'You'll be reassigned. But until then, I'd like you to consider taking some vacation time, like we talked about the other day.' Santiago sat back in his chair, his eyes unwavering. 'You mentioned taking time to help your mother. I think that's a great idea.'
Becca felt like she had stepped through a portal to another dimension, an alternative universe. Only the other day, her lieutenant told her time off was not an option. He wanted her close at hand, to watch her. But today, he doled out vacation days like party favors. Something was definitely up, and Arturo Santiago wanted her to play along. She knew the man, sensed his message. But above all, Becca trusted him.
She looked over to Murphy and shrugged.
'You'll have my files by the end of today.' Glancing back to Santiago, she asked, 'Anything else, sir?'
'No, that will be all. Thanks for your cooperation, Detective.'
And just like that, she was out. Becca avoided looking at Draper and Murphy as she stood. She opened the door and walked out of Santiago's office without a sideways glance. The urge to slug them both would be way too strong. She headed down the hallway, gnashing her teeth until her jaw ached.
Thinking back to her earlier cell phone conversation with Santiago, the man had bucked the system to share the news on Danielle's case. No doubt the chief would have reprimanded him if Draper had found out. Maybe she still had Santiago on her side.
'Thanks, LT. But you and I aren't done yet. Not by a long shot.'
Becca bounded up the stairs to her desk on the fourth floor, in no mood to ride the elevator with other people. She had until the end of the day to turn over her files and case notes. Murphy would get a sanitized version, one to back up the story she told Draper. She owed her lieutenant that much. In the meantime, Becca had a Medical Examiner waiting and the Marquez brothers coming at shift end. And if that wasn't enough to keep her busy, Isabel's background needed a thorough search.
Her investigation at the Imperial had gotten the attention of the FBI. She suspected the abducted girls and Danielle's case were somehow linked to all of this. The fed had all but confirmed that with his line of questioning. The arrogant bastard.
At the heart of it, she pictured Hunter Cavanaugh. Mike Draper didn't give a damn about Isabel. A seven- year-old murder of a local girl would have no sex appeal for a fed. But a wealthy guy with an international travel business and connections to the mob would lure Draper like a bottom-grubbing catfish to stink bait. A high-profile case that might cross borders.
'This is about you, Cavanaugh. I know it.'
After today, Becca would be forced to take time off. Although she'd be cut off from the action, being on vacation would allow her to keep her badge and gun. A clever move on Santiago's part. Through it all, her lieutenant had proven himself a loyal friend. Maybe he'd keep her connected to the case within the SAPD.
But having someone on the inside of Cavanaugh's organization would be a real coup. Becca made up her mind. She would recruit Diego Galvan for the honor, even if she had to play hardball to get him.
'Sorry, Galvan. The gloves are off. Don't expect me to play nice.'
Bexar County Medical Examiner's Office
Louis Pasteur Drive
The skeletal remains found at the Imperial Theatre had been steam cleaned and arranged in order on a light table. The bones were stark ivory white with a section of the skull cut out. A macabre jigsaw puzzle. And with all other lights in the room dimmed, the light table cast an eerie glow on the faces of crime-scene investigator Sam Hastings and the Medical Examiner, Charles Leibowitz.
The ME was a short, pudgy man with thinning white hair. His eyes bulged out from their sockets with puffy bags of skin beneath them. Shadows traced his full cheeks, masking their true size. Both men had pale green surgical gowns draped over their clothes, with latex gloves on their hands, same as she wore. Even with the added layers, she felt the constant chill in the room through her clothes.
'Well, the age, gender, and height are in line with what we know of the Marquez girl, but you say we'll have the family's DNA to match the mitochondria?' Leibowitz asked.
'Yeah, probably after six,' Becca replied, bending over to look closer at the cutaway of the skull. 'Tell me about this fracture here? An odd shape. Kind of a wedge.'
'Blunt force trauma. The indentation is pronounced enough to indicate some kind of hammer. Something with a long, narrow head and slight curvature. See here?' The Medical Examiner pointed with a gloved finger. 'The edge of the break in bone hinges downward. That indicates the bone was fresh and elastic when the injury took place. The fracture lines radiate out from there. But the blow wasn't a solid, dead-on strike. The impression is deeper here, but barely noticeable on this end. More of a glancing blow.'
'But Sam, remember the scratches on the wall where we found her?' Becca turned toward the crime-scene investigator. 'I thought she was buried alive.'
Sam opened his mouth to speak, but Leibowitz beat him to the punch.
'Oh, this blow wouldn't have killed her,' the ME explained. 'I believe the cause of death will be determined more in the context of how you found her, Detective.'
'Let me translate for Charlie,' Sam intervened with a grin. 'Buried alive in a vault without much air and no food or water is a pretty good indicator she didn't die of natural causes or a crack on the head. And the scratches on the wall and condition of her fingernails paint a grim picture. Charlie's right on the head trauma thing. She wouldn't have died from it.'
'So the killer knocked her unconscious and bricked her into the wall, knowing she was still alive?' she asked.
'We may never know the killer's intention here, unless we get it in a confession. A head wound like that? There would have been a lot of blood given all the blood vessels in the scalp. Maybe whoever did it thought she was dead.' Sam gave his opinion, one that would never end up in an official report.
'And back to the weapon. What kind of hammer, Sam?'
'Since we only have a partial impression, I'm gonna have to do some comparisons before I commit to anything. Unlike the good doctor here, I'm a hardworking stiff.' Sam Hastings crooked his lips into a smile, a gesture that quickly faded. 'Stiff? Can't believe I used that word in this place.'
Becca raised an eyebrow. 'I don't remember seeing any fabric in the hole where we found the bones. Any theories on that?'
'There's an outside chance the body was buried without clothing, but more than likely, the fabric deteriorated over time. You figured this girl went missing seven years ago, right?' When she nodded, he continued, 'And we found evidence of rodent activity in the vault. That suggests another factor to the decay of fabric. Scavenging critters can break down the material pretty quick.'
'Lovely. I hate rats.' She winced.
'Especially the two-legged variety.' Sam smirked. 'Anyway, that's all we've got for now.'
'Call me when you have something more definitive, huh? On my cell?'
'Yeah, sure thing. Charlie and I have some more work to do here, taking an inventory and measurement of the bones and their conditions. But I'll let you know what I find out.'
Becca should have told them she was off the case, but something stopped her. She might get mileage out of keeping that fact a secret.
But another thing ate at her craw. Murphy had every opportunity to attend this meeting with the ME, but he never showed an interest. If the bones on the table belonged to Isabel Marquez, Becca had a feeling the case would get shoved onto a back burner. Whatever they had on Cavanaugh would take precedence. Isabel's killer might never be identified. Becca couldn't let that happen. After meeting the Marquez family, she owed them the truth.
Shrugging out of her surgical gown and stripping off the latex gloves, she headed for the door.
'I'll get the DNA sample to you ASAP. Later, guys.'
Becca dumped her surgical gown and latex gloves into a receptacle outside the autopsy room. She had a lot of ground to cover before she'd be ready for the Marquez brothers.
Central Station
Downtown San Antonio
The room adjacent to interrogation room number 5 was dark, but not empty. Through the two-way mirror, a
