was an argument.”
“Semantics. I want you to describe the argument.”
“There is nothing to describe.”
“Then describe the events of last Thursday and let me figure it out.”
“Okay, I got up, got ready, got Vicky ready, and after a quick breakfast we got into the car and drove to work.”
“You do not have to give me every detail.”
“You just told me to.”
“Okay continue from when you got home.”
“Okay, as soon as I got home I packed my car with as many boxes as possible. I took three trips back and forth before mom got home.”
“Then?”
“I started cooking dinner. She was in a good mood for a change, but still complained about me starting dinner so late. My mother was never happy unless she complained about something. I told her what I had done and she immediately blew up. There was some name calling, some shouting, and finally, there was some attempt at making me feel guilty for moving. It did not work so, after we were done eating, I did dishes and then left. It was challenging as my daughter was extremely distraught by then. I got to my new place and put my daughter to sleep. The next day I went to work. I did not use my laptop so I did not think about it until last night, when I had to prepare lesson plans.”
“So you haven't seen your mother since Thursday.
“I already told you that; is my mother dead?”
“Presumably! I am sorry that's the best I can give you. As soon as DNA comes back we'll know more, but I would like to believe she is alive.”
“You liked her?”
“Yeah, why are you speaking in the past tense? Do you know what happened to your mother? Do we need to wait for DNA results?”
“Listen, I do not know what or who is in that bathroom. All I know is that I saw the blood and it terrifies me; on the other hand, I would like to believe that if my mother is dead I would feel it in my heart. I feel scared and confused and somewhat angry, but I do not feel as if she is dead. As I don’t feel she is dead, I choose to believe she is alive, but again, if she were alive, she would be in her office. Have you checked there?”
“Yes, she is not there.”
“That is weird since she could not handle the idea of someone else doing her job for her.”
“Since I was transferred I have never seen her miss a day.”
“She wouldn't miss a day, she is obsessive about her job. She thinks that if she is not there, no one would be able to function.”
“She thinks that, ha!”
“If you hear her speak, yeah, she is the most important person there. Didn't you know that?
“Okay stop the sarcasm.”
“Sorry, sometimes I can’t help it. Anyhow, when are we going to know who the blood belongs to? Who did you tell me you were with?’
“I didn’t. Is your speech always this scrambled?”
“Only when I’m thinking about a thousand things at once. Are you with the local police?”
“No. Now tell me, what thousand things are you thinking about?”
“So, if you are not with the local police who are you with? Shouldn't you have revealed that already?”
“I am surprised you don't know. I just told you that since I transferred, your mom has never missed a day.”
“You work with her?”
“Yeah.”
“Sorry, I m not very observant.”
“Now tell me, if you moved Thursday. What were you doing here today.”
“I forgot a few things. I already told you my laptop to begin with, the rest of my clothes and some of my daughter’s toys. Everything should be in my room.”
“Your room?”
“My old room.”
“We have searched the whole house and there is no laptop. Did you come earlier today?”
“No, I was at work. I teach at the local elementary school. If that is when the crime took place, I have an alibi.”
“An alibi?”
“Yes, you know…During the time of the crime I was surrounded by twenty little kids.”
“How do you know when the time of the crime was? So far you haven't seen your mother since Thursday and I haven't seen her since Friday.”
“She could have been there all weekend?”
“We won't know until forensics gives us the time of death.”
Jerome noticed that the very relaxed and cool Josie became white at the idea of her mother being dead all through the weekend. Did she realize she didn't have an alibi or was it something else?
“Is there something you want to share with me?”
“No. I told you what I know.”
Then Jerome noticed that she was beginning talking t
o herself. It was a moving of her lips and a very soft whisper. Unfortunately, he could not make out any of the words she was muttering to herself. He wished he could get closer, but he knew she would stop the second he moved. As soon as she was done, her color was back to normal and she looked relaxed.
“You seem very relaxed. You do not seem too worried about your mother’s whereabouts.”
“I don't do melodrama. Nothing gets accomplished by crying hysterically. By the time you tell me she is dead or she is alive I would have come to terms with it, but for now I intend to be optimistic and keep my cool.”
“Where is your daughter?”
“My friend has her.”
“Why didn't you bring her with you?”
“Maybe you should read me the Miranda rights and maybe I should call a lawyer.”
“Okay, can your daughter stay with your friend overnight or should we call the Department of Children and Families?”
“Darn! you are heartless. No wonder my mother hated her job. Do you have children? Please let me go home today. I promise I'll cooperate.”
“You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. Do you understand the rights I have just read to you? With these rights in mind, do you wish to speak to me?”
Josie was trying so hard to keep calm, but as he read her her rights, the tears just started to flow down her face. She hated crying, but right now when she felt all the frustration pent up inside, she couldn't hold it in anymore.
“Oh please, just let me go so I can take care of my baby!”
“Do you understand the rights I have just read to you? Yes or no.”
“Dammit! Yes.”
“With these rights in mind, do you wish to speak to me?”
“Do I have a choice?”
“With these rights in mind, do you wish to speak to me? Yes or no.”
“Yes.”
But God will never forget the needy; the hope of the afflicted will never perish.
Psalm 9:18
Chapter 9
“Excuse me detective. You are doing it again.”
“Number one: It's Special Agent Parker. Number two: What am I doing?”
“When you stare at me it's as if you are staring all the way to my soul and then I feel compelled to talk.”
“Are you scared you might confess or are you scared I will see something you are hiding somewhere in there.” and he pointed at her head as he spoke, making her wince as she took one step back. “What are you hiding? I wonder…”
“If I were hiding something, it would be so deeply buried you wouldn't find it unless you were one of those so called mind-readers, and you would have to be very good at that. My secrets are mine and no one else’s. Understand?”
“So you admit to having secrets.”
“Everyone does, but I promise they have nothing to do with my mother's death.”
“Are you sure? Anyhow, I am not a mind reader and I will assume neither are you, so let me fill you in on what we are doing. First, we are going to pick your daughter up, then we are going to pick up some things from your place, and finally, as we spoke earlier, you are going to spend a night or two at my place.”
“Is that a new pick up line, because bringing a child into a liaison is new to me.”
“Woman you infuriate me! All I am trying to do is keep you and your daughter safe and out of jail. Your sarcasm is getting old.”
“Sarcasm is how I speak.”
“Then understand that jail is still a viable option. I understand the beds are a little lumpy, but your daughter will be perfectly okay in a foster home.”
“Your place sounds wonderful. Am I going to have my own bed or do we share?” She continued, but then she saw his posture change, and she knew she had crossed the line. She had to apologize quickly before he actually decided to arrest her. “I am sorry.”
“Let's go.”
“Before we go, I need to get my laptop. I have work to do.”
“Your laptop is not here. We have searched this whole place and there is no laptop or any other form of data device; by the way, do you have a cell phone?”
“I am not giving it to you.”
“I need it now.”
“Why?
“Ma'am do you understand that I am not going to ask your permission for everything I have to do to investigate this case?”
“If it involves me or my daughter, the heck you won’t.”
“So far I’ve treated you with respect and not like the suspect you are out of courtesy to your mother. This is the last time I ask you to please not shout or I’ll have to treat you like the criminal I believe you to be.”
“And I've told you that I'm not shouting!”
“Hmm! Excuse me!” Both Josie and the agent turned to look at detective Kincaid, who had dared interrupt their argument. The detective looked annoyed, but amused at the same time.
“Actually...Jerome, ma’am…both of you were shouting.”
“We were not!”
“That's neither here nor there. As amusing as this might be, I think that you guys should continue this discussion privately. There are so many eyes and ears around right now, I wouldn't be surprised to find you two as the main protagonists of a Youtube video. You have called enough attention to yourselves.”
Josie and Jerome, embarrassed to be chastised, looked around the room and saw every eye in the place fixed on them.
Jerome, annoyed with himself for allowing this petite woman to rile him up, just looked at the officers, grabbed Josie by the hand, and pulled her behind him as he led her to his car that was parked two houses down the block.
“Where are you taking me? What about my car?”
“Your car will be okay.”
“1 need my purse and I need my school books. I think I left my purse in the house.”
“I don't remember seeing it.” He opened the door of his car and he let her in.
“My keys have to be there. I don't remember what I did with them.”
“Well, actually. I have your keys. You left your car running.”
“I did?”
“Uh Huh.”
“And you turned it off.”
“I did and I also put it in park for you.”
“That is too far fetched. If I had left the car in drive it would have crashed against the house. You are lying now.”
“First, I do not lie, second, the car is uphill on the yard. It won’t go anywhere without someone pushing on the gas. Now I need to know where we are going. You do want to get your daughter, right?”
“Yes, but could you please get my purse and my school bag? I have to write lesson plans.”
“Wait here.”
“I don't have anywhere to go.”
The minute agent Parker walked to the yard where she had left her car, opened her car door and pushed his large body into the driver’s seat of the VW, Josie jumped out of the passenger seat of the truck and ran down the block. She grew up in this neighborhood and knew every area in which she could hide. She had spent her childhood improving on her hiding skills for all the times she played hide-and-seek with the older kids in the neighborhood. She had mastered her skill to the point that on one occasion she was not found at all. She had waited so long in her hiding spot that she fell asleep and when she woke up, the sun had already set. Her mother had been furious with her when she finally came home.
A curse could be heard out of Agent Parker's mouth when he heard the door slam shut. He knew what it was and tried to get out of her car, but dislodging his large body from the small car took a few seconds too long. He ran to the edge of the driveway toward his car but it was already too late. She was nowhere to be seen. For such a short girl she could sure run fast.
Detective Kincaid stood behind him laughing hy
sterically.
“What has gotten into you Tom?”
“You've finally met your match. She'll keep you second guessing yourself.”
“I don't know what you're talking about. Excuse me I have to go catch me a criminal.”
Great, now he was going to be the butt of all jokes. This woman was driving him crazy, but he wasn't worried. He had her purse and her school bag. Not only that, but he knew where she worked. She was going to have to come to him to get her things. From what he was able to tell, she was impulsive, and impatient, and he needed to use that to his advantage. She did not think of consequences and that told him that she did not commit the crime. If she had done so, she would have made several mistakes. What about the blood trail? He second-guessed himself.
Okay, so he just disproved his own theory, but that did not mean that she would not come for her things. He figured thirty minutes at the most before she would try to sneak into her car. As long as he had her keys and things, she was not going to go anywhere. As an added precaution, he opened the hood and removed the distributor cap. He calmly went inside the house to keep looking for more evidence. He was looking for something that would help him think outside the box.
So far, they were looking at this case as if the blood belonged to Ivonne. He knew that the blood belonged to someone else, and Josie did not believe it was her mother either. If it wasn’t Ivonne, where was she? And who was in that bathtub?
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
Hebrews 11:1
Chapter 10
Maria Esperanza was going crazy. She did not think she would survive one more second with this demon-possessed child. Poor Josie, how was she going to control this beast?
So far, this child had managed to throw all the eggs on the floor, then she had taken all the toys out of the shelves and scattered them all over the playroom. She had fought with all three of her kids, even the youngest who was only two. When Maria Esperanza had taken her phone out and threatened to call mom, the child had calmed down enough to fool Maria into letting her guard down. So what did this child do? She took the phone and drowned it in the toilet. If that had not been enough, she had taken the time to poop on it. Finally, while in the bathroom, she had taken the shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and lotion, and poured them onto the floor, then had continued to finger paint on every surface available.
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