Malediction: An Old World Story Read Online Free PDF

back—whether the police had given him any further information about the case.
    His face sank, seeming to age an extra ten years. “Not in months. I know you’re probably anxious for answers about Sam, but I’m not sure I can tell you anything you don’t already know.”
    I thought it over. “What about the night of the fundraiser? When I came here to look for her, we mostly talked about the logistics. But how did they seem that night? Happy? Worried?”
    “Happy, for sure. Sam was a little nervous about leaving Charlie for the first time, you could tell, but she seemed excited. They were all dressed up, you know. I took pictures.” Abruptly, he hauled himself off his chair and went to a stack of papers near the microwave. He fished out one of those white envelopes that holds developed photos and handed it to me. “I had ‘em printed a couple of months ago. I was afraid something might happen to the computer.”
    I opened the envelope. Inside was a glossy color shot of Ruanna and Sam, posed just a few feet away in the Martinez living room. Sam looked so beautiful, with her short curled hair in soft ringlets and her face made up. I flipped through a few other shots. There was one of Ruanna and Ernesto, which Sam had probably taken, and at the back, one of just Sam. I pulled it out and examined it. I’d bet money that Ruanna had taken it while Sam wasn’t paying attention. The angle was short, just like Rue had been, and she’d caught Sam in a moment of contemplation. My sister was leaning against the wall, patting the purse that hung from her shoulder on a thin chain. She was staring into space with a tiny smile on her face: part anticipation, part sadness. Her cell phone would have been in that front pocket. Her connection to John and Charlie. My eyes stung with sudden tears. I looked up at Ernesto, who handed me a paper towel before sitting down across from me again. “Can I keep this photo?” I said, wiping my eyes.
    “Of course you can. I should have sent you a copy ages ago; we’ve just been so busy …” he trailed off, glancing around the kitchen as if noticing the mess for the first time.
    “No problem. I set the photo on the table in front of me, thinking I should make a copy for John too. “I wish I knew how it happened,” I said softly.
    “Maybe it’s better we don’t,” Ernesto replied. “You probably heard that they found the … you know, the place where he did it,” he said, waving his hand. He was dancing around the newspapers’ favorite term, which I appreciated.
    “Yeah. Did you go there?”
    He nodded. “I … I had to …. The police had it cordoned off, but even from a distance, whenever they opened the door to go in you could see the red walls. All that blood ...” He seemed to choke on the words. “Maybe it’s better we don’t know,” he repeated.
    I suddenly felt like a monster. Why was I putting this man through hell a second time? I patted his hands where they sat folded on the table. “It’s okay, Ernesto. I shouldn’t have asked. I’m so sorry.”
    “No, no. It’s all right.” He flipped his hand over and took mine, his fingers dark with oil stains that would never wash out. Ernesto was a mechanic at one of those really expensive car dealerships—Lexus or Rolls Royce or something. He gripped my hand, seeking comfort. I didn’t think I had any to give, but I didn’t pull away, either. “It was good of you to come see me and the kids. And you deserve answers.”
    That’s exactly what Sam had said. “We all deserve answers,” I said in a low voice. Trying to change the subject to something lighter, I said, “How are the kids doing?”
    He shrugged. “Antone is adjusting okay. Angelica has her ups and downs. But Gabby … It’s been ten months, nearly a third of her life, but she still thinks Mommy’s gonna walk back through the door.” He pulled his hands back, rubbing his face. “I don’t know, I keep thinking maybe if there had been a body; if