“Maybe you should ask,” Joseph practically whispered.

  “I plan on it. Anyway, this Joseph, in the hospital, I’m trying to find out who he is and his family, and he matches the description of the case you filed for your son Matteo.”

  Surprise coursed through them both, their eyes widening.

  “What doesn’t make sense to me, is why your son Angel was seen outside of his room multiple times. Did he ever share that with you?”

  Joseph and Kamila shared a look but neither responded. Grace barreled forward with her interview.

  “It seems clear to me that Joseph is your son, Matteo, and that Angel knows who he is and where he is. The question for me remains if you knew the entire time and chose to ignore that fact or if Angel kept you in the dark.”

  Tears streamed down Kamila’s cheeks. She shook her head, and Grace knew she was close to her breaking point. Joseph reached out and touched his wife’s leg in a moment of comfort. “Angel found out Matteo was there a few weeks after he went missing.”

  “Which is why you never pursued the missing persons report,” Blake commented.

  Joseph nodded. “Angel works there to keep an eye on Matteo for us. Neither of us have been there to visit him.”

  “And why did you leave him there for so long? Why haven’t you claimed him? Given him his name back?”

  Kamila sobbed. “We can’t afford it.”

  “Afford what?”

  “He’s in a coma, never expected to wake up. We can’t afford those medical bills. We can’t bring him home.”

  Fear and truth rang through her voice. There was nothing they could have down except drown in debt and the overwhelming sense of not knowing what to do.

  “We made the decision to abandon our son.”

  “You did.” Grace nodded her agreement. “And Matteo has lived without family for four years.”

  Kamila shook her head. “No! Angel has been there.”

  “He’s been a ghost.”

  “He has checked in on him every shift he possibly can. He sits with him sometimes.”

  Grace’s heart broke. “Did Angel tell you how Matteo ended up in the hospital?”

  She shook her head.

  Waiting for a few more minutes, Grace let out a breath. She was going to have to find Angel and ask him a few more questions, interview him once again down at the station. “Who else knows Matteo is alive?”

  Kamila choked back a sob, but Joseph was the one who answered. “No one. Us and Angel is it.”

  “You said Matteo went to a party with his cousin the night he disappeared. Which cousin was that?”

  “Diego. They were close friends, always going to parties.”

  “Diego is seven years older than Matteo, though, right?” Grace slid her gaze to Blake, preparing to head into the next portion of her interview with the Burgos’.

  Joseph nodded and got up, walking over to the bookshelf on the far wall. “He is, but they were always close. Angel and Diego never got along as well. Here.”

  Grace took the proffered photo and stared at Diego and Matteo, arms across each other. Matteo couldn’t have been more than twelve. In the photo, but Diego looked like a grown man. “You let your teenager go to parties with an adult?”

  “Matteo never drank. He was a good kid. He would go so he could drive Diego home.”

  Grace handed the photo back. “What kind of party did they go to that night?”

  Joseph shrugged, and Kamila shook her head as she had no answer.

  “What did Diego say happened to Matteo?”

  “He said he went out back of the house for some air and never came in, and he had no idea where he was.”

  Grace memorized every word they said. She wanted to grab her notebook to write it down but waited as she was on a roll with getting useful information. “Do you have any idea how Matteo ended up where he was found?”

  “No.” Joseph’s eyes were wide. “We always assumed whoever had hurt him took him there.”

  Grace shifted in her seat. “Do you have any idea who might have hurt him? Did Matteo have any enemies? Did he make anyone mad? Was he dating someone?”

  She knew she had asked too many questions as soon as she saw the look on Kamila’s face, but Joseph answered every one succinctly and perfectly.

  “No, we don’t know. Matteo was a pleasant and happy kid. He never had anyone bothering him, and he made friends with everyone. He was dating a girl for a few weeks before he went missing, but I don’t remember her name. Sorry. Angel might remember.”

  “I’ll be sure to ask him.” She had a feeling she wasn’t going to get much more information out of the two of them. Grace and Blake finished the interview and got back into her cruiser.

  Blake got out of the cruiser first as soon as Grace pulled up outside Angel’s apartment. They got to the second floor apartment, and Blake put her hand out to stop Grace. “Let me do this one.”

  “He’s not dangerous. Paige picked him up at work last time and he came willingly.”

  “Let me do it.”

  “Fine.” Grace pouted, but she let Blake take the lead.

  Blake knocked on the door as Grace stood off to the side of it. They both heard the curse and the rustling before the lock turned and the door opened. Grace had her hand on her weapon just in case anything happened. Angel popped his head out the door, giving Blake a curious look. When he shifted to see Grace, he groaned and cursed.

  “I already talked to you, lady.”

  “Yeah, and we’re talking again,” Grace muttered. “Out here.”

  Angel sighed and stepped onto the balcony area, leaving his door open a crack. Angel crossed his arms over his chest and glared at Grace. Blake stepped in. “Tell us about your brother.”

  “I don’t know anything.”

  “You know something,” Grace demanded. “Why don’t you tell us already?”

  “Detective,” Blake muttered her warning.

  Grace took it as it was and went back to playing second fiddle while Blake took over the conversation. “Tell us about Matteo.”

  Angel immediately stared at Grace. “You know then.”

  “Of course I know, Angel. I’m not stupid.”

  He pursed his lips. “If you know, then why are you here?”

  Grace wanted to sigh, but she held it in. Blake once again stepped between them. “We’re here to ask you some questions.”

  “What questions?”

  “How did Matteo end up in the hospital?”

  “Diego.”

  “We know Diego found him.”

  “No. Diego put him there.”

  “What?” Grace demanded.

  Angel shook his head at her. “You asked why we don’t talk? That’s why. Diego and Matteo got into a fight that night, and Diego beat him, tried to kill him.”

  “For what?” Grace’s eyes were wide.

  “Taking his girl.”

  “You’re shitting me.”

  Angel shook his head. “No, it was stupid. He nearly killed Matteo then left him there to die. I was looking for Matteo that night to bring him home, the drunk fuck he was, and when I couldn’t find him, I went and found Diego. Diego told me he had no idea where Matteo was, but his hands were bloody. I knew they’d gotten into it. It wasn’t the first time.”

  “It wasn’t?” Blake asked. “When did it happen before?”

  “All the time. Anytime Diego got jealous.”

  “Jesus.” Grace shifted her stance and shook her head. “How did you find this out?”

  “I confronted him after I found out Matteo was at the hospital.”

  “Where did the fight happen?” Blake asked.

  Angel shook his head. “I don’t know.”

  “Was it at the party or was it where they found Matteo?”

  “I think at the party. Then Diego took him up there to ditch him.”

  Blake turned to Grace. “I’m going with you.”

  “You bet.”

  They didn’t wait much longer before heading to the station. One last check in with Blake’s supervisor, and they were off back to Grace’s turf.

  They raced to find Diego. Grace pulled into his driveway with her lights on. She got out of her cruiser, her gun in her hand as Blake followed close behind her. She’d already called it in to Humbard, but Diego hadn’t shown any sign of aggression with her, but since he had a history of it, she wanted to be cautious and called for backup.

  “Diego, open up, it’s Detective Halling!”

  Grace nodded at Blake as she pounded her fist against Diego’s front door as soon as the first uniform showed up. Blake held her own ground and gun. Grace pounded on the door again, sure Diego was most likely in a drunken stupor like he had been the last few times she’d seen him.

  “Diego. Open the door. Sheriff’s Department.”

  He finally opened the door right as she was about to bang for a third time. Grace tensed.

  “Come on out and talk to us, Diego.”

  Diego stumbled through the doorway, his eyes blood shot, his skin pale, and he reeked of alcohol, stale alcohol and vomit. His shirt was covered in it. Swallowing, Grace was happy she wouldn’t be the one driving back to Johnson County for an hour with him in her cruiser. She gripped his arm and held him steady while Blake grabbed his other hand. They wrenched them behind his back, and Blake put a cuff on one wrist. Diego barely budged.

  “We should get a bus,” Grace said.

  “Probably.”

  “Call a bus!” Grace shouted to the uniform officer still near his cruiser. He nodded and turned to his radio.

  “Diego,” Grace started. “How drunk are you?”

  He didn’t say anything, but he slowly turned to look at Grace.

  “Diego.”

  Vomit spilled from between his lips and down over his chin and onto his shirt. Neither Blake nor Grace turned their faces from him, knowing they had to keep their eyes on him at all times.

  “Sit down, Diego.” She pushed him slightly and lightly toward the front step and helped him sit down. He leaned his head against the post with his eyes closed. More vomit slipped from his mouth. Grace made sure to keep a close eye on him as they waited for the bus. They weren’t going to get anything from him, and it looked like Blake would not be taking him back to Johnson County that day.

  Blake came over and shook her head. “My only question is why Angel held that secret for so long.”

  “To not hurt his parents any more than they already were hurting. Simple as that. Every choice he has made has been for his family.”

  “I guess.”

  Grace knelt down next to Diego and tapped his cheek. “Stay with me, kid. I’m not going to lose you just after finding Matteo.”

  Diego’s dark eyes slid to Grace’s face before rolling back into his head. She grabbed him by the shoulder and slid him to the ground slowly as he was completely passed out. Blake bent down close, but Grace already had her hand against his neck to check his pulse and turned him on his side in case he started vomiting again.

  “All over some girl, huh?” Grace muttered to Diego. “There are better ways to solve problems, my man.”

  Blake snorted. “You talk to all suspects this way?”

  “Some.” Grace shrugged. “Well, most I guess.”

  “You’re a dork.”

  Blake grinned. Grace glanced over her shoulder as she heard the sirens. Soon enough, they were swarmed by paramedics who took over Diego’s care. Once he was in the ambulance and stable, Blake and Grace followed to the hospital. It was going to be a long day of waiting to see how Diego was doing, but at least she’d get to hang out with Blake for most of it. They hadn’t had time like that together in months, and she knew they had quite a bit of catching up to do.

  Final Interview

  She’d closed her case and had seen Blake off hours after her official shift had ended. Grace didn’t care though. Humbard would give her the overtime for breaking a case no one had dared touch for years. As soon as she walked into the station and down to her unit, she stopped. Alonzo stood in the hallway just outside the door and stared at her.

  “I’ve been waiting for you,” he said.

  Grace snorted. “There is such a thing as phone, Esparza. If you wanted to talk to me that badly, you could have called and told me to come back.”

  He shrugged. “I knew it could wait. My office.”

  They made the trek up to his office, which Grace sincerely hoped was for the very last time. As soon as she settled into the chair across from his desk, he smiled at her.

  “You helped break my case for me.”

  “I did?” Surprise edged its way into her chest.

  “You did. Unfortunately, I’m not at liberty to say any more than that, but I thought you’d like to know.”

  “Depends on what the results of your investigation are.”

  He smirked at her. “You’re a good detective. This case you solved today proves that.”

  Grace cocked her head at him, pretty sure she knew where the conversation was going and that she wasn’t going to like it. She curled her toes in her boots as she waited for the dreaded word to slip from his lips. He had asked her so many times already, and she had no idea why he wasn’t getting the damn hint about it.

  “You’re smart, you understand ethics and morals in ways a lot of cops don’t.”

  “Helps when you grew up in a house that was shit with them.” Grace bit the inside of her cheek. She hadn’t meant to say that, and Alonzo’s widened eyes indicating she had overstepped.

  “Oh?” he responded.

  “Long story. I was taught ethics by Officer Brady.”

  “Daniel?” Alonzo’s dark eyes softened. “He and I went to the academy together.”

  “Really?” Grace’s heart opened slightly more to Alonzo, not enough for her to take a transfer he was still no doubt working up to offering her, but enough that she might consider him an ally at some point in her career. Not then, though. Then he was still the weird IAB officer who asked too many questions and didn’t know how to take no for an answer.

  “We did. He did mention you once or twice. It’s how you first came to my attention.”

  “Great.” If Grace could yell at Daniel in the grave, she would.

  “There have been a lot of changes today.”

  Grace kept her mouth shut. She was far more interested in what Alonzo had to say than in what she was going to say back to him, and if Amya had taught her one thing about interviewing and being a cop, it was that she needed to listen far more often than she needed to talk. Not to mention, silence could be her best ally during an interview, and if Alonzo had called her there to get information from her, she would also get some from him.

  He cocked his head at her and grinned. “Why do I always feel like you’re studying me?”

  Grace shrugged.

  “I would like it if you’d transfer to my unit.”

  Pressing her lips together, Grace debated what to say. Hell no didn’t seem like a viable option. Politely declining twice over the last year hadn’t seemed to work either. “Why do you want me here so badly? This is the third time you’ve asked. I’m a new detective. Surely there are other detectives with more seniority, more experience, and better skills than me.”

  He grinned at her, his insanely white teeth shining in the fluorescent lights. “I see Chaplain Stone didn’t speak with you.”

  “What?”

  Snorting, Alonzo shook his head. “Never mind. You’re smart, Grace. You might not have the education or the degree that other officers do, but I don’t think that’s because you lack the skills or the knowledge to get one. Though, if you do want to be promoted much beyond your current rank, you will need a college degree for that.”

  Grace narrow her gaze. She hadn’t really ever thought about that. She’d never really wanted to be a detective either when she’d joined the force. She’d always thought her heart remained in being a field officer, on the ground running day in and day out. It wasn’t until she’d almost lost her life that she’d reconsidered what it meant to be an officer and where her skills were best used.

  Drawing in a deep breath, Grace let it out slowly. “I’ve never considered college.”

  “Might be something to think about.”

  “If I even want a promotion.”

  He smirked. “Why wouldn’t you? More money for the same amount of work.”

  Confused, Grace shook her head. “You certainly do more work.”

  “Yes, but there are three ranks between you and me, Detective.”

  She gritted her teeth, very confused as to where the conversation was heading. He must have sensed that because he changed the topic.

  “You’re smart. You don’t need a degree to prove that, but you have some street smarts that other officers lack. You have a very clear understanding of boundaries and ethics. I admire that, and it is a skill very useful to my department.”

  “No one wants to work for Internal.”

  Alonzo laughed. He downright laughed at her comment. “That is very true. However, as I recruit most of my team, I find they come to love this unit in ways they never expected.”

  “I won’t do it.”

  “The offer still stands. If you would like to transfer, the door is always open. Your skills would be most useful here, I’m sure of that.”

  “No thanks.”

  He nodded at her and leaned onto his desk and picked up a piece of paper. “You can go then. Just remember, if you ever change your mind—”

  “I won’t. Trust me.” Grace pushed to stand and left his office without another glance.

  Every time he asked her, she felt her defenses and wall breaking down a little more. She headed to her unit, glad to finally be back there. It felt like homecoming as soon as she walked inside, but the feel of the department was different. There was a somber tone to the room, and it wasn’t until then that she realized she hadn’t been told what the results of Alonzo’s IAB investigation was.

  She turned toward Humbard’s office, ready to give him an update on Diego and her case, which she had officially closed but still had a ton of paperwork to do. Grace got to his door and stopped short. The office was bare. No photos. Hardly any papers. And no Humbard. Instead, Paige sat at his desk, her head bent over the computer as she stared at the screen with narrowed and concerned eyes.