Read Rafael (The Santiago Brothers Book One) for Free Online

sure about the number of
wounds.”
    Rafa leaned his head against the back of the
chair and stared at the ceiling, pondering the likelihood this
woman suffered at the hands of the Snakes. “We’ll need confirmation
before we can count it as the same MO.”
    “The body should be at the ME’s right now. I
was going to try to catch some of the autopsy.”
    Rafa closed the file and stood. “Right
now?”
    Genie shook her head. “She’ll start the
procedure in the morning, at nine a.m.”
    “The lieutenant mentioned a detective named
Franco? I met him at the scene.”
    Genie groaned. Distaste for her colleague
shone clear in her eyes. “Yes. Although if the body has been moved,
I doubt he’ll linger around. I had a couple of the uniforms start
the canvass of the neighbors before I was called away.”
    Rafa yawned. His muscles had stiffened while
he sat in the chair.
    Genie smiled. “Looks like you need some rest.
How about you check in to a hotel and I’ll meet you here tomorrow
morning at eight a.m.? If there are any updates at that time, I’ll
fill you in as we head over to the hospital.”
    If she hadn’t smiled, Rafa would've taken the
suggestion as another order. He wanted to begin right away by
revisiting the crime scene, but Genie was right; rest first. He put
in a full day of work in California before the flight and, with the
time change, he would be no good to anyone if he were delirious
from lack of sleep. The Snakes rarely made mistakes, and Rafa
couldn't afford not to be on his game.
    “I’m actually staying at my mother’s.”
    “Oh, right. I should have guessed. She and I
attend the same church, you know?”
    Rafa smiled, recalling fond memories of
sleeping in a back pew. “I know. I used to attend myself, when I
was younger.”
    Shock registered on Genie’s face.
    “Surprised to see I wasn’t always a
delinquent?”
    Genie flushed. She closed the case file,
snatched her jacket from the chair, and marched to the door. With a
feline grin, she flicked the lights off. “Good night, Detective.
And welcome home.”
    Rafa
stood alone in the dark. Home .
     
    ****
     
    Rafa
thanked the cabbie and watched the vehicle drive down the darkened
street. He let out a heavy breath. This is it . He faced the small, two-story, white Cape
Cod-style home. The front porch light was on, beckoning him
forward. Rafa swallowed, his throat dry. With his garment bag slung
over one shoulder, he picked up his duffel bag from the sidewalk
and trudged forward. Was his mother asleep? He hated to have to
wake her. What would she say when she saw him? After his stint with
the Snakes — and after coming to grips with his mother kicking him
out of the house — he’d kept in touch over the years, calling her
when he graduated from college and then the police academy. He
didn’t usually discuss his work, knowing she’d worry. One topic he
refused to engage in was when he would return home.
    Home . He had
dreamed of this moment so often, he marveled at his trepidation.
The last time he saw his mother was when she sent him to live with
family in California. Had she forgiven him? She assured him, over
the phone, that she had, but Rafa couldn’t bring himself to believe
the words. He remembered how he had treated her. How he had yelled
and threatened her… how he had made her cry. He couldn’t face his
mother again. Despite the discomfort, it was still easier to live
in cowardice.
    He stepped onto the small porch and set his
duffel bag down. He reached for the doorbell and paused, finger
hovering just in front of the button. It took an investigation to
bring him home. No, his boss ordered him here. Rafa was fine with
another officer flying out to assist Springfield PD. He didn’t have
the guts to face the woman who birthed him, to apologize in person
for the grief he’d put her through.
    Rafa closed his eyes, his body trembling with
suppressed emotion. His breath came rapidly. When he was asleep,
his dreams always ended with