Sins of the Past Read online

  It can only end badly, Kate, Joanna had warned her. Stop seeing him. But for once Kate had thought that her normally sensible friend was being ridiculous. She enjoyed his company, he was a great listener and friend who made her feel great about herself. She wanted to retain a little part of him in her life. What was wrong with that? Trevor was engaged to another woman, for Christ’s sake, something she had tried to tell Diego as well, but he would have none of it. His jealous, borderline controlling behavior was the only part she didn’t miss when it came to her husband. So Diego wanted her all to himself. Well, she was not okay with that. Her little friendship with Trevor was truly innocent, and it made her mad, quite frankly, that neither he nor Joanna could see that. Nonetheless, she’d had the presence of mind to know that, in order to appease her husband, she must keep Trevor a secret. Maybe when Trevor was married, she would bring him up to Diego again. Maybe then Diego would feel more comfortable about their friendship. She really didn’t like not being completely honest with her husband.

  Pushing away the minor rush of guilt that went through her, she pressed the Talk button and put the phone to her ear.

  “Hey, Trev,” she whispered and went back to the living room where she curled up in a corner of the couch. Pepe the cat joined her, settling in her lap and began cleaning himself languorously.

  “How are you doing today?” Trevor’s familiar voice said in her ear, feeling like soothing balm on her shattered soul. “How did the funeral go?”

  “It was tough, but I got through it,” she murmured. “I got through both that and my second interview with the cops.”

  She exhaled, allowing herself to cry at last, all the tension in her body dissipating at once. Warm tears streamed down her cheeks. She was so glad that she had decided to keep this man in her life, stood up for herself. He had proven to be a rock throughout these incredibly trying days. She honestly didn’t know how she would have been able to survive had it not been for Trevor’s calming voice every night, checking in on her to see how she was doing after the unthinkable had happened. Would she ever feel whole again? For the children’s sake, she must at least appear whole. Trevor spoke then in that silky voice of his that she had come to love and crave so much.

  “I knew you would get through it just fine, Kate. You’re a strong woman. You can handle this. You can handle everything God throws at you. You’re a fighter. Nothing can ever beat you down. Nothing.”

  She wiped at the tears with the heel of her hand and felt a little better. Suddenly, she no longer doubted that she would one day be happy again. Trevor always said the right things to ease her pain. She sighed. He was a truly wonderful person. Even Joanna would have to agree that Kate had made the right choice in keeping him in her life once she found out what tremendous support he had provided. It was only a matter of time before she would tell her friend about what he had done, and then Joanna would be forced to admit that she had been wrong in judging their friendship so quickly.

  Kate didn’t allow herself to think about the fact that Trevor’s constant attention had ignited feelings for him that she had thought would never come, and that those feelings made it easier for her to deal with the sudden loss of her husband. Those feelings were wrong to have this early, and she would do what she could to bury them. Maybe in the future, if Trevor was no longer engaged, she would acknowledge them, let them out in the open, see what happened. She had a strong feeling he and his fiancée were not doing great, that his loving support wasn’t entirely without an agenda, or else he wouldn’t have all this time and energy to devote to her. Him calling her so often made her think that it may in fact be over between them, but she could tell Trevor was in no mood to discuss his own situation, so she didn’t bring it up.

  “Do you want me to come over?” Trevor asked her, and the thought of that sounded very appealing to Kate—she wanted nothing more than to slip into his warm embrace and cry against his shoulder—but she couldn’t allow herself to do that right now. She really needed to be with the kids. They had only seen her for a few minutes today. What with the cops coming by and interviewing her, she would need to postpone the job hunt until tomorrow so that she could relieve the nanny.

  “I would love for you to come over, but I can’t,” she said. “I need to be with the kids. But maybe you can come over and have dinner with us on Friday instead? By then things should have calmed down around here. And I won’t be such a mess.” She sniffled and wiped at the tears with her fingertips.

  “Shhh,” Trevor whispered. “Don’t talk like that, Kate. It’s perfectly understandable that you’re a mess right now. Your husband was murdered and you just buried him, for Heaven’s sake. It would be strange if you weren’t a mess.”

  In the midst of all the tears, Kate couldn’t help but smile a little again. Seriously, what would she have done without Trevor? He was such a great friend.

  “Are you sure you’ll be fine on your own tonight?” Trevor sounded deeply concerned.

  “Yeah. Joanna and Mom will come by for dinner to keep me company. I’ll be fine. Thank you for being so nice to me. I don’t deserve you treating me this nicely.”

  “Don’t say that, Kate. After all that you’ve gone through, you deserve nothing but the best. We’re friends and I want to be sure you know I’m there for you whenever you need me.”

  Kate’s smile grew. “I know that, Trev. I do. I hope I’ll get the chance to repay what you’ve done for me sometime. Be there for you the way you’ve been there for me these two weeks.”

  “Don’t think about that right now. Think about the kids and yourself instead. Focus on getting through this terrible time. I’ll call you tomorrow to see how you’re doing, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  “And I’m very much looking forward to having dinner with you and the kids on Friday.”

  “Me too, Trev. It will be nice to see you again. It’s been a while.”

  “Yes, it has. Have a good night and make sure you get plenty of rest, okay? You’ll need it.”

  “I will. See you soon.”

  They said goodbye and hung up. Lowering the cell and placing it against her chest, Kate pressed it to her body. She closed her eyes and thanked God for the few good things left in her life. The kids, her mother, Joanna, and Trevor. All of them would help her get through this horrible fate that had befallen her and the kids. Especially Trevor.

  Yes, especially Trevor.

  Her eyes went to the photos of her late husband on a side table.

  “I’m sorry, darling,” she whispered at his handsome, grinning face, her heart aching at the sight of him. “He really is a good friend and person, though. You would have liked him had you ever given him a chance.”

  * * *

  Chapter 8

  Wil and Larry entered the busy lobby at the Hilton Hotel at ten past seven; finding parking had been a bitch, seriously cutting into their arrival time. The large space had high ceilings and tall windows with heavy, green curtains partially covering the glass. There was an eighties’ feel to it with the shades of maroon and mustard on the low couches and high-backed, square leather chairs around light wooden tables over which round lamps hung low like flying saucers. The furniture was scattered over a hideous orange carpet.

  “Can you see them?” Larry muttered to Wil as they passed a couple of aging men in dark business suits. “Maybe we should have called them to tell them we would be late. Let’s hope they haven’t given up on us and split.”

  “I’m sure they haven’t,” Wil said, searching the long bar counter that was packed with people. The tables in that area were smaller and much higher than the ones in the main room and surrounded by tall bar chairs. She soon spotted a Latina couple in their sixties perhaps, and a young, striking woman who looked like she could be their daughter seated around one of the wooden tables in the main area. All three were dressed conservatively in dark, somber colors. “I think I’ve found them. Come on.”

  She pulled his sleeve as she started walking in their
direction. As she and Larry made their way over, Wil stuck her hand into her jacket pocket and fished out her wallet that contained her identification and badge.

  The older woman saw Wil when she and Larry had almost reached them. Catching the woman’s eye, Wil smiled politely and flashed her the insides of her wallet.

  “Mrs. Martinez?” she said and stopped next to the table. Now that she was close, Wil noted that the woman had several strands of white going through her mane of raven hair.

  “Yes,” the woman answered and the younger woman’s head snapped around, facing Wil and Larry. Her long, black hair was parted sideways and slicked back in a severe ponytail, lending an air of maturity to her delicate beauty. She scanned Wil’s ID and badge carefully with brown eyes accentuated by thick, black eyeliner and lots of mascara.

  “Detective Cooper?” she said when she was done.

  “Yes, I’m Detective Cooper and this is my partner, Detective White.” Wil indicated Larry beside her. “Sorry we’re a little late.”

  “No problem. I’m Maria Martinez. Would it be possible for you to do the questioning here in the lobby?” the younger woman asked. “We really would prefer to spend dinner alone. No offense, but it’s been a tough day for me and my parents what with the burial and all.”

  “No offense taken,” Wil answered quickly. “Of course we can talk here instead if you prefer that. May we have a seat?”

  The younger woman indicated with her hand for them to sit down on the low, maroon leather couch, so they did.

  A cocktail waitress showed up at the table, asking if Wil and Larry wanted anything to drink. Both of them declined while Mr. Martinez, a slender man with a gentle face, ordered another bourbon on the rocks.

  “Thank you for agreeing to see us,” Wil began politely. “We realize that this is a very painful time for all of you. We’re working very hard to try to find out who did this to your son and brother. We apologize in advance if we’re making you uncomfortable in any way.”

  “It’s okay to ask us everything,” Mrs. Martinez said, instantly revealing that she, unlike her daughter, had a distinct Hispanic accent. The older woman was not quite beautiful, more handsome with a strong nose, hooded, black eyes, and a wide mouth. There was something regal about the way she carried herself, like she could handle anything and do so with poise. Her husband, on the other hand, seemed like a beaten man, staring down into the almost empty tumbler in his hand, barely acknowledging the presence of Wil and Larry. “We want nothing more than to find out who killed our son. Please ask whatever you need.”

  “Thank you,” Wil said and smiled a little. “How is your relationship with Diego’s widow, Kate?”

  “We love Kate,” Mrs. Martinez answered. “As soon as we found out what had happened, my husband and I and Maria took the first flight we could find to be with her. We spent the last week with her and the kids, helping her as much as we could. Now we need to go back home. We have a restaurant in Houston.”

  “How was Kate’s relationship with Diego?” Larry asked in a reverent tone. “Would you say they were happily married?”

  The older woman’s mouth quirked up in a lopsided little smile that didn’t reach her soulful black eyes. “As happy as any couple could be. Everyone has their share of problems.”

  “What kind of problems did Kate and Diego have?” Larry probed.

  The two Martinez women exchanged a glance, then Maria said, “Diego used to be a member of a gang back in Texas. Not for long, only a few years.”

  “Really?” Wil said, a little taken aback; she hadn’t seen that one coming. “And how exactly did that create problems for Kate and Diego?”

  “Diego was paranoid that someone from the gang would find out where he had gone and try to make him come back to Houston,” Maria explained. “Or that they might do something to Kate or the kids. His paranoia had a tendency to make him possessive. He once found out that Kate had a secret male friend that she was seeing at times, and that made him freak out, even though the man in question didn’t have any connection to the gang back in Texas. He pretended like he was jealous when it was really a matter of him being worried about his wife’s safety. He wasn’t comfortable with her seeing people he didn’t know. He never told her about his previous gang affiliation.”

  “So you’re saying that he was never jumped out?” Larry wanted to know. “That he was still a member of the gang and that he just bailed on them? What is the name of this gang anyway?”

  “The Latin Devils,” Maria said, “and, no, he was jumped out. But he could never entirely let go of the fact that maybe what they made him go through wasn’t enough.”

  Larry frowned. “What exactly is that supposed to mean?”

  “Not all of the members of the gang agreed to the jump out rules,” Maria explained matter-of-factly.

  “So you’re saying there are questions whether Diego was properly jumped out?” Wil asked in an attempt for clarification.

  Maria grabbed her cranberry juice and brought it to her lips, pausing before having a drink. “Only if you asked Diego. He kept telling us that a couple of high-ranking members said he didn’t take enough of a beating to deserve his freedom. So he was always worried that they’d come and take revenge on him and his young family.”

  “Interesting,” Larry said. “Why didn’t he tell Kate about having belonged to a gang?”

  “He was ashamed of it,” Maria answered. “He wanted her to think only good things of him, even though he didn’t do anything really bad while in the gang. Since nothing happened to him or to me or our parents, he managed to convince himself for some time that the Devils had gotten over their disagreement in regards to his quitting. But we all know for a fact that his peace of mind didn’t last. After he had gotten married, it began eating at him again despite that it had been more than a decade since he parted ways with them. He made us promise never to tell Kate about it, but now, because of what has happened, we must tell at least you. And we understand that she may find out as well. In order to find his killer, we’re okay with that. We want justice for Diego, and so does Kate.”

  “Between what ages was he a gang member?” Wil asked.

  “From when he was thirteen to sixteen,” the older woman replied. “We didn’t know he was a member until he was fifteen. We convinced him to get out and helped him.”

  Wil leaned closer to the woman. “Really? How did you help him?”

  “We gave him twenty thousand dollars to give el jefe,” she explained. “So that he wouldn’t have to take a beating that could kill him. Very often, members who want to leave the gang get beaten so badly they die. We didn’t want our son to die.”

  “Understandable,” Larry said.

  “Diego found out afterward that a couple of high-ranking members had gotten furious over the agreement and thought that twenty thousand was too little for him to get out,” Maria said. “But then it all seemed to blow over, so we thought it would be fine. Unfortunately, as we already mentioned, Diego couldn’t quite let go, and that made him controlling with Kate and the kids. Really, all he wanted was for them to be safe, but I think that sometimes it made him appear possessive, and that led to fights between them. Nothing too serious though, or we would have insisted that he tell her what set him off.”

  “Hmm,” Wil said and produced the iPad. “So you don’t believe either of them had an affair? No possibility of a jealous lover being behind Diego’s murder?”

  “No,” Maria and the mother said emphatically and in unison. “They were very much in love,” Maria added. “Truly, they only had eyes for each other and the kids. No lovers involved.”

  “Okay,” Wil said and switched on the iPad and pulled up the photos of the murder weapon. She held the iPad in front of Maria first. “Does this knife look familiar to you?”

  Maria stared hard at the photos, as Wil scrolled through them. “No,” she said finally. “I can’t say that it does.”

  Wil moved on to the mother and father, who didn’t reco
gnize the knife either.

  She and Larry spent another fifteen minutes interviewing the Martinezes before they called it a night.

  “What do you make of their story?” Wil asked Larry as they walked out of the hotel and merged with the thick of people outside on the street.

  “Well, it seems pretty obvious. Despite what Kate thinks, Diego had a lot of skeletons in the closet. And one of them came back to life and killed him.”

  * * *

  Chapter 9

  Seventeen days had passed since Diego had been taken from her and Kate was feeling better and better, like there was actually life after Diego. A life in which she wouldn’t cry herself to sleep at night and dread facing the day in the mornings. She had no doubts that, in large part, she had Trevor to thank for that.

  “Well, I guess I was wrong to think it was best for you to distance yourself from him,” Joanna said and had a sip of the expensive red wine she had brought with her to dinner with Kate. “What he’s done for you is very kind.”

  “Yes, it is,” Kate said and speared a piece of chicken with her fork, then stuck it into her mouth and chewed slowly, enjoying it. The tender meat was grilled to perfection.