Chapter Three
Something about him pulled me closer. I saw his face and knew that he was a safe man to be around. If I could explain why, I would, but all I know is I wanted to tell him the entire truth.
Hayley isn’t my sister, but she’s the closest thing I have to one. The truth is, I don’t remember my family anymore. I was so little when everything happened that all I can remember is my mother’s elegant dresses and my father’s tailored suits. Who knows, maybe I do have a sibling out there somewhere I’ll never have the pleasure of knowing.
I started to go by Natalia when I was six-years-old. My adoptive parents said they wanted to take away all the reminders of my past, and my name was the top on their list. Hayley always called me by Mariana, though, since she knew how much it meant to me. She hated that I have to live my life this way.
My adoptive parents, Tiana and Dalton, aren’t the kind of people anyone wants to be around. Most of my life, I’ve had to cower in fear or hide from the consequences of their actions. It wasn’t a big surprise to me when they decided our bodies were theirs to sell. Hayley begged them not to do this to us, but they laughed in her face. This was their plan all along. Adopt some orphans, collect money from the state, and sell us to get even more. I guess they got what they wanted.
Hayley started to settle into her life. She was sinking into a deep hole that caused her to go off the deep end a time or two now. I know I should tell the detective, but I don’t want her to get into trouble when they find her. They have to find her. Alive. I don’t think I could survive losing her, even though I fear that I already have. Drugs or a john probably took her away.
“Natalia, are you feeling okay?” Detective Martinez asks, dragging my attention back to my current situation.
I shake my head as I wipe my eyes. When did I start crying? “Yeah, I.. I’m okay,” I stutter.
He leans forward, watching me intently. “I don’t think you are. You don’t have to talk about it, but you also don’t need to lie about it. You’re scared for your sister, and that’s understandable, but I can only help you if you help me. When you saw me in the lobby, did you know who I was?” He tilts his head as he leans back in the chair.
“What? No. Why?” My heart begins to race in my chest. He knows something. That’s the only reason he would ask me if I knew who he was. “Why would I know who you are? I saw a man with a shield that looked like he was a trustworthy cop. Where I come from, that’s not common. I’m not a person who tells my story to only anyone, so when I felt like you were someone I could talk to, I had to take the chance. Hayley’s all that I have in this world, and I felt like I could trust you with her.”
He sighs, relaxing his body with defeat. “Your sister, Hayley, was murdered last night. She was found early this morning. I only found out about the case a few hours before you came into the precinct. I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you sooner.”
My entire world begins to fall around me. My heart explodes at his words. Hayley, my best friend and family, is gone. My biggest fear came true when I needed her the most. When she needed me the most. I’ll never make it on my own without her to protect me. She’s the only reason I’ve survived this world the last two years. When all the men wanted to defile me, she took my place. Her body wasn’t hers, but mine was mine. I remember how crazy I thought she was when she would tell me that. I think I understand her a bit more now that I can see what she was talking about. She couldn’t save me every time, but when she did, she used her body to do so. She accepted our father’s words and sold her body to the devil himself.
“H-how did s-she…?” I can’t bear to finish the sentence without choking.
He drags a hand down his face. I didn’t notice before, but he looks exhausted. The lighting in this room is only darkening the black bags under his eyes. When’s the last time he had a good night’s rest? “They’re still going over her autopsy, but once they finalize the results, I will bring you in to go over it all.”
I nod my head. “Do I need to see her? Sorry, I’m not sure how this works outside of the movies.” I sniff my nose as I wipe away another tear.
“Eventually, yes. I need you to identify her body. Right now, I think it’s better if we talk a bit more while they work.” He stands up from his seat and leans against the wall behind him instead. “Let’s talk more about where your sister was working. You said it wasn’t a great place. Can you tell me more about it? The name would be perfect.”
“I can’t,” I whisper quietly. “I’m sorry, but I just can’t. If I tell you, then I’m putting myself in danger. Without Hayley, I’m the only one who will protect me. If they even knew I was here now…” I drift off with my words as the image plays in my head. I can’t go back without her. I just can’t. If he finds me without her, then I’ll be good as dead. “I need to go.” I jump out of my seat and take off for the door as fast as I can. Only when I reach the door, he’s already there with his hands held above his head in surrender.
“If you think I’m going to let you run out of this room and into danger, you’re wrong. This is the safest place you’ll find around here.” He locks his eyes onto me, and suddenly I feel like he’s telling me the truth.
“I wish I could tell you more, but I can’t. Now, I need to try and straighten myself out before I go to work. I just found out my sister died, but I have bills to pay. Please, just let me leave and act like I was never here.” I step back as the words rush out of my mouth.
“Where do you work? I was being serious when I said I’m not letting you run out of this room and into danger.”
I sigh, curling my arms around myself. “The movie theater.”
“Wyley’s?” he questions as he tilts his head.
I swallow roughly. “Yeah, I clean between movies and at the end of the night.” Looking to my right, I avoid his dreamy eyes. “It pays my bills and Jason is a good, honest man. You said this is the safest place I can find, but the truth is, Wyley’s is my safe place.” I sidestep around him, but he doesn’t move his hand from the door handle.
“Let me drive you there. I trust Jason, but I don’t trust letting you leave this office without someone coming after you. You said they would if they knew you were here.” Detective Martinez holds out one hand for me to take. I shake my head.
“I’ll be fine. Wyley’s is only a block away from the station. I can walk there without anyone seeing me.” I smile to myself because it’s the truth. I’ve been living under the radar for years without a soul seeing me. Jason might actually be the only other person in this town that knows who I am and what I’m trying to hide.
He shakes his head with a soft laugh. “I don’t doubt that, little raven.” My heart begins to strum wildly at the nickname. “Come on. I’m taking you to work, and that’s that. I’ll need to talk to Jason anyway so he can make sure nobody sees you until after I track down what happened to your sister.”
“If there’s one direction you don’t need to give him, it’s to keep me hidden and safe. Detective, not everything is the way you see it.” I look back to the door as he slowly lifts his hand from the handle. “Now, I need to get to work before Jason fires me.”
“He would never fire you. I wouldn’t let him. At least, not for this reason.” He pushes the door open but steps out before I have a chance to react. He isn’t going to let me leave here without him. Part of me is jumping with excitement that someone actually cares about me enough to make sure I get somewhere safely, but I know he’s only doing his job. Nobody cares about an orphan who has lived the life I have. If anything, Detective Martinez will eventually see that he wasted his time on a sneaky nobody, and toss me to the wolves. Is it terrible that I’m praying he never finds out the truth, though?